CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions has launched a new offering dedicated to creating branded content, including promotional podcasts, under the name CBC/Radio-Canada Tandem.
The public broadcaster says the move follows a major market trend, with BBC, the New York Times, and other Canadian media companies having already launched similar in-house content creation agencies.
“The launch of Tandem is in response to what our advertising partners have been asking us for: the opportunity to work with our country’s most trusted media brand to create content experiences that resonate with Canadians on a deeper level,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC, in a release. “Tandem will help Canada’s strongest brands shape and share inspiring stories across our platforms and across the country.”
CBC says Tandem “aims to strike the balance between creativity and data,” using research and analytics to create strategic, measurable, results-driven campaigns.
Its first branded audio offering is Athabasca University podcast Go the Distance, hosted by CBC personality Leah Simone-Bowen – a six-episode series sharing student online learning experiences and the positive impact on their lives. It appears on CBC Podcasts as “sponsor content.”
CBC says the university chose to work with the public broadcaster “because it is uniquely positioned to reach broad segments of Canadians who are highly engaged in storytelling.” That includes leveraging content across CBC’s platforms, including ICI TÉLÉ; specialty channels ARTV, EXPLORA, and CBC News Network; CBC.ca; Radio-Canada.ca; CBC Gem, ICI TOU.TV; CBC Listen and Radio-Canada OHdio.
Accompanying the launch, Tandem has hired two content editors: Adam Owen, former Director, Content and Strategy, for Postmedia Network, and Samuel-Olivier Barrette, who was previously Executive Director, Strategy and Client Solutions, at Montreal’s Groupe KO, and a former Content Solutions Manager and Multiplatform Sales Strategist with Rogers.
“While branded content is not new to CBC/Radio-Canada, we have streamlined our process, hired the right people, and made significant product improvements to aggressively pursue this growing line of business,” said Donald Lizotte, General Manager and Chief Revenue Officer, CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions. “Clients wanted an integrated, turnkey solution to create quality content and leverage the credibility of our network. I am so pleased that we now offer this.”
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