Captive Channel Captivates Super A
Hanna Herald
Tuesday August 21, 2007
By: Sam Brown
In recent years, technology has been making bigger and brighter entrances into the world of grocery stores.
Now, the Hanna Super A has joined the revolution of retailers adding television screens to their markets.
Captive Channel is a company started specifically with the intention of marketing TV to grocers.
Raffaella Vavasour works for Captive Channel and said the move of smaller centers to input the program is a positive one.
"We have tests that have proven and show sales uplift," Vavasour said. "There's a section on the screen in the bottom right hand corner, that's the retailer's section.They can put any message they want in that section.
"For example, say they have an extra case of bananas they want to sell, they tell us and we can put it up there. And they sell more bananas."
Vavasour said the screens in the stores are intended to broadcast upcoming events and local businesses.
"Our screens are community focused, so the more community ads we have up there, the better," Vavasour said. "We definitely encourage everyone to advertise up there."
Vavasour also said there are many people that just come in to see what's new in the community.
"This happens all the time: because we have the weather up there, people will actually walk into the grocery store just to see, 1. what the weather's going to be like and, 2. what's happening in that store or in that community," Vavasour said.
Vavasour said the ability for area specific messages makes it easier for both smaller and larger centers to use the technology.
"We can put a commercial up there or a message and broadcast it to every single channel," Vavasour said.
"Then we can narrow cast, so we can pick a specific region. So, if we pick Hanna, all the stores in Hanna would receive the same commercials or messages.
"Then, we can sliver cast, which is just to put that message on one specific screen."
Captive Channel was started in Nov. 2005, with 30 stores starting on the program. By 2006, they were up to 100 stores, and as of July 2007, they were at 180 stores across Canada.
Though a vast majority of stores featuring the system are in Ontario, Vavasour said the company is gradually breaking ground across Canada.
As for Hanna's Super A, they are hoping to see the increase in customers Captive Channel has come to expect.
The Captive Channel television broadcasting system is now up and working in the Hanna Super A.
Source:
Hanna Herald
