| If you’re not a die-hard Game of Thrones fan, as of late you’re probably like me: gently poking your head out from behind a wall to comment on pretty much the only things you know about the show, (looks at sentence written on the palm of my hand) “Jon Snow is important and Daenery’s white wig is very realistic.” Despite what the internet might have you believing, if you don’t watch Game of Thrones you’re actually in the huge majority. According to YouGov, only 18% of Americans have watched all 7 seasons of Game of Thrones. And yes, for us it feels like we just so happen to be following all 18% of those Americans on Instagram; our social media feeds have been eaten up and swallowed whole by Game of Thrones promotions and excitement for the eighth season. In reality, the most viewed TV show in 2017 was not Game of Thrones (nor was Game of Thrones even in the top 10). Behind Saturday Night Football, the Big Bang Theory was the second most watched show, with NCIS at number 5 and America’s Got Talent at number 9. Even number 10, “Bull,” is a show that doesn’t seem to be promoted as heavily in the media. So, if Game of Thrones isn’t the most captivating show in the entire world, how does news about season 8 seem to be in all places at all times? You guessed it! Great PR. I’m sure we’ve all fallen into the well-laid trap of great PR making you think an event or experience is captivating the attention of billions of individuals throughout the world. However, that might not always be the case. Just because you’ve generated a ton of buzz with the right people doesn’t mean the majority knows about your news. Take notes, we believe Game of Thrones has yet to cross the line from hype to overhype. So bottom line is this: though the supernaturally medieval world of Game of Thrones has practically nothing in common with the world of public relations, it reminds us how well executed PR can make almost anything seem like everyone is losing their dang minds about it. Also, how cool would the world of PR be if we had dragons? |
