When MTV started broadcasting music videos in the 1980's, a lot of people cried foul because it was going to kill the radio star. Someone even wrote a song about it. But did it really? Was it not just another revenue channel for the artists that were already played on the radio anyway? Or did the radio stations fear loss of income because of the new competitor? It could have been the perfect opportunity for them to redefine themselves and distinguish themselves from their visual counterpart. It could have added to the diversity in our media landscape and increased the exposure of lesser known bands and artists.
Video didn't kill the radio star. Marketing kills music and it keeps chipping away at it until today. Advertisers bring in the money. In order to get advertisers you need many listeners on the radio. To accomplish this, most radio stations play the same music by the same artists that are popular. Record companies supported this model because the return is greater if you spend a lot of money on your big dog instead of splitting the same budget on ten lesser known acts.
Why did no one invent LiveShowTV? A channel that would broadcast concerts 24 hours a day. Any style, any genre, just music played by people for people. I know VH1 has started a few shows on their classic rock channel but it is very limited. The problem is that a lot of acts in the charts can't perform live. They can't play or sing what we listen to. Britney Spears wouldn't be on LiveShowTV. Once again, the whole idea of LiveShowTV would fail due to the lack of viewers and thus the lack of advertising.
It's funny that we prefer to watch a cheap, amateurish clip placed under existing music rather than someone perform the music live. A few clips were created and filmed professionally and it shows, but the majority of them were not.
Even though there is a huge amount of material out on YouTube in varying degrees of (sound and video) quality it has a lot more to offer in terms of music videos than any cable network ever will. Seeing shows from bands or artists that no longer exist or perform can be a great experience and otherwise unthinkable. Because YouTube runs on user generated content it doesn't discriminate between styles and genres. Unlike radio or TV where you have to play a certain genre to fit in a certain show so you can attract viewers, listeners and advertisers you're free to view whatever is available on YouTube.
In the next few posts I will present a few more acts that never made it big although they are probably a lot more musically talented than the majority of the chart toppers.
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Idol thoughts
Watching American Idol is one of my biggest pet peeves. I admit it. If you know me you'd probably wonder why since I am extremely picky with everything I listen to or watch. Growing up in Europe I wasn't exposed to too many live shows on TV with live music, at least not at a decent time of day. After I emigrated I embraced the opportunity to watch live performances (good and bad) on a weekly basis during season 2. Also, I am fascinated with the marketing idea behind the show that is pure genius. If you look at the success of the show over 8 seasons with mostly mediocre entertainment you have to admit that someone had a bright idea leading up to this phenomenon.
What is Idol?
It is a reality TV show dressed up as a singing competition. It is also a marketing campaign to find the public's favorite before they get signed to a record deal. This idea in and of itself is probably the smartest one I've seen in a long time. You ask the public whose record they want to buy and who they want to see performing live on stage. It is so simple yet so powerful an idea, it's like getting a big bonus once the revenue from the actual show dries up.
Is this show trying to find the best singer?
No. I believe that really great singers (if they audition) are generally turned down during pre-auditions by the producer's staff. Unless they can generate a buzz that is, but more on that later. The singers on the show need to be able to carry a tune. They should also have at least some stage presence and be able to perform well. But honestly, there are thousands of singers out there that are better at both disciplines than most contestants.
Monetary considerations:
If a show is successful, the ratings go up and the advertising income grows. By season two or three Idol was established as such a big audience hog that other networks re-scheduled their best and highest rated shows at other non-conflicting times.
I don't know how much the show earns with the voting system. But let's face it, if you can generate more than 30 million phone calls in two hours, there's probably a slice of the cake for you.
Buzz:
The buzz is what makes the show. Contrary to popular belief that this show is a singing competition it is all about controversy and the public's interaction. While I write this I realize that I am feeding right into the shows ratings.
Here is why it works:
If you want a real singing competition and find a fantastic singer, you wouldn't let the public vote. You would use a panel of real industry specialists judge the contestants week after week. The problem is that nobody would watch the show after three seasons. The public needs to have the power to vote for their favorites, and favorites don’t mean the best. By allowing the public to vote as much as they want you generate a ton of phone and text traffic. Why would you want to have a voting mechanism where anyone can vote once for or against each contestant? You would run the risk that the bad and sometimes colorful ones go home early and the buzz dies. What better marketing than millions of people fighting in forums and bulletin boards? Talking about the show day after day, everyone trying to bring their point across to non-believers? You can't get advertising like that for free.
LA, we have a problem?
What's different this year is not the judge's save that is being beat to death every week. It's a small spice compared to the one contestant that slipped by the producers. Or did he?
There is one contestant that could hold his own in a real talent competition. His consistent solid performances are way above everyone else's. And he has not only the talent but the experience and knowledge of his instrument. Yet he is a very colorful character that causes a bigger stir than a tornado in Kansas. Once again, it will be the image reigning supreme over the singing in the end. And the cash cow will be filled to the top when this season is over. Thank you for watching, voting, blogging and breathing Idol.
I have to admit that I was quite surprised this season when a most prominent judge proclaimed on the show that "this show is not artistic". That sums it up nicely.
What is Idol?
It is a reality TV show dressed up as a singing competition. It is also a marketing campaign to find the public's favorite before they get signed to a record deal. This idea in and of itself is probably the smartest one I've seen in a long time. You ask the public whose record they want to buy and who they want to see performing live on stage. It is so simple yet so powerful an idea, it's like getting a big bonus once the revenue from the actual show dries up.
Is this show trying to find the best singer?
No. I believe that really great singers (if they audition) are generally turned down during pre-auditions by the producer's staff. Unless they can generate a buzz that is, but more on that later. The singers on the show need to be able to carry a tune. They should also have at least some stage presence and be able to perform well. But honestly, there are thousands of singers out there that are better at both disciplines than most contestants.
Monetary considerations:
If a show is successful, the ratings go up and the advertising income grows. By season two or three Idol was established as such a big audience hog that other networks re-scheduled their best and highest rated shows at other non-conflicting times.
I don't know how much the show earns with the voting system. But let's face it, if you can generate more than 30 million phone calls in two hours, there's probably a slice of the cake for you.
Buzz:
The buzz is what makes the show. Contrary to popular belief that this show is a singing competition it is all about controversy and the public's interaction. While I write this I realize that I am feeding right into the shows ratings.
Here is why it works:
If you want a real singing competition and find a fantastic singer, you wouldn't let the public vote. You would use a panel of real industry specialists judge the contestants week after week. The problem is that nobody would watch the show after three seasons. The public needs to have the power to vote for their favorites, and favorites don’t mean the best. By allowing the public to vote as much as they want you generate a ton of phone and text traffic. Why would you want to have a voting mechanism where anyone can vote once for or against each contestant? You would run the risk that the bad and sometimes colorful ones go home early and the buzz dies. What better marketing than millions of people fighting in forums and bulletin boards? Talking about the show day after day, everyone trying to bring their point across to non-believers? You can't get advertising like that for free.
LA, we have a problem?
What's different this year is not the judge's save that is being beat to death every week. It's a small spice compared to the one contestant that slipped by the producers. Or did he?
There is one contestant that could hold his own in a real talent competition. His consistent solid performances are way above everyone else's. And he has not only the talent but the experience and knowledge of his instrument. Yet he is a very colorful character that causes a bigger stir than a tornado in Kansas. Once again, it will be the image reigning supreme over the singing in the end. And the cash cow will be filled to the top when this season is over. Thank you for watching, voting, blogging and breathing Idol.
I have to admit that I was quite surprised this season when a most prominent judge proclaimed on the show that "this show is not artistic". That sums it up nicely.
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