Chapter 54: Marketing "Reality" to the World

For those, reality TV and game show-esque fans, Survivor has been a well known show for years. Since its release on CBS in 2000, the show has had up to 29 million viewers in a season. The show revolves around a particular number of contestants on in various remote locations in Africa, South America, North America, Australia and Asia. The isolated contestants must learn to live on their own and survive in these locations. They have to find their own food, water and shelter while participating in competitions throughout the show. The competitions help them obtain immunities or a form of competitive advantage. At the end of the show, contestants can be voted off the island or continue onto the next episode. This becomes interesting as viewers watch contestants form alliances with each other and strategize on how to win. In 2015, the show has become a global franchise with its own renowned brand. Chapter 54 further explains the shows road to success through marketing and strategic initiatives.

In Marketing "Reality" to the World,  Chris Jordan explains how shows like Survivor are marketed to the public to maximize viewers and profits. Jordan discusses the idea of post-Fordism which promotes globally promoting products and brands nationally and internationally. Jordan also explains the main goals of reality shows which is to attract a proper audience and advertisers. Survivor attracts teens and young adults which is a large audience that many advertisers want to influence. Globalization also plays an important role in the success of reality shows. Licensing the show to countries abroad increases viewers abroad. Reality shows create a brand for themselves to acquire loyal fans. Similar to fashion logos like Gucci and Nike, the Survivor logo and phrases are very well known. Because of the brand success, Survivor maintains committed advertisers. This business strategy is used by a variety of other reality tv shows including The Bac helor, America's Next Top Model, The Real World and many others.