Wonya Lucas is making big changes at the Hallmark Channel

Vonya Lucas got the job as CEO of Hallmark Channel with two instructions: keep your brand intact and disrupt your playbook. At the same time.

Since mid-2020, Lucas has been the CEO of Hallmark Media, the parent of the cable-TV network known for its romantic tales and feel-good holiday movies. In that time, Hallmark has diversified its cast and storylines — and changed how the channel is delivered as subscribers flee to streaming services. And he’s done it all while staying true to the Hallmark brand, which Lucas said is always on his mind.

“My first goal was to understand the audience, but then also to understand what I call the opportunity audience,” Lucas said in an interview with CNBC.

Lucas is a veteran in the media industry. He also held top positions at TNT and TBS such as Turner Broadcasting Network and the Discovery Channel – years before they were brought together. warner bros discovery merged – as well as The Weather Channel and TV One. He also spent parts of his career on the brand management side of household consumer companies such as Coca-Cola And clorox,

She credits that brand expertise for her focus and success at Hallmark. Her colleagues also point to that brand consciousness even as she transitions to Hallmark.

When Lucas became CEO of Hallmark Media, which includes Hallmark Movies and the Mysteries Network, it was also coming out of a whirlwind of controversy. Earlier in 2020, Bill Abbott, the longtime CEO who helped turn the network into a giant, left the company following controversy over ads featuring same-sex wedding ceremonies. to face pressure from a conservative group, Hallmark pulled the commercials. This reverse course Shortly afterwards a gay-rights advocacy group tried to launch an advertising boycott.

neither Hallmark nor Abbott she commented on why she leftBut the controversy did raise questions about the network’s content.

Diversity was of utmost importance when Lucas took over. Hallmark was criticized for its films and series, which were dominated by heterosexual romance stories featuring predominantly white casts. This meant that large sections of the audience looking for more relevant content could feel left out.

Mike Perry, CEO of Hallmark Cards, parent company of Hallmark Media, said, “Her tremendous power brought exactly what we needed in the business at a time when we were looking to broaden content and storytelling ”

Perry said, “We needed someone who was strategically strong and had deep insight about our audience. That’s Vonya.”

Tapping into the brand, Lucas thought about what they could draw from in the greeting card line and its verticals, such as Mahogany, Hallmark’s Black American Cards and decades-old line of products.

During Lucas’ short tenure, there have been more films focused on self-love, and others have featured stories, such as a plus-size woman finding love and a family helping their autistic son during the holidays. Used to be. The story is changing though, and the cast, while filled with fan favorites like “Mean Girls” and “Party of Five” star Lacey Chabert, has changed, thanks to Lucas and Hamilton Daily Hallmark’s love for keeping the material true. Let’s continue to work – focused brand.

Hallmark is also leaning more into content throughout the year, such as summer movie themes — last year was travel, this year is weddings — and on different seasons in addition to the winter holidays. This month on the Hallmark Channel is “LoveYoury,” featuring movies focused on love but each with a twist, like a chocolatier rumored to have the recipe for finding true love, and another about two on a road trip. is about strangers who are feeling new priorities.

Hamilton Daly, who came to the cable-TV network after serving as director of scripted series Netflixinsisted that it was the changes coming under Lucas that was his sole reason for making the leap.

Hamilton Daly said, “It was clear to me. There was a need for more diversity, both in casting and in storylines.” She pointed to new series called “Three Wise Men and a Baby” and “Ride”, a drama about a family. Rodeo that has “Yellowstone” vibes, as an example of that push.

Hamilton Daly said, “We took the leash off some of our creators and asked them to stay inside the bumper of the brand, but there’s more opportunity to think about stories differently.” “We also brought in new producers from different places that I knew before.”

Whereas Lucas thinks there’s life Left in linear TV, Hallmark streaming is a main priority.

Hallmark’s subscription streaming service is Hallmark Movies Now, which starts at $4.99 per month. Last month, Lucas hired Emily Powers, who helped grow niche streamer Britbox’s North America business, to run Hallmark’s streaming and digital platforms division. He has been tasked with revamping Hallmark’s streaming service and future advertising-supported channels.

Additionally, Hallmark is available not only on virtual pay-TV bundles like FuboTV, but also on smaller competing services like FriendlyTV and Philo, which have cheaper subscriptions and target audiences looking for entertainment channels only. News and sports, which garner the highest ratings, drive up the cost of pay-TV bundles.

Lucas is also thinking out of the box. She said she is not interested in typical licensing deals with streaming services where they only provide content that gets lost in the shuffle.

it speaks deal Hallmark signed on with NBCUniversal’s Peacock last year.

“To be honest, when Peacock knocked on the door, I thought it was going to be that conversation and I went into it thinking, ‘Okay, it’ll be over in 10 minutes,'” Lucas said. “But they had me on when they described their services as being centered around fantasy.”

The deal made Lucas think back to the time he worked at TNT and the network had the rights to WWE wrestling matches. WWE taught him the importance of fandom while delivering content.

What set this deal apart was that it included Hallmark Network’s simulcast on Peacock.

“Vonya went through a lot of forward thinking in thinking, ‘How do I get better distribution and streaming distribution for my content, and still maintain [traditional pay-TV deals]Which I think he navigated successfully,” said Mark Lazarus, NBCUniversal’s head of TV and streaming, who worked with Lucas decades ago at Turner.

Lucas acknowledged that it took some negotiations with his traditional distribution partners to smooth any ruffled feathers.

“I think Hallmark is a great fit for her because it aligns with her values ​​and positive energy,” Lazarus said.

Lucas’ focus on brand integrity influences much of his thinking, something that many of the leaders he works with in the industry attest to.

MSNBC President Rashida Jones said, “She’s adept at navigating brands, from The Weather Channel to Hallmark. She’s always thinking about how you promote the brand and what partnerships you do.” Jones was an emerging producer at The Weather Channel when Lucas was in charge.

The two recently met each other at the Sundance Film Festival. Jones said that it had probably been 20 years since they last saw each other. “Finally I had to tell [Lucas] That’s how much I respected him when I worked with him,” Jones said.

“You know the phrase, ‘If you can see it, you can be it?’ I know it’s cliché, but it’s true. She was one of the earliest examples of a woman, and a woman of color at that time,” said Jones. “I’ve always said that if I could do even a quarter of what Vonya did in her career, I would consider myself successful.”

Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC and MSNBC.