6 TV Industry Trends from TruthCo’s Linda Ong

What is the future of TV? It’s a question on everyone’s mind. But the best way to answer it is to arm yourself with knowledge from the experts. Enter TruthCo brand strategist Linda Ong. Here are six industry trends on the future of television and the ways in which consumers are reshaping the industry. Listen to Ong and other industry heavyweights present at CFX Live on March 25 in NYC.

1. Diverse Programming. “The recent success of “diversity” programming featuring stories from the POV of Blacks, Hispanics and Asians appealing to audiences other than themselves raises the bar for the industry to recognize and embrace a cultural paradigm shift. Voices of the new majority rely on highly personal stories to relay universal experiences, providing a refreshing alternative to the traditional (white male) perspective that has dominated TV from its inception.
2. It’s All About Niche. “Niche is the new mainstream. Shows that seem engineered for broad appeal seem generic in relation to the infinite number of real voices unleashed by the Internet.”
3. New Metrics for Success. High ratings are no longer the indicator of a culturally successful show; in fact, the opposite is more the case (“NCIS” vs. “True Detective,” for example). Today, mass viewing is as indicative of quality as generic toilet paper—a lot of people buy it, but it’s not considered the best.”
4. Call for Engaging Advertising. “Ads and promos are increasingly seen as interrupters of the viewing experience, unless they enhance it. Moving away from standalone spots to contextual and integrated experiences created to extend the show’s appeal heightens the value of the brand and the network.”
5. Reputation Management. “The industry and its practices are viewed culturally (especially among millennials) as an entrenched, creative-killing institution that puts self-interest above that of consumers. As with the music industry, trying to control access to and viewing of content alienates the very people who can’t get enough of it.”
6. New Business Models. “Just as Uber and airBnB disrupted their respective industries through more efficient ways to mirror consumer desires, the TV world needs to embrace this paradigm shift by designing new models that enable and enhance what viewers want to do—watch TV.”