Brian Cummings
Brian Cummings
Cummings McGlone & Associates
Dallas
When a company makes a product that the public doesn’t like, it isn’t
having a public relations problem, it is having a operational
problem.
It’s like the company that pours toxic waste into a river, and calls it
a PR problem. As our desired demographic would say, ’ NOT!’ PR,
reputation management, relationship management, spin control or whatever
we’re calling what we do today, can influence the public’s perception
for a while. But, thankfully, reality catches up sooner or later. And if
the emperor has no clothes, no amount of consultant-speak will clothe
him. What can ABC do? Try entertaining us.
Stanley Levenson
Levenson Public Relations,
Dallas
Historically, ABC has been the network of choice for youth and young
adults aged 18 to 34 and 18 to 49. As baby boomers have matured, the
network has built a solid line up of programs that appeal to adults
between 25 and 54, especially heads of households who are in the
professional/executive managerial occupational categories. Clearly, ABC
is transitioning to attract a more affluent market, while continuing to
build and expand the youth audience. As opposed to delivering
programming that appeals to the masses, I encourage ABC to concentrate
on the upscale market, command higher prices for its time slots and
position itself as foremost in the timely presentation of the
highest-quality programming.
Jeff Hasen
Publicis Dialog
Salt Lake City
The sputtering publicity machine needs a Sears repairman - or a speedy
return to the basics. How about looking at what’s best on the air (a
loud vote here for Steven Bochco and Dennis Franz) and doing good old-
fashioned press relations with the stars? The network universe is
widening with sister-cable entities and web sites, and cross-promotion
is always a part of the picture. But in other ways, little has changed:
the job is still to push the good stuff and let the cream rise. To put
it into the numbers world ABC executives inhabit, it’s time for PR
101.
Charles McLean
Hill & Knowlton,
Washington, DC
ABC shouldn’t try to persuade people via a branding campaign to watch
the network just so they can be seen watching the network. Its execs
must give creative people license to produce quality programs, then give
the new shows a real chance to succeed. Leadership in television is
taking audiences from where they are to where they don’t know they want
to go.
In 1979, few white viewers would have told a focus group ’I’d like to
see a show where the main characters are black.’ But The Cosby Show was
an enormous hit with blacks and whites. So playing the blame-game,
especially on the entertainment pages of top-tier newspapers and
magazines, will not do. Instead, take some chances and lead. A few hits,
and they’ll be back on top
