The Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) will sponsor CNN International’s feature programme ‘The Screening Room’ for the second year, it was announced today. The advertising partnership will be executed across CNN International’s Europe, the Middle East and Africa feeds and will be complemented by a spot campaign on CNN Asia Pacific. Online presence includes GNTO sponsorship of several elements including ‘The Screening Room’ microsite within CNN.com/international, a twice weekly video podcast of exclusive-to-web footage and an online consumer competition. GNTO will also sponsor a tune-in campaign for ‘The Screening Room’ to run across online and print media.
The ongoing collaboration builds on the Greek National Tourism’s decade-long advertising relationship with CNN International and is part of the tourism body’s strategy to build Greece’s profile with CNN’s elite global audience.
Commenting on the deal, Rani R. Raad, Senior Vice President of Ad Sales at CNN International, said, “This renewal with the Greek National Tourism Organisation underscores the success of our 2007 partnership around The Screening Room in delivering on their objectives. This multi-media package enables the client to reach their target audience across a range of platforms.”
“We are honoured to renew our partnership with CNN, a global icon and one of most powerful news environments for advertisers. We expect that through the sponsorship of “The Screening Room”, CNN’s elite audience will discover the true experience of Greece” said Mr. Athanasios Oikonomou, President of GNTO. “Sponsorship of ‘The Screening Room’ underscores our strategy of spotlighting Greece as a world class filming destination and developing alliances with international calibre film industry professionals”
The Greek National Tourism’s sponsorship includes sponsor billboards attached to ‘The Screening Room’ television and web programming and a branded promotional campaign in major international media titles driving viewer tune-in to the show. The video podcast, online from 7th April and available for download via i-Tunes, will showcase exclusive footage including interviews, out takes and behind the scenes footage.
‘The Screening Room’ is CNN International’s monthly half-hour movie show. Hosted by British television personality Myleene Klass, the show brings viewers the inside track on all aspects of the film making business around the globe.
About CNN International:
CNN International continues to be the international news channel of choice for reaching the European elite, leading all international news channels in all measurements (EMS Select 2007), and is also market leader for combined TV and online monthly reach, confirming its position as the channel that best reaches the ‘upscale global citizen’ in the digital age. CNN International is also the channel of choice for opinion formers, international decision makers, top management and C suite viewers, a position which only increases when it is taken as a combined TV and online destination.
The Greek National Tourism Organisation is part of CNN’s extensive roster of travel and tourism clients which includes Bulgaria Tourism, Seychelles Tourism Board, Qatar Airways, the City of Warsaw, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Latvian Tourist Development Agency and the esMadrid.com, to name a few. Last year also saw the formation of CNN’s Tourism Advertising Solutions & Knowledge (TASK) Group, a bespoke client service offering advice on tourism advertising strategies
About GNTO:
The GNTO was first established in 1927 and re-established in 1950 by Emergency Act 1565/50, ratified by law 1624/51); in the meantime, tourism fell under the competence of various ministries. Since 1950, the GNTO constitutes the ruling state agency for the tourism sector. The new integrated tourist identity of Greece combines 9 different sectors: Sea & Sun, Nautical, Culture, Touring, Countryside, Health & Wellness, Meetings, Luxury and City Breaks. These 9 sectors constitute Greece as a modern tourist destination holding a high level of interest for its visitors.
