Why TV May Sweat the Future

There have been numerous changes in the way people find the news, entertainment, and information they want over the last decade and most of the volatility is driven by one thing, the Internet. The Internet has required every media to innovate or become obsolete and very few traditional media maintain only one presence. Virtually everyone wants to be seen online.

Still, in spite of the best efforts to become current, television is beginning to assess its future. Recently, Mediabistro.com indicated that the ratings game is giving people a future glimpse at the long term viability of TV. It noted: "The adults 18-49 demographic remains the gold standard among advertisers -- yet TV audiences keep getting greyer. According to Nielsen's 2008-09 national universe estimates, the 55-plus age bracket is by far the fastest-growing TV audience demo -- accelerating at twice the rate of the overall TV audience."

This is very grim for TV. That demographic is usually no longer accumulating wealth, but instead preserving. They don't plan on dramatically increasing income, but trying to hold on to what they have. Advertisers worship that group that is just out of high school and up to the late 40s. They are making money and they are spending. It seems to make sense that this group will only continue to grow older and those who are behind it in age will only shrink as they become even more web savvy.

Why is this happening? Because people are finding what they want, when they want it, on the Internet. I don't need to tell you that you can find all the video you can possibly consume, audio you want to hear, and articles you need to read, online. Furthermore, you usually have absolute control of the access.

TV costs money (if you want enough channels that are worth watching) and if you want to control the times you watch programming, you have to pay extra for it (in the form of a DVR or TIVO). Increasingly, TV seems so "yesterday". In spite of its bets efforts to get more TV content on the web, most people see it limping behind the web.

Even as I prepare to give my radio show a more national presence and a TV "feel" (via video) I wouldn't even bother pursuing such if it weren't for the Internet. However, because of the Internet, the fact we own a web platform with a presence in virtually every major US city, we will have a national news program in the preferred media of the younger generations. I believe the massive shift from TV to the web will only continue.

TV won't go away, but it is going to have to continue to adapt to remain relevant.

Kevin Price's articles are found daily in national publications such as USA Today, Chicago Sun Times, and Reuters. Subscribe to his newsletter here.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review.

Attracting Buyers Instead of Sellers

The latest "hot button" on my radio show is the importance of attracting buyers and not sellers in your marketing. It seems like a "no brainer," after all, no one purposefully seeks people who want to sell to them, they want to find people who want to make a purchase. Ironically, their marketing often has the exact opposite effect.

How does that happen? It is really quite simple. Every day, business people are eagerly developing slick radio, print, TV, and web ads with the intention of attracting new customers. The car dealer who is hoping to snag a few customers, the home builder developing a new subdivision, or the accountant wanting to help more businesses with their taxes. All with smart intentions, but they often suffer the wrong results.

When they write these ads they fill them with broad hyperbole that says little about the company, bore potential customers with songs they don't want to hear, or make claims that every other company can boast (you are open FIVE DAYS A WEEK? What a concept!).

Meanwhile there are untold numbers of account executives who are in desperate need of customers. There has been a major shift as to where people go for their news and information and most in media sales can't keep up with the changes. They are losing customers faster than they are gaining them.

So while the rest of us shun print advertisements, clever radio spots, TV ads, and other propaganda. These account executives often look for such content exclusively. They will spin their radios away from their favorite songs if they think there is a potential buyer -- that could be you -- out there waiting for them to call. Just think, spending thousands on an advertisement that solicits other advertisement sales people.

So what can buyers do differently? They can emphasize their differences with other companies by shying away from price competitive approaches and focusing on the things that separate them from the pack. They can position themselves as the expert and instead of placing their content where people don't watch, read, or listen, but where such gets attention. This form of sophisticated marketing makes a major difference in a company's performance.

So it is time to ask the question, is your marketing working for you or is it merely attracting more sales people? We want to help you answer that question in a new audio program available at no cost by emailing info@houstonbusinessshow.com and put "marketing" in the subject line.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Does Your Marketing Work?

Most businesses have marketing today that, simply, doesn't work. There has been a massive paradigm shift in the world of business and most have been lost by viewing the symptoms of it (e.g., the dramatic rise of the Internet), but are largely unaware of the larger issues that are going to devastate businesses if they fail to be aware of those trends.

* There is a reason why businesses are placing their brand in actual programs (e.g., "The Old Spice Half Time Report)

* There is a reason why major media is moving their programming online and are desperately trying to get you to see the adds before you see the programs

* Businesses are buying air time on the radio and TV and are not merely "slicing, dicing, or chopping", but actually providing valuable information to become life long clients

* They are not limiting themselves to one or two outlets of information, but are taking a complete multimedia approach to reach potential audiences

The bottom line is that today's consumers are more savvy and cynical than in any time in media history. They are savvy and no longer do people merely wait for the answer when watching a TV show that tries to keep them on with a trivia question. Instead, most find it during the commercial break and often don't come back to the show because they are lost in another web search. They are cynical, because they know when they are being sold in the messages they see and hear and many are no longer standing (or sitting) for it.

Marketing has changed people in business dramatically and the savvy (and even cynical) marketer is going to know how to respond to that challenge. It begins by thinking like the very people they are trying to reach.

For a copy of the free report, "Why Your Marketing Isn't Working," email Info@HoustonBusinessShow.com and put "marketing" in the subject line.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

What Happened to Sharper Image?

Sharper Image was one of the hottest companies in America for years and in the 1980s, it reached near iconic status. Today, I learned on the news that the company has declared bankruptcy.

I remember talking to my friends in college who talked about the quality of a mall based on whether it had a Sharper Image. The store became the benchmark separating the good, from the bad and ugly. One of my favorite movies is "When Harry Met Sally" (yes, I am a romantic) and one of the most enjoyable scenes (and memorable) scenes is in a Sharper Image. There, the two main characters sing on a karaoke and stumble upon Harry's ex-wife in a most uncomfortable and humorous scene.

Back in those days, Sharper Image was decidedly geared towards the affluent. The products weren't cheap, but they were believed to be of a higher quality and a cut above in creativity, over others. Some where along the way, Sharper Image became common in price and image.

* Right now, if you visit the Sharper Image Site, you will find a digital frame key chain for less than $30.

* You can find a hydrogen fuel rocket set for less than $20.

* You can find a Sharper Image Turbo Groomer for less than $30.

I think you get the point, Sharper Image products are quickly beginning to look like the cheap products we associate with "as seen on TV." We come to that conclusion, because that appear to be exactly what they have become. I believe that the lure of being like everyone else on TV was the very thing that led to its decline. He (or she) that lives by low prices, often dies by low prices. Write that up in the Sharper Image obituary.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.