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The world of entertainment marketing takes a big step forward today with our announcement of the first "video in print" ad. That's right, CBS will present a video for its new fall programs in the fall review edition of Entertainment Weekly via a revolutionary new video chip. Here is a shortened version of CBS' official announcement:

CBS announced today an exciting new entertainment marketing breakthrough...the first use of video in a print advertisement. The revolutionary VIP (Video-in-Print) technology, to be packaged in a print ad spread in the fall TV preview issue of Entertainment Weekly, is the centerpiece of an exclusive partnership between CBS and PepsiCo's Pepsi Max designed to launch the Network's Monday night comedy lineup and new dramas.

For the very first time, readers can watch video content straight from the printed page via a paper-thin interactive video player--featuring five channels of CBS and Pepsi Max content--to be inserted into CBS/Pepsi Max ads in select copies of Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV preview issue (September 18 issue, on stands Friday, September 11). The newest of CBS's long list of marketing innovations, such as the celebrated promotional eggs, flash drives in print ads, and roof-top ads for airplane passengers, this VIP promotion provides an opportunity to sample CBS's new series in a remarkably unique and involving way.

As Entertainment Weekly readers flip to the "Monday to the Max" CBS/Pepsi Max promotional spread they will be greeted with a specially produced brief video featuring "The Big Bang Theory's" Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, and Johnny Galecki, in character as Penny, Sheldon, and Leonard. The trio explains how to use the VIP (Video in Print) player--while also chatting about Entertainment Weekly and exchanging some characteristically cutting remarks with each other.

After the introduction, readers can choose from the following five video menu options:

• "How I Met Your Mother" "The Bro Code" (a video montage of series character Barney Stinson's amusing codes of conduct for "Bros".)

• Two and a half minutes of "Two And A Half Men" plus "The Big Bang Theory" "Talk Nerdy to Me" (separate video compilations of humorous moments from both shows, the second of which features a musical homage to "The Big Bang Theory's male characters' endearingly geeky jargon and pastimes.)

• "I'm Good" by Pepsi Max (a funny spot promoting this "first diet cola for men")

• "Accidentally On Purpose" preview (a sneak peek of CBS's newest comedy)

• CBS New Fall dramas preview (a sneak peek of "NCIS: LA," "The Good Wife," and "Three Rivers")

The ground-breaking VIP player, developed and manufactured by Americhip, produces high quality video and audio--and is thin and durable enough to withstand the rigors of magazine binding and U.S. mail delivery.

"We're bubbling with excitement over CBS' partnership with Pepsi Max and our first-time ever use of video in a print ad," said George Schweitzer, president, CBS Marketing Group. "Pepsi Max is a great brand and a perfect fit for our Monday night comedies and new dramas. Since we're always thirsty for the newest marketing innovation, we're thrilled to be unveiling the inaugural use of an interactive Video in Print technology in Entertainment Weekly's popular fall TV preview issue. The best way to sample our terrific new programs is to see previews--and it's never been accomplished in a print ad...until now. EW is the ideal venue for this ground-breaking Video in Print ad, which is entertaining in its own right and is particularly well suited for their media-engaged readership."

"We're thrilled to launch our patented VIP technology with advertisers like CBS and Pepsi,"says Americhip CEO Tim Clegg. "This is exactly the type of application we had in mind when we developed this technology."

You can read the CNET News.com story here.

We are halfway through the summer, and halfway until the start of the new television season. Promotional spots for all our new shows are on the air. We're producing what is called the "key art" for the print ads and billboards. That's the photo design and ad copy we hope will get your attention in less than 2 seconds.

TV critics are attending what's called the "Press Tour," when the television press gathers in a Los Angeles area hotel for a few weeks. The broadcast and cable networks come in one by one and tout their new shows. The stars and producers attend these press conferences, which get written about in newspaper columns across the country, and in blogs and other electronic media. The advertising community makes their predictions as to what shows will be successful, and as usual, everyone has an opinion.

We'll build awareness about the new shows throughout the summer. Then it's the final lap of the race right after Labor Day. That's when the networks turn up the heat on other media--radio, cable, print, online, and outdoor--you name it.

It's also when viewing levels increase, so more people see the spots for the new shows. At CBS, we begin our 50th year of broadcasting the NFL, which also serves as a great place to promote new shows.

The adventure continues!

Can you tell which one is me?

(Credit: Personal photo of George Schweitzer)

OK, I have been to the Olympics, Super Bowls, Final Fours, presidential conventions, and NASCAR races, and not to mention CES, E3, CEDIA, and other trade shows. But last week was my first visit to Comic-Con. It was awesome. Why? Because it was the most fan-centered event ever. And for someone in entertainment marketing, that is gold. The passion and loyalty the fans displayed really resonated. Yes, people do camp out for hours (even days) to get into some of the panels that feature stars and producers of movies and TV shows. Yes, many fans wear costumes expressing their interests (vampires were big this year, so were video game characters and there were still many Starship Troopers). This year my costume was "Network TV Marketing Guy." I am sure I scared a few people there (see pic).

What was special about Comic-Con was its focus; it addresses the fans directly and satisfies their interests. The movie studios and game companies all pay a lot of attention here, as do we. It's just about the only time we get to be one on one with our fanbase on a personal scale. We get to meet them, and talk about what they like and what they don't like. It's all about the consumer. They have the power to build--and break--brands.

Most importantly, it demonstrated once again that in a world where technology is maximizing our ability to communicate, it's content that is the big magnet (see my post on the Seven C's). As an event, Comic-Con was extremely well planned and well run. Kudos to all involved.

OK, we've screened the pilots, discussed the merits of every show, developed a new fall schedule, and unveiled it to the world. So, do things slow down now? No! It's the busiest time in "Network TV Land," because this is when we develop our marketing plans for the new shows and create all the advertising for TV, radio, print, outdoor, and digital...you name it. But this is the fun part. CBS has a really solid schedule of returning shows, and four new ones will join the lineup in September. Now is the time we develop the marketing plans for each show.

Meanwhile, we continue our quest to learn as much as we can about how people find out about what's on television. Good news: the number one source is television itself. TV promotion is far and away the primary source, and that makes sense. There's nothing better than a "sample" of a product to see if the consumer is interested. And our samples have sight, sound, and motion, which I might argue is a lot better than a free cookie or box of soap (but there's nothing wrong with either of those).

After a new show is aired comes word of mouth. Much like a restaurant or movie, TV shows are right up there in the "trusted friend" category. Think about it: it's the water cooler effect. We talk about a new show at work or school the next day. It's about how television is part of the popular culture and social structure. Along with the water cooler effect comes media advertising on radio, local broadcast stations, and cable television; in print magazines and entertainment media (People and "Entertainment Tonight"); and the Internet. We focus our attention on all of these factors, and then some. We craft our marketing plans specifically in each medium for each new show.

So, there's a lot of creative development underway. Stay tuned.

As the marketing guy at CBS, it's my job to get people to watch our programs. Our department is like an ad agency, with CBS shows as the clients--everyone from "60 Minutes" to Letterman, to "CSI" and the NFL. Each day, our focus is on how people find out what's on television and how to get them to watch, which is an increasingly difficult task given the huge volume of content that's available and the plethora of ways people are consuming it.

George Schweitzer, CBS chief marketing officer.

(Credit: John Filo/CBS)

Sometimes my job is hard to explain. When my kids were young and they said I "did marketing for CBS," they thought I went to the grocery store each day and shopped for the CBS stars (which was close to the truth sometimes). Once at a school event, a parent came up to me and said, "We get all our drugs from you." Turns out her son insisted I worked at CVS. To third-graders, that was a more relevant brand than CBS.

It was always my dream to work at CBS. I started as a desk assistant, or "gofer," working midnight to 8 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. It was hell on the social life, but it was heaven for the opportunity to learn everything about the business and to make contacts.

I swelled with pride when I walked into the building, thinking of all the industry legends who were there, past and present. I worked my way through jobs in production and operations and then into marketing, advertising, and promotion. I love my job and the people I work with.

For recreation, I don't fish, golf, or hunt. I am a gym rat, though, and I watch a lot of sports on TV. Above all, I am a technology junkie--particularly for the digital/connected home. I pump movies, music, television shows, and photos through an array of servers and screens. My hobby is home automation, integrating entertainment as well as lights, security, heating and air, sprinklers, energy management, and all sorts of gizmos. I also collect old technology: radios, TVs, telephones, record players, typewriters, and more; anything that was considered a disruptive technology is fair game. It's fun and instructive to learn from the not-so-distant past. After all, Moore's Law practically guarantees that the leading-edge products of today, such as flat-panel TVs or touch-screen iPods, will be relics in a few short years.

So, why have I decided to write a blog and why should you read it? Because of my more than 30 years spent working at CBS and my preoccupation with technology, I am in a unique position to explain how technology is reshaping the TV industry and the home. This blog is going to cover experiences from the intensely competitive world of network TV marketing to the ever-expanding world of the digital home, and all the new and exciting things we can use to enhance our homes, our jobs, and our lifestyles. Stay tuned!