As ABC prepares its Fall 2005 marketing schedule, it is aiming for a different approach than the one taken last year that put it back on the television map.

"We have bigger issues this year—we have returning shows with need to care for," Mike Benson, senior VP of marketing, advertising, and promotion for ABC told MediaPost. He said the network will be going for a "different strategy" from the one last season that saw the network focus on newcomers Lost and Desperate Housewives.

On the network itself, both shows received a higher percentage of on-air promo time than other programs on the network. That strategy did pay off—with both shows becoming massive hits for the network—but with both shows now established, the network has more ground to promote its new arrivals such as Commander-in-Chief, Invasion, and Night Stalker. "The toughest job of a network is to get sampling," said Andy Donchin, senior vp and director of national broadcast for Carat North America. "This year, they have the luxury of having a lot more eggs in their basket to choose from."

ABC said it plans to keep its advertising clear and simple, driving one theme rather than trying to aim different advertisements at different viewer groups. "We don't want to put too many messages in the market—that confuses people," said Benson. "We are looking to simplify things. If you only see one spot, there should be enough that gets you in."

You can read the original report over at MediaPost.

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