Conan O’Brien is currently presented with a unique opportunity to either continue being a part of the downward spiral of mainstream media or jump ship to unexplored territory where no TV personality has ever dared to go. 2010 is going to be the year internet television finally hits its stride and Conan can either be with it or against it. Here is an actionable plan for how Conan can not only leave the remaining Late Night hosts in the dust, but be better off than he was before with a stronger fan base, higher ad revenue and more entertaining show due to a lack of network censors.
Step 1: JOIN REVISION 3
The network has written him an open letter, offering him the “keys to the kingdom,” meaning creative control over his show and its place on the network, as well as an ad sales team and a social media strategy. Rev 3 has the resources necessary to bring Conan’s entire show over including his set, band and characters, which would alleviate Conan of having to figure out internet distribution and streaming himself. Allowing Rev 3 to handle the details of distribution would allow Conan to focus on creating a stronger show for his existing audience.
As far as I can tell, Revision 3 is currently the leader in original internet-based video content, so if he were to go the internet route at all, Rev 3 is the way to go.
Step 2: TWEAK THE SHOW FOR THE NEW AUDIENCE
With most of Conan’s demographic being internet-savvy young adults, Conan would be free to tweak and re-tool his show to cater to a less mainstream, more targeted audience. With companies like Pepsi abandoning their traditional Super Bowl commercial ad buys, it’s pretty clear that the sheer size of an audience isn’t nearly as important as how targeted they are in today’s advertising environment.
After all, it takes zero effort for someone who watched the 11PM news to leave the TV on and watch whoever is currently hosting the Tonight Show, but someone going specifically to a Conan O’Brien web site means they are already more invested in the show.
Step 3a: MONETIZATION THROUGH INTERWEB AD SALES
This is almost certainly one of the biggest factors weighing in on Conan’s decision on where to go from here. The TV commercial business model has been around for decades which means advertisers are familiar and comfortable with it, whereas ad sales for internet shows are brand new and unproven by comparison. This should hardly be a deal killer though because:
the fat $30 million check from NBC to leave is the perfect resource to use to keep the same crew on-board in a move to internet broadcasting and distribution
Conan has a strong enough personal brand to command high dollar ad buys from big name advertisers that can definitely supplement the show’s primary revenue sources which could be a number of models
Step 3b: MONETIZATION VIA FREEMIUM DISTRIBUTION MODEL
Conan can use a freemium distribution model to generate revenue directly from subscribing fans. The show can be streamed every weeknight at his former Late Night time slot of 12:35AM or whatever time he chooses since he would have no other internet-based competitor. Premium subscribers would be able to pay a monthly fee to download the shows in HD/iPhone format at a price that would appeal to fans who want to watch Conan on demand instead of at a specific time every night.
The current Conan offerings on iTunes are expensive for what they are and currently limited to specific special show segments.
Step 3c: MONETIZATION VIA MERCHANDISE & LIMITED RESOURCES
In addition to premium subscriber revenue, the resources are out there for internet television streams to include in-stream links to online stores and products based on inside jokes and characters from the show. With such a large fanbase, Conan will be able to crank out everything from plush Masturbating Bears to string-dancing Conan action figures. Now it doesn’t matter if the show is uploaded to YouTube or shared via Bit Torrent because with a stronger online presence, Conan will be able to promote an online show to sell physical products.
Step 4: INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
With a stronger online presence comes a stronger social media presence. Developing a dedicated following through the use of Facebook and Twitter would mean more fan interactivity and greater audience engagement. I am anxiously awaiting a Conan O’Brien Facebook app that notifies my friends when I create my own Conan O’Brien character mash-up and post it on someone’s wall. Or how about a Twitter contest where re-tweeting Conan would automatically enter me into a drawing to win tickets to be a part of his new live studio audience. Social media marketing is finally going mainstream in 2010 and Conan has an opportunity to make a big splash.
Conclusion
Conan has a unique opportunity to be one of the first mainstream celebrities to switch their main livelihood to internet-based content. By having the guts to trailblaze a new path, he opens the doors of opportunity not just for himself but for his peers in the entertainment world as well as up and coming internet video shows such as this one to gain mainstream credibility and develop a solid business model that blows away the traditional TV one.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
dude it tolloy could work i think this is mthe onluy chance in a long time that this will come about he need toi take that chance and goo ahead with it to its fulliest
-mac19pm
lets just hope he reads this.