Okay, okay, so that headline is kind of misleading. Pretty much anything can get me to watch TV. Sadly, I feel the need to see just about every show that graces the airwaves – from trashy reality TV to quickly canceled serialized dramas to shows that promise to be the next Lost.
But, what I don’t normally do is watch TV live. As the mom of two small children, I am addicted to my DVR, which lets me watch my shows in the very small space of time each evening between when the kids go to bed and when I turn in for the night. It has been my way of life for years to catch shows days, or even weeks, after they occur – to the point that I can seldom remember when a show actually comes on.
So, needless to say, it is a rare occurrence when I catch a TV program in real time. Until now.
On Sunday night, I was one of 5.1 million people to watch the True Blood season premier on HBO live. Why, you might ask. Well, because they did a darn good job of ambushing me through social media and turning the premier into a spectacular event that I absolutely could not miss.
It started weeks before when I found out via my Facebook page that HBO would be airing six minisodes each Sunday night in advance of the premier. So, of course, I watched those minisodes, and after each one, I was treated to a tantalizing preview of the upcoming season of shows.
But, HBO didn’t stop there. They waged a full-out assault on me (and their 1.8 million other fans) via Facebook, offering us exclusive information, products, behind-the-scenes videos and this wonderful gem a few days before the premier – an apology from HBO marketing for their overzealous promotions – which I watched, laughed at, and shared with everyone I knew.
And, oh no, they still weren’t done. The Friday before the premier, I was also served up an ad via Facebook reminding me to RSVP to the True Blood event on Sunday night. I did, as did several of my friends, further amping up our excitement. And, don’t even get me started on all of the live tweeting that took place during the show.
These concerted marketing efforts appear to have paid off in that they built a sense of excitement and community about this TV event. Sunday’s ratings boasted a 38 percent increase over the Season 2 debut and a 19 percent improvement over the Season 2 average.
Social media has always been a critical component of True Blood’s marketing strategy, most likely because its viewer demographic are big users of Facebook and Twitter. Last year, it was the top ranked cable show and the first premium show to crack the top 25 primetime performers list (at #18), thanks in large part to fan advocacy and involvement, according to Optimedia U.S.’s Content Power Ratings 3.0.
“Shows such as Glee and True Blood benefit from higher viewer involvement – whether on Facebook or Twitter – and therefore help to generate greater audience value than their TV ratings alone would suggest,” said Greg Kahn, EVP, Business Development Director for Optimedia U.S., in a press statement.
In True Blood’s case, this season premier seems to have benefited from a great blend of social media outreach – showing the importance of content, humor, engagement, frequency and share-ability. HBO’s vampire series is surely not the only brand that has benefited from fully embracing social media and leveraging its die-hard fans, but without this blitz, who knows when I would have gotten around to watching the show.
