HALLMARK CHANNEL TO STREAM ORIGINAL ADOPTION SERIES ONLINE AT WWW.HALLMARKCHANNEL.COM
Network Teams With Google to Drive Awareness and Web Presence
Beginning November 1, in celebration of National Adoption month, Hallmark Channel will stream its award-winning original series, "Adoption," on its website, www.hallmarkchannel.com. This is the first time that the family-friendly network has scheduled a full-length program online. It also marks a shift in marketing strategy as the network, best known for its appeal and popularity with baby boomers, targets younger viewers.
In addition to its own on-air promotion, Hallmark Channel has teamed with Google on a search term marketing campaign. When users enter specific search terms � such as "adoption," "adoption information," "adoption resources" � the network's website will be featured as a sponsored link at the top of the Google results page.
"By programming and marketing online, we are sending a clear message to our advertising and distribution partners that we take the digital space seriously," said Laura Masse, Executive Vice President, Marketing. "Consumers have made it clear to the television community that alternative viewing platforms are what they crave. We are responding to that demand with a targeted campaign that makes sense for our brand."
Hallmark Channel will offer its affiliates a co-branded high speed Internet cross-channel spot to support the online series. It can be downloaded at the network's affiliate website (http://insidehallmarkchannel.com) and aired on distributors' channel line-up throughout the promotion.
Hallmark Channel's critically acclaimed original "Adoption" series premiered in 2002. Beginning November 1, all 13 episodes of season one will air exclusively on www.hallmarkchannel.com and will be offered in easy-to-view segments. The first four episodes of the series will premiere online during the first week of the month; then, two episodes per week will air throughout the month.
Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming to a national audience of nearly 85 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,300 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel consistently ranks among the top 10 ad-supported cable networks in Prime Time and Total Day household ratings and is the nation's leading network in providing quality family programming. Crown Media also operates a second 24-hour linear channel, Hallmark Movie Channel, and will launch Hallmark Movie Channel HD in first quarter 2008.
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