Traditional entertainment meets social media-My perspective
I like to think I am a pretty busy person. Of course, who isn’t these days? Work and leisure seem to get in each other’s way a little too often. After a day that starts with a few hours of class, followed by a 4-hour shift of servin’ up food at the dining hall, errands or a meeting, emails, and a mountain of reading… oh crap! I totally forgot that my favorite show was supposed to be on 3 hours ago! And alas, the college-grade apartment does not include such luxuries as a DVR to record shows to watch later.
Luckily, we busybodies do not have to worry about missing out thanks to many networks streaming popular television episodes online. Streaming episodes online seems like it would create problems for networks, especially those that rely on advertisement for revenue. However, the fact that many viewers are switching to the online medium to watch TV shows has unlocked a new potential for networks to allow consumers to “join the conversation” and become even more hooked on their favorite programming.
For instance, take one of my personal favorite shows, Project Runway. Designers compete each week in designing and producing high fashion clothing to ultimately win a grand prize. This type of show is a perfect candidate to link itself to social media because viewers love to pick favorite designers to follow throughout the season and would be likely to seek more information about the designers online.
On the Project Runway site, readers have access to text and video blogs of some of the show’s most popular designers and judges, as well as access to the portfolios and sketchbooks of each contestant. The “Buzz Room” section of the site allows consumers to sign into their twitter accounts and leave comments on any aspect of the show, as well as view tweets from cast members. Additionally, there are links to share the site’s videos and other content via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and more.
This combination of media types gives the consumer a heightened ability to become immersed in the content of the show. Fans can really get to know their favorite designers, which will likely keep the viewers coming back week after week. With tweets coming into the Buzz Room every minute, it is clear that consumers of the show have indeed joined the conversation. The strategists over at the Lifetime network have done a great job blending social media into their programming- I know I’ll be back for more.
