• by Wayne Friedman , December 24, 2007

USA Network will unveil a new off-network consumer marketing campaign this spring--the same time that sister network NBC will be airing episodes of USA series "Monk" and "Psych."

USA's recently promoted executive vice president of marketing, digital and brand strategy Chris McCumber says it's been about three years since the network started its big "Characters Welcome" branding campaign, which included some off-air marketing components. USA has yet to work out details over the new marketing effort.

When the "Characters Welcome" campaign began, elements included vignettes of its show's characters' interacting with each other, including a print campaign. USA also did an off-air, Internet campaign asking viewers to "Show Us Your Character," through user-generated content via a social networking area.

NBC will run "Monk" and "Psych" on Sunday night starting in March, which should help give USA some new marketing spin and sampling, says McCumber.

McCumber explains that both "Monk" and "Psych" run on USA on Fridays. "Not everyone gets a chance to see the shows then," he says. "It'll give us a chance to do some cross-marketing."

NBC's airing of the popular shows at this time will help fuel USA's pre-summer marketing efforts, which includes a new series, "In Plain Sight," starring Mary McCormack as a federal marshal working with the witness-protection program.

Both "Monk" and "Psych" will have an estimated six to eight fresh episodes starting in January--episodes that NBC will use for their respective runs.

McCumber had been the network's senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy since 2004. He was instrumental, along with his marketing team, in establishing the "Characters Welcome" campaign. McCumber has been key in the successful marketing of many new USA shows, including its highly touted and award-nominated miniseries, "The Starter Wife."