Granada Sales – Plans For The Future

Granada Television’s sales director, Michael Desmond, has announced a number of plans for the company including a move into the field of qualitative research. Desmond suggests a need by both buyer and seller for greater qualitative research to be used alongside the quantitative data provided by BARB.

Cross-marketing between the television company and other Granada Group companies, which inlcude hotels, theme parks, TV rentals and motorway services, is to be developed. Sponsorship controller, Jon Marchant, is widening his brief to include licensing and merchandising. Desmond revealed that the use of such opportunities in programmes like Coronation Street is currently being investigated. He also mentioned that although product placement is ruled out at the moment this is an area which could be relaxed.

Referring to Border, whose advertising Granada now sells, Desmond sees it as “a natural fit,” although recognising that the market requires a simpler sell from Border. His aim is to make sure the sell is not labour intensive.

Granada has also revealed the results of its own analysis into light viewers. The research was carried out during the 4 weeks ending October 4 with the light viewer being defined as falling into the lowest third of viewing of all channels.

Granada’s main findings were that 26% of light viewers are young ABs, 57% are in full-time employment (compared with 41% of all viewers) and that 30% are full-time workers under the age of 34.

TOP GRANADA CONVERTING PROGRAMMES

Light-viewing Adults Indexed On All Adults