A message from Beautifulcity.ca
BeautifulCity.ca is a city building initiative that aims to beautify, democratize and diversify access to public space, and in turn — hold companies investing in billboard advertising accountable for their impact on shared spaces through an annual license fee.
From Marketing Magazine (November 25, 2009):
Outdoor ad campaign takes on Toronto’s outdoor ad tax
In response to an impending new law that would tax billboard advertising in Toronto, the Out-of-Home Marketing Association of Canada (OMAC) has launched an outdoor campaign to bring the issue out of city council chambers and into the streets.
OMAC objects to the estimated $10.4 million in new taxes, which it claims would outstrip estimated industry earnings of $8.8 million.
The new law goes before a council vote on Nov. 30 , and is scheduled to go into effect in July 2010.
The association put up 139 billboards yesterday–provided by Astral Media, CBS Outdoor and Pattison Outdoor–that drive curious passersby to CityBillboardTax.ca.
Copy on the billboards say “How can the City tax an industry more than it earns?” and “Any tax affects you. Even one on billboards.”
Rosanne Caron, president of OMAC, said the tax will act as “prohibition” on outdoor advertising, driving costs up for businesses and charitable groups that receive donated ad space.
“We feel it is critical to communicate what is truly at stake if the new sign by-law and tax are passed into law,” Caron said in a statement.
OMAC has asked the council to postpone the vote for one month to examine the law and “reach a workable solution for all stakeholders.”
Toronto Adscapes has been following this story. For related posts, check out…
Signing off?
Toronto’s Ad Busters
Dundas Square / November 16, 2009:
To kick off the first day of McDonald’s Free Coffee promotion, McDonald’s created a street-level circular “mural” made entirely out of McDonald’s coffee cups. To create a visual pattern, each cup was filled with varying levels of McDonalds coffee to achieve the desired effect.
The campaign was conceived by Cossette Toronto.
Mobile Fringe,a mobile marketing company that specializes in the production and development of proprietary applications for the iPhone and Blackberry devices has designed 3 exclusive Toronto iPhone Apps: The Toronto Eaton Centre App, Mobile Yonge App and the iUofT App.
As of last week, The Eaton Centre iPhone App is now available through the App Store.
The Eaton Centre App features include:
* The Latest Store Promotion
* Gift Card Information
* Complete Store Directory
* Interactive Mall Map
* Twitter and Facebook Connections
See the App in action:
Mobile Fringe CEO, Steve Sorge stated: “The Mobile Fringe Retail Platform is a powerful mobile marketing solution that has been built for our clients to get to market quickly, deliver real time information, and extend their marketing reach to the mobile device.”
Mobile is part of an integrated multichannel marketing plan. Smartphones are turning into the preferred way to consume content. Users want information in the palm of their hand and the app is turning into the preferred way to do this with real location based marketing.
Earlier this year, Mobile Fringe along with the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area launched the Mobile Yonge App.
The App features include:
* Easy Navigation to 1,000+ businesses in the area
* GPS mapping in seconds
* Map multiple stores and determine the best route
* Category driven searches to make things effortless
* Create a Favourites list for quick access to shops, restaurants, or stores
* One touch calling
* Once touch to a store’s website
* Stay connected with Downtown Yonge’s Facebook Page and Yonge Buzz
There are over 1,000 businesses in the Toronto Downtown Yonge area that are members and included in the app. They include large corporate stores like Best Buy, Jack Astor’s and Nike to local small business owners like The 3 Brewers. The main categories are Shop, Eat, Stay and Play.
“Together with the Toronto Downtown Yonge B.I.A., it is about giving citizens and visitors of the area a way to access directory and category information in seconds, and get to where they need to go fast,” said Steve Sorge. “There is no better place to do that than the mobile device when they are actually in that geographic location. The future possibilities include sending dynamic promotions and digital coupons.”
Mobile Fringe released another Toronto App this year with iUofT for students at the University of Toronto.
The iUofT app features:
* Campus departments and buildings
* GPS mapping – leveraging Google Maps
* Shops and Restaurants
* Campus Services
* Parking and TTC locations
* Access University Sports News
Mobile Fringe saw the potential for improved student communications and efficiency by introducing this application and changing the way students access information. Students are much more mobile than they used to be, they want facts in the palm of their hands. The goal is to give users the information quickly so they don’t waste valuable looking up data in the traditional methods.
Mobile Fringe website
