I’m on a media kick this week, with yesterday’s rant about disappointing email blast returns, and today’s with a simple trick on how to go about picking the right advertising media for your shows (and since things come in threes, you can bet there will be another media blog tomorrow – it’s like my own Media Miniseries!).

I was observing an ad meeting a few weeks ago for a show I’m doing some consulting on, and when discussing media choices for the on sale, one of the partners spoke up about his desire to have them take an ad in a certain publication.  He was pretty adamant about it, even though there wasn’t a lot of theatrical advertising in this mag, and it was also pretty expensive.  Honestly?  It wasn’t a bad idea . . . it was an interesting one, actually.  But upon a deep dive of the demos and the potential ROI on the big investment, it just didn’t make sense.

But the partner couldn’t understand that . . . because he read this publication every day.  And he swore it would work.

The Producers decided not to do it.

We all have our unique perspective but it’s essential as a Producer to remember that how we see the world is not necessarily how the audience sees the world.  The media you see, is not what your audience may see.

In other, slightly sassier terms, it’s not about you.  Producing is about your audience.

You shouldn’t put money in the media that you interact with.  You have to put money in the media that your audience interacts with.  How do you find that out?  Well, you ask ’em.  Do surveys.  Do online look-a-like advertising.  Do trackable tests and find out what works and more importantly, what doesn’t.

But don’t just make choices based on your preferences.  See, there is no I in producing.

Wait, there is an I.  Crap.  You know what I mean.

(Stay tuned for Part III of the Media Miniseries tomorrow!)

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