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 A member profile by Chris Davison, davison@intellcap.com
Rebecca Marks is Executive Vice President, NBC Universal Television Group Publicity. Rebecca has worked in the industry for more than two decades in sports, marketing, news, sales and publicity. I recently had a chance to interview Rebecca to discuss Jeff Zucker, technology, and being green.
Q: Can you tell us about your background? What made you want to work in entertainment?
-as a communications major at Boston College, I interned for the Boston Celtics in Public Relations and Marketing, and then went to work for them as soon as I got my degree from B.C. I eventually came to Los Angeles and began my transition to entertainment when I started at NBC in 1984 in a variety of departments as I got to know the company -- which proved to be crucial in Publicity. After working in News and Sales, I arrived at NBC Publicity in an entry-level position and was allowed the opportunity to rise through the ranks as I handled many wonderful projects for the network. I realized that I had found my niche as a communicator and I now enjoy the daily give-and take of working with the press as our team conveys NBC Universal's growing message that constantly proves to be newsworthy in some way.
Q: How are publicity and PR different today than in the past?
-where to begin? For our department, combining the resources of NBC with those of Universal in 2004 had tremendous ramifications as we became a new global company with a huge potential. Certainly, as everyone knows, the expanding Digital Age has presented new challenges and opportunities that force us to work harder to stay ahead of the curve in keeping up with technology and evolving changes, especially in the realm of blogging, which has proven to be a real game-changer in public relations. Both New and so-called "Old" Media have pushed us to change the way we do business in publicity, which requires specialization and niche-targeting for our campaigns. Likewise, since I started, the number of competitors -- cable and on the Internet -- have exploded exponentially, and we have to work harder and more creatively to attract attention for our shows. We have to integrate seamlessly with more departments under NBCU to take maximum advantage of our resources. Also, we have gone to full-season programming on NBC, which means there is no down time as in summers long ago -- we always have new product to launch and must stay on message 24/7.
Q: How will publicity change as a result of the emerging New Media landscape?
-publicity will have to track the eyeballs of the audience, and that includes an emerging and more youthful viewer who is more likely to watch a TV show on the Internet or via a mobile connection. Regarding this matter, I cannot understate how valuable my teenage daughter has been to me in enhancing my understanding of this evolving landscape. We also work closely with other departments within the company as we reach out to those publications or websites that are popular with people who did not necessarily grow up watching television as a first option -- they have high-tech video games, interactive sites and YouTube, among others, where they can be the star of their own self-created "show." In addition, the rules of engagement with New Media seem to be less defined and more fuzzy; what's more, everyone with a blog considers themselves an accredited "journalist," and news -- accurate or false -- spreads fast. It's definitely a real challenge for us and I think we are in tune with the constant changes as much as can be expected -- at least at this moment!
Q: What has been the high point of your career thus far?
-working on an executive level with Jeff Zucker has taught me so much about this business that you don't have enough space to contain what I have learned from him. The formation of NBC Universal really forced me and my staff to step up our game to a new level that no one could ever have imagined, and I savor the past six years for what that experience has taught me.
Q: What are some of the publicity aspects of the “Green Is Universal” initiative?
-we have to remind people that this is not just a "sweeps"-type of gimmick that will come and go much like the leaves of fall -- it's for real and it's here to stay. The company as well as parent GE is dedicated to making this concept an everyday reality. This requires a paradigm shift in our thinking, and that begins with the publicity department, which has to convey that message and shout it out whenever eco-friendly initiatives are started. This is a wide-encompassing mind-set that includes programming, corporate -- and how each of us conducts our business daily. It's up to us to continue to get the word out, explain why it's important, maybe make some constructive suggestions as part of the process, and then see what changes result.
Q: Anything you would like to add?
-first of all, I appreciate the opportunity that the HRTS has afforded me to express myself. My earliest memories of my move from Boston to Hollywood, 20-some years ago, include HRTS luncheons, they introduced me to the world of entertainment and provided valuable understanding of the industry. I also would mention that I take particular pleasure in helping deserving young people get a foothold in this business, as it was given to me, and then step back and watch their careers take off. I hope that I have been able to help, even in a small way, to give someone a boost over the wall because everyone seems to want to get into entertainment -- and after a few decades, I can totally understand why!
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