Turner Media Group Becomes The Media Group, Sets up New ITV Division

Interactive TV advertising and channels company, Turner Media Group (note: the company has created numerous ITV advertising campaigns on EchoStar's DISH Network platform; it also offers eight transactional ITV channels on DISH Network), has changed its name to The Media Group. While the company--which will continue to use the acronym, TMG, as well as its current logo (which uses that acronym)--says that it made the name change in order to "reflect the breadth of services" it offers, it was presumably also trying to avoid being mistaken for part of the Turner Broadcasting System portfolio of companies and brands. "The name, The Media Group, best describes our position in the marketplace and simplifies all the characteristics of what we can offer: a network of three business units that transcends the boundaries of traditional advertising and brings innovations that dramatically improve the way TV viewers interact with consumer products," the company's founder, chairman and CEO, Gary Turner, said in a prepared statement. "No one else in the advertising industry can offer the variety of TV commerce that we can, and we now have a name that succinctly reflects our leading position."

Over the past two years, TMG has managed the creation and production of over 30 ITV advertising campaigns on the DISH Network for a roster of clients that includes Ford, Hewlett Packard, the US Navy, Dodge, Universal Pictures, Lexus, Sony Pictures, Mercedes-Benz, Sea World, Jeep and Gander Mountain. The campaigns have featured triggers in linear commercials that telescope the viewer to i-ads incorporating long-form video, contests, the ability to request brochures and more. The company also provides set-top box audience analysis services. Concurrently with its name-change, TMG is consolidating its interactive TV operations into a third division of the company, called The iTV Group (note: the other two divisions are The Ad Group and The Networks Group), which it describes as "a professional services organization focused on the production of compelling and highly responsive interactive television experiences for advertisers." The division will be led by Doug McGary, and will be responsible for all TMG's interactive TV advertising strategy, media planning, creative, production services and development.

Originally Published: October 17, 2006 Part 1 in [itvt] Issue 7.00

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