» Keep Chuck Alive - The Renewal Thread Options

[Serendipity78]

There's been a lot of chatter in the Ratings and Scheduling thread about the possibility that Chuck may not see a 3rd season, so I'm hoping the moderators will be okay with me opening a thread dedicated to discussion about what we, as fans, can do to help this show secure a renewal.

I’ve done my duty and written my letters to the network, but given the economy and the Jay Leno effect, I’m not confident that will be enough. I wanted to request your help to promote a ‘Save Chuck’ strategy that goes beyond the standard fare of sending letters or bobbles to the networks. What I’m proposing is a consumer driven campaign that will lend a voice to all the loyal Chuck fans that are not represented by Nielson ratings.

As a non-Nielson viewer, I feel the most effective means of making an impact is to wield my consumer power in a way that NBC and their sponsors will be able to measure. I’ve noticed that Subway has worked with Chuck/NBC to incorporate product placement within the show. To demonstrate my gratitude to that franchise for their support of Chuck, I’m pitching a ‘Finale & FOOTLONG™’ campaign to all the Chuck forums and boards. I’m also sending this idea out to key TV critics who’ve been supportive of Chuck, asking them to write articles and raise awareness for this effort. Included below is a list of the boards, forums, and critics to whom I’ve sent this concept.

The ‘Finale & FOOTLONG™’ campaign will call on fans to show their dedication by pledging to purchase a $5 FOOTLONG™ from Subway on the evening of the Chuck season finale (which hopefully isn’t the series finale). If enough Chuck fans ban together to do this and Subway sees a rise in sales Monday April 27th as a result, it would give NBC/Universal an actual metric to gauge the fan dedication in relation to the return on investment of a key sponsor.

At the end of the day, the television industry is still a business and I hope other fans will recognize that fact and organize with me to show their support in a tangible way. I’ve sent in my ‘Save Chuck’ letters to Ben Silverman (NBC) and Angela Bromstad (Universal) including this idea, but I really need the help of other Chuck fans to drive this program and make it happen. To that end, I’ve also sent a letter to the Chief Marketing Officer at Subway (Mr. Bill Schettini) outlining the effort I’m putting forth to galvanize the show’s loyal fan base to reward their sponsorship of our beloved Chuck.

Chuck is in one of the toughest timeslots on television and continues to hold its own against fierce competition on every major network. The cast is fantastic, the story is compelling, and I truly believe the show deserves another season (hopefully on Wednesday’s at 8pm). The best way to save Chuck is to give NBC/Universal a legitimate business justification for keeping their quality programming on the air. It’s more likely that the network and sponsors will hear our pleas for a Chuck renewal if we speak their language…$$$. So fans, please write your letters, mention the campaign, and buy a $5 FOOTLONG™ from Subway on April 27th (bonus points for those that drop off a comment card saying they’re buying their sandwich in support of Chuck.)

So put a reminder on your calendar, alarm on your phone, whatever it takes to remember…personally I’ll be buying my sandwich from Newark International Airport after an 8hr flight on the 27th, but I’m going to do it! If the mods for this board or forum would be so kind as to post a reminder on April 27th as well, that would be phenomenal! Thanks for listening and I hope I can count on your support.

Warmest Regards,

Wendy Farrington

FYI – I swear on all that is holy, I do NOT work for Subway or any marketing/media based company. I’m just a lowly sales rep in the pharma industry, who happens to have an underused undergraduate degree in marketing and a deep affection for CHUCK.

Letters should go to…

Bill Schettini
Subway - Chief Marketing Officer
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06461

Ben Silverman
Co-Chairman
3000 W. Alameda
Admin Building
Burbank, CA 91523

Angela Bromstad
President of Primetime Series
100 Universal City Plaza
Bldg 1320, 4th Floor
Universal City, CA 91608

Online Postings for Campaign: TWOP, Give Me My Remote, Futon Critic, NBC Forums, Zachary-Levi.com, Zachary-Levi.net, and all LiveJournal communities related to Chuck and its cast.

List of Critics Contacted: Mo Ryan (Chicago Tribune), Alan Sepinwall (Star Ledger), Michael Ausiello (Entertainment Weekly), Matt Roush (TV Guide Magazine), and the Mega Buzz Trio (TV Guide Online).

[InfinityJoy]

Michael Ausiello at EW is helping the renewal campaign along by linking to the givememyremote blog and asking his Ausholes (aka Ausiello fanatics) to rally and save Chuck. Yay! for more exposure for the campaign.

[Trini Girl]

I'm a fan of both Chuck and Subway anyway, so I'll be happy to participate. But make this really simple for me, and for me to explain to others; what exactly should I do?
?
1) Buy Footlong on the 27th,
2) write letter to Subway, NBC, ...
3) Watch live and record?

Lay this out for me step by step.

[BoldAsLove]

What exactly is Ben Silverman the Co-Chairman of?

[Serendipity78]

Sorry folks...sometimes my inner Marketing guru gets over excited and forgets that a simple set of bullet points is usually more effective than an overture.

To Participate in the Finale and Footlong campaign I'm asking that fans...

1. Get the word out on this program. Lots of people want to help Chuck, but may not have the time or inclination to write letters, but the network will listen closer if we're talking dollars. It actually takes less time to go buy a sandwich from Subway, than to draft a letter to the execs at NBC/Universal (for me at least).

2. Write a letters to NBC & Universal telling them why you think Chuck is great (this is identical to the letter campaign going on at ChuckTV.net) Ben Silverman is Co-Chairman of NBC and Angela Bromstad is with Universal. In that letter be sure to mention that you're going to be supporting Subway, one of Chuck's key sponsors by purchasing a $5 Footlong the evening of the finale and that you're spreading the word to convince more fans to do the same...this is a way for non-Nielson fans to show their love of the show and their advertising supporters.

3. Write a thank you letter to Subway, letting them know what the fans are trying to do here and thank them for their support (product placement spots) of Chuck.

4. Convert as many new fans as you can before the finale...we need the numbers.

5. On April 27th be sure to BUY A $5 FOOTLONG from Subway and if possible, drop a note in the comment box at the franchise letting them know you're participating in the Finale and Footlong campaign to save NBC's Chuck, of which Subway is a product placement sponsor.

6. Watch the finale LIVE if possible. (Record if you like.)


Here is a link to my LJ page that you can post on other sites if you wish. I've condensed my original post here and incorporated the 6 overview steps: http://starpollo78.livejournal.com/14906.html

If you'd like samples of the letters sent to NBC/Universal and Subway those can be referenced here: http://starpollo78.livejournal.com/15255.html & http://starpollo78.livejournal.com/15568.html



Other things you can do...

Join the Facebook group SaveChuck and bring this up on any social sites where you deem fit and appropriate (Myspace, etc).

This post has been edited by Serendipity78: Apr 9, 2009 @ 6:09 am.

[frankdbunny]

Hijacking this thread momentarily to say that Kristin's Save One Show poll has started, and Chuck is among the shows you can vote for.

[Serendipity78]

ChuckTV's letter writing campaign and push for gathering new viewers is also a good option. Personally, I've melded that into my brainchild and it worked nicely...wrote my letter per their instructions and added the Subway thing. There's also a chance to win prizes with their campaign, so check it out: http://chucktv.net/about-2/chuck-campaign-watchbuyshare/

Also...I think this was mentioned in the ratings thread but Give Me My Remote is doing a GiveMeMyChuck theme week geared toward saving Chuck...stop by: http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/

This post has been edited by Serendipity78: Apr 9, 2009 @ 6:51 am.

[Anlyn]

I admire you for doing this. Lord knows I don't have the skill set to run a campaign. :) I'm not a true fan of Chuck (if it's not renewed it won't break my heart), but I am enjoying the storyline and am curious to see where it leads. You've really put a lot of thought and preparation into this effort. I hope it succeeds. I prefer Quizno's, but I like Subway too, so I'll stop by their store after work on the 27th to support this. No skin off my nose. :)

Good luck!

[cowgirl08]

Save Chuck Event
Hey guys we have been planning a SAVE CHUCK event that will be held May 2nd in Burbank,CA. We are planning on have Guitar Hero set up for our guests to play. In order to have these we will need the gaming consoles, video screens, games, and generators. As well as the electronics we will have food and drinks as well. Also an idea is a concert at the Echo since it has been in episodes of CHuck, either way we need funds.For all of these things plus the permits for our location we will need all the money we can raise. I realize that this is a tough time in the economy so just give what you can, every little bit helps. Save Chuck we are not going down without a fight!!!

Here are the links for donations

US Dollars

Euros

"]Canadian Dollar

Also here is a link to our thread over at fanforum

http://www.fanforum.com/f278/help-save-chuck-62888121/

If you have any more questions just let me know my email is shel-hill@hotmail.com

I really hope yall can donate everything helps I mean if everyone in here doantes just $5 that adds up really fast! Thanks guys its great to see all the great fans this show has!!

[TWoP Mars]

Please read the mod thread for where to discuss this stuff. Thanks.