Transcontinental Merges Media and Interactive

MONTREAL—Transcontinental announced plans to implement a new operating structure in order to become more agile at meeting the multiplatform marketing communication needs of its customers. The operations of Transcontinental Media and Transcontinental Interactive will be combined, effective Nov. 1, into a single sector, Transcontinental Media, with Natalie Larivière serving as president.

The sector will be responsible for products and services in publishing, distribution, data analytics and management, as well as interactive marketing solutions (mobile, digital promotions) and digital media. The purpose of this new stage in the advancement of Transcontinental’s business plan is to better respond to the current needs of businesses that want to reach increasingly fragmented audiences.

“After three years of developing our interactive marketing products and services, it became a natural step to provide our customers with an integrated offer by grouping them in our media operations,” said François Olivier, president and CEO of Transcontinental. “Supply and demand in the marketing communications industry has changed rapidly, reflecting the ever-growing presence of communication channels such as mobile technology and social media. In this new environment our customers want to reach their target customers more effectively by using a combination of media, digital and interactive solutions.

The reorganization furthers the development plan Transcontinental began implementing in 2008 to strengthen its traditional core operations and build new marketing services. Transcontinental’s digital activities and interactive marketing solutions now generate more than C$175 million in revenues on an annualized basis and employ some 1,000 people in Canada and the United States.

Transcontinental’s new operating structure will lead to the departure of the president of Transcontinental Interactive, Christian Trudeau. Trudeau will be leaving the organization on Oct. 31. Until that time he will work to ensure the smooth integration of Interactive Sector activities with those of Transcontinental Media.