The US-based fan-powered web site provider Wetpaint has unveiled the new 'Wetpaint TV Fandex', a measurement tool that gauges online engagement with popular television programmes, aiming to provide marketers with more meaningful metrics than simple viewing audience sizes.
The TV Fandex is actually measured based on a number of online sources including Facebook, Twitter, Google, and the full range of Wetpaint-powered 'fan sites'. The index rankings are generated by an algorithm that tracks and measures consumption and creation of content and 'fan buzz' about each TV show.
The TV Fandex is then calibrated to measure both the online footprint of popular shows with a large established fan base, as well as the overall velocity of emerging TV shows as they generate early online buzz.
"It's clear there is an emerging decentralisation of how consumers experience TV programmes, but traditional measurement tools have remained largely the same," explained Ben Elowitz, CEO for Wetpaint. "But fans now have the tools and technologies to connect and evangelise, and they are using them with gusto."
The Wetpaint network of more than 1.5 million fan web sites is dominated by TV and entertainment, and a recent survey showed that more than 30% of fans on Wetpaint fan sites spend more than five hours a week connecting with other fans on subjects related to their favourite shows.
Among Wetpaint's findings while compiling the index:
- Mystery, suspense, and surprise result in longer tails. Programmes with big revelations, surprise twists, or dramatic finales tend to see enormous spikes in online fan activity, often with a prolonged 'echo effect'.
- Sci-Fi and supernatural genre shows can quickly gain ground even before they premiere. New sci-fi shows often ramp up quickly to rival established hits in online momentumm, in many cases before the programme even starts showing.
- Premium series can inspire year-round fan activity. Fans of these shows tend to remain engaged online long after the show's season finale, and throughout the course of the off-season.
- Reality shows are hot mid-season but online engagement drops sharply after finales. Some see a slew of online fan activity during the show's actual broadcast times because the audience is highly engaged while watching. Online buzz for these shows has a tendency to surge with the arc of the season and drop off abruptly after the finale.
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