‘Survivor’ loses 1/5th of its ad revenue
CVK
The New York Times reports that General Motors has decided not to advertise on the upcoming season of “Survivor,” which means the show just lost one-fifth of its ad revenue. GM says their decision had nothing to do with the race wars format:
GENERAL MOTORS, which has accounted for roughly one-fifth of the advertising revenue on the CBS reality show “Survivor” this year, has decided not to advertise on the show’s coming season, one that has attracted criticism because the makeup of the competing teams will be based on race.
Both General Motors and CBS said yesterday that G.M.’s decision to stop advertising on “Survivor” was made three months ago and was unrelated to the show’s race-based format.
Several other advertisers from previous seasons of “Survivor” also said they would not return for the next season, and said their decision was also unrelated to the new format. Among them are the Coca-Cola, Home Depot, United Parcel Service and Campbell Soup…
Yet on May 12, CBS and G.M. announced an expansion, rather than a contraction, of G.M.’s advertising relationship with the show. The two companies and Comcast, the cable television provider, announced a deal to provide free, on-demand viewing of the “Survivor” finale and reunion shows to Comcast customers in certain markets.
Whatever the reason, the withdrawal of General Motors is significant for “Survivor.” The company accounted for $14.7 million, or 18 percent, of the $80.7 million spent by the show’s top 50 advertisers in 2006, according to TNS Media Intelligence.
IkoIko wrote:
I actually buy GM’s line that their pullout is coincidental to the timing of this ill-fated next season. Think about it: “Survivor” is set on locales using challenges where GM vehicles are not practical, therefore their products cannot be effectively plugged. Same goes for Home Depot and UPS especially where you’re supposed to get away from civilization.
The overall marketing strategy across the board is for better product integration into shows, therefore shows that can better accomodate the products, and tighter scrutiny of media buyers of those shows — you truly will see the elimination of spot production/30 second commercials on broadcast tv in 5 years if even that long.
SIDE NOTE: There IS a real beef to raise however around the disconnect between advertisers and the diversity of their workforce; advertising agencies and the diversity of their workforce; media buyers and the diversity of their workforce; networks and the diversity of their workforce; and the diversity of consumers.
Where there are gaps and overlaps raising some interesting issues and questions regarding what gets marketing to whom and how and through which programs and when.
That’s how you get aspersions around a harmless business decision like GM’s here– timed to a stupid program like “Survivor” being allowed to move forward in this day and age without any broader informed perspective.
As a side note, if a person of color had pitched it, especially on cable, with no elements changed, I wonder what the reaction would have been, and which advertisers would have signed up first…
Posted 31 Aug 2006 at 10:21 am ¶
site admin wrote:
“As a side note, if a person of color had pitched it, especially on cable, with no elements changed, I wonder what the reaction would have been, and which advertisers would have signed up first…”
Yeah it would have been interesting. Sadly, having a person of color at the helm of a project doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be problematic. Let’s not forget that Ice Cube was the executive producer of the god-awful “Black.White.” on FX. It was dreamt up by two white men, but he did allow his name to be attached to it. –CVK
Posted 31 Aug 2006 at 10:29 am ¶
Ann wrote:
Both GMs and CBS said yesterday that GM’s decision to stop advertising on “Survivor” was made three monts ago and had nothing to do with the show’s race-based season show.
Also, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, and Campbell Soup said they will pull out and will not return for the next season, but that their decision was also not based on the show’s racial format.
Yeah, right.
I can understand ONE company pulling out and giving the reason that three months ago they made a decision to break with this stupid reality show.
But, FOUR companies?
Come on. They saw they were on a sinking ship and did not want to go down with this garbage pail of a show.
$14.7 million dollars, 18% of that show’s ad revenue. Money talks, and all the b******t reasons they came up with this show can just walk off a short, ragged plank.
Hit ‘em in the pocketbook.
That always manages to get everybody’s attention.
Here’s to “Survivor” not coming back next season.
Posted 31 Aug 2006 at 3:18 pm ¶
dcase wrote:
CVK:
It is interesting that you mention the problematic Black.White in that quite a few commentators in the media have suggested the “success” of that ostensibly controversial show as perhaps a model for the potential of this season’s Survivor.
The problem that Survivor is facing in trying to convince people this is okay is due to their stepping out of the sometimes offensive but defensible world of parodying each other’s culture under the guise of naivete and mutual goodwill and into the world of clear race-based conflict in reality entertainment. People are generally comfortable with the former but in light of history find the latter worrisome. Very few of the establishment corporations want themselves seen as supporting that kind of entertainment. I think Survivor spokespeople have excerbated this distaste because they have tried to file this under the catch-all of their attempt at increasing diversity.
Posted 31 Aug 2006 at 3:43 pm ¶
Spencer wrote:
I think the Survivor folks are definitely on it. They realize their show is old and stale… like the 10th+ season or something. They know they’re not pulling the viewing numbers to sustain their advertisers. I think they understood their advertisers would begin to drop them.
So they switch up a portion of their show to be race divided… and with the wave of a magic wand, folks that haven’t watched the show or haven’t in years will flock to their TV’s.
And yes, I will follow the gullible masses and tune in.
Posted 06 Sep 2006 at 3:25 pm ¶