Borkowski Weekly Media Trends 05-11-21
Countdown's 'Feud' Conundrum | Classic FM's Dog Day | Elon Musk vs World Hunger
Is Countdown’s ‘Feud’ Conundrum just a TIPYCLUBI NUTTS?
The Telegraph reported on a curious phenomenon this week. The alleged feud between Countdown’s new host Anne Robinson and mathematician Rachel Riley seems to have done wonders for the televisual monolith’s ratings.
Actually, the phenomenon itself isn’t such a mystery: people love a scandal, and a gentle injection of low stakes drama could be the spice (or at least sprinkling of salt) that this cultural staple needs to persuade consumers of daytime television to switch over from that 14th episode of Four in a Bed.
The mechanisms that have kept such a milquetoast ‘controversy’ in the public eye long enough to have an impact are more interesting. A peek beneath the hood of stories like this somewhat begs the question of why neither Riley nor Robinson have done much in interviews to deny the rift, and why Countdown ‘sources’ are able to give such frequent, lengthy, liberally detailed, precisely-worded, almost-gleeful quotes about the hostilities to the media without any real protest, rebuttal, or sign of either internal turmoil or a disciplinary crackdown from Channel 4.
So relaxed is the apparent attitude of the publicity machine to this row that a cynic might even speculate that whatever little spark of animosity existed between Robinson and Riley, having been doused with petrol by social media speculators and showbiz journalists in search of outrage, is now being stoked on purpose to keep public interest alive for as long as possible…
Classic FM create fireworks with dog-friendly stunt
Good news for dogs and cats around the country, because Classic FM has announced that it is broadcasting special episodes of its ever-popular ‘Pet Classics’ programme this Friday and Saturday evening. The shows, which will feature ‘extra-soothing’ music plus practical pet-calming advice from the RSPCA, aims to comfort animals who are distressed by the weekend’s firework displays.
The stunt has been shared widely across social media and in the press. It makes for a charming good-news story, and it taps into the nation’s love for animals, while reminding us all of the therapeutic benefits of classical music. The timing of this latter point is well-judged; the pandemic has both damaged the nation’s mental health and increased our interest in how we improve it, creating an entirely new audience and even societal benefit for classical music.
But the biggest success? The genuine good-heartedness with which this show has been planned. There aren’t many who could’ve stepped up to the challenge of looking after millions of pets during bonfire night, but Classic FM is a perfect fit. They way in which it has taken on the task is both heroic and (dare we use the A-word) totally authentic.
It’s elegant lesson in opportunity-taking. It’s glaringly obvious when a brand has tried to squeeze a stunt into a hole that it doesn’t totally fit (even if it’s executed slickly, the result will feel superficial, and the cringe it induces will linger over the brand). But for Classic FM, waiting until the perfect moment to stage any major PR activity has ensured it will be remembered for all the right reasons.
Musk’s Latest Masterstroke
After the head of the UN World Food Programme called on the super-rich to chip in 2% of their wealth to help solve world hunger, Elon Musk - stirred from his usual dignified privacy after being fingered as an example of ‘the super rich’ in the remarks- felt obligated to weigh in with a Tweet urging the UN to release a detailed plan for the resolution of world hunger by promising to start selling Tesla stock if it passed muster.
Perhaps only Donald Trump has ever used Twitter in a way that has such a frequent and direct impact on the global news agenda than Musk, and once again he completely hijacked the narrative.
Twitter is perfect for this kind of invective because a Tweet is too short, and the world it inhabits too transitory, to hold directly to account. For one thing the UN mandarin’s comments had been misinterpreted as singling out Musk. And clearly, no such plan for world hunger exists, nor could it ever when one factors in regional and geopolitical variations. For instance, despite autocratically ruling over one of the world’s most famine-blighted countries, involving Kim Jong Un in a programme to ‘end world hunger’ would probably take more than a WhatsApp message. Even if it was that simple, the $6Bn Musk was pledging would be a fraction of what was needed.
This meant that Musk, despite not seeming to have properly grappled with the proposition before weighing in, and attracting deserved scepticism, was really in no danger of having to part with any of his precious wealth (especially if his donation was tax deductable). And yet the Tweet seems to have bolstered his reputation as a maverick philanthropist among casual observers, and Tesla stock was up this week.
Another superficial and ill-thought-through publicity grab yields another net victory for the great geeky showman…