• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, October 5, 2010

Exemplifying both greater focus on multicultural marketing and spirit makers' increasing propensity to create their own television content, Diageo's Smirnoff is launching a brand-produced reality show targeted primarily to African-Americans.

"Master of the Mix" will follow a competition in which seven top DJs compete for that title and $250,000 in cash and prizes at events in cities including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and London. The competition will be judged by DJ Kid Capri and hosted by Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer JustBlaze.

The show, with eight episodes airing between Nov. 3 and Dec. 29, will air Wednesdays at 10:30 EST on Viacom's African-American entertainment/news channel Centric and re-air on Saturdays at midnight on Viacom's Black Entertainment Television (BET). Those who miss the original airings will be able to view the entire previous week's episode on a site dedicated to the show, masterofthemix.com.

Not surprisingly, Smirnoff is "fully integrated" into the show through both product placement and signage in the bar/club settings in which the competitions take place, says brand director David Tapscott.

For example, the third episode -- in which the DJs are competing in Miami, will spotlight "The Smirnoff Night Exchange Project," in which well-known "nightlife figures" -- will gather the best elements of nightlife from 14 countries, Tapscott reports. The ideas will be captured online, as well as packaged as "exciting event experiences" in a Smirnoff-branded crate. On Nov. 27's episode, the participating countries will swap or exchange the best aspects of their respective nightlife scenes.

Between the competition coverage, each episode will also include traditionally formatted commercials. These will promote "The People's Challenge," a taste-test competition in which consumers will compare Smirnoff and other premium and ultra-premium vodka brands to determine the best-tasting vodka on the market. "Smirnoff is asking consumers to take a stand and say, 'I choose Smirnoff,'" notes Tapscott.

The show is being supported by social media. Fans will be able to follow cast members and get updates on the show via Facebook and Twitter, for example, according to Tapscott. The campaign also includes in-store support (later this fall, Smirnoff will offer a special edition "Master of the Mix" branded bottle of Smirnoff 21), promotional events featuring cast members, and public relations.

Smirnoff expects viewership of between 500,000 and 1 million households per week for the two weekly "Master of the Mix" airings, reports Tapscott.

The show's outreach to the "large and influential" African-American market is part of Diageo's broader "push to pump up marketing" and "take a more inclusive position in relation to" multicultural U.S. consumers, including the Hispanic, Asian and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, he confirms -- groups that will account for the majority of sales growth for Diageo brands over the next five years.

Content/context control is particularly important to spirit brands, for avoiding potential criticisms about encouraging underage drinking, as well as to ensure close adhesion to a brand's marketing theme.

As The Wall Street Journal recently noted, Bacardi's Grey Goose (BET's "Rising Icons," Sundance Channel's "Iconoclasts" and Golf Channel's "Grey Goose 19th Hole") and Pernod Ricard SA's Absolut bartending contests aired on local NBC affiliates in major U.S. metro areas are already-existing examples of brand-created television programming.

Smirnoff worked with marketing/content development agency and studio Electus to create and produce "Master of the Mix." Electus owns the international distribution rights.