Media Beat, March 31, 2022

By David Farrell

UMC folds Shed Creative into the Universal global brands divison

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has used Metric to increase their metrics.

  Aeroplan has provided exclusive intimate access for their membership with Bon Jovi and during the Toronto International Film Festival, and Mongrel Media staged some invite-only parties with Dear Rouge and other acts.

  Aside from the fact that the majority of acts were associated with a single label, the other common denominator is that the events and campaigns were all orchestrated by Shed Creative Agency, a three-year-old ad agency that officially partnered with Universal Music Canada in 2016.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Shed Creative Agency is forthwith rebranded to UMGB (Universal Music Group for Brands) in Canada, joining the global team to offer a one-stop-shop for brands vying for the attention of key consumer segments like Gen Z and Millennials.

UMGB has generated new revenue through deals and marketing exposure for Universal Music Group’s artists with innovative content deals, lines of IP, media extensions, products, and businesses, earning prestigious awards for creativity and industry leadership with its initiatives.

Recent UMGB campaigns include the Pokémon 25th Anniversary featuring Katy Perry, Post Malone, J Balvin and more; OREO in partnership with Lady Gaga; and Google’s Nest Audio sessions featuring Jessie Reyez, Ella Mai, Benee, Tove and Lo,

UMC Chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Remedios, and UMGB Canada Managing Director Dave Harris will work in lockstep with Richard Yaffa, Executive VP, Global Head of Universal Music Group for Brands, and his team on priority projects and opportunities.  

As per a press release, “Canadian-born companies and brands are as distinct and varied as the artists who represent this country on a world stage,” said Remedios. “Pairing the creative brainpower of our talented team with UMGB’s best in class approach will yield big opportunities with our artists and our brand partners.” 

Bell Media connects with an all-black production team to develop the first black-focused, bilingual anthology series

This breakthrough series serves as a pre-development incubator administered by the Black Screen Office, supporting creative teams who have not had the opportunity to produce content for a large network. This initiative aligns with BSO's talent development mandate to build bridges between broadcasters and content creators; connect participants with resources, and foster relationships to cultivate strong pipelines of talent. – Press release

Canadian media industrial complex is a prime platform for misinformation

Canadian media’s penchant for whiteness is well documented, purposeful, and tends to render issues like the rising authoritarianism of the far-right—and white supremacy, in general—as largely innocuous. – Erica Ifill, Hill Times (subscription)

Social media explodes during Oscars; TV viewership doesn't

ABC said there were some 22.7 million social media interactions during Sunday’s ceremony — the most ever for an Oscars telecast and more than double the 9.5 million recorded from last year’s show.

The telecast as a whole drew 16.6 million viewers, up 58% from the 2021 show that was dramatically scaled back due to the pandemic, the Nielsen company said. Yet this year’s show was down 30% from the more typical 2020 broadcast, which had been the second-smallest audience. – David Bauder, The Associated Press

Media measuring company Nielsen to be acquired in $16B deal

A group of private equity investors led by Evergreen Coast Capital Corp., an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P., and Brookfield Business Partners L.P. along with institutional partners will pay $28 for each outstanding Nielsen share.

Brookfield Business Partners will invest approximately $2.65 billion via preferred equity, convertible into 45% of Nielsen’s common equity. The equity version of the deal is worth just over $10 billion in cash, with the remainder in debt held by Nielsen. – Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press

Journalist reportedly kidnapped and tortured by Russian soldiers in Ukraine

local journalist working for a French radio station in Ukraine was kidnapped and tortured by Russian soldiers earlier this month, according to the non-profit group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Nikita, 32, whose name has been changed for his security, was held for nine days and subjected to electric shocks, beatings with an iron bar and mock execution, he told the group. – Haley Ott, CBS News

How three Washington Post journalists are covering Ukraine on the ground

The Post has been covering the escalating war in Ukraine closely, with multiple correspondents based in Ukraine and other teams around the world covering developments 24/7. We spoke to Moscow correspondent Isabelle Khurshudyan, video journalist Whitney Leaming and staff photographer Salwan Georges. The three have been reporting together on the front lines of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. They spoke to us from Dnipro, after leaving Kharkiv as heavy shelling hit the city on Monday. – Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn, The Washington Post (subscripton)

30 social media facts marketers need to know

… By the time you’re reading this, more than 3.2 billion images will be shared by social media users, 8 billion videos viewed on Facebook, and 65% of those views will come from mobile users – all in one day.

People are in love with social media platforms. Not a crush or infatuation, but the type of love that keeps them up at night and interferes when they’re trying to concentrate – literally.

If you’re a business owner or marketer looking for ways to boost your company’s visibility online, here are some facts about social media marketing that might change how you think about these platforms and their potential to reach your consumer. – Jon Clark, Search Engine Journal