Talent? Good looks? Old favorites? Shiny colors? What variables factor into your judgment of a new book, movie or album?
I think it's safe to say that the selling points that send consumers reaching for their wallets are similar for all aspects of the entertainment industry, be it a New York Times bestseller, a blockbuster movie or a Billboard single.
At the preteen stage, and often later in life, sex appeal translates into commercial success. A desire to be cool may influence high school kids to only listen to the music that older kids do. People of all ages hear that that new George Clooney film is amazing, so they shell out the price of a movie ticket just to be in the loop.
And lo and behold we have Oprah's Book Club.
What really drives commercial sales? In any criticism course, we're taught to look at what the creator set out to do and if he or she was successful in accomplishing those goals. This makes sense, but how often does such an achievement result in pop culture triumph?
The factors that surface in a consumer's mind in deciding what to spend that hard-earned dollar on are the focal point of the marketing industry. That mysterious driving force can change with age, lifestyle and culture. Sex might sell "The Dukes of Hazzard" remake to drooling American men, the same way cheap paperback romance novels appeal to middle-aged women.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present exhibit A: "Napoleon Dynamite." A movie with no discernable point and an unrecognizable cast has achieved great commercial success despite its low budget.
But then again, maybe that was the point.
Perhaps the masses were so fed up with unfulfilled expectations from trailers promising whirlwind romance, edge-of-your-seat suspense and mind-twisting mystery that a movie entirely devoid of the aforementioned elements became intriguing.
Now examine the average consumer's thought process when they walk through the entertainment section of any electronics store.
"Top 40" translates to "everyone else listens to this and therefore, so should you." "Fill-in-the-blank's Book Club" equals "a celebrity figurehead thinks these books will change your life."
And then we come to rave reviews plastered over movie trailers in hopes of sparking ticket sales. Phrases such as "Two Thumbs Up!" and "Absolutely Stunning!" are cut and pasted together to make the latest rehashing of an earlier cinematic success seem bearable.
Do these feeble attempts at sensationalized publicity hold any weight when it comes to the average consumer?
This past summer was a lackluster season for the movie industry, suggesting that the entertainment world needs to put more effort into meaningful and creative storylines rather than basing it on a hit comic book.
Music shelves are littered with desperate artists releasing "Greatest Hits" collections or a previously successful album re-released in "Collector's Edition" format.
Instead of pushing boundaries and finding new ways to attract the eye of the masses, the entertainment industry is trying again and again to stick with familiar techniques. They slightly tweak whatever worked in the past, plug it as being innovative and then expect to see the cash roll in.
One variable that remains significant in any consumer's mind is the entertainment's ability to do just that, entertain. If a book can grip you with sadness, if a song can push you to do an eight-minute mile, if a movie can make you ache with laughter, then chances are it will sell.
It's that inherent, enigmatic power to make the consumer feel, that is absolutely crucial to any piece of entertainment.
