Universal joins video, theatrical marketing
Cost-saving measure prompted by compression of windows
By Marcy Magiera -- Video Business, 2/16/2007
FEB. 16 | Universal Pictures has consolidated domestic theatrical and home entertainment marketing, prompted by compressing windows that have drawn the two functions much closer together.
The reorganization, an outgrowth of the NBCU 2.0 initiative, was foreshadowed last fall, but announced in an internal memo on Feb. 16.
Under the new structure, Universal Studios Home Entertainment president Craig Kornblau will continue to oversee all home entertainment operations, including digital distribution. Studio marketing president Adam Fogelson and co-president Eddie Egan will lead marketing for all of the studio’s major new releases, both theatrically and in their home entertainment release.
The USHE team will maintain the leading marketing role on all other product, including catalog, TV DVD, DVD premieres and films from specialty units Focus Features and Rogue Pictures.
The move was a cost-saving measure, consolidating the costs but with no major reduction in staffers. The company expects to save coin on ad buys through the integration.
Under the realignment, executive VP of domestic marketing Ken Graffeo will shift to focus on high-definition DVD, reporting to Kornblau. Universal is the only major studio to release its titles only on the HD DVD format.
Hillary Hoffman, senior VP of brand marketing, and Pam Blum, senior VP of creative services, will report to Fogelson and Egan on new releases and Kornblau on all other product.
Michael Moses, theatrical executive VP of publicity, will lead PR efforts for theatrical and home entertainment new releases under the realignment.
Vivian Mayer, senior VP of publicity for home entertainment, will depart the company. She is exiting the company rather than stay in a more focused corporate communications role.
Mayer called her experiences, which dovetailed the explosion of DVD and the move into digital distribution, deeply rewarding.
“It has been my great pleasure to work with the talented team at NBC Universal for the past five years,” Mayer said.
