• by Wayne Friedman , August 10, 2005

CBS used to be known as the Tiffany network. This fall, it will be shopping for viewers at Williams-Sonoma. Following a modest fall promotion with the high-end retailer, CBS will broaden its effort with Williams-Sonoma, in which a CBS fall preview DVD will be distributed into stores, catalogs, and packages for the 2005-2006 season.

Selections from six new CBS series will be touted on DVDs. Additionally, melding cooking and TV entertainment elements, CBS is producing special cooking segments with culinary expert Tori Ritchie and actors from CBS's "CSI: Miami," "Close to Home," and "Out of Practice." The CBS DVD is hosted by Hannah Storm of the network's "The Early Show."

In many of these entertainment-marketing deals, a network might require a company to spend some media dollars on a network's airwaves. But CBS says this is just a straight deal for the DVD. Williams-Sonoma--which is a relatively smaller retailer--typically doesn't have the marketing budget for expensive TV time, according to analysts.

But CBS looks to gain here. Increasingly, networks vie for off-air marketing to get viewers. CBS' George Schweitzer, president of the CBS Marketing Group, said the combination of Williams-Sonoma catalogs and 515 stores gives CBS access to the retailer's upscale customer base.

The tie-in is not the first time Schweitzer has cross-promoted with a mass retailer. Despite its Tiffany image, CBS has a long history of working with the retail trade, and once was ridiculed for joining up with the ultimate low-ender: Kmart. Williams-Sonoma, which bills itself as "the place for cooks," clearly is a step up the food chain, offering high-end products for gourmet lifestyles. The affiliation is already apparent on the retailer's Web site, which features a "CBS 5-Minute Cooking School" segment.

Actors Christopher Gorham, who is in the new comedy series "Out of Practice;" Jennifer Finnigan, who's in the new Jerry Bruckheimer drama "Close to Home;" and Khandi Alexander, of "CSI: Miami," will participate in a variety of cooking segments.

Williams-Sonoma did a six-episode series back in the fall called "The Perfect Thanksgiving" for "The Early Show," which featured the retailer's new New York City at Columbus Circle store in the Time Warner Center. Williams-Sonoma continues its association with "The Early Show" for its "Five Minute Cooking School" series as well as holiday cooking segments.