Reality TV – The Digital Reality

The new E4 reality show Desperate Scousewives is a fascinating spectacle. Whether reality TV is your thing or not, this show exemplifies how TV is no longer just about the show but the digital package that goes with it to create a phenomenon.

Social networking channels were very active before, during and after the show and it also has a dedicated companion app. As the hubbub surrounding the show grows, were likely to see advertisers using these channels for marketing with the ‘stars’ of the show conversing with the fans in all manner of social forums and no doubt discussing the latest ‘must-have’ fashions and possessions. We’re also likely to see these stars digitally checking-in to every night club within a 50 mile radius of Liverpool, sending a calling card to their fans as they do so and making lots of bar owners very happy that they booked a ‘celebrity’.

Secondary to this, in social media and digital spheres, there is ample scope for the themes and hooks of the show to be hijacked with businesses either embracing the Scousewives furore or intentionally rejecting it, to appeal to their target demographic.

The ‘real’ reality of Desperate Scousewives goes beyond an hour of output in an evening. It gives us an insight into the future of second screen interaction and related real time, location based and celebrity endorsed advertising. Desperate Scousewives follows a disposable format. It will make a few people rich and famous but it will disappear as quickly as it arrived. The related tech will keep evolving. Businesses take note, it’s not just the TV show anymore, the digital arena is becoming as, if not more important. Will people be talking about you when they are talking about the show?

Dave Graves is Operations Manager of 3 Sheep Ltd. Contact Dave to talk about how digital technologies could be helping your business.