Welcome to the ninth in a series of 10 posts, written for a university assignment last year (I write this disclaimer in Nov 19), which required blogging about current issues in television. As a result, the material is rather dated/irrelevant now, and the tone a little more formal than I prefer, but I thought I'd publish it on here anyway as I put a lot of work into it. I hope you enjoy/find it insightful!...
24/02/19
The global explosion of social media in recent years has undoubtedly had an immeasurable impact on our culture and, importantly, the way we consume and engage with entertainment. Yet, despite sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook having existed for many years now, it is certainly my opinion that broadcasters have only just begun to understand and exploit the power of having thousands of followers and potential customers at their fingertips.
So, how does this relate to soap operas, you may ask? Well, I, along with several other soap fans, have been concerned about the state of EastEnders' social media in comparison to its rival soaps, especially ITV's Emmerdale and Coronation Street. It seems that, although the BBC are putting some effort in with EastEnders by posting clips of episodes as they air on their Twitter and Facebook pages, ITV have their noses far closer to the ground when it comes to their soap promotion.
For example, Coronation Street have been posting their episode clips to YouTube, where they have a successful channel whose uploads are consistent and relevant. In comparison, until last year, EastEnders’ YouTube channel had not been updated for 3 years, and their clips were awkwardly split between channels for EastEnders, BBC and BBC Studios. It came across as very sloppy and lazy, especially when using social media is such an easy and cheap way to promote a programme.
Okay, so maybe social media isn’t for everyone- perhaps the BBC don't think that their audience are the type to use social networking websites. In this day and age, that would be acceptable, so long as broadcasters still gave their flagship shows some decent online presence, such as a dedicated website which fans could consult to learn information about the programme through features such as cast lists, character profiles and photo galleries.
However, like its YouTube page, much of EastEnders’ website has not been updated in years; the character information page features characters who have not appeared for several years, most games that used to feature on the site have been removed, and behind-the-scenes videos haven't been posted for two years.
A screen-cap from a makeover-style game which used to feature on the EastEnders website, but which is no longer available (BBC, Pesky Ltd, 2006).
Admittedly, the show has stepped up its game recently; employing a social media executive last year, restarting uploads on their YouTube channel, and featuring video interviews with their cast and creators. Although, it is interesting that this change has only occurred since the arrival of the programme’s new senior executive producer, Kate Oates.
Funnily enough, Oates is an import from ITV, having been executive producer on both Coronation Street and Emmerdale in the last few years. It seems likely to me that she has possibly been one of the driving forces behind EastEnders’ new online push. Even so, although these changes are all positive and will help the show to compete against its soap rivals and internet streaming programmes which are promoted almost solely online, they are still flawed. For instance, although EastEnders’ YouTube channel has been kicked back into action and is uploading some clips of recent episodes, it is also uploading rather random and insubstantial content.
The channel seems to be posting a series of clips from three or four years ago, and these clips almost feel like they were picked via a lucky dip- why does the BBC think fans are interested in 'Donna adopting from Vincent', a 2016 storyline which never culminated in anything, when famous moments from the soap such as when Michelle Fowler jilted Lofty Holloway at the altar, are not available online despite being iconic pieces of television?
Furthermore, the older clips that the channel is posting were aired after the point when online video sharing became easily accessible. Thus, although they are not official content outlets working alongside the BBC, fans of the show have been able to upload episodes to online video sharing websites for years now. It is old, inaccessible clips that could only be stored on the odd VHS tape back in the day, rather than on a computer hard-drive or internet site, that fans want to see.
Quite simply, the BBC’s online promotion of one of its most successful programmes just isn’t good enough, and that’s a problem. How is EastEnders supposed to keep up with its rival soaps and online competitors, and harness a younger audience, if it operates its social media in such a clunky, bizarre manner?
All of this is not helped by the BBC’s policy regarding EastEnders’ actors’ ventures outside of the show. The BBC states that 'the outside activities of on-air talent need very careful consideration, particularly in relation to outside writing commitments, public appearances, endorsements of organisations and commercial advertising'. When you compare this to the actors of ITV’s soaps being able to participate regularly in paid appearances at events without much complication, it certainly feels like the BBC is cutting off its nose to spite its own face. In this day and age, it feels very antiquated of the BBC to restrict its programming's promotion in this way.
So, taking all of these factors into consideration, I think it is fair to say that the BBC’s marketing strategy regarding EastEnders is falling short of its rivals. For a flagship show on a flagship channel, this is disappointing and unacceptable. As I have stated several times on this blog, the soaps, and broadcast television in general, all need to step up to compete with online streaming alternatives so that they don’t fall by the wayside and lose all relevancy in the not-so-distant future.
This is particularly prudent with EastEnders and perhaps this is only the tip of the iceberg for the BBC’s problems. I certainly think that this is all part of a wider problem regarding the BBC’s outdated ethos and the restrictions that are placed upon it due to being a public service broadcaster.
As I stated in blog post 6, ‘Soaps in the Schedule’, I am of the firm opinion that soaps are at the heart of public service broadcasters, and affirm their importance in the modern TV landscape. Therefore, whilst the BBC has many wider points to address regarding updating their modus operandi, I would suggest that sorting out EastEnders and the way the corporation promotes soap operas, is a good place to start.
-ASOS
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