Oxygen taps Klarman for GM role
Zalaznick sticks with ex-Bravo marketing chief
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Klarman will still have the same boss: Lauren Zalaznick, prexy of both Bravo and Oxygen. In his new gig, Klarman will assume oversight of brand strategy, marketing and promotion for Oxygen Media, along with the development of all digital content and strategy.
Oxygen's programming team continues to be headed by senior VP Aaron Meyerson, who reports to Zalaznick.
Zalaznick, who's worked with Klarman since their days at Trio at the turn of the century, said Klarman has "brought innovation and growth to every part of the business he's touched.
"He thinks big, he thinks strategically and is extremely effective at taking an existing brand and bringing it to a whole new level," she added.
Klarman worked closely with Zalaznick to rebrand Bravo in 2005, shaping the cabler's "Watch What Happens" campaign. He's launched some of the net's biggest hits, including "Project Runway," "My Life on the D List" and "The Real Housewives of Orange County."
Unlike Zalaznick, Klarman will not be holding onto his Bravo responsibilities. Instead, he'll move from his current 30 Rock offices to Oxygen's downtown digs.
"I had a lot of involvement in things at Bravo, but I'll be much more involved in all aspects of the business" at Oxygen, Klarman said.
Exec said he doesn't think Oxygen needs to be reinvented or even "Bravo-ized."
"Oxygen needs to be Oxygen-ized," he said. "They've found a niche with a younger female demo, and that could be a huge opportunity in a space that's not currently occupied by many people."
Klarman said Oxygen has already created a number of strongly branded shows, from "Bad Girls" to "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," which makes his job "connecting those successes and figuring out how to improve upon the image they already have."
It's expected Klarman will focus a big chunk of his time on expanding Oxygen's presence in the digital and mobile worlds, duplicating the success he's had in launching several online spinoffs of the Bravo brand (BrilliantButCancelled.com, etc.)
Before launching Trio, Klarman worked with Roger Ailes to help launch Fox News Channel as veepee of marketing. He also worked under Ailes at CNBC and America's Talking.
