LizzieDanko,NatalieEyob,and Sam Rubin COMM 350May 6, 2015FinalCase ReportDiscoveryCommunications FinalCase StudyAnalysis:DiscoveryCommunications Discovery Overview DiscoveryCommunicationsInc.is a globalmass-mediaand entertainmentcompany based inSilverSpring,MD. Thecompanywas foundedin1985 by JohnS. Hendricksand has sincegrownto becometheworlds#1Pay-TV programmerreachingnearly3 billioncumulative subscribersinmorethan220 countriesand territories.Discoveryproducesa varietyof television programming,specificallynon-fiction,includingDiscovery Channel,TLC,AnimalPlanet, InvestigationDiscoveryand Science,as wellas theU.S joint venturenetworkOWN: Oprah WinfreyNetwork, to namea few. Discoveryis alsoa providerof a varietyofeducationalproducts and servicesto schools,including K-12 digitaltextbooks.Withsuch a largebody of networksand viewers,Discoveryneeds a communicationdepartmentthat has as far ofa reachas the potentialof itsproducts.This makesDiscoverys communicationsdepartments extremelyinterestingand worthy of beingreviewed,not solelyfor itsentertainmentties. Discovery CommunicationsisthePR branchof the Discovery Network, theworldsNo. 1 nonfiction mediacompany.Withofficesin30 differentcountries,Discovery Communicationsemploys5,486 Image 1: Discovery at a Glance An image Discovery has on its corporate website describing facts and details about the company and its success. Source: discoverycommunications.com Discovery 2 communicationprofessionals. Discoveryisthe largestorganizationof itskind.Havingquality programingand entertainingshowsisthekey to itssuccess. Discoverysmissionisto satisfy and entertainitsaudiencewithqualityprogramming.Discoveryaimsto spread thisdesireacross theworldand has done so throughitsplethoraof channelsnationallyandinternationally,for example,Eurosport,theleadingpan-regionalsports channelacross Europe,AsiaPacific,the MiddleEastand Africa.LastlyDiscoveryisdedicatedto education. ThroughDiscovery Education,Discoveryhas provideda seriesofaward-winningK-12 digitaltextbooks. Besides havingjustsuccessfulproducts,the communicationsdepartmentisessentialto thehugeimpact on Discoveryand itsachievements. DiscoveryPR specialistsare tasked withcommunicating withmediaoutletsand buildingstrongrelationshipswiththem.Theymustinformthe media whensomethingnewoccurswithinthe organization.Theyare alsoliaisonsbetweenthe organizationand thecommunityat large. SinceDiscoveryChannelis sucha hugeorganization,reachingmorethan2 billion subscribersin220 countries,a well-runcommunicationsdepartmentisessential.Discovery breaks up itscommunicationsintovariousbrancheswithdifferentfunctionsto ensurethehighest qualityofsuccess. It has: -Internal:whichhelpsheavilywithprofessionaldevelopmentand inter-organizational communication. -Financial:whichmarketsthe organizationto investors.Thisisdone by Discovery showcasingitsratings,growth,developmentandfutureplans. -Network Communications:whichpromotesthe variousnetworksundertheDiscoveryumbrella. In order to findgainmoreknowledgeof thislargecorporation,we intervieweda publicist inthehopes ofgettingan insightintothe publicrelationsenvironmentat Discovery. Our point of contactis CharlotteBigfordwho isa head publicistforDiscoveryCommunicationsInc.Due to herbusyscheduleBigfordwas unableto meetfaceto facefor aninterview.Our interview took placethrougha chainof emailsthroughoutthecourseof the week. Bigfordisinchargeof runningfourmajorPR campaignsforvarioustelevisionprograms.Theprogramsare Red White and You,MountainMonsters,SerialThrillerand AnneFrank Beyondthe Diary.Eachcampaign isundertheDiscoveryumbrellaand usesvariousPR strategiesto promoteitself. In thepursuitofmarketingthese showsDiscoverymustthinkofcreativewaysto entice viewersover itscompetition.Thesecompetitorsare predominatelyothermajorprovidersofnon-fictionentertainmentlikeViacom,Scripps,A&E Networksand NationalGeographic.According to CharlotteBigford,a Discoverypublicist,cleverlyplacedadvertisementson televisionandthe Internetare whatmakediscoveryedgeout competitors.As theworldslargestPay-TV programmer,Discoveriesmarketingis highlysuccessful.Innovationisthekey to thisDiscoveryCommunicationssuccess.Over thepast fewyears Discoveryhas expandeditsmarketintoEuropeand othercontinents,becomingan international broadcastingstation.Expansioninthe UnitedStates has sloweddown, and thusthemoveto growinternationallyishighlybeneficial. Accordingto StevenOverlyof theWashingtonPost, Discovery 3 duringthe past sixyears,Discoverysinternationalbusinesshasgrownfrom10 to 35 percentof totalrevenue. ThismakesDiscoverycurrentlythelargestTVplayeroutsidetheU.S. AnotherwayinwhichDiscoveryCommunicationsInc. isinnovativeis by creatingan originalWeb videowitha newchannelfocusedon adventurers.Thisis an attemptto reach a youngeraudiencewhoturnto Internetand socialmediamoreoftenthantelevision.Exciting programenticesa youngergenerationof viewersto itsprogramming,thusDiscoveryissetting itselfup to be a majorplayerintheentertainmentindustryfor yearsto come.Lastly,Discovery putson liveeventssuchas EverestJumpLive,whichenticeviewersto tuneinto itsprogramat thetimeof theevent. Workingforextremelydifferentchannels,suchas InvestigationDiscovery,Destination America,AmericanHeroesChannel,DiscoveryLifeChannel,and DiscoveryFamilyChannel, thePR departmenthas to work directlywithproduction,digitalmedia,scheduling,research,and development,to ensurea successfulcampaignforitsprograming.Withsucha diverserangeof showseach day presenta challengingyetexcitingtask to complete.One dayPR professionals mayneed to conducta morninginterviewand the nexttheymaybe comingup withan out-of-the box stunt,demonstratingthe plethoraof tasks a PR specialistmustcomplete.With communicationprofessionalsspread out alloverthe world,the estimatedhundreddomestic publicrelationsstaffmembersat Discoveryoversee corporate,internaland digital communicationsas wellas governmentrelations,talentrelations,globaleventson top of taking care of PR for thedomestictelevisionchannels.AlthoughBigfordwasntable to disclosethe detailsof itsbudget,she madeitclearthatDiscoveryhas a separatebudgetset asideto support allcommunicationneeds foreach ofitsnetworks. DiscoveryCommunicationstargetdemographicchangesbased on the showor channelitis tryingto market: InvestigationDiscovery:Adultsages 25-54 and Womenages25-54 DestinationAmerica:Adults25-54 and Men 25-54 AmericanHeroesChannel:People 25-54 and Men 25-54 DiscoveryLifeChannel:People 25-54 DiscoveryFamilyChannel:Adults18-49 and Kids2-11 SWOT In order to successfullyevaluatethecompany,we mustevaluatewhatcan makethe companysuccessfulor hinderitfromsuccess. Strengths: DiscoveryCommunicationsisthe No. 1 pay TV programmer. By beingNo. 1, Discoveryhas a hugeoutreach. DiscoveryCommunicationshas channelsacross theglobereaching3 billionpeople. By havingthisstrength,Discovery Communicationshasthe power to be well-known. DiscoveryCommunicationsisthe leaderinnonfictionprogramming. By dominatingthiscategory,DiscoveryCommunicationsvirtuallymonopolizesthe Discovery 4 demographicthatwatchestheseshows,makingitsuccessfulinnonfiction programming. It alsohas a varietyof channelstargetingdifferentdemographics, givingthema largermarketshare. ByDiscoverybeinga pay forTV channel,Discoveryearnsrevenueeasier. This allowsthe networkto spendmoremoneyon programming,whichcanincrease thequalityof showsithasand provideitthe abilityto expand. Discoveryhas one ofthe top rated communicationsprograms,specificallyPR.Byhavinggood brandingand publicitythroughvenuessuchas socialmedia, Discoverycan getmore viewers. ThePRis internal,whichallowsthePR teamto focussolelyon DiscoveryCommunications. DiscoveryCommunicationsalsooffersstreamingservices. Thisallows Discoveryto expanditsprogramviewersto individualswhohavea streaming account,suchas Netflix. Discoveryonlyhas to convinceindividualsalready usingNetflixor anyotherstreamingwebsiteto watchitsshows. Discoveryoffersotherproductssuchas books and othereducationalproducts. TheseversatileproductsgiveDiscoverymoreprofitandmarketshare. It can targetindividualsalreadyusingitsproductsor gainnew clientele. Weaknesses: DiscoveryCommunicationshasa limitedspan initsprogramming. Thiscan turn peopleoffofitsnetwork,causingthemto lose potentialviewers. Ifpeopleare uninterestedintheirdesignatedchannel,Discoverylosesthoseviewers. DiscoveryCommunicationsisa pay network,so itmightloseviewersbased on thepeople whodo not pay fortelevision. Thislimitsitsoutreachandgivesits competitorslikePBS, a freenonfictiontelevisionchannel,an advantage. Althoughthiscan be considereda strength,havingan internalPR can alsobe a weakness. Peoplewho work inthe PR departmentcouldbe out of touchwith properlypublicizingDiscoveryor puttingDiscoveryat riskforcreatinga PR nightmare. Opportunities: Peopleget bored easilyand turnto televisionto escape it. Discoverycancapture theseviewersattentionand expanditsviewership. Educationisbecomingmoretechnologicallysavvy. Withexperienceindigital and socialmedia,Discoverycouldexpanditsmarketto includeneweducational tools. Theeconomyis becominga moreglobalmarket. Discoveryhas theopportunity to continueexpandingitsviewershipthroughnewchannelsof othercountries.Threats: Individualsmightpreferto watchotherpay forTV channelswithdifferenttypes of programming. Thiswouldtake away fromDiscoverysviewership. Discovery 5 As the Internetexpands,lesspeople are payingforcableand watchinglive television. Thisis DiscoveryCommunicationsmainfocusand coulddevastate thecompany. Millennialsand otherInternetusersillegaldownloadingcontentsuchas television. Thiswouldtake awaytheprofitDiscoverywouldreceiveeitherfrom cable,Netflixor DVDsales. TheformerownerofDiscoveryCommunicationsstarteda nonfictionstreaming service. JohnHendrickshopesto becometheleaderinthatfield,saying,"This needs to be independentofthe legacybusiness.It's reallydifficultto justbreak ranksand threatenyourexistingrevenuestream." As describedinthe quote, HendricksstreamingservicethreatensDiscoveryssuccess. As seen by theSWOT analysis,DiscoveryCommunicationshas a lotofstrengths. By continuingto focuson theseexistingstrengthsand takingon newopportunities,Discovery wouldbe a verysuccessfulcompany. Discovery,however,has a concerningamountof threats, someof whichare trendsinthecurrentgenerationstelevisionhabits. Discovery Communicationscanremainsuccessfulonlyifitadapts to thechangingtimes,unlikecompanies suchas Radioshackand Blockbuster. Media Analysis Twitter: Discovery vs. Competitors TwitterDiscoveryA&ENBCViacom Followers3.44 million323 thousand805 thousand20.1 thousand Totaltweets32.5 thousand28.6 thousand16 thousand2,241 Frequencyof tweets 1 every2 to 3 hours 1 everyfew minutes 1 every1-4 hours Extremely inconsistent

DiscoverysTwitterpagehas themostfollowersand themosttweets.Thetwo are directlyrelated.Themoretweetsan organizationsendsout themorelikelysomeonenewis to see thetweets.Viacomtweets muchlessfrequentlyand hencehasthe leastamountof followers. Viacomalso occasionallytweets10 timesina day or notat all;thisinconsistencycan be annoyingfor followers.Anotherissuepertinentto Twitteris tweetingtoo much.Discovery tweetsat a good, consistentpace thatdoes notoverwhelmitsfollowers,butremainsactiveon theirtimelines.A&E,for example,tweetstoo much,makingitspage seemfairlychaotic. Themainpurposeof Twitterforan organizationisto informitsfollowersof whatit isup to.Entertainmentcompaniesmustalsoentertaintheirfollowers. Discoverydoes a reallygood job of balancingentertainment,informationand promotion.It tweetspicturesofcurrentevents,cute animalsand programming.

Discovery 6 YouTube: Discovery vs. Competitors YouTubeDiscoveryA&ENBCViacom Subscribers1.4 million242 thousand360 thousandN/A Most recent videodate and views May 5 7:00pm 300 views May 5 6:00am 116 views May 5 9:00pm 83 views N/A Frequencyof videos Every3 hours1-2 per day1 per weekN/A

Againwe see thatDiscoveryhas themostsubscribers.UsingYouTubeas a toolfor communicationis done prettysimilarlyby each of theseorganizations. Eachputsclipsof episodesas wellas promotionalclipsforupcomingshowsallowingfollowersto get brief insightsintothe networksprograming.Allofthe organizationsalso haveadditionalYouTube pages fortheirmostpopularshows.None ofthese YouTubepages standoutas the best but Discoverydoes havethelargestYouTubenetworkwhichis importantto note.

Facebook: Discovery vs. Competitors FacebookDiscoveryA&ENBCViacom Likes33 million863 thousand1.7 million147 thousand Most recent post date and likes May 5 8:00pm 5,000 likes May 5 9:00am 162 likes May 5 10:00pm685 likes May 1 at 2:00pm2 likes Frequencyof posts 1 every2 to 3 hours 1 per day1 every2-4 hours 1 everyfew weeks

Here we see a similartrendto Twitter.It isnecessaryto post consistentlywithoutbeing annoying.Viacomislackinginthe fieldofsocialmedia,whichisinterestingfor a companythat controlsnetworkslikeMTVand ComedyCentral,popularnetworksamongsocialmedias biggestconsumers,millennials.NBC and Discoveryhavethorough,aestheticallypleasing Facebook pagesand posts. Stayingconsistentand up-to-date withFacebook isimportantbecause of thelargescope ofpeople whouse thissocialmediapowerhouse. Overall,thestatisticsindicatethatDiscoveryrunsitssocialmediapagesthe best outof itscompetitors.It hasthe biggestnetworkof followerson allthreeof thebiggestsocialmedia platforms,provingthatthepeople runningtheDiscoveryCommunicationsfirm,thePR Discovery 7 department,are runningthemediapageseffectively.Other organizationsshouldmodeltheir socialmediapagesoffof Discoverys. The General PR Role DiscoveryCommunicationsisa bigentity,spanningmultiplecountries. Sincethis companyis international,PublicRelationsis internalized,becauseof itspublicityneeds.This can be good and bad for thecompany,becausethePublicRelationsstaffworks diligentlyon press solelyforDiscoveryCommunications,but itcanalso meanthestaffisout of touchwith consumerneeds. DiscoveryCommunicationstriesto solvethisdiscrepancyby conductingmany surveysand crowdsourcingitstargetdemographics. Sinceitisan internationalcompanywith59 officesin30 countries,press releasesare sentfromallover theworldincludingNew York, SilverSpringand London. DiscoveryrecentlyhiredDavidLeavywhoheads thePR Departmentslargein-housestaff. He previouslyservedas DeputySecretaryof ForeignAffairs, showinghowmuchDiscoveryCommunicationsvaluespublicity. Leavywillbe inchargeof manyfacetsof thecompanyscommunicationsaccordingto MarketingLand. He willhead creativeand corporate marketinginitiatives,governmentrelationsand publicpolicy,standards and practices,researchand consumerinsights,talentrelations,globalcorporatecommunications operations,Discoverysin-housemediaagencyand the companysnonprofitorganization,the DiscoveryLearningAlliance. Eachbranchhe isheadingwillhaveteams,butLeavyis goingto be inchargeofallthose programs,givingDiscoveryCommunicationsa unifiedfrontwithits publicityand marketingmaterials.DiscoveryCommunicationsPublicRelationsisbroken intotwo branches:Corporate Communicationsand NetworkCommunications. In theCorporate Communicationsbranch,40 PR practitionerswho work on internal,financialand brandingcommunications. Eachof these branchesworks to improveemployeecommunicationsand attitudes,acquireinvestorsand continueto increaseviewers. TheNetwork Communicationsbranchis twiceas bigas Corporate witha rangeof 75 to 100 people. Thisbranchis muchmorefocusedon Discoverysvarietyof televisionnetworks,as itistitledNetwork Communications. Thisbranchisbroken up into severalteamswithsmallteamsrangingfromfiveto ten people. Eachof thesemembersthen head specificcampaignsforeach channel. For example,CharlotteBigfordisinchargeof thePR forRed White and You, Mountain Monsters, Serial Thrillerand Anne Frank Beyond the Diary. She creates thePR campaignsfortheseprogramsand communicatesher ideasand campaigns withherPR teamwho collaborateuntila campaignthatisoptimizedfor successforthe programsiscreated. ThePR departmentsmainfocusesare internalcommunicationsand communications withindividualswho can earnthe networkrevenue. Discoverydoes charityand charitable Discovery 8 programmingto maintaina positivecommunityimage,butDiscoveryCommunicationsisa businesswhosemainfocusisto earnrevenue. As a companywho istraded on thestock market, itworks hard to maintaina positivecompanyimageso potentialinvestorswillinvestand itwill maintaina loyalviewership. ThePR departmentisbroken intotwo branches,because itmust runtwo differenttypesofPR.Corporatesmainfocusisto keep employeeshappyand acquire investors. It is thebusinesssideof DiscoveryCommunications,makingsurethatthecompany staysa successfulcompanyinallfacetsofitself. TheNetworks mainfocusisto shape the publicsimageof theprogrammingDiscoveryCommunicationsoffers. SinceDiscoveryis the No. 1 pay televisioncompanyand nonfictionprogramminghost, thisdepartmentsmainfocusis to keep thesenumbersand reputationsintact. Televisionreliessignificantlyon advertisingto accumulateviewersfor newshows,maintainviewerinterestinoldshowsand encourageviewers to watchDiscoverysprogrammingon otherDiscoverynetworks. The Network Communicationsbranchisinchargeof allof thesefacets. By havingsucha largeinternal program,Discoveryisable to work to bringsuccessto newand oldshowsby rearrangingthe lineupof shows,rebrandingshows,designingcampaignsthatpromoteseveralshowsand maintainingloyaltyof theviewers. ThismakesPR a majortask inallofDiscovery Communicationsdepartments,because thisbranchmaintainsthesuccessof theoverallnetwork. AlthoughCharlotteBigforddeclinedto informus ofwherePR fitsoverallinDiscovery Communications,we can inferthatitisveryimportantto theoverallcompany,as itisa vital programthatmaintainsthesuccessof thecompany. We thinkthatBigforddeclinedto giveus veryspecificdetailsaboutthePR departments organizationand impactto theoverallcompany,because Discoverymightrelyon trade secrets to maintainitssuccess. DiscoveryCommunicationsis ina verycompetitivemarketinwhichits usersloseinterestor changeinterestsrapidly. Thetrendsoftelevisionshowsfroma previous yearcouldbe completelydifferentthefollowingyear. Discoveryfaces competitionfromA&E TelevisionNetworks, NBC UniversalMediaand Viacom. Allof thesechannelspose threatsto thesuccessof the network,becausetheyare workingas rigorouslyas Discoveryand targeting similardemographics. Still,DiscoveryCommunicationsisveryactiveincertainprofessionalaffiliationsand upfrontwithitscode of ethicsand itsemployeetraining. Discoverymaintainsa levelof secrecy withitsPR tacticsby offeringseminarsand interviewswithPRSA.ThisallowsDiscovery Communicationsto open aboutitsPR programswithoutdisclosingtoo muchinformationto peopleoutsideof thememberbased organization. It also maintainsa veryactiveblogthatgives Discoverythe imageofa beinga transparentorganizationwhilstalsoallowingitto completely controltheinformationitreleasesaboutitsPR practices. On the blog,Discoverycan release limitedinformationabout PR tacticsand highlightactivismitisdoingwithinthecompany. Discovery 9 Alongwithitsactivism,Discovery highlightsitsequalopportunitiesand fair employeetrainingon itswebsite. As seen inImage2, the websitelistsits standardsrequiredfor employment,its programsitoffersfor itspotentialstaff and itsevaluationsof theseprograms. Thecompanyhas sixtrainingprograms availablefor potentialemployeesand currentemployeesto maintaina high code ofethics. Thecompanyfirst initiatesitsemployeeswithmandatory onlinecode ofethicstrainingwhichit followsup withininductiontraining. It thenmaintainsthesehighstandards throughexternalconsultantled-training, managementtrainingand on the job training. If employeesstillfeelthe need formoretraining,Discoveryoffersa mentoringschemeto helpthese individualsfindtheirpathinthe DiscoveryCommunicationsoffices. DiscoveryCommunicationsalso maintainsexcellentPR by havinga very activePR departmentthatwas rated one of thebest placesto work in2012 by PR News.Thecompanyscommunication withitsemployeesisdescribedas a GlobalPerformanceManagementSystem inwhichthe employeeand hisdirect managerwork towardseach othersbest performanceto ensuresuccess. Discovery,inreturnforthesesuccesses, has a varietyof employeebenefits,such as reimbursingfor walkingshoesand bicycles,on-sitemassagetherapy,dry Image 2: A screenshot of Discoverys Ethics and Training outline. Source: discoverycommunications.com Discovery 10 cleaningservice,discountedcar washing,etc.PR News deems DiscoveryCommunicationsas a longtimeleaderinemployeebenefitscreditingthemwitha competitivebase salaryand good incentiveplans. Thesebenefitsand incentivesencourageemployeesuccessandhappinesswhich maycontributeto the successofthe communicationsdepartmentand trade secrets. Followingitspresenceand membershipinprofessionalaffiliations,Discoveryactively participatesinblogposts and interviewswithPRSA talkingaboutthesocially consciouswork itdoes and givingadviceabout itsPR strategies. When Discoverywas celebrating its25thanniversary,it launchedDiscoverYour ImpactDay. This involved3,000 employees at 40 locationsgivingback to thecommunity. Discoverymakesita priorityto giveback to the localcommunity,because itiswhereitsemployees liveand itwantsits employeesto livein thrivingcommunities. Discoveryevenhas an entiresectionon the main page ofitswebsitethat detailsthe charitywork it does.Theseposts involve movementswithinits showsand on socialmedia thatpromotecharitywork.Discoverymakespositively impactingthecommunitya prioritythroughits employeeprogramsand televisionprograms. As seeninImage3, Discoveryscharitywork is rankedas highas corporate and programnewson themainpage ofitswebsite,highlightedinthe ImpactNews section. Image 3: A screenshot of Discoverys homepage. The bottom portion is broken into three news sections: Corporation News, Program News and Impact News. Source: discoverycommunications.com Discovery 11 PR Specialty Withan activepresenceon severalplatformsof socialmedia,televisionand news,media relationsisclearlyDiscoveryCommunicationsPR specialty. Discoveryboasts of anactive socialmediapresencethroughitsblog,Twitter,Facebook, Tumblr,Instagramand LinkedIn. Discoveryshowsthatitis a successfulcompanythroughitssocialmediawhencomparedto its competitors. For example,DiscoveryCommunicationshas92,000 followerson Twitterwith post outreachesspanningfrom10-35 peopleon average,whereasNBC Universalhas15,000 followerswithpost outreachesrangingfrom2-10 on average. Discoverysother socialmedia venuesshowsimilarsuccessescontrastedto itscompetitors. Eachplatformof socialmediahas a unifiedlook,makingiteasy to identifya DiscoveryCommunicationssocialmediaoutlet. These mediasalsoshareunifiedmessagesthatmirroreach otherfromTwitterand itsblogto Instagram and itspress releases. Thecompanyisso emergedinsocialmediathatithasFacebook posts spanningfrom1989 to 2015 detailingthegrowthand highlightsofDiscoveryCommunications.Images 4-7: Screenshots of Discoverys various social media platforms.From left to right: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Sources: facebook.com, twitter.com, Instagram.com and tumblr.com Discovery 12 TheNetwork Communicationsbranchof DiscoveryCommunicationsworks on media relationsmostfrequently. ThisbranchmaintainsDiscovery'sblogand pressrelatesthatgo directlyto thenewsoutlets. ThisPR branchcarefullyarticulateswhatissaid on theseoutlets, whichinturninfluencestheway inwhichthemediaviewsthecompany. Bydepictinga transparentcorporationthroughitsaccessibilityon multiplesocialmediaplatforms,Discovery can easilygeneratea favorablepublicimage.Byhavinga hugePR branchdedicatedto these objectives,Discoveryremainsa well-likedcompanyamongstthegeneralpublics. Whensocialmediaemerged,Discoverywas quickto immerseitselfinitand becomethe forefront,outshiningitscompetitors. Throughprogramssuchas SharkWeek thathavean intensesocialmediapresence,Discoveryhas shownthatsocialmediawas an importanttrendto embraceand one thatisvitalto thehugesuccessof itscompany. Thismeansemployeesmust havean extensiveknowledgeof socialmedia,oftenspendinghoursa day monitoringvarious socialmediaoutlets. Theseindividualsmustthenproducemediabased on thetrendstheyhave noticedand mediapertinentto the socialmediaoutlettheyare creatingitfor.Thisrequiresgood writingand verbalskills. Thisspecialtyalso requiresgood socialskills,so as to maintaina positiverelationshipwithprintand broadcast newsoutlets. InternalPR andCorporateStructure In additionto CharlotteBigford,our groupinterviewedanothermemberofthe Discovery Communicationsteam.We did thisinorder to geta better understandingof theorganizations internalPR andto furtherunderstandwhatworkingat Discoveryis likewithpotentiallya less busycounterpart. StephanieMcGowanis a contingentworker inthe financedepartmentof Discovery Communications.She gother startthroughan internshipwithDiscoveryEducation,but as a financemajor,wantedto exploreotheroptionsunderDiscoverysumbrella.Through DiscoverysHRdepartmentshe was connectedto a leaderinthe financedepartment,was interviewedand thengivenher roleinthe financedepartment.Thisdemonstrateshowinternal communicationcan be an extremelypowerfulway to movethrougha corporateladder. Thedepartmentshe currentlyworks foris inchargeof the financesfor theninenetworks locatedinthe UnitedStates.It does daily,monthlyand quarterlyreports.Thefinancialdivision communicatesto the employeesof thevarioustelevisionshows.DailyReportsgo out to track paymentforshowsemployees.A factorofdailyreports isalsoan ArchiveReport,whichtracks thepaymentfor an employeethroughouttheyear. Monthlyreportsare brokenintofourparts. Thepart thatis mostinterestingforPR professionalsisthe Start Report.TheStart Reportis sent out to the entirecompanyand showseveryonewhatshowsare beginningto broadcast each month.Lookingat thesereportsisreallyimportantforthePR department,becauseitgivesthem a senseof whatitisgoingto be publicizing.Lastly,quarterlyreports demonstrateinter-organizationalcommunicationina bigway.Specifically,theBorrowReport tellsthe Discovery 13 organizationwhenone networkborrowsa televisionshowforbroadcast purposes.It is important foreach networkto know whichchannelsare playingwhichshowsso thattheydo notalso play thoseshows. Thefinancedepartmentshowcasesinternalcommunicationwithinitself.Thedepartment isbroken intothreeteamsGlobalContentAccounts,GlobalContentOperationsand Accounts Payable.TheGlobalContentOperationsofficewillreceiveinformationabouta payment,i.e. howmucha showwillcost. It thentransfersthatinformationto theGlobalContentAccounts, whichwillenterthepaymentina database. Lastly,theAccountsPayablewilltrack thepayment and dealwiththefunding.The communicationbetweenthesethreeteamsis crucialbecause otherwiseno showundertheDiscoveryUmbrellawillbe funded. ThoughMcGowanworksina team,shedirectlyreportsto one person,GinaFinamore, whothenreportsto one personabove her,BrianJacobs. Jacobs isthehead of theentirefinance departmentand delegateswork to thethreebranchesoffinancedepartment.Finamorereceives theinformationand theninformsher staff. Accordingto McGowanthe officeenvironmentat Discoveryis veryrelaxed.This replicatesa participativeformof leadershipinwhichallthestaffworks togetherto completea goal.McGowansayseventhoughIma lowerpositionI dontfeelthatway,we allreallywork as a teamto getthe job done.Discoveryalso takes reallygood care ofitsemployees.For example,Discoveryoffersto helppay foritsemployeesto take classesand betterthemselvesin theirfield.Takinggreatcare ofitsemployeesenticesthemto work hardand keep receiving amazingprivileges.Tosumup McGowansthoughtson workingforDiscovery:Itsfreaking awesome. FindingPR Strategies As an internationalmass-mediaconglomerate,DiscoveryCommunicationsis responsible forstayingon top ofmediatrendsinorder to remainsuccessful.Thecost of a bad decision,or failureto adapt isat an all-timehighfora companylikeDiscovery,thereforeit mustrelyon researchto make calculateddecisions.To overcomethischallenge,Discoverycommissioned VisionCritical,a researchtechnologyproviderthatassistsorganizationswithconsumer engagement,research,and feedback.Togethertheycreated theInfluencer Panel, a customer insightcommunityof morethan15,000 viewers. TheInfluencer Panel allowsDiscoveryto conductonlinequestionnairesdirectlywith viewersto gettheirfeedbackinorder to better understandtheirneeds, attitudesand motives.It has developedintoa toolthatmultipledepartmentsthroughoutDiscoveryhas utilizedto directly interactwithviewerswheneveritwantedwithoutthe hassleand cost ofa traditionalresearch study.One productoftheInfluencer Panel isDestinationAmerica,one of Discoverysmany channels.DestinationAmericacameintoexistencethroughtestingwiththeInfluencer Panel, everythingfromthe logoto theoveralldirectionand toneof thechannelwas testedthroughthe panel.Use of the panelwas provento be successfulwhenit resultedinthe best monthever for thenetwork.Discoverylearnedthatthe keyto successisthe involvementofconsumersin Discovery 14 importantbusinessdecisionsfromtheverystartof theprocess, because itleavesviewersmore investedand excitedabout thefutureof thenetwork. Discoveryreflectedon the successofthe panelon itsblog,whichhad resultedinover 120 successfulresearchinitiatives.Thesuccessof theInfluencer Panel earnedDiscovery Communicationsthe 2012 Community Panelof the Year award by Vision Critical.Discovery was recognizedforits ongoingcommitment to stayconnectedtoits viewers,which exemplifiesthat consumerengagement isa core valueof the company.Another valueexpressedinthe blogismaintaining relevancy,specifically ina multi-screen society.Based on researchand data collectedfromtheInfluencer Panel,Discoverytackledthe task of understandinghowconsumers use socialmedia,and how itcanbe used to targetand engageviewers.Discoveryfoundthat brandsoftencreate campaignsto targetactivelikers,or viewerswhosimplylikea social mediapage. However,inorder to findtruesuccessbrandsmustinsteadtargetthosewho already havean affinityforthebrand, and findwaysto engagethem.By takingresponsesfromthe panel,Discoverypinpointedwhatstrategiesworked for past campaignsinorder to drivesuccess forfutureones. Thefourkey strategieswere: 1.Contestsand Coupons 2.Humor 3.ExclusiveOffers 4.SavingtheWorld In termsof planning,Discoverybuiltonitsgoalof understandingtheindividualsuseof socialmediato set clearobjectiveson how to create consumer-centeredcampaignsthatpromotes user-engagement.Theseobjectivesinclude: Deliverinnovativeand targetedsolutionsforadvertisers Shiftattentionto programming Generatestrongratings Image 8: Screenshot of Discoverys Influencer Panel, just one way Discovery pledges to stay connected to viewers. Source: influencerdiscovery.com Discovery 15 Deepenaudienceengagement One of theways thatDiscoveryaccomplishedtheseobjectiveswas thecreationof an onlineapp inpartnershipwithToyotacalledWhat Not to Wear Keep It or Toss It. Theapp allowsfansofthe showto uploadoutfitsand getadvicefromotherfanson whetherto keep or toss the outfit.Theapp was in correspondencewiththe revampingof the2012 ToyotaCamry, implementingitsfirstobjectiveof deliveringinnovativesolutionsfor advertisers.Theapp alsoservesas a wayto providean exclusive opportunityto viewers,implementing a socialmediastrategythatDiscovery foundsuccessfulthroughresearch. Users whofollowedthe pageon social mediawere givenan exclusive opportunitywhenWhat Not to Wear asked Facebook fansfortheirinput duringthe productionof an episode allowingthemto voteon whetherto keep or toss anoutfit.Effectivenessof theapp was measuredby the Facebook and onlinefootprints,as wellas the overallabilityto providean engaging experienceforusersthroughfancommentary. Discoveryadheresto thesystemstheory,becausethecompanyismadeup of multiple departmentsthatwork togetherto create successfulcampaignsandqualitycontent.For instance, theresearchdepartmentcollecteddata on whatdrivessocialmediausersto findthatthey respondedwellto incentive-basedopportunitieslikediscountsand contests.Themarketing departmentthenappliedthisinformationanddevelopedpartnershipwithSouthwestAirlinesto promoteSharkWeek. Thepartnershipincludeda never-before-seentelevisionspecialfor customersflyingSouthwest,livestreamingof SharkWeek and a chanceto wina tripto Nassau/ParadiseIslandand a divingexcursionintheDare to Dive Sweepstakes. Discovery successfullyfunctionsas a largeorganizationbecausedepartmentsaredependentonone another, whichpromotesa sense ofunitywithinthe company.Anotherapplicabletheoryisthe situational theoryof publics,inwhichDiscoveryacknowledgesthe differencebetweenpublics.The companyrecognizesthatthemajorityof socialmediausersare passiveconsumers,and therefore understandtheimportanceof targetingtheactiveusers.Discoveryappliesthe notionsof the situationaltheorywithintheInfluencer Panel by engagingthe activeaudiencewithopportunities to makea differenceinthe contenttheycare about. Image 9: Screenshot of Discoverys What Not to Wear Instagram. Source: Instagram.com Discovery 16 DiscoveryCommunicationas a wholedoes an excellentjob inaligningitsvaluesand actions.Thisconsistencyisexpressedinthe creationand maintenanceof theInfluencer Panel, by confidinginthe userto createprogrammingand contentthatwillbenefita largeraudience. Additionallythe blogcommunicatestheinitiativestakenby the companyto stayinnovativeand on top ofmediatrends,thenshowshow ithas successfullyimplementedresearchto engage viewers.Discoveryseeks to create an experienceforviewersby breakingdown thebarrier,and interactingwithusersto makedecisionsthatcan benefitboththe companyand viewers. Case Studies In ourfirstcase study,we are goingto focuson one of CharlotteBigfordsPR campaigns,theRed, Whiteand Youcontest. Red, Whiteand Youis a nationalcontestheld amongthe U.S.s 48 tangentstatesand D.C. ThisPR campaignisa contestthatultimatelyyields two worthycitiesthatreceiveIndependenceDaycelebrations. WiththetaglineItsAmericas birthdaybutYOU gettheparty,Red, Whiteand You focuseson rewardingAmericancitiesthat demonstratevaluesworthyofa bigIndependenceDayparty. Thecontestentrydates rangefrom February23 to April5 inwhichapplicantswriteanessay explainingwhytheircityis worthyof winningthecontestto thenbe judgedby a thirdpartybased on originality,content,relevanceto thethemeand sincerity. Thejudgesthencreate a poolof 25 finalistsfromwhichthetwo winnersare selected. Thesewinningtownsreceivea Fourthof Julyparty,whichconsistsofa budgetof $50,000, whichincludesa fireworksshowand livemusic. Thepartyis usedto celebratethe townand itsresidentsby eitherhelpingthemout ofa difficulttimeor celebrating theexemplarybehaviorthetownhas displayed.Thetownsselectedinthe past haverangedfrom largeto smallcommunitiesfromaroundthecountry. TheRed, Whiteand You contestiscurrentlyinitsthirdyear. Previouswinnershave been townsthatcelebratewar heroes,townsgoingthroughroughtimesand townsthathavegone throughtraumaticnaturaldisasterssuchas a hurricaneor wildfires. Thecontestis sponsoredby DestinationAmerica,one of DiscoveryCommunicationschannelsthatfocussolelyon America, and USA Todaya partneringorganizationand Americasmostpredominantnewspaper. The contestaimsto celebratethe core valuesthatmake up Americaand some ofthe traditions associatedwiththeholiday. We choseto focuson the Red, Whiteand Youcontestforourcase study,because itisan ongoingcontestthatwe caneasilyevaluatethestrengthsand weaknessesof.SinceUSA Today and DestinationAmericasponsorthe contest,itspeaks to our groupsPR interests: entertainment. Thiscampaignis idealforus, becauseitdealswithtwo sourcesofentertainment: a televisionbased source,DestinationAmericaanda newsprovider,USA Today. Bothof these sponsorswillallowus to evaluatethe outletsindividually,as wellas thecontestand theirinput on it. We willalsohavetheprivilegeofseeingtwo differentsizedentitieswhenwe evaluate DestinationAmericaas a smallercorporationand USA Todayas a largercorporation. Thisgives us a varietyof entertainmentoutlets. We willthenget to create assessmentsjudgingeach entertainmentoutletseffectsoverthisPR campaign,makingour SWOT analysiseasier.Discovery 17 We alsothoughtthatthiscontestwouldbe a good choiceforour team,because inclass we havestudiedtheDoritosCrashtheSuperbowlcontest. We can leveragetheknowledgewe havelearnedaboutthissuccessfulcontestand applyitto Red, Whiteand You. We can compare objectives,goalsand strategiesusedintheDoritoscampaignwiththatofRed, Whiteand Yous campaignto analyzewhattacticswere successfulandhurtfulto the Red, Whiteand You campaign. We canalso comparethe successand impactof theDoritoscampaignwiththatof Red, Whiteand You,identifyingthe differencesinoutreach,thereasonsfor thedifferencesand theimpactof eachsubsequentconteston thegeneralpopulation. Thecampaignsare similarin nature,both tryingto provideentertainment,buttheiroutreachisverydifferent. Doritoswanted to becomethemostpopularad of theSuper Bowl,increasingsalesof theproductand generating a coolvibewiththe company. Thecampaignreachedmillions,becausetheSuper Bowlis watchedby so manyinAmericaand aroundtheworld. We canthenusethisanalysisand apply itto ouranalysisofRed, Whiteand You.Red, Whiteand Youaimsfora smallerimpact. The programaimsto helpsmalltowns,whichcreates good buzzaboutDestinationAmericaand USA Today. Thepartnershipbetweenthetwo companiescreatesmore viewersand directstrafficto DestinationAmerica. Thecampaignhas a muchsmalleroutreach,becauseDestinationAmerica isa relativelysmallchannelwithinthe DiscoveryCommunicationsumbrella. We canalso use theDoritoscampaignto studythedifferenceinnatureof thecontests. TheDoritoscampaign aimedto create successfulads to be broadcaston the mostwatchedtelevisionprogram. The Red, Whiteand Youcontestiscreated by the channelitisbroadcasted on.DestinationAmerica and USA Todaydo notdirectlygainan increaseinrevenues;althoughthecontestmaycreate viewerloyaltyand a generalfeelgood feelingabout thecompaniesinvolved. We can easilyidentifythe strengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesand threatswithinthis competition. Somestrengthsof thecampaignincludethesponsorshipof thecontest. Red, White and Youis sponsoredby DestinationAmericaand USA Today. DestinationAmericacan run freeads on itsownnetworkand DiscoveryCommunicationscan runfreeadvertisingon itsother channels. USA Todaycan and hasrunmultipleprintarticlesas wellas a frontpage articleon thecontest. DestinationAmericaalsoused programswithinitsnetworkto helpwiththecontest, suchas the BBQ companyfromitsshowBBQ Pitmasters. DestinationAmericacancreate more viewerloyaltyby changingviewersand participantsattitudesofthe channel. Theopportunities wouldincludepress coverage,specificallythatof localnewsstations. Weaknessesincludethe niche;petitechannelthecontestisheldon.Manypeoplehaveneverheardof, norwatchthe networkthecontestisheldon.Thecontestisalso verytimespecificand limitedincoverage. Thenetworkisforcedto airtheconteston or aroundJulyFourthand islimitedto airingminimal episodesdue to itstimelynature. Threatsto thecontestincludeno worthytownsenteringthe contest. Anotherthreatcouldbe the weather,whichwouldimpedemanyof thescheduledevents fromhappening. AnothermajoreventthatDiscoveryisresponsibleforis SharkWeek, whichisa weeklongannualseriesaboutsharks.ThisPR campaignmaybe one of Discoverysmostwell-knownand mostsuccessfulcampaigns. Theprogramsincludeboth realand fictionalprograming Discovery 18 allrelatedto sharks.Thefictionalprogrammingwas an attemptby Discoveryto increaseratings and has beenworkingover thepast fewyears.Thiscan be shownthoughthe ratingsfor Shark Week and itsviewershipwhichhavebothseen a steadyincrease.SharkWeek isalsoextremely notablebecauseitis thelongestrunningcabletelevisionprogrameventinhistory.In order to makeShark Week so hugeDiscoveryhadto employheavyadvertisementson allofitsnetworks. Withsucha largenumberoftelevisionchannels,itiseasy forDiscoveryto marketSharkWeek. OnlineAdvertisementsare one formof publicitythatisreallypopular,especiallyon sites,such as YouTube. OurAnalysis Our biggestchallengewas thatbecauseDiscoveryCommunicationsissucha large corporation,our maincontacthad limitedtimeandwas notalwaysavailableforfollow-upand morein-depthquestions. Despitethisadversity,we founda lot ofsecondaryresearchthatgave us a lotofinformationon DiscoveryCommunicationsand allowedus to evaluatethe corporation. As seen inthe SWOT analysis,Discoveryhas a lotofstrengthsandweaknessesthatcan ultimatelyleadthe companyto successoffailure. Afterevaluatinga fewPR campaignsand the PR practiceswithintheorganization,we decided thatDiscoveryisverysuccessfulinpublic relations. Socialmediaisone of themainfocusesof thecompanysaggressivePR strategyand we feelthatDiscoverysoverallpresenceon itisvitalto itscurrentsuccess. Discoveryworks rigorouslyto keep itsemployeeshappyand maintaina positivepublicimagethroughitsbusiness practicesand charitywork.WiththeinformationDiscoveryhasand the marketitis currentlyin, we feelDiscoverysPR practicesare someof thebest. Despitetheseovertsuccesses,we do see a fewareas whereDiscoveryCommunications couldimprove. DespitehavinganelaboratesocialmediapresenceinwhichDiscoveryportrays a transparentcompanyimage,Discoverycouldstillimproveinitssocialmediacourseof action. One way inwhichbigcorporationsare recentlyfindingsuccess,especiallyon Twitterand Facebook isthroughhands-oninteractionwithconsumers. Discoverybrands itselfas a hands-on company,so we feelthatit interactingwithcustomersby respondingto tweetsabout the companyor trendingtopicspertinentto thecompanysthemescouldgiveDiscoveryan edge on itscompetitors. Thiscourseof actionwouldincreaseconsumersfavorableattitudestowardsthe companyand potentiallyresultinmoreloyalviewers. Anotherarea we foundthatDiscoveryshouldimproveon isitsmarketversatility. As describedinthe SWOT weaknesses,televisionis becominga challengingindustryas millennials are startingto solelywatchNetflixor illegallystreamshows. Ifthistrendcontinues,live televisionisgoingto followinnewspapersfootsteps. We adviseDiscoveryto improveuponits versatilitywithinthe marketand becomea companythathas otheroutletsbesidestelevision. We Discovery 19 describedsomewaysinwhichDiscoverycoulddo thatthroughour SWOT analysisby expandingitseducationalproduct linesor furtherembracingonlinestreaming. Bothofthese optionsare essentialinDiscoveryremaininga major,successfulcompanyforyears to come. Overall,Discoveryseemslikea greatplaceto work withgreatemployeecommunications and employeebenefits. We wouldbe veryhappyto work forDiscoverywhichwouldvalueus as an employeeand allowus a venueinwhichwe can happilypursuethePR sideof entertainment. We learnedthatcommunicationscan be anunderratedfield,shapingalmostentirelyhow we feel aboutcompanieswe interactwitheveryday.We are goingto be more aggressiveand presentin socialmedia,seeingas thatis a wayinwhichmanycorporationsare findingsuccessinmedia relations. Discovery 20 AppendixA: Questions Interview questions with Charlotte Bigford ContactInfo: CharlotteBigford,Publicist DiscoveryCommunications One DiscoveryPlace SilverSpring,MD 20910 OfficePhone:240-662-3125 CellPhone:240-460-2585 Email:Charlotte_Bigford@discovery.com GeneralQuestions 1.Whatprimaryservicesand/orproductsdoes DiscoveryCommunicationsprovide? 2.Whatis yourmarketshare? 3.Who are yourprimarycompetitors? 4.Whatare thefunctionsofyourPR department? 5.How manycommunicationsemployeesdo youhave? 6.Whatis yourPR/marketing/advertisingbudget(s)? 7.WhatcurrentPR campaignsare yourunning? 8.Who are youkey targetpublics?

RED,WHITEAND YOU Questions 1.Pleasetellusabout TheContest 2.Who are youkey targetpublics?Is itanydifferentfromthetargetpublicof DiscoveryCommunicationsas a whole? 3.Whatare theStrengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities,and Threatsfor theorganization and/orforRED,WHITEAND YOU? 4.Whatsocialmediaand newstacticsdo youuse forpromotingRED,WHITEAND YOU? 5.Whatare theobjectivesand primarystrategiesforRED,WHITEAND YOU? 6.How closelydoes the marketingteamwork withthe PR teamduringRED,WHITE AND YOU as opposed to the organizationas a whole? Interview questions with Stephanie McGowan StephanieMcGowan,Contingentworker forDiscoveryCommunicationsfinancedepartment Phone:301-821-648 Email:Stephanieann_mcgowan@yahoo.com 1.How didyouget yourinternship? 2.Whatis yourroll? 3.How does discoverycommunicatewithinthe organization? Discovery 21 4.How do youcommunicatewithyourteamand boss? 5.How manypeople do youwork under? 6.Do youenjoyworkingfor discovery? 7.How manyinternsdoes discoveryhave? Discovery 22 AppendixB: Team Responsibilities Sam oDirectlinkto bothBigfordand McGowan oWorked on:organizationalprofile,backgroundanalysis,inter-organizational communication,corporate structure,mediaanalysisand appendices. Lizzie oEditor,Organization oWorked on:PR analysis,PR role,PR specialtyand SWOT. Natalie oWorked on:Discoveryas a whole,RPIE,theories,and values. Discovery 23 AppendixC: Sources Used http://marketingland.com/white- house-shark-week-get-know-discovery-channels-chief-communications-officer-119556 http://www.prnewsonline.com/featured/2012/11/29/2012-top-places-to-work-in-pr-discovery-communications/ http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/the-evolution-of-shark-week-pop-culture-leviathan/261063/ http://corporate.discovery.com/our-company/training-equal-opportunity/ https://www.visioncritical.com/customer-stories/discovery-communications/ http://corporate.discovery.com/blog/2012/10/11/discovery-communications-named-the-2012-vision-critical-community-panel-of-the-year/ http://therealtimereport.com/2012/06/14/4-strategies-for-engaging-brand- influencers-on-social-media-discovery-research/ http://corporate-media.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pdf/ott-survey-jan-2013.pdf#mkcpgn=blgdsc1 http://corporate.discovery.com/blog/2012/06/11/defining-success- for-brands-through-social-media/ http://swamedia.com/releases/southwest-airlines-r-and-discovery-r-provide-customers-an-exclusive-shark-week-experience-at-35-000-feet?l=en-US http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/science-sushi/2014/08/21/shark-week- loses-nine-million- viewers-discovery-says-everyone-absolutely-thrilled/#.VUmQvtrBzGc http://slicecommunications.com/sharkweek/ http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/the-evolution-of-shark-week-pop-culture-leviathan/261063/ http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/online-curiosity-idUSL2N0WI03120150318 http://marketingland.com/white- house-shark-week-get-know-discovery-channels-chief-communications-officer-119556 http://www.prnewsonline.com/featured/2012/11/29/2012-top-places-to-work-in-pr-discovery-communications/ https://prezi.com/lbpssi4lf2p8/discovery-communications/ http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Discovery_Communications_Inc.ac0da8acf4dc6039.html http://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-news/discovery-communications-announces-new-organizatio/ http://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-news/discovery-communications-announces-new-organizatio/ http://corporate.discovery.com/our-company/training-equal-opportunity/ Discovery 24 http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/Tactics/Articles/view/8700/1017/Socially_conscious_Companies_share_CSR_best_practi#.VUe2lFNHDn8 https://www.themuse.com/advice/pro-tips-for-finding-your-pr-specialty Discovery 25 HonorPledge: "Ipledgeon myhonorthatI havenot givenor receivedanyunauthorizedassistanceon this assignment/examination." ElizabethDanko "Ipledgeon myhonorthatI havenot givenor receivedanyunauthorizedassistanceon this assignment/examination." NatalieEyob "Ipledgeon myhonorthatI havenot givenor receivedanyunauthorizedassistanceon this assignment/examination." Sam Rubin