Media Cross-Promotion on Warner Brothers Television

Introduction and Thesis

Welcome to the age of media giants, where a handful of large, ultinational conglomerates control almost all formats of media, including newspapers, magazines, books, films, television programming and much more. An industry once comprised of independent, family-owned businesses has changed dramatically during the last two decades, particularly with the announcement of several high-profile corporate mergers.

Perhaps the most historic of these mergers involves the formation of the first Internet-powered media and communications company - AOL Time Warner. The merger, initially announced this time last year, has only recently come to fruition. But most corporate mergers normally operate on a much shorter time frame, so what was the obstacle behind this particular union? Well, have you heard the tale of the media company who cried "monopoly"?

Weeks after the AOL Time Warner announcement, rival media company Walt Disney (which owns ABC Television) implored the FCC to carefully review the merger. Disney's primary objective was to prompt the FCC to reduce the promotional advantages a combination of the Internet and entertainment companies would have, particularly in cross-promoting its portfolio of media products. (Higgins, Broadcasting & Cable).

But the issue of cross-promotion was not new, particularly within Warner Brothers' already extensive media companies and countless subsidiaries. In fact, the old adage "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" seems more than appropriate for Walt Disney, since several of its situation comedies have featured plots involving family trips to Disneyland or Disney World.

Although cross-promotion had existed in a previous life, talk of an AOL/Time Warner merger heightened the stakes, with limitless promotional opportunities as new technologies emerge, such as interactive television. In fact, the prospect of cross-promotion is one reason why top Wall Street
firms currently list AOL Time Warner as a stock one should own. A.G. Edwards & Sons, a brokerage firm headquartered in St. Louis, cites cross-promotion of the company's media properties as a prime reason for the buy rating (on a February 2001 research report for AOL Time Warner).

With so much speculation (and even financial ratings) dependent on the issue of cross-promotion, one must wonder how extensive the practice really is. This paper will investigate cross-promotion on a smaller scale - within the confines of AOL Time Warner's television programming. It will:

· Examine the structure and ownership patterns (context) of the vast media empire and its components, using the company's Web site and other Internet sources.

· Inspect cross-promotion of media products on the Warner Brothers (WB) television network, paying particular attention to communication function and target audience (process); formulaic plot and affective response (framework); and sound and character dialogue (production values).

· Cite examples of anti-promotion - instances where Warner Brothers uses its programming to suppress the competition.

· Present an indicative study - examining only prime time shows airing during the week of Feb. 26, 2001.



AOL Time Warner Company Overview

A quote from fictional news anchor Howard Beale, a character in the 1976 film Network, seems an appropriate way to kick off this section: " We are now a corporate society, a corporate world, a corporate universe. This world is a vast cosmology of small corporations orbiting around larger
corporations who, in turn revolve around giant corporations ..." (Network 1976). The AOL Time Warner galaxy is indeed vast and complex. The table on the next page lists four of the six separate businesses operated by AOL Time Warner. These business are presented now, since they will be cited throughout this paper as instances of cross-promotion are expounded:

Warner Music Group
· Warner Brothers Records
· Elektra Records
· 143 Records
· Atlantic Records
· Tommy Boy
· WEA Inc.

+ London Records

Filmed Entertainment - Warner Brothers
· Warner Brothers Pictures
· Warner Brothers Television
· Warner Brothers Animation

+ Warner Brothers Home Video

Television Networks
· The WB Television Network
Ø The WB
Ø Kids' WB
· Turner Entertainment Group
Ø TBS Superstation
Ø Cartoon Network

+ Home Box Office (HBO)

Interactive Services and Properties

+ America Online

Source: AOL Time Warner Web site <http://www.aoltimewarner.com.>

Promotion of Warner Brothers' Music

Marketing of Warner Brothers-produced music is extensive on the WB Television Network, perhaps more widespread than any other product promotion, and the reason is simple - Marketing 101. The company targets advertising of its musical products to the younger demographic.

According to the company Web site, "The WB television network has established itself as a branded network targeted to young adults and teens ... The WB's goal of being the destination network for the 12 - 34 demographic coincides with the network's fourth consecutive season of being
number one with female teens" (AOL Time Warner Web site). Not only are female teens the favored demographic for the WB network, they're also among the largest consumers of pop and alternative music. This presents a prime opportunity for Warner Brothers to cross-promote its musical wares.

Several of the WB's prime time shows routinely include music by Warner Brothers artists, helping to accent a particular moment of teen drama. For example, a relationship dispute between the romantically involved lead characters on Jack & Jill featured a song by Paula Cole (WEA/Warner
Brothers Records) about the emotional trauma of ending a relationship.

At the end of shows like Jack & Jill, another interesting promotional tactic occurs - a mini-commercial for Warner Brothers CDs. Just before the show's closing credits, an announcer says something like: "Tonight's episode of Jack & Jill featured music by Paula Cole." Accompanying the narrative is a still shot of the CD cover, with the artist's name and CD title appearing
below it. To he lp draw viewer attention, the CD cover appears on the right side of the screen, with the WB logo on the left side to balance the shot. This relative positioning of the CD cover on the right side is significant because the audience is drawn to objects placed on the right side of the
screen (Silverblatt, 102).

The end-of-show CD promotion is, of course, not an isolated event. During the week of Feb. 26, 2001, the network promoted six CDs produced by Warner Brothers on four of the network's prime time shows. All record labels listed below are subsidiaries or joint ventures of Warner Brothers Music:

Show Artist and CD Title Record Label
Roswell Morcheeba: Fragments of Freedom WEA/Warner Brothers
Roswell Semisonic: All About Chemistry WEA/Warner Brothers
Jack & Jill Bottlefly: Bottlefly London Records
Popular Vitamin C: Vitamin C Elektra
Popular Pimpadelic: Southern Devils Tommy Boy
Charmed Marvelous 3: Marvelous 3 Elektra

Record Label Source: <http://www.amazon.com.>

Warner Brothers has discovered additional ways to promote its artists on the WB network. One tactic is the "live" appearance of its musicians. For example, the sisters on Charmed (a science-fiction drama about witchcraft) own a nightclub where Warner Brothers artists routinely perform at the end of an action-packed episode. The formula goes something like this. During the first 50 minutes of the episode, the witch sisters endure mental and physical challenges to overcome or "vanquish" an evil demon that threatens their existence. After their triumph, the sisters return to the nightclub to celebrate with live music and dancing, accompanied by attractive males who frequent the club. This restoration of order prompts affective response for the viewers, as they witness the sisters dance in celebration. It's also a positive reinforcement of the Warner Brothers musicians who perform at the club. The Marvelous 3 appeared during last week's episode, and the group's CD was promoted during the end-of-show CD pitch.

WB musical promotions also extend beyond the "live" performances and CD advertisements. The shows' writers regularly incorporate references of WB musicians into the characters' dialogue. Like the kind of car one drives, the music a character chooses defines his or her personality. This presents a latent message that musical preference is an important choice for the impressionable teen audience, and of course, one should consider a Warner Brothers artist the acceptable selection.

On the freshmen drama Gilmore Girls, Lorelei (a main character) debates musical taste with her ex-boyfriend (a guest star). He prefers Offspring (Columbia Records); she likes Metallica (Elektra - a WB subsidiary). Not coincidentally, the show's protagonist asserts her alliance with a WB artist, while the non-recurring character states his preference for the competition. Their romance seems doomed for several other reasons, but this musical rift is a sure-fire sign that the couple will part ways. Their musical identities, a reflection of their personalities, are in conflict. The ex-boyfriend eventually leaves Lorelei and her small town behind, left to wallow in his poor musical taste. This also presents an instance of anti-promotion; Warner Brothers uses its programming to shed negative light on the competition. This time, the focus is on a competitor record label.

So upon close inspection, the viewer can detect two distinct messages at work on the WB network's programming. The manifest message is teenage entertainment through melodramatic programming. The latent message is less obvious - the promotion and ultimate sale of Warner Brothers-produced artists. While the latent message is generally quite subtle on most WB programs, it's far more obvious on another freshmen show - Popstars.

This 30-minute program chronicles the creation of yet another teen pop group. (Picture a female version of Backstreet Boys or N'Sync.) At the beginning of the fall television season, Popstars followed the audition of hundreds of teenage girls looking for their "big break." Eventually, executives from Warner Brothers Music would select five teens to form the new female super-group. Ensuing episodes would revolve around recording sessions at Warner Brothers studios, live performances coordinated by Warner
Brothers Music and the promotion of the group's CD for 143 Records (a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Music). As if the latent sales message wasn't already obvious, the show embraces the practice of name-dropping for Warner Brothers artists. For example, the March 2 episode introduced two studio
producers by describing their work with "mega-stars like Mandy Moore and Monica." Of course, both artists have signed with Warner Brothers, and many would argue their status as "mega-stars." The label is an attempt to build the popularity of existing Warner Brothers artists.

In yet another cross-promotion effort, the Popstars episode closed with the announcement of an Internet contest, where the winner receives a free makeover. How should the typical teenage girl, insecure about her appearance during the "awkward years," enter the contest? Try the "Popstars" keyword on AOL. There are truly no missed opportunities to target the company's media products for the teen audience.

Promotion of Warner Brothers' Films

Why stop with Web sites and music when you have a captive teen audience? Warner Brothers continues its cross-promotion tactics by marketing films that appeal to the teenage and young adult audience through programming on the WB network. Typically, this involves using Warner Brothers films as pop-culture reference throughout the characters' dialogue.

In the opening scene of Jack & Jill, Beno (a supporting character) reveals that his current love interest is dating other men. Beno's friend responds:

MIKE:
Wait until the green-eyed monster comes breathing down your door.
(Mike exits.)

JILL:
What's with Mike?

BENO:
He's been reading too much Harry Potter.

Not coincidentally, Warner Brothers is producing the much-anticipated Harry Potter movie, based on J.K. Rowling's popular books for children and young adults. The film will be released this summer and is expected to draw a wide audience, particularly since the Potter books routinely top the bestseller lists. With such high expectations, it's not surprising that Warner Brothers is "planting the seed early" to secure a big opening weekend - a new standard of success in Hollywood these days.

Home video and DVD sales have also become an integral part of a movie's total profit for both the film producers and distributors. Dawson's Creek featured a subtle plug for another Warner Brothers film, which is currently available in video stores. As two of the show's teen characters attempt to learn more about the town psychiatrist, they follow him into a local store. When Jack and Jen (the teen characters) spot the psychiatrist browsing through Interview with the Vampire, they speculate on his sexual orientation. Most viewers (myself included) would not immediately make the connection between the movie and homosexuality. This could potentially cause an underlying desire to watch the movie a second time and investigate the reference. Magazine advertisers hope for a second glance of their ads and subsequent recognition of the product on the shelf. The same tactic appears to be at work on Dawson's Creek.

While the network's prime time programming presents an opportunity for promotion of Warner Brothers films, it's also an opportunity for anti-promotion of competitor works. In some cases, this may include spotlighting movie failures. On Jack & Jill, the main characters gather in the tavern owned by Jill. When a karaoke-machine salesman enters the bar and presents his pitch for the product, Jill responds: "Sorry, we're not interested; karaoke is dead. Thank you, Gwyneth." This is a very subtle reference to Duets, a September 2000 movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow as an aspiring singer with a fondness for karaoke. The film was an utter failure for Hollywood Pictures (the film's production company), mainly because it spotlighted a dying 90's fad. Walt Disney owns Hollywood Pictures and is a long-time Warner Brothers competitor - not only in films, but also on network television, since Disney owns the ABC network.

Promotion of Other Television Shows Produced By Warner Brothers

Uncovering the subtleties of film promotion on the WB network requires a critical investigation of passing references within character dialogue, and the same awareness is necessary to detect a different kind of cross-promotion. The characters on "the WB" routinely mention programs appearing on other Warner Brothers-owned television networks. At times, they'll even mention a particular network by name.

On Dawson's Creek, a teenage couple (Joey and Pacey) awake early on a Saturday morning. A grumpy Pacey declares, "You know, ever since they invented the Cartoon Network, there's really no need to get up this early on a Saturday." Through this passing reference, Pacey plugs the Cartoon Network - a subsidiary of Turner Entertainment, which is owned by Warner Brothers. He even takes it a step further by citing the convenience of watching cartoons in the afternoon, perhaps a key selling point for the typical teenager who likes cartoons and prefers to sleep in on a Saturday.

Another reference to Turner programming occurs on the sophomore drama Popular. As a group of high school boys discuss their plans to crash a fraternity party at a local college, one character declares himself an expert because he's "seen Animal House on TBS a million times." What seems like a straightforward reference to repeat programming on TBS warrants a careful inspection. Is it necessary for the character to specifically mention the TBS superstation? He could convey the same meaning by instead stating: "I've seen Animal House a million times on cable." Once the relationship between Warner Brothers and the Turner Entertainment Group is examined, it's apparent that the inclusion of "TBS" is a plug for the superstation. The reference also promotes "binge viewing" of whatever programming the superstation may offer, and the WB's target teenage audience certainly has more leisure time for such a practice.

The final instance of crossover program promotion occurs on Dawson's Creek, which should be nominated for "Promoter of the Week," considering the ample material it's supplied for this paper. As the two main characters continue to stalk the town psychologist, Jack (a homosexual character) provides a level of perspective that usually comes only from Jen, his heterosexual counterpart. Here's the dialogue:

JEN:
When did you surpass me in an alternate link to gay?

JACK:
Sex and the City

The implication here is clear. As a fan of HBO's mega-hit, Jack has gained insight into the heterosexual world. By watching a television show, Jack can relate to his friend on a level he was previously unable to attain, and of course, HBO is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Television.

Conclusion

The galaxy of AOL Time Warner media products is indeed vast, but targeting specific products to a particular demographic group is simple for the company, since it uses the WB network as a marketing vehicle.

Upon close inspection of AOL Time Warner's structure and ownership patterns, a distinct trend emerges on the WB's programming - cross promotion of media products geared toward teens and young adults. Through formulaic plot, affective response, sound and character dialogue, the viewer can detect two distinct media messages. The manifest message is entertainment, but the underlying latent objective is to prompt the sale of Warner Brothers media wares (or in some cases, to suppress desire for competitor products).

Ironically, local commercials for the WB network feature a musician singing this refrain: "The night is young ... And free ... on the WB." While there is little doubt about the youth factor, one could certainly argue the merits of WB programming being "free." After all, teens and young adults pay for the programming each time they're prompted to purchase a CD or movie produced by Warner Brothers.

Works Cited

AOL Time Warner Home Page. 26 Feb. 2001. <http://www.aoltimewarner.com>.
Charmed. Warner Brothers Television Network. KPLR 11. St. Louis, March 1, 2001.
Dawson's Creek. Warner Brothers Television Network. KPLR 11. St. Louis. Feb. 28, 2001.
Gilmore Girls. Warner Brothers Television Network. KPLR 11. St. Louis. March 1, 2001.
Higgins, John M. "Does 'Screen Bias' Go Both Ways?" Broadcasting and Cable Online (2001). 26 Feb. 2001. <http://www.broadcastingcable.com>.
Kupinski, Michael A. A.G. Edwards Research Report: AOL Time Warner. St. Louis: Feb. 1, 2001.
Popstars. Warner Brothers Television Network. KPLR 11. St. Louis. March 2, 2001.
Popular. Warner Brothers Television Network. KPLR 11. St. Louis. March 2, 2001.
Roswell. Warner Brothers Television Network. KPLR 11. St. Louis. Feb. 26, 2001.
Network. Dir. Sidney Lumet. Perf. Faye Dunaway, William Holden and Peter Finch.
MGM/United Artists, 1976. Silverblatt, Art. Media Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages.
Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 1995.