Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, has launched its AdSmart SME support scheme, called the SME100. The £1 million fund will provide 100 businesses with TV advertising campaigns via AdSmart (Sky’s addressable advertising platform) to support them during the current pandemic-fuelled economic slow-down. SME100 is open to SMEs that have been running for at least one year in the UK with up to 50 full-time employees. Businesses can nominate themselves or be put forward by their own customers. Sky Media is encouraging people to highlight the businesses in their local area that need support during this time and who would benefit from accessing the power of TV
Sky Media wants to reward the businesses that are demonstrating true resolve and ingenuity. “Businesses of all types are adapting to the current climate but can further thrive with the extra exposure TV can deliver,” the company says. “From local garden centres delivering flowers and materials for the first time, to yoga and dance studios keeping people fit with new online classes, the businesses that are selected to be part of the SME100 will be representative of the whole of the UK.”
Creative execution of the ads will be supported by local creative agencies and through an exclusive partnership with the media library Shutterstock. Shutterstock will assist the 100 businesses by providing complimentary access to high-quality images, video and music to aid the creative process and effectively tell their story with engaging content. “In doing so, the SME100 and Shutterstock will enable local creative agencies to produce broadcast-ready, 30 second ads remotely and cost-effectively and will bring further investment into local and smaller creative industries,” Sky Media declares.
