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SPONSORSHIP SOLUTIONS UNIT Innovative Advertiser Initiatives from Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel’s advertising sales group, under the direction of Bill Abbott, EVP, Ad Sales, created the Sponsorship Solutions Unit in January 2004. Abbott recognized that issues such as clutter, DVRs and fragmentation were making it increasingly difficult for advertisers to reach and influence their target audiences. The Sponsorship Solutions Unit was formed to proactively work with advertisers to find new and creative ways for them to reach consumers in response to these pressing challenges The Unit has emerged as one of the cable industry’s leading advertising initiatives, and continues to make its mark through the development of bold and exciting opportunities that enable advertisers to successfully convey their brand messages to consumers. Following is a summary of the many opportunities created by Hallmark Channel’s Sponsorship Solutions Unit. Custom Solutions Hallmark Channel’s Sponsorship Solutions Unit recognizes that sponsors have unique needs for their products and brands. The Unit works with advertisers to develop custom solutions to address their specific needs. Three examples include: q Cepacol – Hallmark created customized spots for Cepacol tying the advertiser to the network’s family-friendly brand. In the vignettes, a man is seen seated on a couch and coughing. We then see his family seated next to him trying to enjoy a Hallmark movie. An announcer comes on to say that “this Hallmark Channel presentation will continue without further interruption.” The vignettes were created to complement any of Hallmark’s original movies and promote Cepacol’s throat lozenges. q At-Home Vignettes – Hallmark Channel invites viewers to feel comfortable and at ease with topics that are relevant to home and family with an “At Home” vignette. The vignette marries Hallmark Channel’s on-air environment with tips meant to inspire and inform viewers about a sponsor’s product and brand. Recent sponsors include Tyson, Whirlpool, Terminix and Georgia Pacific-Brawny. q Watch With Me – Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar served as the network’s first-ever advertiser of its “Watch With Me” public affairs initiative. The world’s largest casual dining concept sponsored a special encore airing of the channel’s original movie “The Reading Room,” starring James Earl Jones. q Tell Us Your Story – Kellogg’s sponsored a series of “Tell Us Your Story” animated vignettes, which recounted real-life stories of the network’s viewers. Movie Entitlements Hallmark Channel is a leader in the production of original movies, evidenced by a stellar record of continuous top 10 ratings in both Prime Time and Total Day. The network also has an extensive library of quality movies and series in a variety of genres. Movie entitlements allow advertisers to exclusively sponsor an original movie with a reduced commercial inventory of four minutes per hour creating a showcase for their brand with maximum audience retention. In addition to the clutter-busting reduced commercial load, the entitlements include the brand’s logo placement attached to the title treatment of the film on all on-air elements, a custom movie open and custom tease bumpers. Following is a list of recent entitlement sponsors: Kraft – “The Good Witch,” “Bridal Fever,” “Charlie & Me” Bristol – “Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door” “Inside Story” Vignettes for Movie Studios Because of the success of Hallmark Channel’s custom vignette packages for advertisers, movie studios approached the network about creating similar short features to help promote their theatrical releases. Airing exclusively on Hallmark Channel, these theatrical “Inside Stories” are a behind-the-scenes look at soon-to-be-released movies featuring footage and interviews with the stars to create an entertainment short feature that goes far beyond a traditional 30-second spot. Recent clients for “Inside Story” studio vignettes include: q New Line Cinema – “Martian Child” “Great Story” Vignettes “Great Story” vignettes are a series of customized spots that enable advertisers to associate themselves with Hallmark’s strong brand. Each 30-second vignette combines footage from a Hallmark Channel original movie with clips that are themed to the advertiser’s own brand message along and their company or product logo. The result is an entertaining and informational spot that creates a powerful association between the Hallmark brand and that of the sponsor. Recent “Great Story” sponsors include: q Long John Silver q Adams Halls q General Mills q Olive Garden q Carnival q Cendant: Realogy & Wyndham q Coke q Mars – Milkyway q Dairy Queen q Busch – Sea World q Kohl’s q Chili’s Themed Vignettes Hallmark Channel produces themed vignettes for its advertising sponsors tied to the holidays and special occasions. The network initially introduced a series of humorous back-to-school vignettes featuring images with a 1970s feel. A voice-over explained that the images were “being presented as a friendly reminder for parents to dress their kids responsibly, and to shop responsibly during the back-to-school season.” More recently the channel has worked with the following sponsors on several themed campaigns: q Countdown – Weight Watchers q Winter holidays – JC Penney, Nestle – CoffeeMate, ConAgra – Healthy Choice q Holiday Countdown – Chili’s, ACE, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Coke q Romance – Campbell Soup Company, Combe – Cepacol q Mother’s Day/Father’s Day – Sears, Campbell Soup Company, Unilever – Suave q Back-To-School – Kellogg’s – Mini Wheat’s, Kohl’s Holiday Cross-Platform Opportunities Four times each year (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, winter holidays) Hallmark Channel offers a limited number of sponsors the unique chance to elevate their brand throughout Hallmark’s properties – on Hallmark Channel, online at hallmark.com and hallmarkchannel.com, in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and in Hallmark magazine. The partnership is tied to a Hallmark original holiday movie and a consumer sweepstakes, and promotes the advertiser’s brand across multiple platforms. Promercials A Hallmark Channel promotional spot and an advertiser’s commercial are combined to create a distinct environment for a sponsor’s message. Recent Promercial clients include: q Clorox q Pizza Hut Product Integration As a leader in the production of original movies Hallmark Channel provides numerous opportunities for product placement, when appropriate and as dictated by the story line. Recent product integration clients include: q Kay Jewelers – “All I Want For Christmas” ###
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