HGTV Jumps on the Cross-Platform Bandwagon
So you want to be a famous pop star? A dancer? A comedian? Reality television shows have been cashing in for some time now on the country’s average Joes who have been flying under the radar with their secret talents.
The formula remains relatively the same, if not redundant. The masses audition and a small group of standouts are weeded out to form the show’s contestant base. The finalists compete every week and a team of celebrity or trade-renowned judges give them feedback. America decides who will be the next American Idol, the Last Comic Standing, and so on. During and after the season, the shows’ websites allow viewers to obsess and learn more beyond the slotted air time.
The most surprising trend in this world of television competition has been the popularity of lifestyle, artistically-based talent contests that actively integrate web platforms. Devoted audiences are tuning into the third season of Project Runway as fledging fashion designers endure challenges to launch their own clothing line. Top Chef was also a Bravo hit as Harold Dieterle took the title and the various perks supported by Food and Wine Magazine. America does not get to vote, and yet because of the interactive component, the public does not feel left out.
Viewers are entertained by the interaction amongst competitors and are eager to see what the judges will say, but the engaging internet campaigns that accompany these series prove to be vital. They make for a unique, insider perspective in viewing the shows. The campaigns run the gamut with blogs, videos, games, and various downloads, while viewers provide their input with message boards and surveys. They also get to feel clued in with extra bios, photos, and the chance to purchase merchandise for their phones or their wardrobe.
The Scripps Network has begun to cash in on the craft-focused, multi-platform contests, but it uses the Web to allow viewers to make elimination decisions, thus combining the best of both worlds. The network saw success with The Next Food Network Star, granting first Dan Smith and Steven McDonagh, and later Guy Fieri, their own cooking shows after the first and second seasons. The online component to the competition features a video gallery, a photo gallery, finalist bios and blogs, and judge profiles, and during the season, viewers could vote. Visitors can also take a tour of the Food Network Kitchens and purchase gear from the Network.
Continuing in this trend, HGTV.com will blend the success of reality competitions with the home makeover phenomenon, putting viewers and online users in control of HGTV’s newest design star. HGTV Design Star professes to be the most convergent, cross-platform project to date from HGTV and HGTV.com. The experience will unfold in three segments, the first of which began on June 26 with a mini-site. Online users have already had a chance to vote for finalists as well as the homeowners who will receive a design makeover.
The mini-site features the finalists, the judges, which include Cynthia Rowley, Martha McCully of InStyle, and Vern Yip, and tapes of auditions that did not make the cut. July 23 marks the series premiere and users will then be provided with interactive content and insider information. Fresh content will be posted weekly that includes blogs, videos, surveys, message boards, and a newsletter. Finally, on September 3, voting begins. The audience can vote on the website or through text message until September 6 at noon. The first HGTV Design Star who will win their own show will then be announced on the September 10 finale.
The formula that HGTV is relying on is certainly nothing new and yet it is just as likely to succeed as many of the other competitions. Reality shows in general may have petered out a bit, but these reality competitions enhanced with a multiplatform approach don’t seem to have exhausted their audiences. It is also admittedly refreshing to see that victory in many of these newer shows results from hard work and creativity rather than some talents that come a little, er, easier, and there is no doubt that the interactive forum keeps viewers engaged. A show that airs once a week allows lots of time to go by and viewer interest may cool off in the interim, but people are spending increasingly more time browsing the internet.
If the online space becomes vital to the program, devotion to the show can be renewed, especially when it becomes the platform for voting. We won’t know how successful the Design Star competition will be until it airs, but as networks keep popping out these competitions, it’s anyone’s guess which one will be the tipping point.
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