List of television shows about marketing - Pitchmen, etc. ?

by Scott Stamper

Posted: 15 years ago 12 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

It seems the public is developing an appetite for television shows related to marketing.

With the non-reality shows, it's interesting to see the screenwriters take on copywriting -- while with Pitchmen, it's nice to see Billy Mays explain the finer points of direct response advertising.

Here are three shows that I know of...

1. Pitchmen was a huge success for the Discovery Channel. (with the death of the beloved Billy Mays I doubt it will have a 2nd season)

2. Mad Men, a show about 1960's Madison Avenue advertising men, is also a huge success for AMC.

3. Trust Me, a TNT show is built around a modern-day Chicago advertising agency. (I've heard it's been cancelled)

4. Shark Tank, An American version of "Dragon's Den" starting August 25th on ABC. Mark Burnett's new reality series where budding entrepreneurs get to pitch to venture capitalists. The Investors (aka The Sharks) get to tear apart bad ideas much like bad singers get torn apart on American Idol. - abc.go.com/primetime/sharktank

Please list the shows that I'm missing....

[The following are shows added by other posters that may be worth watching. Some are cancelled but you can still catch re-runs]

The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, a CNBC talk show offers stories of men and women that have become successful (cancelled 12/5/08) www.cnbc.com/id/15838512

Dragon's Den, a BBC show where entrepreneurs pitching for investment from some of Britain's top business brains. - BBC - Dragons' Den - Homepage

We Mean Business, an A&E reality series where Bill Rancic (season 1 Apprentice winner) and other experts help turn around struggling small businesses. - We Mean Business - A&E TV

The Last Millionaire - BBC

All Over the Shop - BBC

The Apprentice - NBC

The Apprentice UK - BBC and on BBC America

Kitchen Nightmares, while not a biz or marketing show Gordon Ramsey does cover marketing a restaurant.

Flip this House - A&E

Sell This House - A&E

Documentaries that occasionally air:
As Seen on TV - CNBC
Making it Big on eBay - BBC

#advertising #list #marketing #pitchmen #shows #television

JohnMcCabe 15 years ago

Bill Rancic, the first Apprentice winner, had a show for awhile. It wasn't on long enough for the name to embed itself...

It was kind of a "Kitchen Nightmares" clone, only Bill and his team (an interior designer and a techie girl) took on different niche businesses.

Actually, Kitchen Nightmares is a show more about marketing than food.

Not purely marketing oriented, but Dragon's Den hits a lot of good notes about market viability.
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Michael Oksa

15 years ago

Hi Scott,

I LOVE Pitchmen, it made me a fan of Anthony Sullivan, and the late Billy Mays. It's interesting to see how they care about which products they promote, and how they develop the marketing message.

While the following isn't technically a show, I vote for all infomercials. Recently, while watching just one 30 minute spot, I was able to add dozens of phrases to my swipe file.

All the best,
Michael

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LegitIncomes

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Michael Oksa

Pitchmen is great, I've got all the episodes.

One thing I've noticed about test marketing products that I find really interesting:

They create and air the commercial in select markets. If it FAILS, they seem to always assume it's the product, and not a part of the ad itself. They don't waste time or money trying to tweak the ad (at least from what we get to see).

It seems that they have developed an ad format (a template of sorts) that they use for all products, and they know it works. If it doesn't work, no problem, they have so many other products to choose from, and just move on to the next.

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mrmatt 15 years ago

I love Dragons Den on BBC. I DVR every show.
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Jared Alberghini 15 years ago

I can't believe this marketing gem has not been mentioned yet:

QVC - Home Shopping Network

You've got to be quite skilled to keep selling product(s) after things like these happen live:

YouTube - QVC HSN Katana Injury

YouTube - QVC ladder fall

YouTube - QVC Vacuum Disaster
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- Scott Stamper 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Jared Alberghini
  
  I can't believe this marketing gem has not been mentioned yet:
  
  QVC - Home Shopping Network
  
  I once read a book about the rise of media moguls like Sumner Redstone, Rupert Murdoch, Barry Diller and Ted Turner.
  
  What I found amazing was that Barry Diller, when he left Fox (as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) he was rich enough to buy either NBC or QVC. He ran the numbers and QVC was by far the better deal... but his ego still wanted him to buy NBC. In the book he said "What would my friends think". He finally went with the numbers and purchased QVC which was a much better deal.
  
  Thanks
  
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Bruce NewMedia 15 years ago

Like many of you I LOVE these shows!

My sister and other family think I'm nuts, but this is my idea of MUST SEE TV. Will really miss Pitchmen, Billy Mays was awesome, not someone easily replaced.

I agree with Josh, at least on Pitchmen, they assume the product doesn't work, not that the ad itself is bad....which means their 'product selection skills' are more important than most other things.

I also wish they would show more of the negotiating about royalties and fees to get a deal with Sullivan Productions. Probably its too confidential tho.

The inventors are some of the funniest elements of the shows.

I loved the one guy who invented the security-locking hand held cooler. He was so proud of it, until Billy Mays says, "Yeh but if somebody really wants whats inside this, they'll just steal the whole container!" LOL

BTW, Bill Rancic's show on A&E called 'We Mean Business' may be what another poster was referring to.
_____
Bruce
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Scott Stamper 15 years ago

Here's some others that I've thought of...

The Last Millionaire - BBC
The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch - CNBC
All Over the Shop - BBC
Flip this House - A&E
Sell This House - A&E
The Apprentice - NBC

Documentaries:
As Seen on TV - CNBC
Making it Big on eBay - BBC
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- JohnMcCabe 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by brucerby
  
  BTW, Bill Rancic's show on A&E called 'We Mean Business' may be what another poster was referring to.
  _____
  Bruce
  
  Bruce, that's the one. Thanks...
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  kf 15 years ago
  
  Great thread Scott.
  
  There's a Canuck version of Dragon's Den also ... and no they do *not* make the dragons wear touques! Although I wouldn't kick Brett Wilson out of bed for wearing one.
  
  If I can throw one in from radio, it's the Age of Persuasion with Terry O'Reilly on CBC. Available in streaming audio on the site:
  The Age of Persuasion | CBC Radio
  
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  Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything. ~ Alexander Hamilton
  
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Michael Oksa 15 years ago

Great clips, Jared.

Now, here's one that a lot of us can appreciate on more than one level.

Watch it, and pay attention to how he recovers at the end.

YouTube - QVC All Dells Crash

Talk about turning a negative into an upsell!

~Michael
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Jared Alberghini 15 years ago

Michael,

He's good... the two things that I remember were #1. It must have just been a prank call, (because of what he followed up with...) #2. Let's talk about the 3 year warranty.

Brilliant turnaround.
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