The Gruen Planet - Sultans of spin

If there is one remarkable television success story out there in the Australian media landscape then it certainly is 'The Gruen Transfer'. The Gruen Transfer is a show about the power of persuasion examining the advertising world from A to Z. After 4 Seasons of The Gruen Transfer it's now time for its expansion 'The Gruen Planet' which airs every Wednesday night on ABC1. The purpose of this show is to take the conversation even one step further digging deeper into the tools that companies use to sell their products.

The articles I chose were published on the SMH and The Age website. I chose two articles this time because both of them had some very interesting comments on the show and slightly different news angles. So before I go any further...here is a link to a short video to give you a little impression about the show:

http://media.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-guide/gruen-planet-2650505.html  

The main argument that I came across in both articles is that Public Relations or 'Propaganda' how many people like to bad-mouth the practice is not much different to those strategies used in Advertising to convince a consumer of buying a product. Just the fact that after 4 Seasons of The Gruen Transfer the show is going to be continued in an even more inviting approach tells us that there is more than enough topics out there.

The Advertising industry is a marketing tool that can sell products to consumers in the most brilliant ways. Of course, persuasion is the key to success but sometimes it doesn't need much persuasion to win consumers. Cranny-Francis introduced the nature of 'visceral reading' in one of our early lecture readings and stated that visual images or texts may generate different visceral responses in the viewer. Viewers of a television commercial for example may experience certain discourses, feelings, attitudes and values towards the ad. Consumers are exposed to advertising on a daily basis, walking on the streets, watching TV or just reading a magazine. According to Cranny-Francis this is when abstract ideas or concepts become part of knowledge production and consumers build a connection with the advertisement or visual. Therefore, coming back to the article, it is important to point out that individuals' perception-making process varies from one to another. Thus the advertising industry may be persuasive to some extent, but not always.  

Coming from a communications background myself, advertising in my eyes is the most interesting part in this industry. This is where big amounts of money come and go like nothing else. It's a fast-paced and creative business that involves constant change - a job that certainly is much sought-after in Australia.        

In my opinion both news stories worked out well. There is a clear news angle throughout the stories - explaining the purpose of a 5th season on the Gruen Transfer. The stories are well-structured and engage the reader through questions and good quotes from the host of the show, Wil Anderson. The shows broadcasting details and linkages to social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are also provided. All in all, both stories demonstrate an excellent 'follow-up' piece and reinforce the show's successful development. 

Online news articles and references:

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/sultans-of-spin-20110923-1knsg.html

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/gruen-planet-wednesday-october-12-20111007-1lcz0.html

Cranny-Francis, A. (2005). Multimedia: texts and contexts. London: SAGE, pp. 27-54.