Bell Media and Desjardins Team Up to Support Local Communities Across Canada Through the GoodSpark Grants Initiative

– Bell Media highlights the Desjardins GoodSpark Grants initiative winners, supporting local small businesses through multi-platform content across key radio networks –
– Multi-faceted campaign includes segments airing on iHeartRadio Canada stations, sponsored social media content, and more –

TORONTO (April 5, 2022) – Bell Media and Desjardins announced today a new campaign to raise awareness for the GoodSpark Grants initiative winners. Supporting small businesses across Canada, the campaign highlights the grant recipients and what the businesses are doing in their local communities. In the spirit of helping others, Desjardins’ GoodSpark Grants initiative has provided a total of $3 million to 150 small businesses across the country who applied for a grant based on projects that support sustainability, employment, and innovation in their local communities. A collaboration between Bell Media, Desjardins, Glassroom and Bleublancrouge, the campaign features integrations across key Canadian radio networks, including iHeartRadio Canada, Orbyt Media, Stingray Radio Inc., and Central Ontario Broadcasting stations. Elements of the campaign include live reads, promotional announcements, integrated liners, social media content, and custom pages on the radio stations’ official websites. The campaign also includes “Tell Me Something Good” segments, airing on iHeartRadio Canada’s Talk and Virgin Radio Network across the country, as well as Stingray radio stations. Sponsored by GoodSpark Grants, the segments feature local, good-news stories aimed at inspiring listeners to engage in acts of kindness within their own communities. “The GoodSpark Grants program is all about giving back to the communities we serve and supporting them from a grassroots level,” said Johanne Brousseau, Sponsorships, Donations and Brand Director, Desjardins “Community is at our core and we always strive to connect at a hyper-local level.” “This inspired us to move from commercial time to content integrations,” said Raphaël Metter-Rothan, Media Director, Desjardins “By partnering with Bell Media and working closely with Glassroom, we were able to connect with listeners in a more meaningful and authentic way while also giving the program national reach and awareness.” “We’re very excited to partner with Desjardins and raise awareness for the GoodSpark Grants initiative recipients,” said Perry MacDonald, Vice President, Advertising Sales & Partnerships, Bell Media. “Especially in light of the many challenges small businesses have faced in recent times, we’re proud to support and strengthen Canadian communities by shining the spotlight on locally-owned and operated companies.” For more details on Desjardins GoodSpark Grants and their recipients, listeners can tune in to iHeartRadio Canada stations beginning today, and check out goodsparkgrants.ca for more information.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $397 billion. In 2021, it was ranked as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world’s strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.

About iHeartRadio Canada

iHeartRadio is in Canada through a partnership between Bell Media and iHeartMedia, Inc. A leader in innovative radio programming throughout Canada, Bell Media features the country’s most dynamic, popular, and respected radio brands, including Toronto’s CHUM 104.5, the ÉNERGIE group in Québec, international brands like Virgin Radio, and Canadian brands including BOUNCE Radio and MOVE Radio. Bell Media is the largest radio broadcaster in Canada, with 215 music channels including 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across the country. For more information, visit iHeartRadio.ca.

About Bell Media

Bell Media is Canada’s leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, digital and out-of-home media, including 35 television stations that are part of the CTV and Noovo networks; 27 specialty channels, including sports leaders TSN and RDS; streaming services Crave, TSN Direct and RDS Direct; the iHeartRadio Canada brand encompassing 215 music channels, including 109 radio stations in 58 Canadian markets; and the Astral out-of-home advertising network. Bell Media is also a partner in Pinewood Toronto Studios, Montréal’s Grande Studios, Just for Laughs and Dome Productions, one of North America’s leading production facilities providers. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at BellMedia.ca.