PHD Perspectives: Pilot Season Audience Epiphany - Aimee Duell - MediaBizBloggers

It is officially Fall: time for sweaters, turning leaves and new television. I happen to be one of the proud, the brave… someone who still watches television. I look forward to this time of year in a big way; it is my kickoff season. My time to revisit the pros and check out the rookies. Being in the media industry, by this time I've had the luxury of sneak-peeking all of the rookies. But being a true fan means that I watch each pilot a second time with commercial breaks and sponsorships and everything, just to get the true experience.

In week three of these new shows, it struck me that there is a massive gap between the old guard (networks) and new guard (call it new media, technology, etc), and the television industry is falling desperately behind. As of early this year, the entire industry is now officially "digital." And while it continues to face substantial challenges with the continuing erosion of ratings, the time/screen shifting of viewing patterns, and the economy impacting the health of most advertisers' budgets, we enter into yet another dictatorship of a pilot season, and I have to wonder if the studios even ask their audience what they actually want to watch?

Social media has empowered people to share, express and vote, and has given them a platform for doing it. Brands are actively engaging people in dialogues about their products via this platform. Why aren't the networks doing the same? This is their coveted audience, an audience that is more than happy to share what they want to watch. I know it isn't as easy as it may seem; there is a tangled web of the talent deals, broadcasting and intellectual property rights and I'm sure a host of other red tape issues. (And this is not a nimble industry that can turn on a dime to reflect what is happening in the digital/social space at large.) I get that.

However, ignoring it and continuing with a walled-garden model that doesn't seem to yield results (did anyone notice the first cancellation of the season has already happened at week one?) doesn't seem like the innovative approach either. Maybe it isn't on a mass level; starting small is a good thing. Procter & Gamble has a great approach to social media with a private community of loyal consumers who get to test out new products and give feedback as they are in development. Why not mirror that? At least give your audience the chance to green light a pilot that they want to watch. Put a little trust and a little power into the hands of your loyal fans and you, Mr. Network head, may just convert a few viewers into evangelists. My guess is the first network to extend this level of trust will also make significant strides with advertisers as well.

Oh, and I suspect it may help with the ratings as well.

Aimee Duell, SVP, US Director of Activation at PHD Media, a Division of Omnicom. You can follow Aimee @acduell

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