ITV Promises To Be Advertisers’ ‘Best Route To Mass Communication’ In Digital Age

In a presentation to advertisers and agencies this week, ITV chief executive, Richard Eyre, promised that the Network would “remain the advertisers’ best route to mass communication by a mile” in the digital future. Unveiling a new portfolio of programmes under the ITV 2000 banner, the commercial network revealed a new look to its on-screen identity around the regions.

Eyre argues that in the world of multi-channel digital television, people will want to ‘interact with brands with which they have a relationship’. “I believe that this relationship is going to underpin ITV’s proposition in the future and preserve for you the neutron bomb of British advertising, ITV peaktime, which still delivers a marketing punch out of all proportion to any and all alternatives,” he told advertisers and their agencies.

ITV’s marketing and commercial director, John Hardie, promised advertisers that the Network is on course to meet its peaktime audience share target of 39% for 1999. Share is currently at 38.9%, with ITV hoping for a strong performance from its autumn schedule (see ITV Autumn 99 Schedule – The Bigger Picture).

Hardie also revealed that ITV is to ‘dual brand’ its regional franchises’ output by showing the ITV logo on-screen alongside individual ITV company logos on all continuity breaks. From 8 November each ITV region will have its own new brand ident; Carlton Television was the first ITV company to use this dual branding technique when it rebranded its Central and West Country franchises last month (see Carlton To Rebrand Central And West Country Franchises).

“The effect of this dual branding is that watching ITV will be a much more consistent experience. We are presenting ITV as the hallmark of quality,” says Hardie.

ITV Network Centre: 0171 843 8000