Marketing Lessons for Potential Entrepreneurs

Why Good Contestants Can’t Win Food Network Contest
In 2011, the final two were narrowed to a man and woman who prepared demo tapes, one of which offered Mexican cooking with a twist, while the other specialized in creating sandwiches.

Some people seem to think it was a close call between the two, but I don’t believe that’s true. The judges are primarily in business to put original programming on the air that will expand their viewing audience. If you watch Food Channel regularly, you already know that they have Mexican cuisine covered, but they don’t have a program about sandwiches.

It was a foregone conclusion who would win and the sandwich king was crowned.

Last year, the winner was a charismatic contestant offering East Indian cuisine. There was no surprise about the judge’s decision in that case, either.

This year, there’s an interesting mix of talent, and the audience has the final vote. This may change the outcome.

Lesson: TV is an industry that survives on marketing to niche markets.
A cooking show based on a popular cuisine that is already covered extensively on the air is not competitive or profitable.

Reference
http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star/index.html