Viper Marketing & Communications Group

Will Social Media Wake Up The Entertainment Industry?

Author: Jim Hardcastle

Jim helps people plan and deliver effective communications. His background in the countryside sector provide him with a wealth of experience in rural marketing. Facilitation, fueled by coffee, with Post-Its at the ready, he’s here to help .

Time is our currency at the moment.

We’re all stretched financially so time is the most precious thing I can spend and I’m not going to waste it. I can’t afford entertainment or leisure as separate items.

Entertainment is an event or performance, we might be passive or active through it. It’s defined by a beginning, middle and end and these days it seems it’s quite expensive to be entertained. Let’s not waste our time on entertainment that just adds stress to our lives.

Entertainment seems to be loaded with complications added by its own industry. Like trying to buy a train ticket, there’s a million and one options, with hidden charges, and it’s not entertaining. Entertainment is a very urban item and that complicates things further. Do we drive and feel the pressure of that? Park and Ride is great but not if you want to travel back in the evening.

I like leisure. That’s time away from worries and juggling priorities. The entertainment industry needs to move to leisure.

Apple did the leisure move. Microsoft is loaded with stress and multiple options that I never feel I need or will use. Apple left entertainment and its inherent stress for leisure.

Why can’t I visit a destination that focuses on leisure and not entertainment? Many countryside venues do this well. But even national conservation organisations are moving from leisure to entertainment. Force fed multi-ticket options, expected to comply, pinched through a visitor centre and our wallets squeezed.

Don’t we want to access entertainment through leisure? I’m sure we can have leisure centre’s that don’t smell of chlorine. I’m more than happy to pay to visit a destination that offers leisure first as a way into entertainment. We’ve all got to make a living.

It’s happened in our homes. TV is leisure. Personal choices, relaxing etc. On-Demand and Catch-Up services provide the defined entertainment via our leisure time.

If decisions on our entertainment are made in groups (family or social), our leisure options are directed by individual choices. Social media is the most popular leisure activity at the moment. I’m guessing the rise in personal social media reveals our leisure interests and the entertainment industry will wake up to harvesting this.

How will you spend your time wisely this weekend? 

- Posted on Friday 14 Oct 2011 at 07:55 by Jim Hardcastle

Tags: countryside (21), leisure (1), social media (34)