I was always an avid viewer of American Idol ‘ I watched every season from Kelly Clarkson to Lee DeWyze. But with each passing season, I felt American Idol lost some its charm; while the performance themes and contestants were always different, the show’s format had become so predictable. It seemed as if the rest of America had a similar outlook, as the show experienced a steady decline in viewership starting in Season 6 through Season 9. When Season 10 debuted in January, I had no interest in tuning in and I didn’t.
But recently, my interest in American Idol peaked. So, I started thinking about why.
There has been a lot of buzz on the web through social media communities about American Idol’s reinvention ‘ starting with fresh program content to a new judging panel. In addition to all the positive commentary on blog sites, my friends and family have been preaching how the show is much better than previous seasons. Based on everything I have been reading and hearing, I decided that this week, I will be giving American Idol another chance to reel me back in.
We hear all the time how powerful social media and word of mouth marketing are. As marketers, we know this is no joke. The impact of today’s empowered social media consumer is game-changing. Consumer opinion is in demand, and we listen, trust, and value other consumers’ feedback more than ever. Consumer conversation has the power to influence the success of a brand, as well as the failure of one. In addition, recommendations from our most trusted sources of information, friends and family, carry incredible weight. It is important that brands are visible on social media communities and leverage word of mouth marketing, as consumers have the power to evolve brands.
While American Idol is a TV show, it is a brand. If I had not read other consumer’s opinions about this season or heard such positive feedback from my friends and family, I would not be tuning in this week. But now, because of everything I did hear, I will be.
With that said, AI, let’s see what you got.
