The Dutch tv show The Voice of Holland is causing a commotion. Not only because there are some real exciting talents on the show, but also because the show is causing a controversy.
The idea behind the show is that it is all about the voice. When candidates were auditioning, the jury sat with their back towards the talent. They could just hear the voice and could not see them. In the remainder of the program they can see the talent.
That sounds like a good idea but if singing talent is all that is needed to become a popular singing brand, Madonna would never have made it and Susan Boyle would have been a star years ago. The proof is in the show also. Beautiful Jennifer Ewbank has a lot of fans, but also a large following of "anti-fans". I must admit I am one of the latter. So far she has ruined "Can't get you out of my mind" by Kylie Minogue and a Burt Bacherach classic. Jennifer Ewbank in my opinion could be an Idol but not The Voice of Holland. And I think that this is why such a large part of the Dutch audience think there is some major conspiracy going on behind the scenes.
It can be explained by the Dimensions of Customer Value (Dipak Jain, p. 137). These dimensions are the dimensions by which customers select a new product (or service, or artist):
- economic
- functional
- psychological
When liking musicians, writers, or actors it never really is about the economic dimension. You do not like an artist because the music is cheaper.
The functional dimension is about prefering a product that has the most sophisticated set of features. When it comes to singing this could be applied. I would translate it as being able to sing as the most basic feature. The ability of timing, high notes, different genres and all kinds of other musical technicalities rank higher on the dimension (and is only for the few). The Voice of Holland is looking for someone who scores high on the functional dimension. In my opinion Jennifer Ewbank scores very low on this dimension.
The psychological dimension is generally "driven by several intangibles such as service, brand name, trust, relationship and reputation. Customers seeking these benefits care about total satisfaction with the product and desire peace of mind." (Direct quote from Kellogs on Marketing, p. 138). This is Idols, where the search is on for a person with the x-factor. The search for a performer that has many attributes rolled into one; not only singing talent. With her good looks and sense of style Jennifer belongs in this category.
The problem with The Voice of Holland is that the audience gets to cast a vote. But the "functional dimension" program is watched by an audience of which a majority is a "psychological dimension" customer (read: viewer). The result is a disgruntled group of "functional dimension" viewers.
So there is a disconnect. I think the flaw in thinking is on the side of the makers of the show. Firstly, they should know that most of the audience will look at the total package and not just listen to the voice. It is naive to think otherwise. But not including the audience is from an era gone by. Besides they are making money when including the audience through all the phone calls and texts when it is voting time. And if only the voice were the object of judging it should be a radio show. Secondly, Madonna has proven that you don't have to have a great singing voice, other aspects factor in also. Madonna is a strong personal brand. She could teach not only Branding 101 but the Masterclasses too.
So who is going to win The Voice of Holland? The person that can sing and has the x-factor too. Fortunately there are some who can beat my unfavorite. And with all that it is just another "psychological dimension" talent show.
Comments