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Clients extending reach

Jul 29, 2002  •  Post A Comment

Kansas City advertisers are looking for packages that will extend their reach beyond a spot buy. Meredith Corp.-owned CBS affiliate KCTV in Kansas City has responded by offering advertising packages to its clients that include a print option.
“Advertisers might buy into one of our multiconventional projects that include an eight-page magazine polybagged into Better Homes and Gardens centered around vegetables, automotive or some themed project,” said Susan Brier, the station’s general sales manager.
Every quarter KCTV offers the mini-magazine option to a handful of clients. One was the Family Automotive Guide featuring articles from Better Homes and Gardens and advertisements from local auto dealers, such as Franklin’s National Suzuki. Another was health-related with articles from Ladies’ Home Journal. One of the health advertisers also sponsored health segments for women during KCTV’s news broadcast.
“We are a strong female station,” Ms. Brier said, “and all of the magazines we work with are geared to them.” The mini-magazines are mailed to Kansas City subscribers of those particular publications.
“Media companies that own television, cable and printed publications are looking for ways to integrate [their products],” she said. “Integration is important and a way to involve our advertisers.”
“The trend is to get something above and beyond spot television,” said Julie Records, senior VP, media, for ad agency Fasone Garrett in Boehm, Mo., “whether it is TV stations putting together a program on the Internet or a link, or whether it’s doing multimedia with print, which is kind of new.”
Ms. Records said client Road Runner High Speed Online, an AOL Time Warner company, sponsors a weather segment on NBC affiliate KSHB-TV, which is owned by Scripps Howard. “They sponsor the 3-degree warranty,” she said. “If the weatherman gets the temperature within 3 degrees, he pulls a name and that viewer gets the product. We get exposure, and people get hooked up to the service.”
Bob Brandt, general sales manager for both Hearst-Argyle’s ABC affiliate KMBC-TV and the UPN affiliate KCWE-TV (KCWE Inc.-owned), said, “The whole convergence spotlighting television along with our Web site Kansascitychannel.com … brings opportunities beyond just offering spots.”
For example, Kansascitychannel.com offers an automotive classified section profiling used-car inventory. “Dealers are constantly looking for fresh alternatives to the same old, same old,” Mr. Brandt said. “We have TV spots to drive people to our Web site and minute detail offered in the classifieds. It’s been great for dealers.”
According to BIA Financial Network, Kansas City TV revenues were about $142.9 million in 2001 and are expected to be about $150 million in 2002.