Pop Goes The TV

Who cares if Olivia Pope is wearing pearls? You should. Television is still the number one driver of Pop Culture and consumer behavior. While mastering new media marketing is crucial for success, don’t overlook the power of television in your marketing/advertising strategy. Baby Boomers copied Farrah Fawcett’s iconic hairstyle in the 1970s; Gen Xers went to salons looking for a Rachel cut in the 90s, based on Jennifer Aniston’s character on Friends. The Gen Y segment, who wear various hairstyles as an expression of individualism, still tend to favor the longer hairstyles worn by most of TV’s leading women. Television can influence both behavioral and ideological changes in pop culture; it delivers sight, sound and emotion like no other medium. Heck, television has asked us to host watching groups on Facebook, so fans can talk to each other in “real show time.” How has TV influenced how we eat? I learned about lap band surgeries from a famous morning weatherman who lost a lot of weight- Al Roper. If someone had told me that there would come a day that taking a pill could change my life, I would have argued, no way. The airwaves are filled with computer generated images, cartoons, people dressed as intestines, women tossing footballs in bedrooms - all to show us how pills can make us better, happier, and even sexier. Millions tune into the Super Bowl each year. We pay attention to who advertises during the game. Television still creates buzz- how many conversations begin with did you see that commercial during the Super Bowl last night? So when people ask me does television really works? Should I be using TV in my media mix? Is it really the strongest medium to get your message out? Does it drive sales? I give an overwhelming “Yes!” as my answer. Now about those pearls.