For strategy‘s fourth annual search for Canada’s best next-gen media minds, we shook things up a bit. First, as always, we invited media directors to nominate juniors who were breaking new ground in strategy or tactics. The nominees behind the most impressive plans were profiled in the May and June issues, after which we gave their profiles to the Media Agency of the Year jury to choose a winner for the first time.
This year’s winner doesn’t come from a traditional media background. But J3 Canada activation designer Trevor Bozyk’s creative and production experience is no doubt part of what helped him stand out as the clear winner.
At J3, a division of Interpublic Group dedicated to Johnson & Johnson brands, Bozyk heads up the activation department, which focuses on brand integration and branded entertainment. The 30 year old has worked on brands from Neutrogena to Tylenol, but it was his mom-focused efforts for Johnson’s Baby brand that earned him the title.
Bozyk spearheaded a partnership with Slice TV’s The Mom Show that incorporated online, branded content and live events. Products like Head-to-Toe Baby Wash and Gold Shampoo were integrated into a series of branded vignettes that became a regular segment of the show. Through hyper-targeting, Bozyk focused spend and made sure the brand had a starring role in the content.
Johnson’s also sponsored a block of mom-relevant programs, and Canwest repurposed episodes from previous seasons to incorporate the brands. Bozyk’s team also chose Calgary as the location for The Mom Show’s live kick-off.
And the strategy worked – Johnson’s net trade sales grew 9.3%, awareness for Johnson’s sponsorship of The Mom Show increased by 20 percentage points, and awareness for its proprietary site Babycenter.ca rose 19 percentage points. The partnership is continuing into 2009, and the episodes have been picked up by Women’s Television Network in the U.S.
Bozyk’s knack for production stems from his degrees in film and theatre from Queen’s University and film production from Vancouver Film School. The Vancouver native worked as a director’s and producer’s assistant and then in marketing at Alliance Atlantis for three years before joining J3 in January 2008.
J3 EVP/managing director Shelley Smit sees his film experience as a valuable resource for the types of media partnerships J3 is creating. ‘He represents the new wave of media professionals,’ says Smit, who describes Bozyk as a positive, motivating force on the team. ‘He works to integrate brands into the content, but [also considers] what best serves the consumer viewing the content and what brings value to them. He has a good sense of that balance.’
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Media Director of the Year: Starcom’s Lauren Richards
