"We were trying to create creative that would be compelling to [viewers] and make them interested in our programming,” notes Arthur. “We don't have the marketing budgets like our competitors to buy every billboard in the market. Our dollars have to go a lot further, they have to be a little bit louder and get noticed.”

"They really go out to just about everything,” says Benham. “When the other three local stations have moved on to weather, Citytv often has another one, two or three minutes of local news," he adds.

One consistent element across all of Citytv's stations is the voice-over work of Mark Daley, the anchor of the 11:00 nightly newscast in Toronto.

"He's the voice of Citytv. He's an important part of the brand," says Arthur, likening his unmistakable baritone to that of James Earl Jones, whose voice became synonymous with CNN in the US in the 1980s when he performed the authoritative voice-over for “This is CNN.”

In addition to the promotional work for the station, Daley's voice is heard when awaiting a call transfer after phoning the main switchboard.

Arthur says using Daley across the chain makes sense from an efficiency point of view, as the station can run Daley’s voice-over spots without having to individualize it for different markets.

According to Arthur, Citytv also tries to "coax" viewers to feel as if they are part of the network by holding events like an annual pancake breakfast or a food festival.

"It's all about being everywhere and creating events and opportunities that people associate with you. Whether you sponsor the sport team or the music festival or put up interactive booths around the city or have live audience programs—anything that makes you feel accessible," she says.

Citytv isn't the only Canadian television operator dealing with rebranding issues. Global Television presented its overhaul to viewers in February 2006 on Super Bowl Sunday, the US-based professional football championship game. The decision to launch at this time was no coincidence considering Global Television held the Canadian rights to what is always one of the most-watched television events of the year.

Walter Levitt, senior vice president of marketing for TV and radio at CanWest MediaWorks, Global Television's parent company, says its goal is much bigger than a new on-air look—it wants to position itself for how people watch television not only today, but in the future.

He says the new brand is more spirited, youthful, and energetic as well as confident and friendly in its approach. Levitt believes it will live up to its promise by focusing on the news and entertainment sides and providing viewers with a more enriching experience, including more content, perspective, and insider information.

For example, viewers will see quick informational tidbits on either end of commercial breaks about the show they're watching. People tuning in to the drama program “House” might see a quick bit about Hugh Laurie auditioning for his role as Dr. Gregory House in a washroom. Or when preparing for his role, Laurie took Vicodin, a prescription pain medication, to understand the perspective of his character, Levitt says.

The goal with news is to provide greater content and perspective for viewers. "Our newscast will provide the whole story. We'll dig a little deeper, provide a different perspective and tell you what happened, how, why and how it impacts you. Our approach is a step beyond what television stations would traditionally do," he says.

Global has also tweaked its long-time logo (originally a half moon) into a "greater-than" sign, a metaphor that the station is providing more news and entertainment value than it did previously, and also more than its competitors.

"We don't expect viewers to literally understand that. 'Oh yeah, it's a greater-than sign because you provide me with more content and context.' But it reinforces the value-added [information] Global provides to viewers. The symbol moves in forward motion at all times, another subtle message about the brand," he says.

For Canadian television stations, rebranding is almost a necessity in order to keep up with the competition. Interestingly, part of the reason for television’s popularity is that the viewer can simply plop down on the couch, put on the television, grab a bag of chips and clear the mind while being entertained. Now, many television stations are using interactive approaches in an effort to gain the attention of viewers’ eyeballs.     

[5-Jun-2006]