SATELLITE & CABLE: NatGeo reinforces global stance in advertising sales

<p>National Geographic Channel's 24-hour distribution has surpassed 20 </p><p>million homes in Asia, where the channel has sealed several regional </p><p>advertising deals. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Washington-based network has signed its first global advertising and </p><p>marketing deal with Toyota Motors, which will be the exclusive sponsor </p><p>for its 52-episode weekly signature series, Adventure Starts Here. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The multimillion dollar global marketing pact with Toyota will last for </p><p>two years, and National Geographic Channel International president and </p><p>CEO David Haslingden said the deal reinforced the network's global </p><p>positioning. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Toyota's global marketing deal will also extend to the media group's </p><p>other entities, such as its websites and local marketing initiatives, as </p><p>well as the sponsoring of another new series, called Next Wave. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Hong Kong Tourist Association has also formed a global marketing </p><p>alliance with the documentary channel to promote tourism to the </p><p>territory from within the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The integrated marketing campaign will be running on National </p><p>Geographic's media assets, including magazines, web sites and television </p><p>network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Kicking off in October, the joint marketing campaign will last for </p><p>"several years", said NatGeo Channel Asia sales and marketing VP Deborah </p><p>Armstrong. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>As part of the innovative marketing pact, five National Geographic </p><p>photographers and two Hong Kong-based photographers were assigned to </p><p>film Hong Kong. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A series of vignettes entitled "I See Hong Kong" covered different </p><p>aspects of Hong Kong's daily life and culture, ranging from the Bun </p><p>Festival, to Dragon Boat racing and the Flower Market. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Our audiences will see Hong Kong through the eyes of the world's top </p><p>photographers, bringing to life the colour, diversity and contrasts of </p><p>the territory and its people in a fresh way," explained Ms </p><p>Armstrong. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The network has also signed a partnership deal with Action Asia to </p><p>launch the National Geographic Channel Action Asia Challenge in the </p><p>region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Four one-hour adventure documentary programmes will air on the network </p><p>covering Asia, Australia and Europe, as well as global terrestrial </p><p>televisions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Youth involvement will be a big part of the Challenge series: both </p><p>NatGeo and Action Asia will roll out regionwide programmes such as </p><p>school seminars, roadshows and activity days. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ms Armstrong said the Challenge so far had found two corporate sponsors </p><p>and range of other local sponsors. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In addition to traditional advertising and sponsorship sales, she said </p><p>it was important to "bring something unique to media buy". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>National Geographic's brand heritage was a crucial asset for advertisers </p><p>which want to associate with in their branding campaign. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It (NatGeo Channel) might be a young channel here, but it's not a new </p><p>brand," said Ms Armstrong, who added the channel had brought in 250 new </p><p>advertisers this year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Regional advertisers accounted for just about 30 per cent of these 250 </p><p>new clients; but dominated in terms of spend. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meanwhile, NatGeo will launch a 24-hour Portuguese language channel in </p><p>Brazil in November, with the acquisition of the Superstation </p><p>distribution. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>NatGeo Channel will launch in the US at the end of this year and it will </p><p>roll out daypart and 24-hour services in Japan respectively in the last </p><p>quarter of 2000 and third quarter of 2001, said its Asia managing </p><p>director Ward Platt. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The network plans to roll out more localised portal sites in Asia, </p><p>linking up to its core nationalgeographic.com sites. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>India was the network's fastest growing market in Asia, with </p><p>subscription jumping 54 per cent to 12 million homes. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Distribution in Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia also saw a significant growth </p><p>to respectively 1.1 million, 4.8 million and 375,000 homes. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ms Armstrong said rating figures from Peoplemeters in Taiwan and India </p><p>showed that NatGeo was one of the most popular cable channels. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The channel will continue to package and version its products to suit </p><p>specific markets. This can be in the form of voice-overs, localised </p><p>subtitling and local interstitial," said Mr Platt. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The channel's global proposition with a network of media assets offer </p><p>clients an integrated communications solution, as Ms Armstrong noted it </p><p>was unusual now for clients to just buy the spots, as advertisers demand </p><p>more innovative strategy. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Launched two years ago, Ms Armstrong said NatGeo had been taking full </p><p>initiative to promote the dynamic, fast paced, adventure, aspiration and </p><p>entertaining aspects of the network, which is not just a documentary </p><p>station. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>NatGeo will increase its science programming, which is popular among </p><p>advertisers, as well as blockbuster event such as the three-hour </p><p>Saturday Unlimited show in a bid to enhance the entertainment aspects of </p><p>the network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>