The relationships between consumers and the brands and products that they love has dramatically changed as demonstrated by the Groundswell movement. As outlined in Chapters 5 and 6, companies and organizations have to listen and respond to their bases and target audiences. Social media helps to facilitate new possibilities. Social media has enhanced the power of the consumer and has forced many companies to switch from top-down marketing strategies to more of a grassroots approach to their decision-making that is largely informed by what their fans and target audience is posting on social media.
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| Social media following is transforming ratings and the fate of television |
One example that clearly highlights this phenomenon well is the relationship between television shows and their viewership. The television industry has been completely inverted in the last few years with the rise of streaming services and original content produced by non-network platforms such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Yahoo TV and others. Historically, the major television networks would battle for the best shows, the highest ratings and to draw the largest audience at target times or 'prime time television'. In the past ratings as assessed by viewership would determine the fate of a television show and whether it kept on the air or renewed. However, the television industry as not only been uprooted by the new viewing and creation platforms but also new social media and marketing.
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| TV Guide cover highlighting the role of the fans in bringing the show back |
Today, viewership and ratings continue to be important however devoted fan bases are proving to be a mobilizing force for their favorite shows. As highlighted in the chapters, existing fan groups and social media profiles for established brands can be really influential. Brands and companies should work with these fan groups, their bases and engage with their social media or organizations. Several tv shows have been revived or returned to the air on alternative platforms due to the enthusiasm and mobilizing of their fan bases. Shows like Community, which once aired on NBC, struggled with ratings after a few seasons but due a campaign by their fans on social media, the show returned and after facing cancelation by the Network, was picked up by Yahoo for its sixth season. The revival of once popular shows returning to streaming services such as The X-Files, Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development among others, highlights that the fans are extremely influential. Nielsen, the primary source for television rankings and ratings, has now begun an entire sector dedicated to tracking social media analytics and to compile separate rankings based on social media engagement.
I love your post about the connection between social media and fan base. Since I am absolutely a fan of a lot of stars. And I used to buy the products endorsed by my favorite stars and sometimes I did not even noticed that. To be more connected with fan base, organizations need to make listen and respond to their bases and target audiences a regular part of their public relations strategies. However, sometimes, it is tricky to make a choice between their fan base and the truth. Because fan base doesn't always want to hear the truth. In other words, most of people would love to hear the gossip about their idols. It is not uncommon for entertainment news report unfounded news in order to get high ratings. That is also a dilemma which needs social media to figure out by themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good point to discuss, because without fans to join social media marketing strategies would be totally different. Fans are a large part of why social media is what it is today. Fans can make or break any TV show, movie, music artist, actress or actor, etc. Without super fans shows like The Mindy Project and Community would not have been picked up by Hulu or Yahoo!. I also believe that companies like Hulu and Yahoo! are trying to become like Netflix and produce their own shows, as a way to gain a larger audience. So by these companies picking up shows they can expand into new media territories that they were not able to before with fans.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, you are perfectly right about the power of fan groups and the propagation force the create through social network. Your blog reminds me what happen similar in China. The TV serial Sherlock have been popular around China. It was funny that when British Prime Minister created a Weibo (a China's social media platform that is similar as Twitter) account for interact with China's public, 30% the questions came to him was "When will Sherlock season 3 start showing on TV". As a result, The movie Sherlock: The Abominable Bride which was supposed to show in a small local erase for fans have been showed on many movie theaters for everyone China. The benefits of listening and responding to their audiences are obviously.
ReplyDeleteI have just begun to get into the neflix and amazon prime streaming to watch shows that have either been cancelled on regular networks or stop being rerun and I like to go back to them again and again. Old popular shows like The West Wing and Star Trek: The Next Generation were so popular for so long and nowhere on regular network do they run, not even TVland. So this is a great way to revisit old friends and even learn about new ones (shows that is, that will become "friends").
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