Back in blog biz
CBS Chief Marketing Officer George Schweitzer updates readers on his busy June, and what he's been up to.
My apologies, readers. I had a very busy June with travel to Los Angeles and planning for the marketing of CBS' new season. So, here is some quick catch up.
On the tech front: I've been testing Windows 7 on my home machine. Love it. I got a Verizon MiFi so I can create hot spots everywhere and don't have to pay those ridiculous hotel Web access charges. I love that. I upgraded my iPhone software. Love it. I switched to Avast Virus protection for home machines and home servers. Love it! I went to E3 in Los Angeles and got the game's-eye-view from the very cool folks at GameSpot. Love them. (Can't wait for Beatles Rock Band in the fall!) Finished some major home automation upgrades and installs. Love this. Crashed my Eye-Fi photo card during a firmware upgrade. The boards were no help. Didn't love that. I figured out the fix after a reformat, and am back to loving it again. I signed up for Twitter, and started tweeting. That's a mixed bag.
On the TV marketing front: I'm working with our team developing the creative and media strategy for the launch of the fall season. It's always an intense time; we never stop learning, and that's what makes it fun. We found this incredible technology that will make quite a splash in September (lips sealed until then). But no matter what's out there, the No. 1 place people find out what's on TV is on TV! And that's great for us; people want to see clips of the new shows and see previews. We know people are smart, we don't take them for granted, and we only have their time and attention for fleeting moments. We have to get our stuff to click in their brains before they click us off with their thumbs.
Happily, we have an outstanding team of marketing pros on both coasts who know how to get this job done. Keep watching and let me know what you think.
On the digital frontier: hearing lots of chatter, many conferences, ample Web talk, seeing cooler gadgets, and better logos and T-shirts. And still, it's all about content. Thank goodness. You need to have something to put on these devices and delivery systems that people want to see, and thankfully, we do.
On the home front: my home automation hobby is like golf or fishing, even with some of the physical pain, but no bites or sunburn, thankfully. I have been learning like crazy, thanks to the help of some great people in the community. The goal is to manage the home, and not to have it the other way around. This centers on security, knowing what's going on with the operations of your house, and energy: managing lights, HVAC, sprinklers, and power. And it's green for the environment and wallet. Take that, you golfers!
And, oh yes, big news: I received my master's in Trojan football a few weeks ago at the "USC Trojan Chalktalk" session. Two days of intense briefings, demonstrations, and workouts with Coach Pete Carroll and his coaching staff. It's amazing to hear his philosophy in person and to watch how the team works from behind the scenes. I received a lot of management ideas from Pete, too. There are just a couple of months until the Trojans take the field again. Even though I am a proud Boston University alum, and we were the NCAA Hockey champs again this year (go Terriers!), thanks to my daughter's attendance at USC, I am also a devout Trojan.
Fight on!
GameSpot is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS.