Part One: Summary
On May 21, 2015 In Touch Weekly reported Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars decision to contact the police regarding their son Josh Duggar’s sexual molestation of five underage girls after statute of limitations expired. The story contained the police report and confirmation of Josh’s involvement. Allegedly, Josh had fondled the breasts and genitalia of five underage girls, including four of his sisters. The story described the consequences Josh faced at home with no legal ramifications. His parents dealt with the situation by sending Josh to uncertified counseling provided by a family friend in the home remodeling business which included Josh’s hard physical labor [1]. Upon Josh’s return, Jim Bob Duggar contacted several members …show more content…
It’s very simple to desire the best for the public while maintaining profitability as a business. However, TLC has set a precedent in the past. Look to their actions regarding Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Upon discovering Honey Boo Boo’s mother’s relationship with a sex offender, TLC immediately cancelled the television show, asking no questions [5]. However, the show had failed to garner enough viewers during its final season to merit another regardless of a scandal. Cancellation was inevitable, but this way allowed TLC to gain some merit among the public.
I would have advised TLC to take a more direct approach. One objective needed to take priority. If TLC wanted to follow their precedent and punish programs demonstrating unacceptable behavior, they needed to be quicker in prioritizing that objective. Conversely, if it wanted to keep the show going, it needed to move more quickly in advertising the scandal aspect of the Duggar’s situation.
B) Key Publics
• Average TLC Viewers o Demographics: female, average household income of $72,000, 60.6 percent own their own home, between the ages of 25 and 54 [6]. o Psychographics: Stay-at-home or working part-time, choose to consume human-interest media.
• Viewers Who Watch After a Scandal o Demographics: probably female, similar to those of average viewers. o Psychographics: internet consumers, highly interested in media popularity.
Effectiveness …show more content…
A scandal garners enough interest for those who may be passively interested to tune-in a little more intently. Brand strategist, Rachel Weingarten stated, ““The show was probably on its last legs anyway. It’s a way for the crowd to give them (Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar) the proverbial thumbs down and everyone can feel superior to them” [5]. Because people are interested in self-validation, degrading the show gives the franchise better potential for spin-offs.
Recommendations
Because the show had just wrapped up a season, TLC was able to wait out some public opinion to better understand how it would develop over time. This allowed the corporation to decide whether another season was possible. Once again, however, TLC can definitely be critiqued in its passivity as all action after that was viewed as a response to public opinion instead of proactivity. I would have recommended TLC to take initiative more quickly. For instance, it could have announced specials on Josh Duggar’s siblings and put them into working order more
On May 21, 2015 In Touch Weekly reported Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars decision to contact the police regarding their son Josh Duggar’s sexual molestation of five underage girls after statute of limitations expired. The story contained the police report and confirmation of Josh’s involvement. Allegedly, Josh had fondled the breasts and genitalia of five underage girls, including four of his sisters. The story described the consequences Josh faced at home with no legal ramifications. His parents dealt with the situation by sending Josh to uncertified counseling provided by a family friend in the home remodeling business which included Josh’s hard physical labor [1]. Upon Josh’s return, Jim Bob Duggar contacted several members …show more content…
It’s very simple to desire the best for the public while maintaining profitability as a business. However, TLC has set a precedent in the past. Look to their actions regarding Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Upon discovering Honey Boo Boo’s mother’s relationship with a sex offender, TLC immediately cancelled the television show, asking no questions [5]. However, the show had failed to garner enough viewers during its final season to merit another regardless of a scandal. Cancellation was inevitable, but this way allowed TLC to gain some merit among the public.
I would have advised TLC to take a more direct approach. One objective needed to take priority. If TLC wanted to follow their precedent and punish programs demonstrating unacceptable behavior, they needed to be quicker in prioritizing that objective. Conversely, if it wanted to keep the show going, it needed to move more quickly in advertising the scandal aspect of the Duggar’s situation.
B) Key Publics
• Average TLC Viewers o Demographics: female, average household income of $72,000, 60.6 percent own their own home, between the ages of 25 and 54 [6]. o Psychographics: Stay-at-home or working part-time, choose to consume human-interest media.
• Viewers Who Watch After a Scandal o Demographics: probably female, similar to those of average viewers. o Psychographics: internet consumers, highly interested in media popularity.
Effectiveness …show more content…
A scandal garners enough interest for those who may be passively interested to tune-in a little more intently. Brand strategist, Rachel Weingarten stated, ““The show was probably on its last legs anyway. It’s a way for the crowd to give them (Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar) the proverbial thumbs down and everyone can feel superior to them” [5]. Because people are interested in self-validation, degrading the show gives the franchise better potential for spin-offs.
Recommendations
Because the show had just wrapped up a season, TLC was able to wait out some public opinion to better understand how it would develop over time. This allowed the corporation to decide whether another season was possible. Once again, however, TLC can definitely be critiqued in its passivity as all action after that was viewed as a response to public opinion instead of proactivity. I would have recommended TLC to take initiative more quickly. For instance, it could have announced specials on Josh Duggar’s siblings and put them into working order more