Marketing push starts at home

If Mary Higgins Clark hadn't heard of Rory Schepisi (left) or anyone on "The Next Food Network Star" cast before Season No. 3 started, she sure has now.

But she shouldn't just thank the Food Network. She should thank the grassroots effort undertaken by family and friends of Schepisi, the Bergen County native who's a finalist in the reality show that ends Sunday.

Included in this marketing push:

• Posts from family members and the contestant on message boards.
• Frequent e-mail reminders to members of the media from family members.
• Similar e-mails from a Sussex County event agency.
• Advertising on a popular celebrity Web site.

Also worth noting are e-mails sent by Hackensack University Medical Center to its board of governors on behalf of the contestant's father that urged them to watch the show and directed them to vote for Rory. The first board member on the distribution list for one of the messages: Mary Higgins Clark.

As one of two finalists, the 31-year-old Schepisi has a 50-50 shot of winning, but you have to wonder how much the odds improve with this kind of support behind her:

HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: Members of the hospital's board of governors received several messages on behalf of John Schepisi, Rory's father and a board member. At least one was sent with "High" importance, notifying 100 recipients -- including Mary Higgins Clark -- that Rory was in the final three, and explaining how they could vote for her in the finale, should she be chosen. Here's an excerpt from the July 10 message:

"Please watch the show this Sunday night, July 15th.  If Rory makes it to the final two, follow the instructions and vote as many times as you legally can.  Call your family; call your friends and ask them to have their family and friends support Rory.  With all of your support, hopefully we can call Rory the Next Food Network Star."

Earlier in the season, the hospital also had distributed a PDF file from Schepisi, which contained a letter on his law firm's letterhead addressed "Dear colleague." Here's an excerpt:

"I would be so very appreciative if you could support Rory's efforts by tuning in to the Food Network each week and following Rory's quest. Tell your family; tell your friends; and have your friends tell their friends as well!"

IN THE RECORD: John Schepisi had called The Record long before the show aired to let us know of Rory's involvement. Even though she'd closed her Hillsdale restaurant and moved from Saddle River to Texas, he felt there was still a virtue to the hometown-girl-on-TV angle. We agreed, and Virginia Rohan wrote about it on Sunday, June 3.

Before the premiere, Rory's older sister, Holly Schepisi, posted a message on our little used Food Forum, asking readers to view a clip, watch the show, and become a friend on Rory's MySpace page. The post received 561 views but no replies. One week ago, before Rory was a finalist, Holly called to ask if we'd publish a story in Sunday's Better Living section, urging readers to vote for Rory if she was a finalist. We passed on a number of reasons -- we don't take sides, for one thing -- but announced she'd become a finalist in Monday's People in the News feature and on Second Helpings.

ON PASCACK PEOPLE: This community Web site had two postings apparently from Holly Schepisi. In a message posted June 1, before the premiere, Schepisi wrote about the publicity Rory had received and  explained what viewers could expect throughout the season. Another post, on July 15, was virtually identical to her father's e-mail to hospital board members on July 10.

UNSOLICITED E-MAILS: A features editor at The Record said he received at least five e-mails in the last week from John or Holly Schepisi, each with a similar message. And Sussex County-based S.T.A.R.S. Productions also got involved, sending e-mails to a Record features reporter, among others, starting May 24. Another e-mail was sent July 11 at 2:34 a.m. telling us Rory was in the final three. Another reminder came the next day. After Rory was securely in the finals, a S.T.A.R.S. e-mail came at 10:33 p.m., a half-hour after it was official, and in case the other e-mails were ignored, a fifth came a half-hour later.

"Dear Friends: Rory Schepisi is one of the two finalists on the Food Network Star.  Rory is the only remaining contestant selected by the judges to stay.  It was originally JAG and Rory but JAG resigned due to issues involving discrepancies in his resume.  The judges brought back the third runner up to compete against Rory. Please VOTE FOR RORY AT http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_nf_vote/ Click on Rory. Please vote as many times as you can between now and Tuesday 9 am."

JAG refers to Joshua Garcia, the contestant who lied about his military and culinary credentials. He and Schepisi were selected as the finalists, but Garcia removed himself last week. It appeared Schepisi could win by default, until producers brought Amy Finley back as the second finalist.

ONLINE ADS:

Visitors to Perez Hilton's celebrity gossip blog have been greeted with this ad, asking viewers to vote for Rory if she made the finale, as well as to sign up as a MySpace friend. There were no other apparent ads for other customers, and a Food Network spokesperson indicated that the network did not produce or pay for it.

MESSAGE BOARDS: In addition to Holly Schepisi's e-mail on The Record's food forum, she apparently posted a message at the Military Times Web site, which broke the story about Garcia's false credentials. Here's an excerpt:

"I have been following these threads for weeks and I have to say that the whole situation is very unfortunate. Rory was as shocked as everyone else with respect to what has transpired. That being said I ask anyone reading this board to please support Rory and vote for her at www.foodnetwork.com or through text messaging 36636 and then enter "B".

BLOGS: Rory herself has been quiet, although a punctuation-challenged "Rory" was soliciting votes on Route 66 News, a blog with news about Vega, Texas, her new hometown where she plans to open a restaurant:

"Hey All I need everyones help! PLease vote for me at www.foodnetwork.com as well as text the letter B to 36636 Get everyone you know to vote! Help me win this"

That triggered food television blogger Ashtyn Evans to ask whether the request for votes was "promotion or pathetic."

But what do you think?

Consider that Hackensack University Medical Center asked 100 prominent men and women to support her.

Consider that Perez Hilton's site gets thousands of hits (some say millions) daily, and Rory's smile was there to greet the visitors.

Consider that her online presence is far more visible than other contestants.

Also consider that Rory has known all along she'd be a finalist and has been able to push the marketing. Until Garcia stepped out last week, Finley thought her run was over.

Rory just might have the votes to have pulled this off.

We'll know Sunday at 9 p.m.

Comments

[ms. place]

In my blog I called her a fame whore only because she seemed to want the fame more than the satisfaction of doing her best. This makes me doubly glad Amy won.

[Bec]

Rory was on a show called "Popularity Contest" for God's sake. That pretty much speaks for itself what she was after.

[jana]

There was something about Rory, from the start, that i didn't like, and reading about her marketting campaign made me even more happy that Amy won. Rory didn't even respond with dignity to Amy's win. She obviously was having a meltdown when Amy's name was called. I am grateful America voted for Amy. I expect Rory to bully FN because she has a huge sense of entitlement. With that hideous mouth and humongous horse teeth, yet acting like she was Marilyn Monroe, makes me so thrilled that she will have to find a new reality show to promote herself on.

[em]

This article makes me doubly thrilled that Rory didn't win.

I think if the show had done the profile in which Rory admitted she was in another reality show, she'd have done much more poorly, regardless of marketing campaigns. I'm not interested in reality show "hoppers" like Jenna, Rob & Amber, and Rory.

It's pathetic that anyone's so desperate to be on TV they'll go any route available.

(No wonder she looked so devastated when she lost; she must've thought she'd have a runaway victory!)