Our Everyday Idols Case Study
How are these programs influencing our consumer purchasing decisions, particularly for products in intrinsically linked industries such as food, home Improvement, entertainment and health? Reality shows can influence our consumer purchase decisions both directly, and Indirectly. Directly – consumers viewing the show are often exposed to various types of reduces [both goods and services] which are central to the shows theme.
For example, we may feel that by purchasing these items, we are better equipped to engage in the same behaviors as our favorite reality contestants. Another form of direct influence that reality based shows have can be identified through the fact that there are other products that appear on the show, which are not directly involved in the delivery of the show itself.
Examples of these products/ brands could be food, mobile phones, cars, drinks etc. Viewers of these shows are exposed to products and brands become embedded within their memories for later recall when they are engaging in such product categories. Indirectly viewers can be influenced vicariously by the brands, products and services that these show contain as a result of the locations in which the show is filmed; the clothes that contestants or show hosts may wear.
As we form attachments or connections with various participants in the show, we may also form attachments to the products/brands that these people purchase, leading to purchase action in order to emulate.
Whether directly or indirectly influenced, sponsoring companies/ Industries stand to benefit trot this exposure through increased product sales, brand awareness and brand preference. 3.
Does a viewers level of involvement with the reality based TV program – the degree of interactivity with the show, [I. E. Having the option of voting for or against contestants] impact their perceptions of the show? Viewers’ engagement with many TV shows can be identified as being predominately low involvement.
In these instances viewers are predominately learning vicariously through the shows, watching behaviors, attitudes, preferences unfold which may go n to shape their future actions or attitudes. But with Reality TV, the audiences’ level of involvement though has the potential to increase in accordance with the level of interactivity they engage in with the show. As the audience level of interactivity increases, so too does their level of involvement Ninth the show. (Hint: Explain how the addiction and attachment forms when audiences feel they can control the outcome of a TV show)
