This makes me sick!

[Chris Blount]

Apparently, as part of the gift basket, academy award presenters are getting a DLP monitor and a Voom system. If I was a Voom subscriber, I would be a little pissed. That's a lot of subscriber money to be throwing at people who already have millions in their bank account.

Yeah I know, it's a promotional thing. I hope it works for them.

__________________________________________________ ________


LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- This award season, VOOM, the first
comprehensive high-definition (HD) television service, and Samsung
Electronics, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-definition
television (HDTV) technologies, are teaming up to provide Academy Award(R)
presenters with the ultimate HDTV package. As part of the legendary Oscar
gift baskets, VOOM and Samsung are delivering a 43-inch Samsung DLP(TM)
widescreen HDTV along with 12 months of the VOOM service.

Full Article (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK8.story&STORY=/www/story/02-23-2004/0002114210&EDATE=MON+Feb+23+2004,+07:02+AM)

[Nick]

This is a marketing coup - a good thing for Voom as it struggles to grow its' anemic subscriber base.

First, the value of the publicity buzz that Voom receives during and after the Oscars will be far greater than the cost, which for Voom, will be less than you might think. What will it actually cost them to give away 12 months of HD service? Assuming the "gift" to recipients also includes the box and install, less than $500 up front. The cost for 12 months of free programming will be negligible. Then after the stars get "hooked" on all the pretty pictures, Voom will begin billing them after the 12 months are up.

If this publicity, which potentially will reach tens of millions of viewer, brings in new subs among us mere mortals, then all the better for Voom and its existing subscribers. There has been a lot of talk in this forum about Voom's financial viability. This is a brilliant move by Voom and it can only help.

Whether Voom spends their marketing budget on airtime, print space, NASCAR sponsorships or making their service available to movie stars and the like, its all about getting the word out. Speaking of NASCAR, what a great product tie-in - Voom for the voom-voom! :)

I understand you are ticked about so-called celebrities who get stuff for free, but there is a reason for that - other than just sucking up to the rich & famous. As I mentioned recently in another thread, I hear celebs talking about their TiVo all the time.

It's all about creating the buzz. Think about it.

[BobMurdoch]

Kim Cattrall from Sex and the City once had my father visit her apartment in New York to come do a project on the concrete floor in her basement. She said that she wanted him to do it for free (about a $2000 job) in exchange for a picture and a letter testimonial from her. Uh, no thanks (we rely on word of mouth and do no advertising). She actually got pissed when he said no, like he was wasting HER time.

This whole sense of entitlement has soured me on celebs. Other than the occasional female eye candy types, I could care less about their existence.

[Chris Blount]

I understand your reasoning Nick and I can see why Voom would think this would help them. I just think they may be making a mistake. According to SkyReport this morning, each system cost $6000. I don't know the exact number of Oscar gift baskets this year but as an example, if there are 20 presenters, that's $120,000 which may or may not pay off. After all, the recipients will not be obligated to say anything about Voom now or in the future.

I hope the execs at Voom know what they are doing.

[DarrellP]

Now if Kim was offering up more than a picture and an autograph........

[BobMurdoch]

Now if Kim was offering up more than a picture and an autograph........

Well, then THAT might be worth it. (Recreate the scene from Porky's or Mannequin and I'm in)

[dtcarson]

I'm reminded of a story I heard about Martha Stewart one time.
Apparently she was hosting some big shindig at her palatial estate, and had a catering company come in to provide food/horsdoevres/beverage etc. Apparently the people really busted their hump working.
So at the end, the supervisor or whatever was hanging around Martha while everyone was cleaning up, hoping for a tip. She eventually got the hint, and said 'Tip? You just tell them you worked for Martha Stewart.'

I don't recall where I read this, and can't vouch for its accuracy, but even if it's not true, it definitely is representative of many of these 'celebs' attitudes.

And then to read in People [not that i do] or watch on ET how they complain about the paparazzi, and being hounded, or how hard it is to go shopping with their kids....Um, okay. I'm pretty sure you BEGGED for that publicity, and if you really didn't want it, pull a Sean Penn and knock the cameraman down or tell them to *$*$ off. And waah, shopping with your kids, when you get them back from the nanny who watches them 20 hours a day while you're earning millions per picture...

[Nick]

...and I thought I had issues with so-called celebrities - or is it "cell-ebrities"? :lol:

[Chris Blount]

This is a marketing coup - a good thing for Voom as it struggles to grow its' anemic subscriber base.


You might be right Nick. In THIS (http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2004-02-24-award-show-gift-baskets_x.htm) USA Today article, the stars comment on having Voom included in the gift bag:

"But the Rivers' top choice in the Oscar bag is, in fact, their top choice among all items in all the bags: a 43-inch high-definition Samsung TV coupled with one year of Voom HD satellite service ($6,000 value). "The winner, absolutely," Melissa says."