Commentary

Robot To Colbert: Networks Move Past Comfort Zone With Out-Of-Box Promotions

“Mr. Robot” just completed its addictive first season on the heels of  Stephen Colbert's debut as host of “The Late Show.”  I'm an unabashed fan of Colbert's and predict big success for him on CBS.  As for USA Network's “Mr. Robot,” it deserves all the critical accolades it’s received, as well as its status as the summer's breakout hit.

Beyond representing high quality, what knits USA Network's “Mr. Robot” and CBS's  “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” together is that both have exploited the TV Everywhere universe.

If you're not already obsessed with “Mr. Robot,” a deliciously paranoid hacker drama, perfect for the age of the NSA, Snowden and Anonymous, I suggest you check it out immediately. This is not the usual middle-of-the road “Psych”  and “Royal Pains” USA fare.   “Mr. Robot” is a calculated decision on USA's part to grab an upscale audience looking for sophisticated, edgy stuff.

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Launching “Mr Robot,”  USA knew a multiplatform approach was a must.  The network put together a marketing/distribution strategy using virtually every conceivable platform, including Facebook -- something USA had never done before. More than 3 million viewers caught the pilot in its pre-network run, with USA running promos during its decidedly middlebrow line-up.   So successful was the response to the series on its preview platforms that “Mr. Robot” got the green light for a second season before its official USA debut.

Clearly, here was a chance for a network to step out of its  programming comfort zone, which in a pre-digital age was next to impossible. How many terrific series never got the run they deserved because they  were out of sync with their home network’s brand?  Think  of a time not-so-distant, of “Freaks & Geeks” on NBC or “My So-Called Life” on ABC. In a non-linear TV ecosystem, there's more of an opportunity to stray from a network's core programming identity and bring a new lucrative audience in.

And back on CBS, if Colbert launches big and stays strong, it will  be because he's taken full advantage of every available platform, as well as his tremendous gifts as an entertainer. He's certainly done this throughout the summer, selling his singular brand of comedy everywhere from cable access   to YouTube to a blimp floating over a college football stadium last Saturday.

Another way Colbert has been promoting the debut of “The Late Show” is by going full force in his partnerships with advertisers.   He’s taking lessons learned from his Comedy Central days, when he was an effective pitchman for such brands as Doritos with his“Colbert Report” persona. Out of the gate on “The Late Show,” Colbert is doing likewise, integrating extremely funny comic bits for Sabra Hummus and Oreos into the premiere show.  Rest assured those clips will be pushed everywhere, especially the one comparing the irresistible pull of those cream-filled cookies  to the media's  irresistible addiction to Donald Trump.

Neither Colbert nor “Mr. Robot” are a natural fit with their respective networks. Yet in a TV Everywhere universe, they are positioned to bring in new viewers and make them feel right at home.

2 comments about "Robot To Colbert: Networks Move Past Comfort Zone With Out-Of-Box Promotions".
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  1. Rick Thomas from MediaRich Marketing, September 9, 2015 at 4:29 p.m.

    Excellent overview J. Max. 

    And the challenge for networks will be geting out of that "comfort zone" but it's not just the network but it's the talent.  Leno and Lettermen for all of their greatness as comedic talent would not be comfortable doing what the current nighttime talent does in a "marketing everywhere" environment.  It is vital for talent to understand all aspects of this new digital age and use it properly.  The Oreo Cookies and the Sabra Hummus integrations, paid for or not, show Colbert and CBS are willing to use new school tactics in an old school environment.

    Brilliant.  

    The question becomes will other networks see value in out of the box marketing and invest in it rather than do the same ole same ole standard network promotional marketing.  Seems CBS is taking the lead in stepping all over that comfort zone. 

  2. Dan Greenberg from Impossible Software, GmbH, September 10, 2015 at 1:35 p.m.

    In regards to Mr Robot's promotion with FB integration, we recommend
    10secondsoffame.usanetwork.com for a true on-brand experience.

    DISCLAIMER: We are involved in delivering this experience.

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