The Mall of America has joined the likes of Flavor Flav and Kim Kardashian among the ranks of reality TV stars, and it’s chasing after more appearances.
"Mall Cops: Mall of America," a show that follows a 100-person security force as it patrols the 4.2 million-square-foot shopping center, debuted as a one-hour special on The Learning Channel (TLC) last October. It was so successful that the cable network picked it up as a weekly series that is scheduled to start in late spring.
Now MOA officials are pitching ideas for more reality shows based at the megamall. They recently filmed a “sizzle reel” for a game show that they’re shopping to networks. They’ve also talked with a production company regarding a cooking show.
The mall doesn’t get paid for its reality show appearances, but the production companies cover all of the costs and the exposure bolsters the mall’s national marketing efforts.
“If people know about you, they’ll consider coming,” said Maureen Bausch, the mall’s executive vice president of business development. “Our sole mission is to keep Mall of America top of mind with as many American consumers as possible, and we really feel that these shows will help us do that.”
The mall started to explore reality TV opportunities a couple of years ago when officials attended the RealScreen Summit, a nonfiction film and television conference that’s held annually in Washington, D.C. However, they weren’t looking for a starring role, only cameos; they hoped to attract reality-show casting calls to the mall and convince "Jon & Kate Plus 8" to film a segment there.
They took a closer look at hosting a show last year. While MOA has received numerous pitches from production companies interested in filming various TV episodes, reality series or movies there over the years, those requests spiked after the movie "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" came out in January 2009.
Mall officials ultimately decided to proceed with September Films’ pitch for "Mall Cops: Mall of America." The London television company has produced numerous reality shows and documentaries in the United States and United Kingdom, including series like Bridezillas and Billy the Exterminator.
The one-hour pilot of "Mall Cops" attracted more than 1.2 million viewers, convincing the network to bring it back as a recurring series.
“When you do a pilot episode that receives such strong ratings, you want to immediately get back there to start shooting and dig deeper,” said Eric Streit, the show’s co-executive producer.
To prepare for the upcoming series, September Films had four production crews at the Mall of America, each of which filmed an average of 12 hours a day for seven days a week over the course of nearly three months.
TLC spokesman Dustin Smith said the network hasn’t yet set a date for the premiere of the Mall Cops series, but it’s expected to be sometime in late spring.
Streit, who also has worked on successful shows such as "Dr. Phil" and "Little People, Big World," believes "Mall Cops" has staying power. “I think it has the potential to go on indefinitely. I honestly believe it will be right up there with all of those [other shows Streit has worked on], if not bigger.”
The mall also is developing a line of "Mall Cops" merchandise, including hats and shirts, that it plans to sell in its gift shops.
Mall officials believe "Mall Cops" might be just the first in a series of reality-show hits starring the shopping center.
Next up is a concept for a game show that is modeled after The Discovery Channel’s popular "Cash Cab" series, in which unsuspecting people become contestants on a trivia show after getting in the back seat of a New York cab.
In the Mall of America’s version, shoppers would be randomly selected as contestants, answering trivia questions for a chance to win a $20,000 shopping spree at the mall. A production company, which the mall declined to name, filmed a pilot of the show several weeks ago and will pitch it to networks.
“We don’t know whether or not it will get picked up, but we think that’s a fun one,” Bausch said. “I can’t believe it’s not going to get picked up.”
Mall officials also are in early talks with a production company about hosting a cooking show, although they revealed few details.
Minnesota State University, Mankato Provost and Vice President Scott Olson, a communications studies professor who has extensively researched product placement, said the buzz from "Mall Cops" and other television appearances should help enhance the mall’s reputation as a tourist destination.
“Tourists will go there not only to shop, but to look for places and people from 'Mall Cops' that they enjoyed seeing on television,” he said.
In fact, Olson said environmental theming — allowing consumers to experience in three dimensions a world that they have enjoyed in two dimensions on TV — is the most effective type of product placement. Cheers bar in Boston or the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World are prime examples.
However, there are some risks associated with showcasing the Mall of America brand in a show like "Mall Cops," Olson said.
“Reality cannot be controlled in the same way that a fictional Disney story can be meticulously controlled, and 'Mall Cops' is, after all, a reality show,” he said, noting that producers often look for drama and controversy.
Mall of America officials said they thought hard about that before committing to a reality show, but they believe they’re on the same page as the show’s producers. That was especially important in the case of "Mall Cops" because the mall didn’t want to cast a negative light on its well-respected security team, Bausch said.
“The producer is very sensitive. We like his style, and we have a lot of control over what they are able to shoot,” she said. “Most of the things that happen aren’t bad, just odd. If they catch the humor that’s OK, but hopefully it also will give people some insight into just how much we do to keep the building running smoothly and give the guests a great experience.”
For the online version of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal story, click on http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2010/03/22/story3.html?b=1269230400%5e3052511
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