Sky ad drive to put emphasis on channel brands

BSkyB is drawing up an agency shortlist to pitch for the task of

promoting its wholly owned channel brands, such as Sky Sports.

The list is likely to include its agency of record, M&C Saatchi, which

has been responsible for the launch of SkyDigital.

Elisabeth Murdoch, managing director of Sky Networks, said: ’We want a

strong portfolio of programme brands which are the most valuable in the

TV marketplace. The distribution mechanism is incidental; people are

buying primarily content. As the market becomes more sophisticated we

need category leaders.’

The first work is likely to centre on the 1999 premiere of a new series

of Friends on Sky One.

The move comes as BSkyB’s programming arm, Sky Networks, gears up for a

major push across its eight core brands (see Marketing, December 3).

The drive, led by Scott Meneer, marketing director for Sky Networks,

means that the marketing of Sky’s channels will be separate from the

promotion of Sky as a distributor.

This article was first published on Marketing