ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING CHAPTER 1.3
OPENING ACT Television networks are desperate to attract male viewers ages 12 to 34. Age and gender are demographics used by television researchers to determine the number of people who watch a specific show. Consequently, the rate that can be charged for advertising during the show is calculated based on the number of viewers. Male viewers are an important group to the networks and their advertisers. The X- Games is a program that is specifically targeted to males ages 12 to 34. Work with a team. Identify three additional TV shows aimed at these sought-after male viewers. Make a list of products that might be advertised on these shows. Discuss why the products advertisers are interested in sponsoring these programs.
ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING Entertainment is whatever people are willing to spend their money and spare time viewing rather than participating in. Entertainment can include sports or the arts and can be viewed in person or in broadcast or recorded form. A distinction is often made between sports and entertainment. Sports are games of athletic skill. Entertainment can be movies, theater, the circus, or even traditional athletic contests. Sometimes what qualifies as entertainment is a matter of opinion. Entertainment professional wrestling.
MODERN ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING At the beginning of the twentieth century, marketing was limited to posters, newspapers, magazines, and word-of-mouth. In order to enjoy any professional entertainment, people had to travel to the theater, concert hall, or arena around which community entertainment was focused. Moving pictures initiated the merger of technology and entertainment and added new dimension and depth to entertainment marketing. Improvements in technology have dramatically changed the marketing of sports and entertainment by increasing the ease of distribution to the masses. The evolution of moving pictures, radio, TV, video recorders, CDs, DVDs, and the Internet has made sports and entertainment products available to the world.
TELEVISION Television is the ultimate advertising medium for many businesses because it can communicate a message with sound, action, and color. Prime time for network and cable television is between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., when millions of viewers are watching. Most television commercial advertisements are 30- or 60-second spots. Television can be directed to an audience with a specific interest such as news, comedy, history, movies, sports, or science.
A televised advertising message can be adapted to take advantage of holidays, seasonal changes, and special-events programming, such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament, or entertainment specials. Television has the highest production costs of any type of media and a high dollar cost for the time used.
NATIONAL TV SPOTS ABC, CBS and NBC book nearly $10 billion a year in TV ad revenues. National TV spots on the final summer "Survivor" episode sold for $1 million. National TV spots on "Millionaire" sold for $750,000. National TV spots on final "Seinfeld" sold for $2 million each. http://www.gaebler.com/national-tv-spot-ad-costs.htm August 22, 2010
TV PRICES ON THE DECLINE Ad Age calculated ad prices for each show by using the upfront prices agreed to by as many as seven different media-buying agencies and other sources. According to the survey, TV prices seem to be on the decline In the 2008-2009 season, NBC s Sunday Night Football commanded an average of $434,792 for a 30-second commercial, compared with this season s (2009-2010) average of $339,700. ABC s Grey s brought in an average of $326,685, compared with this season s $240,462. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/10/25/estimated-30-secondcommercial-spot-costs-for-2009-2010/31476
The Ad Age 06-07 Network Price Chart
TV RATINGS The pricing of time for TV advertisements is tied to the ratings, or the number of viewers the programming attracts.
ENTERTAINING THE CUSTOMER Television, telephones, the Internet, and other technology have allowed entertainment marketers to receive instant feedback from the customer. Two-way communication allows the entertainment company to gather information from the customer and use the information to refine and improve the product the entertainment.
REALITY SHOWS Reality shows allow viewers to create their own endings and select their favorite entertainers. The marketing mix of reality shows is unique because the product is selected by the viewers using technology to communicate with the production company. Examples: American Idol Big Brother Biggest Loser