Will live-action alienate Cartoon Net's core audience?
TMC
Turner-owned network know they risk alienating their core audience, a
big gamble in any environment
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM MT
In this story:
'Is this appropriate?'
A ghost-hunting show following a team of paranormal investigators, a
reality series about outdoor novices exploring the jungle and a game
show set aboard a fast-moving roller coaster. While the premises sound
like something you might find on Discovery Channel, it is actually
Cartoon Network that will be rolling out those shows.
And while the network is betting its new live-action slate will help
redefine the channel as a destination for youth culture, executives at
the Turner-owned network know they risk alienating their core
audience, a big gamble in any environment.
'Is this appropriate?'
“Anytime you do something new at a network, particularly at one with a
very specific niche, there will be a reaction. People will say, is
this appropriate?” says Cartoon Network Chief Content Officer Rob
Sorcher. “We are doing something that is very different than anything
in the nearly 20 years of history of the channel. It is possible that
this is going to take a while.”
The new shows will air on Wednesday and Saturday beginning June 17.
They include ghost-hunting program The Othersiders, outdoor survival
show Survive This and original concepts such as Destroy Build Destroy.
The strategy is to target a slightly older crowd than the 6- to 11-
year-olds the network courts during much of the day. The network wants
to lure advertisers from categories such as electronics and cellphone
companies, which may be reluctant to market to younger kids.
“I think these new shows, whether reality or live scripted, really
open up and broaden the audience, so you can be thinking about new
advertising categories,” says Stuart Snyder, executive VP and COO of
Turner animation, young adults and kids media. “It opens up more
categories for us than just being in shows specifically [targeting] 6-
to 11-year-olds.”
According to Snyder, the possibility of moving toward more live action
was one of his priorities after he came on board in 2007. “We did all
the research in terms of what kids wanted to watch, what they were
watching on TV at the time, on our network and across all networks,”
he says.
It is no surprise, then, that many of the initial formats being
launched as part of the CN Real block are familiar, like ghost-hunting
shows. As Sorcher says: “That is a part of the strategy, for us, as
executives who are betting on shows to work; it is helpful to know
that a format has been seen and responded to.”
One of the biggest challenges Cartoon Network faces with its CN Real
block is getting its audience to accept live-action alternative
programming on a channel known primarily for animation. To that end,
the network is planning what it calls a “360 degree” marketing
campaign, spanning every platform, in an effort to get its product in
front of as many people as possible.
The campaign will include in-theater advertising and promotions,
including previews of the new shows on movie screens before trailers,
as well as a major print buy in publications that appeal to the 6-14
demographic the network is targeting with the new programs. That would
include buys in Sports Illustrated for Kids, Boys’ Life, and even
Nickelodeon Magazine. Those are in addition to more standard buys such
as spot TV and out-of-home in major markets.
But in many respects the heart of the campaign is online, where the
network is expanding its marketing in a way it has never done before.
“We wanted to have a media plan that would appeal to our core [6- to
11-year-olds] but also had the breadth and depth to perhaps bring in
12- to 14-year-olds,” says Brenda Freeman, chief marketing officer of
Turner animation, young adults and kids media. “That is one of the
reasons we are doing more social networking aspects to our marketing
plan than there would have been in the past.”
Cartoon has set up a Facebook fan page, which will be used to promote
the alternative lineup, and is making buys on search engines such as
Yahoo and Google as well as video site YouTube. It is also buying
advertising on gaming sites that appeal to kids in its target demo.
“This is where some of the new innovation comes in terms of trying to
bring in the broader audience, some of the older kids,” Freeman says.
“Search and social networking to go along with more traditional banner
ads.”
That innovation includes D-cast technology, an application that kids
(or their parents) can download to their computer. The application
lets Cartoon send brief messages about new programs straight to the
computer. An icon on the home screen blinks whenever a new message is
available. At launch, D-cast will feature host Bobb’e J. Thompson in a
brief video clip previewing the alternative programs.
Cartoon is also relying on decidedly old-school technology in an
attempt to lure viewers to the new lineup: a fanzine. The network is
printing eight million copies of the fanzine, which will blend pop
culture tips with promotional messaging related to the new shows. The
publication will be distributed at movie theaters, Six Flags amusement
parks, the Essence Music Festival, Cartoon Network live tours and
other events.
Dave Turner
>
> Cartoon is also relying on decidedly old-school technology in an
> attempt to lure viewers to the new lineup: a fanzine. The network is
> printing eight million copies of the fanzine, which will blend pop
> culture tips with promotional messaging related to the new shows. The
> publication will be distributed at movie theaters, Six Flags amusement
> parks, the Essence Music Festival, Cartoon Network live tours and
> other events.
>
So is this the CN equivalent of Zoo Books?
Studio Toledo
Some would say this is the equivalent to what MTV did to itself.
Dave Turner
Actually I was referring only to the fanzine.
I'm hopeful that it won't be that bad, but MTV really killed itself,
reanimated itself only to kill itself again repeatedly. Aren't they
owned by the same parent company? If so, CN as we knew it will cease to
exist and probably end up folding soon.
There's already a Discovery Kids with child survivor or some such crap
on it so you know CN can't be far behind on the catch up wagon. :p
George Johnson
news:4a393fa9$0$1587$742e...@news.sonic.net...
To quote the animated cartoon character, Jay Sherman of "The Critic":
Jay Sherman: "It is a delicate mixture of fantasy.. and crap. I call it
FANTA-CRAP."
The Critic - Smoke Rings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaMBKDA-vzw
The Critic - Clint Eastwood Parody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu7PxhwDGqw
Jack Bohn
>I'm hopeful that it won't be that bad, but MTV really killed itself,
>reanimated itself only to kill itself again repeatedly. Aren't they
>owned by the same parent company? If so, CN as we knew it will cease to
>exist and probably end up folding soon.
No, MTV is under the same umbrella group as Nickelodeon.
Cartoon Network is part of the TNT, TBS group.
(To mention a third channel, the SciFi Channel -which can hardly
bring itself to show sf, and will soon change its name to Syfy-
is part of a group with USA Network and NBC, which have recently
launched new specialty channels Sleuth and Chiller.)
It would seem the only specialty channels still living up to
their "mandate" are Turner Classic Movies and ESPN.
--
-Jack