While ABC’s cross promotion of Monday Night Football and Desperate Housewives outraged millions of viewers, the network may have gotten what it truly wished for, media mentions that equaled about $10 million in advertising.
The exposure value is based on the number of online, print and TV mentions of the promo, which showed Housewives star Nicolette Sheridan dropping her towel and jumping apparently nude into the arms of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, said Eric Wright, VP-research and development at ROI research firm Joyce Julius & Associates, Ann Arbor, MI.
“The skit has generated a phenomenal number of articles,” Wright said. “When something like this hits the mainstream and gets into regular media discussions, that’s when the impressions escalate.”
Wright said the difference between the MNF-Housewives promo and other recent high-profile incidents that generate tons of free exposure is that ABC’s promotional skit, which aired as a lead-in for the MNF telecast, was intentional, despite the fact that the network apologized as soon as the ire erupted.
“It’s usually not a conscious plan (by the brand or brands involved),” Wright said.
The last time a brand generated as much free media time was in January 2002, when Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said that he wouldn’t even hire certain NBA referees, who he thought made bad calls against his team, to manage a Dairy Queen, disparaging both DQ and the refs. Cuban apologized for his comments, and cashed in on his fame by managing a DQ for a day.
“It didn’t start as an intentional promotion,” Wright said. “But DQ and Cuban both saw their exposure grow.”
While the ROI numbers are off the charts for the ABC promo, the network may have not considered the negative impact it would generate, said Jeff Bennett, president of Waltham, MA-based Bennett Global marketing.
“I am all for controversy, drama, fun and out-of-the-box promotions, but the Owens-Sheridan charade was nothing about football and brings back bad memories of the last Super Bowl halftime,” Bennett said. “This is a bad reflection on ABC, MNF and the NFL.”
Bennett said MNF viewers have come to know the 35-year-old show for controversy, but that pushing the envelope has always come from the broadcast booth—from insensitive comments made by the late Howard Cosell to the network’s failed experiment to bring in comedian Dennis Miller as a commentator. (Turns out he didn’t know much about football).
“I think you have to look beyond this in the analysis though and consider what negative return or harm has also been created,” Bennett said. “Many of the viewers in the audience were kids, parents, and sports fans that wanted to see a football game. For these reasons the combined ROI is questionable and I am not sure worth it.”
Jeffrey Graubard, president of New York City-based p.r. firm The Graubard Group, believes that neither show came out of this with any gain.
“There will be more notoriety for Desperate Housewives, but it comes at the price of being part of a story that, at best, just annoys everyone,” Graubard said. “But these stories have a way of cheapening all participants. For instance, has Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl escapade helped either her or Justin Timberlake’s career?”
Network
