This Week’s Insights: A formula for programming… A formula for predicting what an audience will like… Streaming is now the default cultural experience… Conventional marking does not fit all… Hacking culture is BS.
- How To Program To An Audience: Much as we’d all like to think that programming is purely the result of artistic choices, we all know that practical considerations play a huge role, as do what we think an audience will buy tickets for. And then there are alliances, relationships and interactions that have nothing to do with a specific work, but are strategically important. So here’s a look inside some of the considerations that go into making a season of programming.
- What If You Could Tell An Audience Would Love Something? Is there actually a formula that can predict what shows will do well with what audiences? Of course (or so the claim goes). “There are two key aspects to repertoire scoring. First, identifying the different components that have an impact on overall appeal. Second, scoring these elements from the perspective of your audience.” And it’s a tool that can be used for programming, marketing, pricing, and budget forecasting.
- Culture On Demand: Streaming Has Won: Streaming is now the dominant platform for music consumption, and it’s growing rapidly–up 76% year-over-year, according to Nielsen. YouTube has birthed a whole new breed of celebrity: the YouTube star. And Netflix plans to spend hundreds of millions annually on original content. “It’s not just about music–it’s about every form of entertainment,” Nielsen’s David Bakula says. “You don’t really have to own anything anymore, because for $10 a month you can do this: You can have everything.”
- How Conventional Marketing Undersells Unconventional Theatre: The business of selling a Broadway show is pretty much a formula at this point. But when an unconventional show comes along that busts boundaries and defies expectations, the formula might not work. “As the commercial Broadway musical further diversifies and pushes boundaries in terms of form and content, so should our attitude and behaviour in marketing them.”
- We Glorify Hacking Like It’s On The Side Of The Audience. It’s Not. “In the field of self-improvement, there have always been snake oil salesman ready to promote gimmicks disguised as legitimate answers. But the internet age has ushered in a whole new era: The maddening proliferation of hope — clouded in broscience. The 7 ways to transform your sex life. Use polyphasic sleep to hack your energy levels. Dump a stick of butter in your coffee to energize your breakfast and keep you feeling full all day (no shit — you just dumped a stick of butter in your coffee). All of these hacks carry a similar message: If only we did XYZ, then our bodies …
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