PRODUCT
American idol is a popularity contest and a talent contest searching for a superstar on FOX Network realty show where in a weekly base contestants get to show their ability of singing and choose the right contestants to go through the 3 stages of the program. The first stage is when contestants from a series of nation-wide in different countries get to show their ability of singing and directly they either get accepted or rejected. The second stage after the contestants have been chosen, the show’s judges provide feedback to the contestant about his performance and style. At the end of the show, audience members vote for their favorite performer. Because American’s votes determine who leaves the show each week, this audience participation which makes them feel that they are a part of the show had resulted in a product popularity in the 18 to 49 years old age.
The program itself is heavily depending on the audience; actually it’s all about getting to communicate with the audience through word of mouth. 0. Audiences feel that their vote matters and enjoy influencing the outcome of the show. 1. It’s like putting the customer at the heart of the product development, choosing what the customer want and what the customer like avoiding any risk of failing and gain popularity. 0. 0This is by giving an opportunity for the records label to test whether the artists have a public appeal to succeed without the need to invest. Secondly, they actually make money because they charge people to cast their votes plus, profit from sponsorship of the TV broadcast. The idea is appealing to the audience where they make their vote of choosing their favorite contestant, vote for him through telephone and SMS text all the way till the end of the show and becoming a big fan of them.
What determine American idol’s popularity is that it had a continues of 8 seasons and opening the 9th season now. America’s past winners were2Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin sparks, David cook, Kris Allen. Its popularity wasn’t only in America but as a worldwide as in the Middle East. Its popularity had reached the Arab world where even Arabs watch it. Me as a watcher of American idol, i do watch this program in a regular base even the monthly aired one after the season finale because it’s entertaining and it’s not only about a talent show, but also a mixture of a humor show. This proves that marketers have worked hard to maintain the program world popularity of reality television and a well known house hold name. Marketers of American Idol had also promoted the show successfully by the sense of sight of the logo and hearing of the music show. This is by designing American idol’s logo insuring simplicity and easy to memorize where the colors are blue and white simply saying ” American Idol”. The white color represents perfection, the color of contemporary and the blue defines intelligence and dignity. The music during the starting of the show is really attractive and a trademark that represent American idol show. As for example of me, when i’m not physically watching TV and suddenly hear the music i immediately know that American idol is on TV.
The question then comes, what are the decisions facing American idol marketers? Marketers have to maintain American idol’s popularity in new and innovate ways, maintain the success of the show and promote the show to attract as much audience to get as much votes and make the use of the marketing mix. The factors important in understanding the decision situation are the amount of ratings increasing and declining. Marketers have to plan and think in how to make the show much more entertaining and fun and maintain creativity in every season to draw in more watchers and make them loyal viewers to the show. Marketers must take into consideration in defining potential winners, feed those that look like winners and starve for those that don’t. As mentioned earlier, the product is heavily depending on the audience votes to insure a continues success. In this case, the strategy of extension can be implemented. This is by increasing the bracket of watchers of a younger generation allowing them to apply to the show and attract teenagers who are under 18 years old of age to watch the show and vote for their favorite contestant. Win the younger generation hearts by telling stories of the contestant to attract the hearts of the watchers. These stories will help the contestant to stand out of their local audience and showing what they are good at. The part where we tell stories of the contestant can be viewed and aired in another day of a week for an hour where the contestant can show their other abilities for example dancing, their humor side of their personality etc. This will help to attract the viewer more to love the contestant.
PLACE
As mentioned earlier, American idol’s target audience are 18-49 years of age. This means that the timing where the show takes place is an appropriate timing for these ages whereby American Idol is aired on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the evening where it’s time to relax after having a long day at work.
The timing and the week days where American idol is aired on is an important line to success where marketers make the product a part of the target audience life. These days where chosen as they are almost the end of the week and before the weekend starts where people had already got back home from their work and schools and want to relax infront of the TV watching American Idol on FOX TV.
American Idol can be a family show where almost all ages can watch this show and have a relaxing time with children listening to music and having a gathering funny moment together. This had led American Idol a routine show and a must watch every Tuesday and Wednesday where the show became a part of the audience’s life.
Marketers must take into consideration that target audience mood, interests, culture and technology may change overtime where TV will not be the first best media. Decisions must be made to reach their target audiences. So, marketers have to keep making decision in how to make the consumer engaged to their product. This is an important factor to marketers to develop the product’s technology and insure creativity to satisfy their audiences wants.
As mentioned earlier of increasing the bracket of watchers of a younger age, marketers must plan for a new strategy of a new product placement. This is because teenagers today are mostly spending their full time online. So marketers in order to reach their new bracket segment they must insure a new product placement. 6. As an IMC, product placement can be used to push and position a brand into the public eye making consumer want more of it. For example: American Idol is a TV show where they use the medium of Television. Today, internet had been the most popular media between ages 15- 50. So, American Idol must reach their target audience through internet by watching their program through the internet, live shows on their official website, downloading videos from Youtube, blogs, myspace pages, chat zones, fan pages, facebook pages and videos where today facebook is taking away large scale of age groups. 0. There is also a possibility where audiences will watch American idol video on their iPod, downloading ringtones and mobile trivia games and mobile platforms. The idea here is marketers must reach their target audience depending where their interests heading to. This is a good strategy to invest potential and new viewers at once.
