How Soon is “Too Soon” for Determining New Show Potential?

Innovative Thinking for the New TV Season

by Henry Schafer

Let’s face it, the networks often have a quick finger for pulling the trigger on new shows – well before viewers have a chance to sample or even form an educated opinion about these shows. Quick cancellations could result from the networks pre-determined business decisions (and thus, out of the viewers’ control), or because of initially low Nielsen ratings that are not necessarily related to the quality of the show. Low ratings can often be misleading due to ineffective scheduling and/or promotional positioning as well as debilitating competitive situations.

All I am saying is: give viewers a chance. Viewers need time to get better acquainted with new shows so that programmers can have a better sense of their potential based on real world viewing conditions. Initial ratings and early measures of positive and negative attitudes don’t necessarily point in the right direction. The real issues in the early stages of the new season focus on the viewers’ willingness or commitment to watch more episodes in the weeks ahead. Now, that’s a really good sign of potential!

And, of course, this potential can vary by type of show and clearly by audience demographics. Let’s take a brief look at the new prime time shows that are making an impression with respect to viewer likeability (Q Scores) and/or commitment to watching future episodes (Emotional Bonding).

• "Blue Bloods" on CBS appears to be the strongest new show of the season with above average Q Scores and strong viewing commitment among younger and older adults, underscoring its ability to resurrect Friday nights for CBS or even anchor another night down the road.
• “The Defenders”, “Hawaii Five-O” and “Mike & Molly”, also on CBS, evidence potential for success with strong commitment to watch additional episodes, despite having average Q Scores overall. For shows like these, the willingness to watch additional episodes can eventually result in stronger likeability and even stronger emotional bonding.
• Some new shows like “Nikita” on The CW, generate low ratings but show strong potential for growth (albeit in a narrowly defined network environment). “Nikita” happens to resonate with the under 50 audience, developing into a cost-effective dream for advertisers.
• “Detroit 1-8-7” on ABC (while it may not be generating strong Nielsen ratings in the early rounds of the new season) has developed above average emotional bonding among the 35+ audience. This is a good sign for potential improvement on its current Q Score profile and future audience growth – possibly in a different time period.
• “Outsourced” and “The Event” on NBC seem to be striking a chord with the 50+ audience, possibly indicating a surprise to that network. Again, this could be a good thing as this audience can be as vibrant an advertising target as younger viewers. After all, 50+ is the new 30+ as many marketers are indicating!

Q Scores Data Reveal Some Celebrities May Be More Marketable Dead than Alive

Click on header link (above) to read a recent press release on how Q Scores can help predict the marketability of deceased celebrities by comparing familiarity and likeability Q Scores in life and death.

Hispanic Performer Q

The growing presence of Hispanics in the U.S. has created a heightened need to effectively target this fastest growing segment of the American population. Marketers and advertisers seeking out these important consumers will need to have a thorough understanding of how to motivate them and connect to them on an emotional level. Using Latino performers that relate to both U.S. born and non-U.S. born Hispanics is an important way to create these emotional bonds between the Hispanic consumer and the advertised brand. Tracking the appeal of all types of Latino personalities has become a top priority at the Q Scores Company. Our recently completed Hispanic Performer Q pilot study was a huge success. This client-supported study produced much needed data in this area, in order to better understand the personality appeal among various key segments of the Hispanic population. We have implemented a proven address-based methodology that appropriately represents all segments of the American Hispanic population with respect to the dominant language spoken in the home (Spanish, English or bi-lingual), country of familial origin and place of birth.

We are currently developing our plans to move forward and implement the first nationally syndicated Hispanic Performer Q. With an expected launch date coming up in mid-July 2009, we are excited about the ground-breaking impact we will be making in the Hispanic marketplace. We will be measuring the appeal of 400 Latino performers, with each performer evaluated by 500 respondents between the ages of 16 and 54. Advertising agencies, media buyers, talent agents, television networks and production companies will now have the ability to pinpoint the appeal of Latino performers among a nationally representative sample of Hispanic consumers.

Compared to the average American, our research has shown that Hispanics are much more intense and emotional about their favorite performers. Using Latino talent as advertising spokespeople can help marketers reach their consumer targets with highly attentive and effective techniques. Hispanic Performer Q will help our clients choose the right talent to appeal to the intended consumer target. Up-front clients can include key marketing questions that can be cross-referenced with personality appeal and, thereby, increase the knowledge about the compatibility between the performer and key demographic segments.

You can read more about the value of Hispanic Performer Q in our press release:

http://www.qscores.com/pages/Template1/site11/47/default.aspx?ItemID=7