WE: Women's Entertainment — which has developed a new branding position around the tagline "Live. Love. Laugh." — is making pop music part of its new multitiered, yearlong marketing campaign targeting both consumers and the advertising community.
WE senior vice president of marketing Lee Heffernan said last week that the network's executive vice president and general manager, Martin von Ruden, came up with that copy line, which fits the channel's mission — "providing entertainment in an upbeat way."
That tagline resonated with women in subsequent focus-group research, she said.
In one new wrinkle, WE contacted various record labels about getting artists to create original songs around that tagline, said Heffernan. The first two acts — The B-52s and newcomer Lucy Woodward — will offer their renditions in on-air vignettes, to bow in May.
A third performer has committed to contributing to the campaign within the next six months, she said. Other artists will also be sought out.
The B-52s, Woodward and others may even be signed to perform in a WE Women in Music
primetime special in January, Heffernan said.
In addition to its own air, WE will run promotion spots across the various Rainbow Media Holdings Inc. networks and in movie theaters.
The campaign is timed to run during the upfront ad-sales marketplace, said Heffernan, who noted that "extensive" outdoor billboards, bus-stop kiosk ads and concession umbrella ads which bear the same themeline will appear in New York throughout this month.
To reach agency media buyers — and women who are current or potential viewers — WE's billboards will appear in Penn Station, Times Square, Herald Square and in Madison Avenue locations, she said.
Outdoor media is also scheduled for Chicago and Los Angeles. Eventually, radio and online components may be added to the campaign media mix, the executive said.
Philadelphia ad agency Red Tettemer Inc. handled WE's outdoor and trade campaigns.
