No Ifs Ands or Buts by Faith

  Introduction:  Previously in A TV Show Disguised as a Brand: Grey’s Anatomy , an in-depth analysis focused on how peaks on Google Trends didn’t correlate to any major episode; instead, diverse representation and social media campaigns energizing the groundswell formulated a generally positive public and brand image. The surgical-like precision has conjured the formidable societal and cultural power that few other series in the history of entertainment history can claim. In this SWOT analysis, Grey’s Anatomy will be analyzed on both episodic content––as it listens and energizes the groundswell as well as drives marketing materials––and the past, present, and future social media campaigns.  Strengths:  One of Grey’s Anatomy’s greatest strengths is how the show adapts and inhabits cultural trends, forming their storylines around targeting and marketing their groundswell. At the beginning of the series, the series solely focused on the dramatic lives of the characters....

When we think of TV, we often think of streaming, cable, commercials, TV shows, and maybe even Hallmark’s made-for-TV movies. But we don’t often think about how we got to where we are, who we should be thankful for, and who we should curse. The answer is simple. Thank and blame the people who utilized the ever-changing landscape of technology to create one of the largest storytelling (and money-making) industries.  There is no simple answer for who created television; this was a collaboration of brilliant minds. Samuel F.B. Morse developed the telegraph in the 1830s and ‘40s, and similar technology was necessary to build the TV. Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone in 1876, progressed the telegraphs of beeping sounds to voice. Thomas Edison and Bell believed that phones could transmit images as well as sounds, hinting at what we know today as smartphones and pushing technology forward. However, it wasn’t until 1884 that German researcher Paul Nipkow created a syst...

The Introduction In the modern age, lengthy television shows are just as, if not more popular than, movies, yet few shows carry on cinema’s long history of melodrama like Grey’s Anatomy . This series features doctors with soap opera-esque storylines where hearts and lives are on the line. Birthed in 2005 from the great mind of Shonda Rhimes and her production company, Shondaland, this medical drama takes fans on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. While television series are more often viewed as products from a brand, this singular TV show has made over $3 billion for ABC’s parent company, Disney. This astronomical revenue is due to the public’s positive outlook. In other words, Grey’s Anatomy is a cultural icon that has shifted from a product to a brand with a powerful brand image.  The Trends Despite the generally positive outlook, outside of the fandom and groundswell, the haters demand that the show be canceled––deeming that it just needs to be over . But Grey’s Anatomy does no...