Reality shows: How long will the magic last?

When this fad called reality tv landed effectively on Nigeria's shores about six years ago, it was a big bang. Millions sat at the edge of their seats daily all through the duration of the show, and winners of each edition became instant celebrities in the country. Just like most other things in Nigeria, within two years, other brand builders joined this bandwagon. At the last count, about two dozen of such shows have been on air on Nigeria television stations in the last two years.

They include: Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO), The Next Movie Star, Dragon's Den, The Entrepreneur, Apprentice Africa, Star Quest, Maltina Family Dance Show, Idols West Africa, Project Fame, The Interns, Fash FC Football Show, Angels, Celebrity Take Two, Big Brother Nigeria, etc. Obviously the list will lengthen this year as creativity will be stretched beyond its limit. We are talking about the glamour world of reality TV shows where the power of sight, sound and motion, combined with rational and emotional appeal as well as passion, humour and fantasy are utilised to catch and sustain the attention of consumers. The appeal of reality shows is more pronounced because of its ability to sustain attention despite the current era of fragmented mass media and other distractions.

In the marketing world today, the challenge to search for a perfect way of attracting the attention of consumers is a top priority. There is intense pressure to ensure delivery of value to the consumer. With the explosion of new technologies and increased consumer control of the communication process, reality shows have become a powerful innovation that has elevated the positive engagement of consumers to another height. The increasing popularity of this tool most probably confirms Sergio Zyman's postulation in his bestseller - The end of Marketing, as we know it - that, "traditional marketing is not dying, but dead." Clearly, consumers must be reached in a constantly new and exciting manner to guarantee their attention and loyalty.

The huge success of the first reality show to hit the screen in Africa - Big Brother Africa, exemplifies how consumers can swiftly gravitate towards an exciting novel brand communication message. In 2003, the Big Brother Africa show from the stable of DSTV (M-Net) hit the airwaves as a novel brand promotion platform to connect consumers in a new way. The goal was also to create excitement and attract more goodwill to the DSTV brand. When the show, which was also syndicated through some local stations landed, it became an instant hit among Nigeria viewers. The image of DSTV increased tremendously and Nigerians became much more interested in the unique power of satellite television.

The attention it generated was so intense that the National Assembly passed a motion to censor some scenes in subsequent editions. The excitement DSTV and its brand handlers had must have reached its climax over the huge success of the project.

The second most revolutionary reality show was the GuIder Ultimate Search, Nigeria's first locally organised reality show. The first edition was designed to unveil the repackaged GuIder beer. However, the attention and goodwill it generated compelled the sponsors, Nigerian Breweries, to turn it to an annual event. So far, this unique experience in brand promotion has moved to five different Nigerian cities with subsequent edition, growing in size and viewership.

The success of these two projects not only revolutionised TV viewership in Nigeria, it fertilised the creative instincts of other brand promoters on alternative styles of using reality shows for a better customer relationship management.

The field of marketing communication across the globe is undergoing huge transformation at present. Marketers are compelled to invent creative brand promotion tools that can transcend the limitations of traditional marketing, which is losing appeal very fast. Most of these bottled up creative instinct are released through entertainment-laden communication tools like reality TV shows. Reality shows might still be enjoying its honeymoon with consumers, but how long will this romance last?

Phil Osagie, a leading PR consultant based in Lagos feels the current rave of reality shows won't last. In his words, "a reality show portrays the day-to-day life of people, so consumers can easily connect. But brand GuIlder must watch well not to get caught up in the fad. I don't personally see it as a big deal anymore. Initially it was quite creative but now they are just riding on the waves of the initial success which would soon subside with time".

However, Jumbo Atta, a postgraduate student at the Lagos State University and a strong follower of some reality shows feels the magic of reality TV shows will last for a long time. In his views, "Anytime the Ultimate search or Idol West Africa begins, the excitement among viewers is tremendous. It will dominate discussions in various offices. Even children follow it and they can tell anyone the names of all contestants with ease. Those new ones that are not really entertaining may fade out, but the good old ones like GuIder Ultimate search will remain a crowd puller any time." Many analysts have noted that with the faddishness of reality shows, the level of creativity of strategies designed to engage consumers will drop, and disjointed messages that will not really add to brand value will start emerging. Some brands will equally jump into projects that do not re-enforce their attributes.

However, the challenge still lies with brand experts who must step up research and creativity in this area. With thorough and continuous research, better content and deployment strategies will evolve. This will excite the market and sustain its attention. It is only when suspense, creativity and entertainment are positively utilised, that reality shows can remain dependable consumer engagement projects that can give any brand the desired advantage. Otherwise, watch it, as consumer and in fact, society gets more sophisticated, the reality show appeal will lose steam and eventually become a redundant marketing communication tool in the hands of those organisations who may not realise that the tune of the music has changed.