MCA Builds Its Marketing Plan on a Mix of Specific, General

The David Frost broadcast of the Richard M. Nixon interview--involving a network of independent TV stations--was innovative and controversial in 1977 because of Frost’s agreement to pay Nixon. The marketing plan for the video versions is also innovative, a mix of practical politics and electronic data-base plotting.

If you’re a Republican or a subscriber to conservative publications or watch certain TV talk or news-oriented shows, you might get a chance to buy the Frost/Nixon interviews in a package.

According to Rob Blattner, president of MCA Home Video, part of the selling effort will be direct marketing of a three-volume “Collector’s Edition” through television commercials that use 800 numbers or through mailing lists and direct response pieces to specific groups of potential buyers.

The $80 set won’t be sold in stores. What will be in stores for the general shopping public are five individual tapes representing each of the 1977 broadcast interviews. Those will sell for under $20 each.

MCA generally releases video movies, children’s programs and instructional tapes. “This is a major, new undertaking for us,” Blattner says. “We are learning each day about what people will want to buy in the form of programs of historical interest. We have no sales goals yet, but are planning to do a lot of testing. We hope programs like this will have a long life.”