Number 70: September 22, 2004

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This week in Katydid:

• It's not TV… It's Pop Culture
• Content is King
• Subscription Information

It's not TV… It's Pop Culture
This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded its annual Emmys. This year marked a shift in the balance from broadcast to cable television. This transformation also indicates that popular culture is shifting, to which marketers should pay careful attention.

For the past five decades, television has been the main vehicle for popular culture. Pop culture has many overlapping circles of influence, but if pop culture is the community center we share as a nation, then advertising is the art we hang on the walls. We communicate popular culture through our newspapers, radio, and television. They give us common ground for talking with each other. Popular culture is what we talk about at the water cooler.

Popular culture is usually unimportant – whether or not Ms. Spears' latest marriage will survive. Occasionally, pop culture is indelible and worldwide such as the terrorist strikes against the World Trade Center Towers. Additionally, popular culture plays a valuable role as common ground for conversations in politically charged times – it's easier to talk about politics when you can both agree that Gigli sucked.

Today, there is no such thing as appointment television. The twenty years between the final episodes of Friends and MASH mark the transition. In 1983, the major networks were the primary destination for entertainment. Shows had to be family-friendly in order to cater to the broadest possible audience. Today, there is not a single night of television that holds an audience to one network. Shows are catering to niche markets, and people are using cable television to find shows that suit their tastes. They use VCRs and now DVRs (TiVo) to time-shift their viewing and to create virtual private networks that reflect their own interests. Even major events such as the Super Bowl or the Olympics no longer command the attention of the nation.

According to Television Week Magazine,

"For the 2003-04 Emmy Awards competition, 18 cable networks scored a total of 220 prime-time Emmy nominations, more than ever before. For the first time, cable collectively outperformed the broadcast nets, which together earned 206." ("Cable Nets Catching Up", August 16, 2004, p. 24)

One could argue that this transition marks a class division between those wealthy enough to afford cable and premium programming. HBO took home 16 Emmy awards, which is more than all the networks combined won. It is the largest cable network, but the total number of subscribers is only about one-quarter of the more than 100 million people who watched the final episode of MASH. In some ways, arguing over your favorite episode of The Sopranos is like discussing which color you prefer for your Jaguar – not everyone will have an informed opinion.

On the other hand, popular culture has always had an entry fee. Radios were an expensive appliance when they were introduced, and televisions were considered a luxury item. When cable came on the scene, it was also seen as a niche indulgence. (Many purchased cable not for the content but for the improved reception.) The 'cool factor' helped to spread the message about the medium. Novelty made it remarkable. Content, however, made it popular.

Despite the lack of subscribers, HBO is popular today because of its content. Showtime has copied the language, nudity, and violence, but it has yet to capture the drama. Twenty percent of HBO's total revenue now comes from DVD sales and syndication. The Emmy awards and the water cooler talk are driving the need to see the content despite the lack of access to the primary source.

We'll leave alone for now arguments about whether this means that we've become more or less sophisticated as an audience. The point is that no matter how fragmented the landscape becomes, people will find what is popular. We can't help it. That means, as a marketer, not only do you have ready access to highly targeted audiences, but also you can still reach the general audience if you're willing to go where the content is.

When advertisers lament that television no longer reaches a general audience, they are unconsciously referring to the device. It's true that we do not use the appliance the way we used to; however, we still have a strong need to come together on common interests. We want to be able to have an opinion on a program like "Angels in America" even if we don't watch HBO.

So, to connect with popular culture and ideally become a part of it, you need to find innovative ways to align your message with popular content. This may mean abandoning television advertisement, and testing DVD inserts or trailers. It could come by sponsoring uncut rebroadcasts of popular content on network television, or giving away DVDs with your own product. Product placement falls into this category because of its close alignment with content, but the value of this tactic is not clear. Your product either fades into the background, or becomes distracting if too prominent.

If you look at your brand values and find popular content that demonstrates those values, then the innovations will come naturally. The key is to remember that popular culture reflects what we talk about rather than the technology that brought us the message. HDTV will not change the stories that we find interesting. TiVo will not make a show funnier or more dramatic. The only technological innovation that may significantly alter the landscape will be the one that allows us to share our favorite content with others (as MP3 did). If advertisers can facilitate that transition, they may tap into huge new markets that foster loyalty and increase revenue for their clients.

In other words, position your clients as the bridge to niche content as it rises in popularity – give the people what they want and they'll pay you handsomely.

Content is King
One vehicle that marketers use to align their brand to valuable content is through newsletters. Whether print or online, we can help you to create content that aligns your values with that of your audience. We can start putting together an editorial calendar today that will extend your relationship with prospects and clients.

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Kind regards, 
Kevin Troy Darling

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