Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the link between
commoditization and convenience. Hulu
and the DVR enable me to watch a TV show pretty much whenever I want to. This works well for me when I want to watch
reality TV like Jersey Shore and Dancing with the Stars. The added benefit is there are limited
commercial breaks and if I get bored I can fast forward to the scenes that
interest me and then throw the episode away like a discarded Kleenex. My guilt level is down because I didn’t waste
a whole hour, but I can still take an active role in the water cooler
conversation at the office. But it also
makes me feel as though I can skip a show without feeling like I missed
anything major.
Another example of the effect of commoditization of
entertainment can be seen in the spread of
Redbox kiosks and the correlation in the downturn of DVD sales. At over 21,000 kiosks in the US,
you can rent a movie for as little as a $1.
The amount of movies available at the theatre, cable, on demand, via the
internet, and on DVD add difficultly to the idea of shelling out $10 to own the
DVD or even more to see the movie in the theater.
A lot of people have been poo-pooing the very short seasons
and the pre-packaged timeline of Lost (we all know when the series ends). But I’ve found the added anticipation of
having to wait for the season to begin combined with the fact the show is
ending after this season has made it that much easier to make a weekly event of
watching the show with my friends. We’re
enthralled with some of the story, but at the same time enjoy making fun of
pieces that don’t seem to make sense or are a little silly.
Knowing that something is limited:
- Gives us the perception of
scarcity making us want something more - the opposite of commoditization
- Helps us to justify setting aside
one hour a week to watch a TV show - while there are lots of other things on
the TV or off the TV that time can be spent on instead
- Creates a feeling of an "event" -
people love a reason to get together and/or connect with each other
Of course, the quality of the script-writing and production
is also very necessary in creating this overall perception.
The Superbowl is a great example of the same concept. This year’s battle between the Indianapolis
Colts and the New Orleans Saints attracted the largest viewing audience in
television history with an estimated 106.5 million. CBS did a great job of making sure the
production value of the show was considerably high as well. Anticipation of great commercials has weaned
over the years and might have been helped a little by the controversy over the
pro-life spot. But ultimately, the game
was bolstered by a compelling background story (the team from a city recently
ravaged by natural disaster against one of America’s favorite football players)
and the reinforcement of the concept of the "big event". 
In the movie world, James Cameron understands the word "epic". First he came out with
Titanic--the movie that you just had to see--and now Avatar--the movie you have to
see in a theater in 3D IMAX. Don’t forget
to bring some extra cash because 3D IMAX commands a premium ticket price. The movie was released before Christmas and
yet almost 2 months later, folks are still swarming to the theater and talking
about it to their friends. My Facebook
is full of people’s pictures of their whole family in 3D glasses and updates
about going to see the movie several times and not being disappointed all the
while contributing to the $2.21 billion dollars the movie has made so far. Avatar is certainly not a movie anyone wants
to "wait to see on DVD".
What we should learn from all of this? Splintering content over multiple channels
and making it oh-so-easy to watch later also makes it oh-so-easy not to
bother--effectually commoditizing the content.
That means whatever the TV show, movie, game, or advertainment better be
extra good or don’t forget to add extra to your marketing effort. The all important social connection (i.e.
water cooler discussions) and interaction (i.e. smack talking while you’re
watching the show) with your friends and family--creating the "event" that
everyone wants to take part of--is also very important to making a show or movie
successful; an interesting take on this is Xbox Live’s Movie Parties that allow
users to watch the same Netflix
movie together. Producers, Networks
and Movie Studios who understand the value of great entertainment and do their best to maintain the perception
of how important it is to experience it with your friends and family will be
able to command additional ad dollars and premium ticket prices by shirking off
the idea that it’s just another commodity.
