How Leno, O'Brien and Letterman are managing their brands

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
Scripps Howard News Service
30-SEP-04

On the eve of "The Tonight Show's" 50th anniversary, Jay Leno announced that he will step down and has anointed Conan O'Brien the NBC show's future host.

Let's look at how the current late-night-show hosts are faring. Are they maximizing their potential by managing their brands with savvy and foresight, or have they been haphazard in planning and execution?

The brand-assets meter ranges from $ to $$$$.

Jay Leno

Johnny Carson's shoes were perhaps the hardest to fill, but Leno has done a solid job. Though his early critics were abundant, in recent years they have settled down. He's developed a loyal following and his ratings have soared.

Making an announcement five years before an anticipated departure is unprecedented _ but brilliant. The pressure will be off as Leno winds down his stewardship, and his guests are sure to feel a sense of nostalgia although his exit is still years away.

Still, Leno remains less than legendary; he has always suffered from a ho-hum persona that tends more toward the mainstream than the breakthrough. Though this middle-of-the-road tendency largely accounts for his success, the failure to evoke a specific brand image may be costly to future endeavors.

Leno has failed to stand apart in any meaningful way, and any potentially unique characteristics, short of his pronounced chin, are hard to identify. Perhaps he will take more risks over the next five years.

Jay Leno's Brand A$$$ets

Conan O'Brien

O'Brien will find it much easier to follow in Leno's footsteps than it was for Leno to follow in Carson's. Straight out of Harvard, where he served as president of the revered Harvard Lampoon, O'Brien quickly began a successful comedy writing career, winning an Emmy for his work on "Saturday Night Live." His star continued to rise as one of the writers on "The Simpsons."

In 1993, at 30, he struck gold after winning the "Late Night" spot with sidekick Andy Richter. Initially, the show suffered from low ratings, largely due to O'Brien's quirky humor, odd mannerisms and unusual appearance. But though these qualities may have been discomforting for most, they secured him a loyal, youthful audience that has steadily grown.

The challenge for O'Brien and his staff over the next five years will be to cultivate the more mainstream Leno audience while maintaining the offbeat humor that attracts his own core following of young adults. We may see his show become a bit more rehearsed and less off-the-cuff. But having earned "The Tonight Show" throne with talent and determination, O'Brien knows that all eyes are on him and it is his crown to lose.

Conan O'Brien's Brand A$$$ets

David Letterman

This year marks Letterman's 25th in late-night comedy. Beginning his after-dark career at NBC, Letterman created his own niche as the funny, eccentric anchor of late night, a contrast to Carson's and, ultimately, Leno's more mainstream approach.

When Carson retired, Letterman forced NBC's hand and made it clear that the network was too small for both he and Leno. The network balked at the power play and forced him to seek refuge at rival CBS, which created "The Late Show" for Letterman. This marked the beginning of the late-night wars and inspired the original HBO movie, "The Late Shift."

When health concerns plagued Letterman four years ago and required "The Late Show" to bring in a succession of guest hosts, his fans stuck with him and were there in full force when he returned.

The fans love his dry and offbeat sense of humor, his famed Top 10 Lists and Stupid Pet Tricks. Unwavering personality and consistency in delivering his shtick make Letterman an inimitable brand.

David Letterman's Brand A$$$$ets

Remember: The most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus is a leading voice on personality-driven brands. Her first book, "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do" (Random House), is now in stores. Sign up for her mailing list at www.theexpertsguideto.com)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)