SMG Secures Major Cross-Platform Deal With Unilever
Scottish Media Group has secured a landmark £1 million cross-platform deal with Unilever that will see the FMCG giant advertise a range of products across SMG’s television, radio, cinema outdoor and online properties.
The deal is the largest ever to be secured by the company’s multi-media advertising platform, SMG Access, which launched last year to create bespoke advertising solutions across SMG’s Scottish and Grampian Television, Virgin Radio, Pearl & Dean and Primesight brands (see SMG Launches New Cross Media Sales Division).
The agreement was negotiated through Unilever’s roster agencies Initiative Media, Concord and MGA. It includes an innovative content element that will allow the FMCG brand-owner to trade certain SMG television content for airtime in oversees territories.
Commenting on the initiative, Kathryn Jacob, managing director of SMG Access, said: “SMG Access is based on our creative approach to meeting the needs of our clients. This is a classic example of a bespoke response that addresses Unilever’s needs while securing business for SMG right across our television, radio, cinema and outdoor businesses.”
Edwin Sharpe, Unilever UK media manager, added: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with SMG on this deal. To date, Unilever have negotiated a number of successful barter deals in the UK, but this is the first time that we have secured agreement with one of our key suppliers running across all their media assets.”
The launch of SMG Access last September formalised the process which had already seen SMG deliver cross-media campaigns for Coca Cola, Boddingtons, Knorr and Nintendo. It was intended to set the industry standard for creative media solutions.
The increasing demand for bespoke multi-platform solutions recently prompted Viacom to combine its retail and outdoor advertising offerings into a new integrated sales service, called Viacom Plus, to provide a ‘one stop agency approach’ to marketing packages (see SMG Launches New Cross Media Sales Division).
More recently, three of the UK’s largest media owners – IPC Media, Capital and Viacom – joined forces to promote their platforms to advertisers in an effort to increase cross-media advertising in the youth and entertainment market (see Media Owners Team Up For Cross-Platform Deal).
SMG: 0141 300 3000 www.smg.plc.uk
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