• by Ken Liebeskind , May 22, 2002

On March 3, the WB Network debuted No Boundaries – a reality show that is “a journey of more than 2,000 miles over wild, rugged terrain.” It’s also a journey for local Ford dealers, who are pursuing a new online advertising opportunity in association with the show.

“It’s the first time anyone has taken web content from a show and put it on their site,” says Brett Belote, director of corporate development at G1440, the web development firm that created the program. “It allows interactive participation through site links with direct participation from advertisers, instead of separate sites for the show and the advertisers.”

The program actually links three sets of normally separate entities—TV and online advertising, a national advertiser and its local dealers, and a national network and its local affiliates.

How does it work? Local Ford dealers promote their URLs in commercial spots during the show, and when visitors log on they see the dealer’s logo at the top of the game page and can link to the main site for more information about new vehicles. The commercial time is sold by local affiliates, and Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns 20 WB affiliates as well as G1440, is leading the way. Ford dealers in two of its affiliate areas, Kimnach Ford in Norfolk, Va., and Miller Brothers in Baltimore, have signed on so far. Other station owners may also sell the spots, Belote says.

The promotion is designed to benefit both sides—70 percent of car buyers research cars online before they buy, so it’s a good fit for the dealers, and it is a good opportunity for the WB to drive local promotion.

From The WB’s perspective, “it’s the first time we’ve put together an online program that incorporates affiliates,” says Nancie S. Martin, senior vice president of new media. She says the national content that promotes the program is also being used to promote local affiliate advertisers. “It’s something we’d like to do more often,” she says.

WB33, the WB affiliate in Norfolk, sold a package to Kimnach Ford, giving it local exclusivity for car dealers. Kimnach’s marketing manager, Serge Kehr, says the company already buys a lot of advertising on WB33, “so the audience is familiar with us. This provides an opportunity to bring them to our site to play the game, and with the link to our site they can view all our new and used cars when they play.”

Program participants say that local Ford dealers are the perfect fit for the G1440 program for a number of reasons. Specifically, Ford vehicles are used in the show because the carmaker is a major underwriter and advertiser running a national TV and online ad campaign. Based on a March 2001 SRI survey that showed that 27 percent of online users have visited a website in the past month after seeing a TV ad, the combined TV and online program makes a lot of sense.

On March 3, the WB Network debuted No Boundaries – a reality show that is “a journey of more than 2,000 miles over wild, rugged terrain.” It’s also a journey for local Ford dealers, who are pursuing a new online advertising opportunity in association with the show. “It’s the first time anyone has taken web content from a show and put it on their site,” says Brett Belote, director of corporate development at G1440, the web development firm that created the program. “It allows interactive participation through site links with direct participation from advertisers, instead of separate sites for the show and the advertisers.” The program actually links three sets of normally separate entities—TV and online advertising, a national advertiser and its local dealers, and a national network and its local affiliates. How does it work? Local Ford dealers promote their URLs in commercial spots during the show, and when visitors log on they see the dealer’s logo at the top of the game page and can link to the main site for more information about new vehicles. The commercial time is sold by local affiliates, and Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns 20 WB affiliates as well as G1440, is leading the way. Ford dealers in two of its affiliate areas, Kimnach Ford in Norfolk, Va., and Miller Brothers in Baltimore, have signed on so far. Other station owners may also sell the spots, Belote says. The promotion is designed to benefit both sides—70 percent of car buyers research cars online before they buy, so it’s a good fit for the dealers, and it is a good opportunity for the WB to drive local promotion. From The WB’s perspective, “it’s the first time we’ve put together an online program that incorporates affiliates,” says Nancie S. Martin, senior vice president of new media. She says the national content that promotes the program is also being used to promote local affiliate advertisers. “It’s something we’d like to do more often,” she says. WB33, the WB affiliate in Norfolk, sold a package to Kimnach Ford, giving it local exclusivity for car dealers. Kimnach’s marketing manager, Serge Kehr, says the company already buys a lot of advertising on WB33, “so the audience is familiar with us. This provides an opportunity to bring them to our site to play the game, and with the link to our site they can view all our new and used cars when they play.” Program participants say that local Ford dealers are the perfect fit for the G1440 program for a number of reasons. Specifically, Ford vehicles are used in the show because the carmaker is a major underwriter and advertiser running a national TV and online ad campaign. Based on a March 2001 SRI survey that showed that 27 percent of online users have visited a website in the past month after seeing a TV ad, the combined TV and online program makes a lot of sense.