In my PR writing class, we have been talking about ways that social media have transformed the PR landscape. I’ve been an avid “Facebooker” throughout my four years of college, but our classroom conversations have steered my attention to ways that the entertainment industry engages publics through social networking sites.
As I sifted through the American Idol Web site yesterday, I noticed the brand’s load of interactivity. I’m not surprised that the show has taken advantage of opportunies to captivate fans online, and I would love to share some of the reality show’s tactics:
In case we don’t have enough personal profiles on MySpace and Facebook, American Idol has come to the rescue. The MyIDOL Community allows users to create profiles, find friends and send messages to other users. We can even upload pictures to our MyIDOL photo galleries.
Now, we can “befriend” the judges. You heard me. Simon, Paula and Randy have personal bios that allow us fans to learn about our new pals. Some of the contestants have even tapped into MyIDOL to reach out to their fans.
It looks like the brains behind Idol have gained a lesson in social PR. They have launched a MyIDOL blog that allows us fans to post about the show. With a name like MyIDOL, we can all feel like our opinions are important.
Photo Credit: http://americanidol.com