American Crime Story Marketing Plan

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Table of Contents

Table of Contents. 1
Executive Summary.. 3
Situation Analysis. 4

Introduction. 4

External Environment.. 4

Internal Environment... 5

SWOT - Internal and External Factors.. 5

Company Background:. 6

Products... 6

Pricing.. 7

Promotion.... 8

Supply Chain. 8
Company Resources. 9
Key Trends.. 10

Economic Environment.. 10

Technological Environment... 10

Regulatory Environment 10

Social and Cultural Environment... 11

Market Research.... 11

Target Demographic.. 11
Organization... 12

Timeline and Responsibilities 12

Financial Controls... 13

Monitoring Procedures.. 13
Marketing Goals/Objectives.. 15
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 Value Proposition and Differentiation.. 15

Market Segments and Target Markets.. 15

Positioning - Marketing Mix Strategies.. 16

Strategy 1:.. 17
Strategy 2:.. 17
Strategy 3:.. 17
Strategy 4:.. 17
Pricing.... 18
Supply Chain.. 18
Action Plan: Extensive Advertising 19
Purpose.. 19

Description. 19

Responsibility. 20

Timeline. 21

Budget.... 22

Measurement & Control.... 23

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Executive Summary
Our product is the second installment to the critically acclaimed true crime anthology series
American Crime Story. Officially titled The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime
Story, the second installment will focus on the highly televised murder of infamous fashion
designer Gianni Versace, and his murderer, Andrew Cunanan. Based upon Maureen Orth's book
Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S.
History, the series is produced and aired on FX, which is owned and operated by 21st Century
Fox. The second season will be vastly different from the first, but still sticking to the true crime
themes, and building upon the success of the first season. With 9 Primetime Emmy Awards
wins, and 21 total nominations, along with Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and TCA award wins,
the second season of American Crime Story will largely build off the success and acclaim of the
first season. The second season also boasts a star-studded cast, such as Penelope Cruz, Ricky
Martin, Darren Criss, and Funny Girls Max Greenfield. With the success of the first season,
coupled with the star filled cast and the Ryan Murphy name, the second season has significant
advantages.

Over the past few years the millennial market has grown obsessed with bringing back 90s
fashion, music, and culture. This allows for advantages with our target market of ages 18-35,
with the lower half of the market falling into the millennial range, and the upper half having
lived through the actual event.

Due to the highly acclaimed first season and advantages with the target market, our focus will
be on marketing to the already existing fan base of our sister show, American Horror Story, and
establishing a brand of American Crime Story, similar to the family-esque brand of American
Horror Story. Due to the increasing push towards online streaming, we will also focus on
marketing our partnership with HULU, encouraging non-traditional viewers to subscribe and
watch.

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Situation Analysis

Introduction

Illustrated below is a full marketing plan for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American
Crime Story, the second installment of the Emmy-award winning anthology series premiering on
FX Wednesday, January 17, 2018. The plan details the industry research, essential facts, market
information, and the the steps to implementing the marketing plan.

External Environment

The US Television Production Industry has been heavily affected by the increase in alternative
content conduits. Through these conduits such as various online subscription streaming
services, the industry has, over the past 5 years, has been predicted to rise at an annualized
rate of 4.8% to $33.4 billion1. The Television Production market, due to increasingly intense
pressure to adapt to the changing industry, as produced new opportunities through mobile
content, online marketing, and streaming services. These new market opportunities are
expected to drive industry revenue growth at an annualized rate of 3.7% over the next five
years, with revenue projected to reach $40.1 billion in 20221. As shown in Figure 1.1, the 22.5%
of products are Dramas, and 33.7% are
documentaries1. The key external drivers
of the industry have experienced a
similar shift. A former reliance on cable
network subscriptions has now moved to
a heavy reliance on broadband
connections which have had a major
impact on the audience volume for TV
programming over the past five years, due to the rise of online streaming services.

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Internal Environment

21st Century Fox, Inc. is a global media and entertainment company that operates in the
following business segments: Cable Network Programming, TV, Filmed Entertainment and
Direct Broadcast1. For the purposes of this project, the focus will be on the the Cable Network
Programming segment. From 2012 to 2017, internal TV production revenue grew at an
annualized rate of 4.5% to $6.2 billion1. A majority of the costs and subsequent revenue comes
from global sports programming, domestically being the Big Ten or Major League Baseball, or
internationally Argentine Football Association2. Domestically, revenue increased by 11% due to
higher contributions from Fox News, FX Networks and the regional sports networks2. In
addition, domestic advertising revenue increased 3% with national sports channels leading the
process2. International revenue also increased 11% driven by subscriber growth at both FNG
International and STAR India2. Moreover, international advertising revenue increased 10% led
by STAR India and FNG International yet again2. The quarterly earning release ending with
September 30th, 2017 highlighted Cable Network Programming with grossing the highest
revenue, segment OIBDA, and depreciation, overall serving as its primary form of growth2.

SWOT - Internal and External Factors

Weight Scale: 1-3

Internal Factors Analysis

Strengths Weight Rating Weight Score

Award-winning First Season 0.2 3 0.6

Ryan Murphy 0.1 3 0.3

American Horror Story Fan Base 0.1 3 0.3

FX Brand Name 0.05 1 0.05

Well-known Star Actors 0.1 2 0.2

Weaknesses Weight Rating Weight Score

Television Time Slot 0.15 3 0.45

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Poor International Viewership 0.05 1 0.05

Limited Target Audience 0.2 2 0.4

Noncommitted Cast 0.05 1 0.05

Total = 1 2.4

External Factors Analysis

Opportunities Point Value Rating Weight Score

Increased Advertising Finances 0.05 1 0.05

Third Season: Katrina 0.1 2 0.2

Rise of Social Media 0.05 1 0.05

Future Award Shows 0.1 3 0.3

Threats

Streaming Services 0.3 3 0.9

Piracy 0.2 3 0.6

Competitor Mid Season Release 0.2 2 0.4

Dates

Total = 1 2.5

Company Background

Products:

21st Century Foxs Cable Network Programming consists of Fox Networks Group, Big Ten
Network, FOX Business Network, FOX Deportes, Fox News Channel, FS1, FOX Sports Regional
Networks, National Geographic, FX Networks and Productions, Star India, and YES Network2.
American Crime Story airs on FX Networks and Productions as one of many original drama and
comedy series2. In addition, FX airs reruns of theatrical films and "broadcast network" sitcoms2.
Products of FX aspire to level with television shows of premium cable channels like HBO and
Showtime, in terms of above average writing, directing and acting as well as adult themes and
uncensored content. Part of FXs brand includes solidifying every program is stuffed with

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content that requires a rating of TV-MA, for mature audiences only3. FXs most popular original
content includes It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy, Archer, American Horror
Story, Anger Management, The Americans, Fargo, Legion, and Atlanta3 . FX is available to
approximately 94,006,000 paying television households in the United States4.

Pricing:

Unlike the film, concert or live theatre industries, television does not make revenue through
ticket sales. Due to this method, 21st Century Fox maintains growth through affiliate fees,
content, advertising and television subscriptions5. Affiliate fees are the revenue earned when
television stations are allowed to air 21st Century Fox programming5. Affiliate fees brought in
$9 billion to 21st Century Fox last year, a 17% increase that the company credits to higher
average subscriber rates5. Content refers to the television shows 21st Century Fox production
companies create5. Content sales approached $8.6 billion in 2014 and continues to rise5.
Advertising includes commercials airing between 21st Century Fox programs and reached $8.2
billion in 20145. Lastly, subscriptions includes revenue earned from their one-third share of
Hulu5.

21st Century Fox prides itself with a loyal customer base due to their incredible content
provided. Due to these loyal customers, 21st Century Fox has the capability to charge higher for
their content5. In addition, 21st Century Fox uses the strategy of bundled products, as opposed
to allowing customers to pick and chose. These bundles contain a combination of channels,
from Fox News to FX, in order to wrap their premium level products into one packaged deal5.
The content from 21st Century Foxs on-demand feature costs consumers even more in
exchange for refined content.

Promotion:

21st Century Fox has created and implemented nationwide marketing campaigns mirroring the
caliber of the leading marketing teams in entertainment. 21st Century Fox primarily uses digital
media to promote products to brand their image as high tech and modern compared to other

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entertainment companies6. Their marketing campaigns advertise their latest films and
television shows by selling an experience or story customers are dying to be apart of.
Moreover, 21st Century Fox teams up with other powerful companies to create media contests
aimed at promoting both their content and the contestants. For example, PepsiCo and 21st
Century Fox worked together on a national campaign to promote their 2016 hit Hidden Figures
by creating a scholarship contest designed to help find the next generation of female leaders in
science, technology, engineering and math7. This campaign brilliantly merged their film and real
life experiences and ultimately proved a complete success yet again.

Supply Chain:

Start
Announce Season
Announce Cast
Release Teaser Trailer During a Highly Anticipated Series Premiere
Continue To Release Teaser Trailers
Stars Promote On Personal Social Media Accounts
Release Exclusive Online Content On Social Media Platforms
Premiere TV Show
Market During Season Running
Promote Brand and Next Season

Company Resources
21st Century Fox possesses many strong resources, however their most beneficial is their brand
name. 21st Century Fox owns a portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay television, and satellite
assets reaching countries around the world. Properties within the cable networking programing
includes FOX , FX , FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News, Fox Business Network, Fox Sports, National
Geographic Channels, MundoFox, STAR India, and other smaller channels around the world.8

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Competitors
Direct:
Our Direct competitors would be other shows premiering at the same time and being aired at
the same time as our shows. The week that our show airs is premier week, therefore it is a
possibility that consumers might choose another show over ours especially since our show is
later on in the evening, and since all of these shows during premiere week is competing for
their time. Popular shows like Riverdale, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and Arrow are just some
examples of popular shows that will be airing that same week.
Indirect:
Netflix is going to be one of our biggest online streaming competitors especially since we are no
longer partnered with them anymore. They do have a bulk of the viewership in this era. A lot of
consumers would rather choose to wait until the show streams on Netflix than watching it on
air, so that would take a bit of viewership away. Which online streaming overall would be an
indirect competitor.

Key Trends

Economic Environment:

The current state of our economy is positive, with an expected gradual growth of per capita
disposable personal income in the next quarter. As individuals begin to have an increasingly
growing amount of disposable income under the current economy, more people will be willing
to devote time to television. With the changing market, people will also be more willing to
spend money on subscription streaming services, breaking the old time belief that one service
is sufficient.

Technological Environment:

The technology of today is advancing at such a pace consumers are rarely completely caught up
with the new trends. From live streaming, geofilters, boomerang from Instagram, facial

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recognition, not to mention the wide variety of technology set to be released in 2018,
consumers have made this technology part of their life. While technology ultimately aims to
improve human life, a majority of technological advances are geared towards entertainment
purposes. The people of today depend on the release of the next big thing and this shift
towards a reliance on technology can become profitable for entertainment companies like 21st
Century Fox. Marketing can now literally reach the palm of a consumers hand through a
Youtube AD, Facebook Livestream, Snapchat story or tagged location on Instagram.
Entertainment companies have taken advantage of the ever evolving technological
environment, and most importantly the consumers reliance on the technology.

Regulatory Environment:

In order to produce our television show, we must adhere to regulations set by our government.
From production to final edits, we must follow the strict guidelines to ensure our television
show is up to standards. For example, we must rightfully acknowledge all of the crew who
works on our show through credits at the end of each episode according to policies enacted by
the Writers Guild of America9. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission, an
independent United States government agency, prohibits the airing of indecent... or profane
material over the air between 6am and 10pm9.Due to this strict enforcement, American Crime
Story must run during a timeslot past 10pm because of the violence and mature content often
portrayed.

Social and Cultural Environment:

The culture displayed by the majority of the population today prides itself on diversity and
acceptance of all people. It is quite new for a majority of the population to believe in this
mentality and we as an entertainment company will tap into their tolerance for the creation of
television. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story recounts the murder of
Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace who was openly gay. Now, more than ever, is the
perfect time to discuss this murder when acceptance of gay culture is more accepted than ever

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before. Consumers of today will not only enjoy but appreciate this true crime narrative and will
ultimately allow us to profit higher because of it.

Market Research

Target Demographic

The desired target market of American Crime Story is 18-35 year olds based on the marketing
such far. 21st Century Fox has chosen to utilize American Horror Story fans by only broadcasting
advertisements during the airing of American Horror Story: Cult or releasing trailers
electronically onto YouTube. This marketing campaign will definitely rake in numbers within
their designated market, however the target demographic could be widened. Due to American
Crime Story recounting crime statistics, the marketing team could tap into fans of true crime by
creating different marketing campaigns designed to target these specific people. It would be
costly and risky to broaden the demographic, however the end result could push American
Crime Story to even greater success.

Organization
21st Century Foxs American Crime Story requires quite a bit of different aspects within the
series to keep their targeted demographic happy with the final production. The marketing plans
for American Crime Story will be focused on reaching out to those that love to follow crime
series, those looking for a thriller, or even those just wanting to see what the producers will
have to offer. With a wide spread of a demographic, a marketing team is put into place to put
together information from different areas we see interest. A marketing manager is then put
into place, someone who will oversee statistics and report the data to the marketing director.
Allowing different members of the marketing team to work in different areas allows for smooth
transition throughout the unit even with individual ideas. Also allowing for more flexibility and
ability to monitor results for the marketing manager.

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Timeline and Responsibilities

May 5, 2017- First post of cast on set to instagram @americancrimestoryfx with title of
new series
June 23, 2017- Entertainment Weekly Press Release with details of series
September 5, 2017- Release of first teaser trailer during premiere of American Horror
Story: Cult
September 20, 2017- Release of second teaser trailer
October 10, 2017- Release of third teaser trailer
October 17, 2017- Release of fourth teaser trailer
October 31, 2017- Announcement of Premiere date of 1/17/18 through new
promotional video during American Horror Story: Cult
November 1, 2017- Launch first promotional videos on Oxygen
November 8, 2017- Release of sixth teaser trailer
November 10, 2017- Release of seventh teaser trailer
November 13, 2017- Release of eighth teaser trailer
November 13, 2017- Release of first through eighth teaser trailers released on TNT,
Oxygen, Lifetime, Investigation Discovery, and CBS
November 14, 2017- Release of full and official trailer on Youtube
November 14, 2017- January 16, 2017- Air full length trailer on TNT, Oxygen, Lifetime,
Investigation Discovery, and CBS
November 14, 2017- Release of cast spotlight on Youtube
November 15, 2017- Release of POV preview on Youtube
December 15, 2017- Release of additional content to continue build on social medias,
Youtube, TNT, Oxygen, Lifetime,Investigation Discovery, and CBS
January 1, 2018- Release of exclusive trailer content on all platforms as its the month of
the premiere
January 7, 2018- Beginning 10 Day Countdown on all social media platforms, setting as
the cover photo of all accounts

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 January 10, 2018- Final trailer released across all platforms
January 17, 2018- Premiere of The assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime
Story on FX
Responsibilities: Each department will continue to enhance social media outlets with images
and product content continually until the premiere on January 17, 2018.

Financial Controls

Budget- $8 million
Other FX drama series follow up to $4 million whereas compared to Ryan Murphy
production of around $6 million.
Consideration of the use and promotion of Versace brand and name.

Monitoring Procedures

After each posting across all media outlets, a report will be created and handed over to the
marketing manager to analyze the statistics of how the posts are doing. This is dependant on
the type of posting, for example, continually analyzing the viewing numbers on the teaser
trailers allows for proper projection on the next Youtube video to be posted. Depending on the
view ratings from youtube teaser trailers and the official trailer within in the first 12 hours
allows for additional projection for tv viewing on the premier night. Counting numbers weekly
from interactions with Twitter posts, views on Youtube, and likes on Instagram allow to track
the development of the potential audience as well.
Continual statistics will be done regarding the following:
Interactions on Facebook
Interactions on Twitter
Interactions on Instagram
Views on Youtube
Views on additional content released on TV
Contingency Plans

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 Brand Integrity When any of our employees for the second season of the show,
whether it be actors, producers, music supervisors, will sign a contract and part
of that will be that before, during, and after a certain time they will keep their
brand integrity and not involve themselves in acts that will tarnish the shows
brand.
Partnerships When creating a partnership (e.g. Hulu, comcast on demand) with
an online streaming service, in the contract they will be signing that they will
have to keep the show on the streaming service for a certain amount of time
despite the partnership ending or separating.
Viewership We will have specific metrics set in place to analyze viewership and
will ensure a contract with the network to place the show at a good time slot to
be aired.
Pirating- We will ensure that our team is looking out for websites that pirate the
show and prosecute.

Marketing Goals/Objectives

Value Proposition and Differentiation

The second season of American Crime Story provides an in-depth look into Gianni Versace's
murder case. This season will convey information to the viewers on something that is not talked
about anymore, a look at mental disabilities and how they impair social and emotional
judgment, especially those of killer Andrew Cunanan. It has been 20 years since any
documentation on the murder case has been released, therefore this season will fill the need of
those who watched the case unfold in real time. Telling the story of an iconic murder, coming
the brilliant mind of well-known Executive Producer Ryan Murphy, and with the work of
talented actors such as Darren Criss, Penelope Cruz, and Max Greenfield, the second season of
American Crime Story is sure to draw in viewers.

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A product of an Emmy award-winning creative team from the basis of the first season and
Executive Producer Ryan Murphy, season two of American Crime Story attracts previous
viewers of the first season as well as fans of the Emmy award-winning American Horror Story
series due to similar creative teams. American Crime Story also continues to be one of the only
TV series that follows a real life event, with the first season depicting the O.J. Simpson case and
season three set to be based on Hurricane Katrina. Because this series home channel is FX,
censoring also sets American Crime Story apart from other crime shows currently running on
other channels. Violence, strong language, and mature content is displayed throughout the
series, creating an edgy and raw story for viewers, something that other crime shows may not
do as a result of censoring.

Market Segments and Target Markets

The show airs on FX, which standard cable is required to watch. Having a subscription, in the
future, particularly with our partner HULU, will allow for consumers to catch up on episodes
they missed, or to stream after the season is over. Of course online streaming will come later in
the timeline but will contribute to the use of the product as well.

The best way to segment the relevant markets is through consumers. The social media platform
is a huge market for advertising, targeting a younger demographic. Advertisements on FX
during popular showtimes will contribute to marketing to the consumers directly on the source
of the show. We will also be reaching out to other networks to preview advertisements of the
show. These networks will include TNT, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, and CBS
since they are best known for their criminal dramas and murder mysteries.

The target demographic is the age range of 18-35, with a strong poll towards the LGBTQ
community because of the sexuality of the main characters. Mature content is also present in
the series, therefore followups before and during the show are imperative for mature content
such as profanity, strong subject, severe violence. Having poor marketing towards older
community or not to the proper demographic will result in low ratings and views. This decision

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was made based on the fact that viewers who heard about the murder as it happened in real
time will want to watch as well as current fans of the American Crime Story series.

Positioning - Marketing Mix Strategies

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will be positioned to the target
market of 18-35 year olds due to its mature content including gore, sex, and mature themes.
The target market will be reached through the teasers, trailers, and promotional content that
airs through other television shows with similar target markets, including the loyal fan base of
American Horror Story.

The core product is a crime-drama series based upon the true story of the highly televised
murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace. Due to the actual murder taking place in the 90s
era, the target market falls perfectly into place, as many will remember the event taking place.
The younger end of the target market also falls under the millennial market that has recently
become fascinated with everything related to the 90s era.

The main product strategy is the release of promotional content during television series with
similar target markets, however a huge focus on release of promotional content across social
media platforms is vital to reaching the younger end of the target market.

Strategy 1:
Promotional teasers and trailers aired during series with similar target markets.
Strategy 2:
Release of teasers, trailers, and exclusive content on Youtube and other platforms.
Strategy 3:
Promotion of series from Ryan Murphy and all-star cast.
Strategy 4:
Promotion of HULU streaming service during episodes and on social media to encourage
consumers to catch up on episodes they missed.

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American Crime Story: Versace will shift the branding of the anthology series from one focused
on a specific storyline, to a fully realized brand, similar to the branding of American Horror
Story. While the feel and themes of Versace will be vastly different than The People vs. OJ
Simpson, the core of the series remains as a series focused on well known and highly reported
acts, or accusations of crime in the United States of America. The goal of the second installment
is to develop a brand of American Crime Story, which will encourage fans of of the first two
seasons to return for future installments.

Attention to service quality is important, as consumers and critics alike must be pleased with
the contents of the second installments, as it has big shoes to fill from the highly acclaimed first
season. Throughout the season we must analyze how consumers and critics are responding to
the series, and if our ratings are reflecting returning viewership.

Pricing:

Since television does not make revenue through ticket sales, our revenue will be generated
through affiliate fees, content, advertising and television subscriptions. Our affiliate and
advertising fees will be increased from the previous season, due to the existing fan base and
numerous awards the series has accumulated.

It is worth mentioning that revenue will be generated from our partnerships with streaming
services, particularly HULU, our main partner. For consumers to stream episodes of the series
on HULU, the price is set at $7.99 a month.

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Supply Chain:

Start
Announce Second Season
Announce Star Studded Cast
Release Teaser Trailer During Premiere of American Horror Story: Cult
Continue To Release Teaser Trailers During American Horror Story
Stars Promote On Personal Social Media Accounts
Premiere TV Show
Market During Season Running
Promote Third Season
End

Action Plan: Extensive Advertising

Purpose:

The purpose of using extensive advertising is to reach as many consumers as possible as well as
bring in new consumers that may have never heard of the award- winning show, and to
promote mid-season consumers to catch up through the HULU streaming service.

Description

1. Meet with creative team to get the approval of airing preview on TNT, Oxygen, CBS,
Lifetime, and Investigation Discovery.
2. Consult with accounting department to look at our budget to see if we can afford airing
previews on 4 other major networks than just FX.

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 3. Reach out to TNT, Oxygen, Investigation DIscovery, Lifetime, and CBS to get their
approval on airing previews of the shows.
4. Discuss the costs, times the previews will be aired, and how often they will be aired.
5. Navigate each network's individual contract, due to the differential in cost for each
network.
6. Once the contracts have been finalized we will start creating various previews that we
want to be shown on each network.
7. Work with creative team and editors to create each teaser and full length trailers.
8. Release of first teaser trailer during premiere of American Horror Story: Cult
9. The more intense, gory, and hair-rising previews will be aired on Lifetime and Oxygen
and the more dramatic, emotional, and chilling previews will be aired Investigation
Discovery, TNT, and CBS.
10. Then we will turn to social media to ask the fans which of the two teasers for each of
the networks they liked best.
11. When we have the results of which clips were liked best from the audience, production
crew, and creative team it will continue to air the fan-favorite teasers
12. Analyze statistics to see how many more people we added to the fan base from these
previews.
13. After premiere on January 17, promote HULU partnership through advertisements
encouraging consumers to catch up on missed episode of the series.
14. After the conclusion of the finale episode, release initial announcement screen of the
third season, American Horror Story: Katrina, to encourage fans of the season to return.

Responsibility

The responsibility of this action plan is delegated to a number of people and departments.
Legal Department: This will include lawyers that will be used to create, revise, and go over
contracts that are distributed to the various networks that will be airing our preview as well go
over their contracts.

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Marketing Department: Will be used to create the content that we want included in the
previews and what message we want to send to reel in new consumers.
Accounting Department: Will make sure that we are within budget to air these previews more
than once and after certain popular shows. They will also let us know how much we can put
into these previews in case we wanted to add a narrator or any visual effects.
Production Department: We need to go to the production team to see if they like the previews
created and they can be aired or if they need to be edited.
Creative Team: This includes the screenwriters, Director, and Producer. They will get the first
look of the previews to let us know if we are missing any information, giving too much away, or
if they are perfect to air. The creative team is who has final ownership of the previews.
Other Networks: TNT, Investigation Discovery, Oxygen, CBS, and Lifetime are responsible with
sticking with the contract and airing the previews at the times that were agreed on.
Post- Production Department: This will include the Film Editor, Assistant Editor, Online Editor,
and Colourist. They will help edit out or in any content that in the previews and when the
offline edit is complete the Colourist will add visual effects, titles, and color correction.

Timeline

May 17, 2017: Meet with Creative Team to green light development of previews for
various networks.
May 20, 2017: Meet with accounting department to ensure the previews fit within the
budget. Contact Oxygen, TNT, CBS, Lifetime, and Investigation Discovery teams about
airing previews.
June 17, 2017: Meet with our legal team to create, revise, and finalize contracts with all
networks.
July 1, 2017: Meet with production department and creative team to produce previews
for each network.
July 17, 2017: Meet with creative team and production department to finalize previews
and discuss order of airing.

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 September 5, 2017- Release of first teaser trailer during premiere of American Horror
Story: Cult
September-Early October, 2017- Release of various trailers across all platforms
October 31, 2017- Announcement of Premiere date of 1/17/18 through new
promotional video during American Horror Story: Cult
November 13, 2017- Release of first through eighth teaser trailers released on TNT,
Oxygen, Lifetime, Investigation Discovery, and CBS
November 14, 2017- Release of full and official trailer on Youtube
November 14, 2017- January 16, 2017- Air full length trailer on TNT, Oxygen, Lifetime,
Investigation Discovery, and CBS
November 14, 2017- Release of cast spotlight on Youtube
November 15, 2017- Release of POV preview on Youtube
December 2017-January 2018- Release of additional content to continue build on social
medias, Youtube, TNT, Oxygen, Lifetime,Investigation Discovery, and CBS
January 1, 2018- Release of exclusive trailer content on all platforms as its the month of
the premiere
January 7, 2018- Beging 10 Day Countdown on all social media platforms, setting as the
cover photo of all accounts
January 10, 2018- Final trailer released across all platforms
January 17, 2018- Premiere of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime
Story on FX
January 17-April, 2018- Airing of promotional content to encourage consumers to catch
up on missed episodes through our partnership with HULU
Post-Finale (March/April, 2018)- Release initial announcement screen of the third
season, American Horror Story: Katrina, to encourage fans of the season to return

Budget

Our budget for the action plan is $900,000. We are playing 45 second previews from 5:00 P.M.
to 10:00 P.M. CBS ended up being the most expensive with TNT coming in second. Oxygen,

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Lifetime, and Investigation DIscovery weren't as expensive because they dont have hit shows
such as Law and Order and the Big Band Theory airing around those times. We will be airing
previews on Oxygen before new episodes of Snapped, on CBS the preview will air before their
killer mystery drama 48 Hours, on TNT the preview will air between Law and Order
marathons, on Lifetime the preview will air between movies that involve murders, serial killers,
and any documentaries of celebrity killings, and it will air on Investigation Discovery before new
episodes of Deadly Women. The revenue lost of other ads on our home network, FX, must
also be accounted for. With that taken into account, we will spend about $841,000 on these TV
spots, but in the end it will be well worth it. We came under budget with a little over $50,000
left being able to put towards more marketing and advertising to raise awareness of the new
season.

Networks Tv Spot Cost 100 Spots Budget

Starts: $900,000

TNT $2,000 each $200,000

Oxygen $1,300 each $130,000

Lifetime $1,100 each $111,000

Investigation $1,000 each $100,000

Discovery

CBS $3,000 each $300,000 Ends: $841,00

Under Budget by:
$59,000

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Measurement & Control

Social Media Metrics: Online pay-per-impression advertising offers an accurate metric, since
the ad sellers can track how many times the preview has been displayed. Tracking impressions
helps show how many "eyeballs" sees the preview, which can be a useful tool for marketing
campaign's with the goal of improving brand recognition. We will be looking at the amount of
view, likes, shares, comments, retweets, and screenshots we generate on Youtube, Instagram,
Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
and FX. We will also Look at overall weekly traffic, most popular posts, and how many new
friends, followers, or connections we generate since the release of the previews.
Ratings: Look at percentages of views for each network each week. This will help narrow down
on the networks that the preview is being most watched on.

23
Endnotes
1. Television Production Major Companies. IBIS World, 2017,
clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/industry/majorcompanies.aspx?entid=1246#MP413184.
2. "EARNINGS RELEASE FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2017 ." 21st Century Fox . September 30, 2017.
https://www.21cf.com/sites/default/files/uploaded/earnings/q1_2018_er_final.pdf.
3. Gildemeister , Christopher. "Why Isnt FX a Premium Network?" Parents Television Council. Accessed November
26, 2017. http://w2.parentstv.org/blog/index.php/2015/09/20/why-isnt-fx-a-premium-network/.
4. "FX (TV channel)." Wikipedia. November 19, 2017. Accessed November 26, 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FX_(TV_channel).
5.
McFarlane, Greg. "How 21st Century Fox (FOX) Makes its Money." Investopedia. May 26, 2015. Accessed
November 26, 2017.
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/052215/how-21st-century-fox-fox-makes-its-money.asp.
6. Zigu. "21st Century FOX Marketing Mix (4Ps) Strategy." MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share. Accessed November 26,
2017. https://www.mbaskool.com/marketing-mix/services/16715-21st-century-fox.html.
7. Mortimer, Natalie. "PepsiCo and 21st Century Fox team up for contest to find 'emerging female visionaries' in
STEM fields." The Drum. November 14, 2016. Accessed November 26, 2017.
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/11/14/pepsico-and-21st-century-fox-team-up-contest-find-emerging-femal
e-visionaries-stem.
8. http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/media-entertainment/news-corporation/company-overview
9. "Television Industry." Entertainment Law- US Legal. 2016.
https://entertainmentlaw.uslegal.com/television-industry/.

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