|
Inept ‘Office’ manager selling viewers more than dry humor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Phil Rosenthal, McClatchy-Tribune
|
|
Thursday, 14 December 2006 |
|
|
|
|
 Dunder-Mifflin’s Michael Scott is such a phenomenally dreadful manager that it takes seeing him in sales mode to understand how he could remain on the payroll.
His boss, like the modest audience of NBC’s “The Office,” couldn’t have been more stunned when the clod played by Second City alum Steve Carell closed a seemingly impossible deal this season.
“I underestimated you,” she told him.
“Yeah, well,” he said, “maybe next time you will estimate me.”
This Thursday’s Christmas episode again has Michael making a pitch: He sings the praises of Sandals all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. Literally. The surprise getaway doesn’t go over as planned with his girlfriend, but the tout of “Jamaica’s largest freshwater pool” is apt to reach its intended target — the audience.
“The Office,” a reimagined version of a British hit, offers a preview of what the TV business will have to do as its viewership is fragmented by the Internet and digital media.
Like Michael, the show has survived because it knows how to sell. It’s not even in the top 40 in overall viewership. But by weaving brands into stories, it has created opportunities.
There have been mini-episodes on the Internet, an “Office” game for cell phones, DVDs and episode sales on Apple’s iTunes site, which brings in cash and markets the show.
“We hit beyond our weight,” said executive producer Ben Silverman, a former agent at William Morris whose eye for translatable international fare has also led to the successful import of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Ugly Betty.” “You would almost believe `The Office’ is a top five show.”
“And all those things go together,” Silverman said. “You’re kind of doing them to build momentum. It (also presents) economic opportunities that incentivize the network to keep supporting the show and financing it.”
Carell and company draw less than half of what the most popular shows do. “Grey’s Anatomy,” currently the No. 1 show in prime time, attracts around 22.5 million viewers. Even within the put-upon genre of half-hour comedies, “The Office” fails to crack the top five in overall viewers.
But among the age 18-to-49 demographic, “The Office” is second only to top-rated “Two and a Half Men” among comedies. The last week both shows aired, CBS’ “Men” had a 4.8 rating and 11 percent share of the crowd, while the Emmy-winning “Office” had a 4.4 rating and 11 percent share, despite spotting “Men” 6.5 million viewers overall.
“Interestingly, `The Office,’ which NBC stuck with in spite of poor ratings during its first season, has become the network’s strongest comedy of (Thursday) night,” Brian Hughes of media buying firm Magna Global observed. “While by no means a breakout hit, it does prove that giving a program time to grow can pay off.”
A study released by Nielsen Media Research last month found that placement raises an unknown brand’s recognition among viewers to 38.9 percent, a bit less than the 46.6 percent a commercial achieves. Get both and the figure is 57.5 percent.
But the study found the percentage of viewers who had positive thoughts about those carefully placed brands was slightly lower. “The Office” clears this hurdle by turning its gifted script writers into copy writers, some more willingly than others.
“The business has changed and you have to do these things to survive,” Silverman said.
When it works, it works. One “Office” drone a few weeks back delighted in shredding paper, a CD disc and, absent-mindedly, one of his credit cards. “This thing is so awesome! It will shred anything!” he exclaimed, the capper coming when he shredded lettuce, added dressing and dug in.
A co-worker asked where he got the salad. “Staples!” he said.
The Staples MailMate plug was one of that week’s top placements, according to iTVX, a tracking outfit.
This week’s episode is called “A Benihana Christmas.” You can guess why.
“The younger audience appreciates intelligent marketing,” Silverman said. “They’re sold to all day long. They’re on to the game. But the reality is it’s all about the show ... It’s got to be funny. Appeal on the most primal level, and then the audience will follow you.”
Estimate it. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
