CW: Free to Be . . . Unnoticed?

"What is the CW?" one first-year even went so far as to say. "I really don't know anything about the CW. At first, I had no idea what you were talking about until ... it clicked that it's Columbia's news station on TV."

In fact, the CW is the new network formed through the merger of the WB and UPN. Both networks had struggled in the past few years with building audiences and show quality. The WB and UPN each had a few good hits, but lacked consistency with their shows. The WB at one time was known for airing the quintessential teenage shows that defined our generation, including Dawson's Creek, Felicity, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, with the exception of 7th Heaven, these shows haven't been on the air for years. Since the WB and UPN skewed towards a younger audience than the other networks, they often fought for a finite number of viewers. As a result, this merger could create a new influx of quality programming aimed at an audience ranging from teens to adults in their early '30s.

The goal of the CW is to become a viable fifth network and to be a competitive force in the 18-34 demographic, a key demographic for advertisers. Another goal of the CW is to pair up shows more effectively to create themed nights. Mondays are now for comedies, featuring Everybody Hates Chris, All of Us, Girlfriends, and The Game. Tuesdays are now about smart women, featuring Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. Thursdays are for the sci-fi genre, with Smallville and Supernatural. These combinations are more effective for advertisers and attempt to develop lead-ins and lead-outs to boost the audiences for each show per night, as they try to retain a captive audience during the entire prime-time block.

Over the summer, the CW launched a massive marketing campaign to spread the word about the new network and generate buzz for the fall premieres of their shows. Buses and billboards plastered in lime green declared "Free to be ... ", the slogan of the "new" CW. Each show had its own ending, "girlie," "scary," and "fearless," amongst others, using bold words in an attempt to get noticed. Commercials aired with the theme song, "Get ready, 'cause here we come." The CW was getting television viewers ready for fall in a provocative and eye-catching manner.

But did this marketing campaign work? The numbers indicate that most of the shows are successful to the extent that they are meeting expectations. None of them have had surprisingly high numbers, but all have premiered and stayed close to season highs on the former networks.

Based on the numbers from the Oct. 25 broadcast of Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, the night's combination was ranked second for the night in their target demographic of women ages 18-34. Additionally, each program generated a bigger audience and increased their stake in the target demographics. This was the highest rating for Veronica Mars ever.

While the numbers have increased, public awareness has not necessarily improved. Questions are still being raised as to what this new network is about, if they even know it's a new network. In regards to the marketing campaign, Rachel Karp CC '10, said "I really liked their marketing campaign, but maybe that's only because I understood what the CW was. If people did not, it's possible they would not have realized it was the merging of TV stations."

Jenny Johnson CC '10 furthers this sentiment: "I saw a poster on a side of a bus once. "Free to Be Girlie ... " for Gilmore Girls. It was cool, but I didn't immediately know that it was for Gilmore Girls because the slogan seemed to be the focus of the ad and I certainly didn't connect it to the new network at the time. They should have been clearer."

Two weeks ago, TV Guide announced that Nielsen Media Research would begin to count college students living away from home in their numbers and that this could lead to up to a 15% increase in the 18-34 demographic. As this is the target demographic of the CW, this could have a significant impact on its success. But if college students don't know what the CW is, will it help?

As a young, desirable audience, college students have the ability to have a network aimed at them. But to fully appreciate this network, it needs to be composed of quality shows that create a bond with the viewer and entice them to come back week after week. That's what the CW has set out to do. The ratings favorites and critical darlings that had been airing on WB and UPN were combined to give viewers the best possible lineup.

The launch of a broadcast network, with the aim of being a viable fifth network with the likes of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC is a special occasion. The fact that network execs see teenagers and twenty-somethings as important enough viewers to warrant our own network is indeed exciting. Yet are bright colors and quips enough to entice us to watch? The CW's marketing campaign was everywhere, but did anyone notice?