However, just because a spot is bigger than life, that doesn't mean it's a lie. We're always trying to find innovative ways to make emotional connections with viewers, whether in entertainment or news (assuming there's a difference).
It's our craft. It's what we do. It's the esse of promo. And if our exaggerated message compels viewers to watch, then our work is done, right?
Not so fast, buck-o!
The problem with promo duplicity is that it's a short-term sugar rush that inevitably crashes. Too often, viewers are intrigued by promos. However, once they come to the party, the show (or newscast) had better deliver.
If not, it can lead to disappointment, anger, or even turning off the set completely and reading a book. (Oh, the horror!)
Case in point: I was with an agency that did a news campaign for a local station. The crux of the message was a very personal one: The viewer's identity was directly connected to the news they watch.
People were intrigued and sampling went through the roof. However, the newscast wasn't very good.
Viewers bought the premise, perhaps too much, because they left in droves. If my news reflects me, they reasoned, then this surely isn't my news. The campaign actually led to lower ratings.
Ironically, the GM loved the campaign and ordered up Round Two. Didn't work. No matter how much we tweaked, we had no control over the newscast itself.
History buffs, please note: This was the beginning of the end of campaigns that aren't Coverage You Can Count On, Live, Local, Late-Breaking, or ______'s News Leader.
Moral of the story: Be sure you can back up your advertising, or it can backfire on you.
Naturally, this doesn't mean your video has to be literal, unless you're creating a literal video (the first one here). Bites/clips don't even have to follow each other in the same order they appear in the show. But the message must reflect what's being promoted.
For example...
- You can't position an Elizabethan drama as a teen comedy.
- You can't tease big changes in the weather, then forecast an increase of 3 degrees.
- You can't announce that this round of your singing competition is the ultimate showdown, bigger than life itself... then make the same claim the following week.
You may attract more viewers this time, but you risk credibility, a precious commodity that's not easy to regain.
Just ask the professionals that people trust least (according to Gallup):
Members of Congress, car salespeople and, um, advertising practitioners.
Ruh-roh!
-Ed Roth
edrothshow@gmail.com
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As a Major Company TV promo dude, years and years ago, I once interviewed with a Major Company trailer dept. After looking at my reel, she said, "This is nice, but you don't do what we do." "Huh?" I said. "We have to entice people to schedule and pay for a baby sitter, make dinner reservations and pay for dinner, pay for parking, buy tickets and invest two hours to watch our product." "That's easy!" I said, "You've got a month or more, two hours and millions of dollars of never-before-seen footage, and a huge budget. I've got a couple of days, the same players, the same set, and no budget, and I have to convince people that this week is gonna be better than the crap they saw last week - every week." For some reason, I didn't get that job...
ReplyDeleteYou probably didn't get the gig because your scripts didn't begin with "In a world..." or "One man..."
ReplyDelete