Executives at In Demand certainly believe that their Mojo will keep risin' as well.
After rolling out a primetime programming block under the Mojo banner last June, the cable industry's purveyor of movies, out-of-market sports packages and pay-per-view events on May 1 will affix that name to its high-definition channel, currently called INHD.
When Mojo debuts on May Day, the service will expand its original high-definition series in primetime, aimed principally at “active affluent” males, according to CEO Robert Jacobson.
The change will be supported by a multimillion-dollar marketing and advertising campaign, with TV commercials featuring music and the “Mr. Mojo Risin' ” lyric from The Doors' song “L.A. Woman.”
In Demand has been making headlines in recent weeks as the cable industry is engaged in a high-profile battle with DirecTV Inc. to retain “MLB Extra Innings,” Major League Baseball's out-of-market game package. (See story on page 8.)
Jacobson said the Mojo move has the backing of the cable industry and the company's owners: Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications. “The original programming block has been performing well,” he said.
The rise of Mojo essentially dates back to when INHD launched on Sept. 15, 2003, as a service presenting enhanced movies and music programming. As In Demand executives expected, the market for high-definition programming has grown, but there remains a relative dearth of dedicated channels. None, they said, are specifically aimed at affluent males ages 25 to 49 with a batch of original programs.
“Fortunately, we were right in our projections. We were confident that there would be strong appeal for exclusive content aimed at high-end males,” said Jacobson. “We get a lot of sampling and advertisers have responded to reach out to this sweet spot of consumers.”
Jacobson said that since the premiere of the Mojo programming block last June, INHD has achieved a 37% increase in ad revenue. INHD is available in about 6 million of the approximately 7 million cable households that now get high-definition service.
To tout Mojo's rise, In Demand senior vice president of marketing Stacie Gray said the network is bringing hosts from a number of its original series to Los Angeles this week. These include Bob Arnott from Dr. Danger, Zane Lamprey from Three Sheets and Dave Hill from the upcoming series, The King of Miami.
The March 23 shoot is expected to yield taggable 30-second spots that operators will run on cross-channel availabilities. Sixty-second spots and interstitials will also be created for In Demand and Mojo's own air, as well as stills for the print portion of the campaign.
Gray said the hosts' “Mojo personality” will shine through, with the Jim Morrison version of “L.A. Woman” in play.
“There was instant recognition for the song,” she said. The song will be slightly remixed and embedded in the commercials.
Featuring the tagline “Welcome to the Club,” the multimedia campaign, slated to begin in mid April and continue into June, will also feature online and outdoor elements, and some consumer events in select locations.
Mojo's primetime lineup features commissioned original programs and acquired first-run and U.S. exclusive series on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight Eastern time. The block then repeats for the Pacific time zone. Sports (Tuesdays), movies (Thursdays) and music (Fridays) dominate the schedule the other nights.
Last Wednesday, Mojo premiered Uncorked with Billy Merritt, in which the comedian, who prefers beer, tries to get sophisticated about wines, and Three Sheets, featuring comedian Lamprey's travelogue/pub crawl. The month before, the second season of music showcase London Live hit the air.
On May 7, faux reality series King of Miami will find comedian Hill trying to become “the guy” in that city, while I Bet You showcases a pair of professional poker buddies trying to one up one another — whether getting more tips from tending bar or finding Danny DeVito's home via Hollywood maps. This summer, Mojo will follow six Arizona Diamondbacks Triple A prospects trying to find their way to The Show.
David Asch, senior VP of programming at In Demand, said Mojo has also given green-lit sophomore seasons of Dr. Danger and Wall Street Warriors.
