Choice Versus Chance: Using Brand Equity Theory to Explore TV Audience Lead-in Effects, A Case Study

The business of broadcasting is the selling of audiences to advertisers. In addition to cultivating popular program content, broadcasters know that proper scheduling can also be an important factor in attracting audiences. The implication is that programs acquire audiences by chance as well as by choice. Recognizing the potent influence of lead-in programming on the ratings performance of television programs, the purpose of this study was to explore the plausibility of applying brand equity theory to electronic media and to offer a tentative explanation of the considerable variances found in lead-in effects research studies. Adapting the essential components of an established brand equity model, the researchers propose that program brand equity is revealed in the differential ratings response of a program to its direct competitors and to its lead-in programming. The daily ratings of three 11:00 p.m. newscasts and their respective lead-ins were analyzed using one station as an equity criterion. Several hypotheses were supported within a case study format.