Thus far, this book has examined and explored branding and marketing in the theoretical sense. For the rest of this volume, we will point out some ways to turn theory into practice. The practical applications suggested were developed and honed in the trenches of day-to-day branding and marketing at stations that faced rating challenges. Although what follows is not necessarily a guaranteed road map to success, a thorough understanding of the daily challenges and opportunities faced by real-world television broadcasters will allow the reader to be that much ahead of the game.

11.1          WHO’S THE EXECUTIONER?

Many names are applied to the manager who is in charge of the station’s branding and marketing efforts: Promotion Manager; Creative Services Director; Advertising & Marketing Director; Audience Development Director, and so on. For the purposes of this text, we will term this person the Brand Manager. We will also use the generic term promotion to represent any effort to market, advertise, or in some way apply branding to the station and its products.

We have also taken the liberty of including some basic information in the appendices for readers who may not have much experience in specialized areas. This information includes a list of recommended reading (Appendix A) and a basic primer (or refresher) on how to read a rating book (Appendix B).

Now, let us examine, in some detail, how the principles discussed in the first half of this book can be applied into practices. We will outline the basic responsibilities of the brand manager, evaluate the ways of communicating the brand message, and suggest a process whereby the principles can be implemented. As a way to realize how this process works in the real world, we will use a fictitious television station in a case study. Finally, we’ll examine how to protect your brand in the era of intellectual property piracy.

And the future?

That’s up to you.