Bacardi USA's Grey Goose super-premium vodka is turning up the heat for summer, with a Facebook-driven engagement campaign supported by a new TV spot featuring a Rolling Stones classic. The "Reunion" spot -- the latest TV creative variation on Grey Goose's new "Toast" campaign, launched during the 2010 holidays -- began airing on national cable networks on May 16 and will continue to air through the end of September. The television buy and supporting digital and other media (including streaming video, to commence about a week from now), plus public relations, represent a doubling of ad spending for the brand over last summer's campaign. The campaign strategy is designed to give Grey Goose "the #1 share of voice" in vodka over the summer, according to its brand director, Michelle Beauchamp. The 30-second commercial from @radical.media, shot in the brand's signature black-and-white cinematography, shows a screen title proposing "A Toast to 'It's Been Too Long'" as elegantly dressed couples meet up in a clearly upscale club/restaurant to enjoy each other's company over chilled bottles that span the entire Grey Goose variety line. Aside from a voiceover at the end ("Grey Goose -- the world's best-tasting vodka") and some muted club sounds in the background, the spot's only audio is its driving theme song: The unmistakable Rolling Stones classic "Miss You" (although Grey Goose's usage agreement precludes it mentioning the specific band or song in its press releases, interviews or otherwise). The spot's creative reflects the "Toast" campaign's more "energetic" approach to conveying the vodka's association with celebrating life to the fullest -- and specifically with celebrating by getting together with or reconnecting with friends -- including prominent use of music to establish the tone, says Beauchamp. The brand's previous, long-running "Discerning Taste" campaign (also from @radical.media) used "very little or no music" and focused on the "sensory experiences" of Grey Goose drinkers during typical lifestyle moments (enjoying oysters and Grey Goose during a day of sailing, for example), she notes to Marketing Daily. The "Reunion" spot also subtly reaffirms the brand's on-premises marketing roots (the launch strategy of now-deceased Grey Goose founder Sidney Frank, who sold the brand to Bacardi in 2004). Beauchamp confirms that Grey Goose has in recent months seen a return to greater restaurant/bar patronage among its core audience. But "Reunion" also features two firsts: Use of the original recording of an "iconic" song (very carefully chosen to evoke the reunion mood, says Beauchamp), and a title at the end that directs viewers to Grey Goose's Facebook page link (facebook.com/GreyGoose) -- as opposed to the brand's previous practice of directing viewers to its home site. The brand's completely revamped Facebook area (which currently has more than 260,000 fans) offers multiple "Celebrate the Summer" engagement activities. Those who like Grey Goose there will have access to exclusive branded events, information on how to create their own Grey Goose cocktail recipes, summer home-entertaining tips and -- as of June -- access to an exclusive, branded "It's Been Too Long" app that lets them reach out to and reconnect with friends. The on-premises/restaurant/bar environment of the TV spot, in other words, is being amply complemented with messaging and activities spotlighting Grey Goose's ability to enhance summer's typically outdoor-oriented social activities -- including "summer soirées" that perhaps employ bottles of Grey Goose available in the brand's special summer picnic-basket presentations. For the year ending Jan. 23, 2011, SymphonyIRI data showed Grey Goose leading the premium vodka category in the U.S., with sales of nearly $58 million (up 1.2% from previous year). Super-premium vodka category sales as a whole grew 14% last year, reported the Distilled Spirits Council.
ABC wants to turn around an uneven year with a big slate of 13 new series and a marketing strategy to spread out program starts throughout the season. Paul Lee, president of ABC Entertainment, says the network wants "launches all year around. We want to have more originals through the year." Lee says the network is seeking programs with more male viewers to complement its heavy influx of affluent women viewers. For the fall, the network will start seven new series, set to revamp two nights -- Tuesday and Wednesdays -- with new comedies. Many other networks are adopting the same strategy. "We think the winds are blowing behind comedy," says Lee. Concerning the big lineup of new product, Tuesdays will focus on male-oriented comedies: Tim Allen in "Last Man Standing" will run on Tuesday at 8 p.m.; "Man Up," about three guys trying to get in touch with their "tough guys," airs at 8:30 p.m. on the same night. Wednesday brings more female-oriented shows to complement existing comedies, such as "The Middle," "Cougar Town" and its big hit "Modern Family." On Wednesday, "Suburgatory," about a single father who moves himself and his 16-year-old daughter to the suburbs, debuts at 8:30 p.m. after "The Middle." Getting a nice "Modern Family" lead-in at 9:30 p.m. will be "Happy Endings," last season's midseason entry about a couple that splits. At 10 p.m., there is "Revenge," a new drama about a woman in the wealthy Hamptons. Lee also said there are shows like "Charlie's Angels" at 8 p.m. on Thursday night, which are "pure candy." The former 1970s ABC series, and more recent movie franchise, will fight for viewers' attention with NBC sitcoms and Fox's "The X Factor"/"American Idol." "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" makes the move to Fridays at 8 p.m., where Lee hopes to establish a family-oriented programming block. "When you look at that audience on the night, there are mothers and older viewers. We think it's moving to family-viewing night." Sundays bring two new dramas -- one fantasy-mystery and one retro-'60s. "Once Upon a Time," at 8 p.m., pits a modern-day mother meeting the son she gave up years ago. He believes his mother comes from an alternative world -- one of fairy tales. With such fantasy content on the network schedule, Lee believes "Time," if successful, would be a strong licensing-merchandising franchise down the line with the Disney brand. "It would be fabulous to have something to be used across the company," says Lee. "These are times when fairy tales perform strongly." At 10 p.m., "Pan Am" brings 1960s Jet Age-theme stories of sex, jealousy and espionage. "I always felt Sunday night is where there is a real appointment television," says Lee. ABC Fall Prime-Time ScheduleMonday 8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" 10:00 p.m. "Castle" Tuesday 8:00 p.m. "Last Man Standing" 8:30 p.m. "Man Up" 9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars: the Results Show" 10:00 p.m. "Body of Proof" Wednesday 8:00 p.m. "The Middle" 8:30 p.m. "Suburgatory" 9:00 p.m. "Modern Family" 9:30 p.m. "Happy Endings" 10:00 p.m. "Revenge" Thursday 8:00 p.m. "Charlie's Angels" 9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy" 10:00 p.m. "Private Practice" Friday 8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" 9:00 p.m. "Shark Tank" 10:00 p.m. "20/20" Saturday 8:00 p.m. "Saturday Night College Football" Sunday 7:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos" 8:00 p.m. "Once Upon a Time" 9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives" 10:00 p.m. "Pan Am"
Canadian-based cable operator Videotron will begin rolling out a TV channel devoted to multiplatform casual and social gaming that consumers can access online through computers and mobile devices, such as smartphones and Apple's iPad. The platform, supported by interactive TV developer Zodiac, powers the gaming experiences. The cable operator, which kicks off the effort later this year, will have an option to integrate targeted advertising across the three screens. Zodiac CEO Brandon Brown said the deal with Videotron adds about 2 million more subscribers to its services. The initial phase will roll out as a cloud-based platform supporting various devices. Information in profiles, play history and scores will move with consumers from device to device. For example, a player could start playing on their television and finish on a smartphone. Consumers control the games either through a traditional remote control that comes with Videotron's set-top box or Zodiac's command and control modules, as well as an iPad or iPhone. About 23.2% of U.S. mobile users played games in 2010, according to comScore. The research firm estimates the number of people in the U.S. this past year that downloaded games to their mobile phone rose 52%, compared with the prior year. By December 2010, only 37% of those who downloaded a game paid a fee for it -- a drop of 17 percentage points from the previous year. This provides another avenue for brands to target ads. Although Videotron has yet to build in ad serving to the strategy, Zodiac's technology does have the capability to provide full multi-screen convergence -- from games to ads -- taking information from many sources and formats and delivering it to devices. Cable operators must take into account where this type of strategy fits into their overall content priorities. "It's not simple or easy to implement because it requires a large commitment and time to do it correctly," Brown said. "Even for us, a company experienced in iTV, there are hiccups. Some of our clients have more than tens of millions of subscribers." Aside from Videotron, Cablevision Systems runs on the package supported by Cisco Systems' set-top box. Cablevision has integrated Zodiac's PowerUp platform in digital set-top boxes across its entire tri-state service area to help differentiate its interactive applications and services, including iO TV shortcuts, search, and dedicated iTV channels. The system is based on models that plug into the main platform as services are adopted, according to Brown. "There's almost no limit of services on the platform."
The Fox network -- the longtime industry leader among 18-49 viewers, the ones advertisers desire most -- will look for a much stronger fall start than it has had in the last few years. Key to this plan is Simon Cowell's performance-competition show "The X Factor," which hopes to pull in near-"American Idol"-type viewers. After much marketing buildup, it will finally get its big launch this fall, starting on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., for a 90-minute show and an hour results show at 8 p.m. on Thursday. "X Factor" takes on the same time periods as "American Idol," which will get its usual seasonal start in January. Last year, "Idol" moved to a Wednesday-Thursday schedule from a Tuesday-Wednesday plan. The result was a decline in viewership -- although it remains the overwhelming No. 1-rated broadcast series. After somewhat of a delay -- another big show will look to push up Fox in the upcoming season -- Steven Spielberg's futurist, dinosaur-laden adventure series "Terra Nova" will fill the 8 p.m. Monday time slot before "House" comes on at 9 p.m. "Terra Nova" was supposed to come onto the scene in the present broadcast year, midseason. One concern is the NFL season -- and a possible lockout that could disrupt many fall network TV schedules, including Fox's. Peter Rice, chairman of Fox Entertainment, says: "We are planning on there being an NFL season, and are working on contingencies if there isn't." Two new comedies will also begin this fall. "New Girl" debuts Tuesday at 9 p.m., right after "Glee." It is a single-camera ensemble comedy starring Zooey Deschanel, who -- after a bad breakup -- moves in with three single guys. After "X-Factor" on Wednesday, there is "I Hate My Teenage Daughter," which stars Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran as single moms, lifelong friends and former nerds. "Building out our comedy is our main goal," says Kevin Reilly, president of Fox Entertainment. Another big drama from J.J. Abrams starts up midseason -- "Alcatraz" is a crime drama surrounding the famed West Coast prison. That airs Monday at 9 p.m. with "House" moving back to 8 p.m. Also in midseason is "The Finder," a new procedural drama about an Iraq war veteran who has the ability to find those classified as unfindable. It comes on after "Idol" on Thursdays at 9 p.m. Fox will also see a return of Kiefer Sutherland to the schedule -- but there is no timetable right now. The star of "24" comes back with "Touch," which centers on the relationship between a single father and his 11-year-old son. Fox will also send out two new animated series on Sunday. "Allen Gregory" concerns a pretentious 7-year-old about to embark on his greatest challenge -- attending elementary school with children his own age. It goes at 8:30 p.m. and is voiced and created by Jonah Hill. Then in midseason, "Napoleon Dynamite," based on the theatrical movie, goes at 8:30 p.m. replacing "Gregory." Given the big changes in this schedule, Reilly says Fox is taking more chances: "We could have been more conservative." Instead, he notes a number of Fox shows that were canceled could have been placed on other networks. Fox did not renew "Human Target," "Lie To Me," "Traffic Light," "Chicago Code" and "Breaking In" -- some of its modestly rated shows that did not make the schedule. Fox Fall 2011 Prime-Time Schedule (All Times ET/PT) Monday 8:00-9:00 p.m. TERRA NOVA (new) 9:00-10:00 p.m. HOUSE Tuesday 8:00-9:00 p.m. GLEE 9:00-9:30 p.m. NEW GIRL (new) 9:30-10:00 p.m. RAISING HOPE Wednesday 8:00-9:30 p.m. THE X FACTOR Performance Show (new) 9:30-10:00 p.m. I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (new) Thursday 8:00-9:00 p.m. THE X FACTOR Results Show (new) 9:00-10:00 p.m. BONES Friday 8:00-9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 9:00-10:00 p.m. FRINGE Saturday 8:00-8:30 p.m. COPS 8:30-9:00 p.m. COPS 9:00-10:00 p.m. ENCORES / AMERICA'S MOST WANTED (specials) Sunday 7:00-7:30 p.m. THE OT (NFL post-game) 7:30-8:00 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW 8:00-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 p.m. ALLEN GREGORY (new) 9:00-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 p.m. AMERICAN DAD Fox Midseason 2012 Prime-Time Schedule (All Times ET/PT) Monday 8:00-9:00 p.m. HOUSE 9:00-10:00 p.m. ALCATRAZ (new) Tuesday 8:00-9:00 p.m. GLEE 9:00-9:30 p.m. NEW GIRL (new) 9:30-10:00 p.m. RAISING HOPE Wednesday 8:00-9:30 p.m. AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show 9:30-10:00 p.m. I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (new) Thursday 8:00-9:00 p.m. AMERICAN IDOL Results Show 9:00-10:00 p.m. THE FINDER (new) / BONES (spring) Friday 8:00-9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 9:00-10:00 p.m. FRINGE Saturday 8:00-8:30 p.m. COPS 8:30-9:00 p.m. COPS 9:00-10:00 p.m. ENCORES / AMERICA'S MOST WANTED (specials) Sunday 7:00-7:30 p.m. ANIMATION DOMINATION (encores) 7:30-8:00 p.m. THE CLEVELAND SHOW 8:00-8:30 p.m. THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 p.m. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (new) 9:00-9:30 p.m. FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 p.m. BOB'S BURGERS
Walt Disney and its ESPN sports brand are considering upping efforts to grab U.S. TV rights for the next round of Summer Olympics by adding a component that would make Walt Disney a big Olympic marketer and a possible licensee of Olympic-brand products. In an aggressive effort to perhaps pry away the long-held Summer and Winter Olympic franchise from NBC, a report in the Sports Business Journal says Walt Disney may become a big Olympic sponsor, something that could add $200 million or more to a $2.0 billion-plus bid for the next two Summer Olympics. NBC's then-parent General Electric brand used this strategy for the 2010 and 2012 Summer Olympics, adding some $200 million to the overall television rights bid for NBC. As with other International Olympic Committee major sponsorship deals -- under the Top Olympic Partner program -- companies get Olympic marquee and intellectual property rights to use in their marketing materials. But the difference here would be the possible inclusion of licensing rights for Disney. Right now, the IOC gives licensing rights to the local Olympic organizing committee, which sells them. Analysts feel the combination of one of the biggest names in global entertainment with one of the biggest global sporting events would make sense. It would help Disney expand into more global sports properties. In turn, speculation is that IOC could benefit by adding more young viewers and fans for its Olympic sports, via Disney's diverse entertainment platforms. For the Summer Olympics games in 2014 Sochi, Russia, and 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, NBC, ESPN and Fox are considered the big bidders of U.S. TV rights, according to the report.
Time Warner Cable, which is interested in boosting ad revenues for its video-on-demand offerings, has made an investment in BlackArrow, a firm that powers dynamic ad insertion in VOD. With the investment, Joan Gillman, Time Warner Cable president, media sales, will join BlackArrow's board of directors. Other investors include Comcast Interactive Capital, Intel Capital and Motorola Mobility. The Time Warner Cable investment completes a funding round that has raised up to $27 million. "BlackArrow has played an invaluable role in accelerating dynamic VOD ad insertion and is well-positioned to be a growing part of the ad ecosystem," Gillman stated. She called the investment a commitment to "supporting our partners as the industry continues to develop new business and advertising models across a broad spectrum of television distribution platforms and devices." BlackArrow is involved in an industry initiative to bring scale to advertising in free VOD, with programmers, advertisers and the 4As involved. Dynamic ad insertion allows new ads to be slotted into a VOD stream during a program's time housed on a menu.
Donald Trump is not running for president. The host of "Celebrity Apprentice" will be back early next year hosting another season of the NBC hit. Trump said at the NBC upfront event that he has raised loads of money for charity by hosting "Celebrity Apprentice," and he intends to keep doing it. Trump's legacy as a presidential candidate will not be much more than his ability to nudge President Obama to release his long-form birth certificate. His political ambitions were mocked at the White House Correspondent's Dinner earlier this month by Saturday Night Live 's Seth Meyers, as well as President Obama. The next day, Trump lashed out at Meyers. It would have been hard, of course, to envision the slick New Yorker with silk ties campaigning on Iowa farms. Plus, he may have felt his reputation could have taken a hit with a poor performance on the campaign trail. What was somewhat remarkable was NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt saying on Sunday that Trump was at least partially replaceable. He said if Trump did not return for another season, then someone else would be found to fire people in the boardroom.
High-end vodka Ketel One will launch an estimated $9 million campaign that includes spots on Discovery, ESPN and Comedy Central. With a "Gentlemen, This is Vodka." theme, created by Grey Worldwide and directed by David O. Russell, the effort will have three different spots that form a serial. A song from Brooklyn-based band Alberta Cross will be in all three commercials before being featured on the band's coming album. The campaign, from Ketel One parent Diageo, runs through September. The Oscar-nominated Russell has directed two blockbusters: "Three Kings" and "The Fighter." The Ketel One effort marks his debut in advertising. The spots recount "a remarkable night out among friends," with the third showing the night ending "responsibly with a taxi ride home." Other aspects of the campaign include out-of-home executions in cities such as New York, Houston and Cleveland and a presence on Hulu and CNN.com. Other Diageo brands, such as Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, do significant TV advertising.
Kimberly-Clark is launching a new campaign for its GoodNites brand, a product designed to deal with bedwetting, aimed at reaching moms of children between the ages of four and six who have been potty trained but are still wearing training pants. The campaign's message is that it's a good idea to ditch them for GoodNites underwear. Kimberly-Clark says the product, which has been in the market for 17 years, fills a gap because moms want something better than training pants but are still worried about bedwetting. "It was through our conversations with these moms that we realized they were looking for a better solution for nighttime wetting," said Tim Abate, marketing director for the brand, in a statement. The company says the campaign touts GoodNites' design and fit, with -- for the first time in three years -- a TV advertising component. The ad illustrates how quickly kids grow, as the creative shows a child getting bigger overnight. The TV ads run through September on programs like "The Today Show," "The View" and "Good Morning America." The effort includes digital ads, a social media program, an online community, sampling, point-of-purchase elements, and a continuation of its "NiteLite Panel," a support center composed of pediatricians and parenting experts. Kimberly-Clark has also redesigned the brand web site, GoodNites.com. The company says the new site is easier to navigation, has educational information arranged by user preference, an area where you can ask questions of the NiteLite Panel, and third-party content on the issue of bedwetting, or night time enuresis. The brand's last big campaign was in 2009, an effort that included a "Special Bedtime Moments" contest dangling a $2,500 room makeover. It also introduced the four-member NiteLite Panel. The company is still the category leader. The company says bedwetting affects 5 to 7 million U.S. kids per year. The company says that last year 2.2 million families bought GoodNites.
Sprinting toward the finish of the TV season, a number of shows improved ratings results because of season finales on the next-to-last Monday night of the season. But ABC conquered all, easily coming out on top. ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and "Castle" gained versus previous performances, posting a Nielsen 4.5 rating/12 share and a 3.3/9 among 18-49 viewers, respectively. "Stars" had a 4.3 rating the week before; "Castle" was at a 3.1. Overall, ABC had a 4.1 rating/11 share for the night versus a 3.8 the week before. Fox and CBS were well behind: Fox was at a 2.7/7; CBS earned a 2.5/6. Both networks were up versus a week before. Fox averaged a 2.3 rating and CBS scored a 2.2 rating. Fox had the next-best-rated show of the night, "House," which greatly improved to 3.6/9 up from a 2.9 the week before. The now-canceled "Chicago Code" also gained to a 1.9/5 from a 1.8. CBS also witnessed improvement with its best show coming from "How I Met Your Mother" -- a 3.0/6 up from a 2.5 at 8 p.m. "Hawaii Five-0" finale did better with a 2.5/7 versus a 2.3 rating the week before. But it ended up in second place at 10 p.m. to the "Castle" finale. "Mike & Molly" took a 2.5/6 in its finale versus a 2.2 rating the week before. NBC was in deep fourth place. "Chuck" perked up a bit for its finale at 8 p.m., a 1.5/5 versus a 1.3 the week before. Next season will be its last. Two other canceled dramas, "The Event" and "Law & Order: LA," completed NBC's Monday with a 1.3/3 and a 1.1/3, respectively. For the night, NBC earned a 1.3/3 versus a 1.2 rating the previous week. Univision fared better than NBC, at a 1.5/5. CW's finales for "90210" and "Gossip Girl" were up a bit -- a 0.8/2 in 18-49 viewers and 1.0/3 in 18-34 viewers for "90210" and 0.7/2 in 18-49 and a 0.9/3 in 18-34 for "Gossip Girl."
Johnathan Rodgers will retire this summer as president-CEO of TV One, the network he helped found in 2004. With Radio One and Comcast as part owners, the network was profitable after five years and is now in 53 million homes. Rodgers will end a lengthy career that included launching multiple networks at Discovery Communications, including Animal Planet, and flipping The Learning Channel into TLC. He joined Discovery in 1996 as president of its U.S. networks group, and was there prior to devising the plans for TV One. Rodgers was also an executive producer at CBS News and ran the CBS Television Stations group. He was educated as a journalist at University of California at Berkeley and began his career as a writer-reporter at Sports Illustrated in 1967 before moving into TV. About TV One, Rodgers stated: "I was able to bring all my experiences from my previous jobs to help create this wonderful network. I want to thank Brian Roberts and Comcast for their support, and especially Alfred Liggins (Radio One president) for his vision in creating and funding TV One and for allowing me to run it for the past seven years. "There could have been no better way to cap off a long and satisfying career in the television business for me than to help build a sustainable channel that African American adults, indeed all Americans, can be very proud of."
This week the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) announced the results of a feasibility study for the Trackable Asset Cross-Platform Identification (TAXI) project. This study, in partnership with the ANA, 4A's and the IAB is a first step in implementing open and interoperable industry standard codes for content and ads across all content. I sat down with CIMM's Managing Director, Jane Clarke to talk about TAXI and other CIMM initiatives. CIMM could not have chosen a better Managing Director than Jane Clarke, whose extensive and deep experience in Cross Platform and Set Top Box data contribute to her stellar reputation in the media industry. CIMM has two major initiatives: to facilitate the understanding of STB data and help facilitate Cross Platform measurement. In a series of video interviews, conducted a few days before the release of the TAXI findings, Jane discusses not only the specifications and back story of TAXI but also CIMM's Cross Platform industry position, STB data and privacy. She also shares some predictions for the media landscape over the next few years. The videos can be viewed here. Below is an excerpt. CW: Jane, can you talk about the TAXI initiative? JC: Yes. TAXI stands for Trackable Asset Cross-Platform Identification. This acronym was developed to cover this whole area of content identification, meaning both creative programming content and advertising as content as well. As we started on the cross platform initiative, one of the problems we saw was verifying exposure to assets as they travel across platform. The way it is now, everyone has their own proprietary tag and code. So if you want to follow an asset you may have to work with one company and use their code or their tag. There isn't an open and inter-operable standard. And so we just kept saying to ourselves, as with the UPC code, couldn't there be a UPC code for media? So we put out an RFP and talked to many consulting firms and hired Ernst & Young. We worked with them for the last six months, talking to all of the different players in this whole area of content identification to better understand it. We are just about to put out the paper and the Primer, with a lot of these terms explained up on our website. What we have found is that actually, surprisingly, the industry is very supportive of developing an open and inter-operable standard. It solves a lot of problems - and not just research problems. As one company mentioned to me, that when talking about content identification there are the "Four R's", which are Research, Royalties, Rights and Residuals. So this is something that impacts the whole media ecosystem and we are having the researchers come to the table to say how important this is for the research companies. There are some asset identification techniques that we are exploring. There are some companies and associations that have been developing ways to identify both content and advertising. There is Ad-ID that has been developed by the ANA and the 4As for ads. There is something called EIDR (Entertainment ID Registry) that has been developed out of MovieLabs and CableLabs and the movie studios for identifying content. And so we are evaluating all of these and are trying to put them together and come up with a Pilot Test. That is what we would like to do next - to actually test out if we can really, technically do this in the media ecosystem and what are the business benefits? We would like to be able to more clearly lay out the business benefits for all of the senior executives in the media industry so they can understand how important it would be for the industry to adopt this going forward. So we have basically finished our first phase which is the Feasibility Study and then we are hoping to move into a Pilot Test phase next.
The upfront season brings the usual excitement and disappointment when it comes to new programming -- as well as new business opportunities. But TV -- in reality the most popular consumer sport -- should now consider one big improvement, an idea that TV Watch has floated in previous seasons: TV needs a commissioner. Like other major entertainment options, TV is a game unto itself -- where viewers root for their favorite shows, and jeer long-hated enemies. This week, networks will unveil some outrageous programming ideas -- a few of which should never see the light of day, others that are obviously on the wrong network. A good TV commissioner would stop these moves dead in their tracks, all for the sake of us struggling TV fans. Don't agree that Fox's "House" should do another run on the top-rated network? A commissioner might say -- for the good of the game - that the acerbic and funny NBC Universal production should stay at home. C'mon, tell me the smaller universe of NBC fans wouldn't like to see "House" on the NBC network. It's smart, witty -- just the stuff NBC has been touting to advertisers for years. Sure, NBC Universal probably gets a nice license fee from Fox, but we are thinking about the fourth-rated network here, after all. All of which could bring up another idea: a TV draft. Just like in TV sports, the bottom-rated network should have the ability to pick from the best ideas and best producers. Think the new "Charlie's Angels" is a catch? Hey, what better network for it than The CW, which could benefit from a drama starring three young women targeted to CW's audience of young women. Sorry, ABC. Even though it's your franchise, you should be thinking of others less fortunate -- for the good of the game, after all. One could even do a PSA touting one's beneficence. Free agency? Sure, as long as a series puts in its time. (Another reason the soon-to-be-seven-year-old "House" could move to NBC). Trading should be promoted. Think of the headlines: "ABC trades 'Extreme Makeover' and 'Private Practice' to CBS for 'NCIS: Los Angeles'... and a TV show to be named later." Who would be commissioner? A while back TV Watch nominated Garth Ancier, the long-time veteran network programmer, who has seen it all. He is someone who is enthusiastic about all things TV, someone who would be fair. Other programmers/executives could fill the bill as well. C'mon TV industry, own up to your business-as-athletics contest. The NFL is already one of your highest-rated programs, so let's make it official. And let's be frank: TV is a contact sport. Take a clue from Charlie Sheen, the current seer of all things entertainment: It's all about the winning.
I hail from a long line of entrepreneurs. If we haven't always read the crystal ball correctly, it hasn't been for lack of trying. A hundred years ago, my great-grandfather Max Helfstein owned the biggest stable of hacks in New York City -- you know, the horses that pulled taxis and delivery trucks all over the city. (Interestingly, as fellow New Yorkers know, licenses to operate cabs here are still referred to as "hack licenses," even though the horses they refer to are obviously long gone.) Anyway, back to Great Grandpa Max (my namesake, in fact). A colleague of his arrived one day in 1915 with what he claimed was the latest and greatest new invention, one he said would revolutionize the transportation industry: the automobile. Skeptical, Gramps took the thing out for a spin, and promptly crashed it into a farm then located on 23th Street. "This thing will never work," he famously declared. Horses were more responsive, according to Max: "You tug on them, and they follow." So he stuck with his 2,000 horses, kept doing what he loved to do, and off he rode into the sunset. Lesson learned. A hundred years later, we Liebermans are using a different kind of horsepower -- in my case, by pursuing a career that's been defined by a series of efforts to bring about change in the media industry. Back in 1994, I started Sarnoff Real Time Corporation, which morphed into DIVA, the first commercially viable video on demand (VOD) company. We positioned our offering as a replacement for Blockbuster; little did we know that it would take another decade for VOD to hit critical mass and a few more years for Blockbuster to hit the wall. Now, I'm working in my small way to effect change in the media industry again, by helping advertisers, networks, and stations target the right programs being watched by the right audience. If there's one thing I've learned from these experiences, it's that being a change agent is not for everyone. It's not easy. No matter what industry you're in, you need patience, tenacity, a willingness to tolerate and learn from mistakes, and an uncommon level of risk-tolerance. You also have to be in it for more than the financial reward, which rarely goes to the first entrant in any game. After all, look at the lifecycle of CEOs: a company usually has a founding CEO, a growth CEO, and a long-term CEO. With a few notable exceptions, they're rarely one person. (Steve Jobs, of course, is one of those notable exceptions, but he did have to leave Apple in order to return and lead it to world domination.) Still sound good? Here are a few things to keep in mind: Take an evolutionary approach. Change is hard for many people and many organizations. Whether you're looking to change a team's workflow or convince customers to approach a problem in a whole new way, you'll fail if you're too disruptive. Case in point: Jack Griffin's exciting but brief tenure at Time Inc. Respect the status quo. Make like Aretha, and always show respect: for the people you work with, the organization you're a part of, the customers you service, and the entire industry in which you operate. Always be respectful of the context you're operating in, even if your ultimate goal is to upend the status quo completely. Inspiration is good; aspiration is better; perspiration is a must. As Steve Jobs said, "We're here to put a dent in the universe." I love this statement, because it embodies the aspiration to invoke change on a large scale, while acknowledging with some modesty that nobody can do everything at once. If each of us makes just a dent, we'll change the world for the better. Give it time. Organizations, markets, and industries are all organic ecosystems that need to evolve over time. So do vendors, customers, employees, and investors. Introduce change gradually, and you won't trigger an allergic reaction. Partner with the "venturesome customer." As James Surowiecki reported in last week's New Yorker, "innovative consumption" is an important driver of change. Although the TV measurement business has not yet modeled (or espoused, or practiced) a philosophy of innovation, now might just be the right time. Follow these few guidelines and you'll find the way to your dent in the universe. Will it be easy? Nah. But it will be a great ride, and I for one wouldn't have it any other way. My guess is, neither would Great Grandpa Max.
Repeats of off-network programming -- or, more recently, off-cable-network shows -- used to be a sure thing for TV producers financially. But that may be changing. One example: Broadcasting & Cable says the HBO shows "Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" aren't cutting it in syndication and have been pulled -- a rare business flub. Both have been playing in late-night time periods, and heading towards even later night time periods. Ratings? A Nielsen 0.6 -- that's household rating, mind you! Around 600,000 homes. (Yikes!) So a three-year deal with stations for those shows has been cut short -- way short. The inference here is that all barter syndication shows already have a tough time, and that late-night time periods make matters worst. But ratings hit so low for these two shows that the national advertising barter time didn't cover the distribution and technical costs. Getting to 70, 80 or 100 episodes used to all but guarantee a big payday in syndication or in cable reruns. No longer. More than ever, shows need to find a back-end, a front-end, or some sort of end. No doubt "Entourage" and "Curb" sold some DVDs. But now perhaps TV money is spread amongst too many TV platforms. Not everything wins. The "Entourage" and "Curb" moves might still be an aberration. TV stations and cable networks are in continuous need of content -- and though the push is always to upgrade quality with first-run/original programming -- both broadcast stations and cable nets still need to rely on previously aired programming to fill in the gaps. Indeed, perhaps the broadcast networks' own increase in airing reruns is also having an effect on the syndication market. Syndication is still a decent deal for advertisers -- something on the order of 15% to 20% CPM savings versus broadcast networks for specific demographics. Syndication also has a great story to tell when it comes to time shifting since 85% of its shows are seen live. But a bigger question is looming: when does the real value of TV repeats shift to digital platforms -- and what will that mean for the syndication business? Something's gotta give.