Devoted to lead generation, lead generators, and successful lead gen campaigns

Think big-time television executives don't have to worry about generating sales leads for their shows?

Think hit shows like "American Idol" can just sit back and put it on cruise control, and not worry about their current customers and generating new customers?

Guess again...

Take a look at a recent issue of Variety, and read between the lines here to see how vital it is for network television to bring in new "leads" (aka, "viewers") and what happens when they lose that focus:

"The show has got to look better. It's got to be more fun as a show," he says. "It absolutely comes down to the content of what we provide the viewers."

Exec producer Nigel Lythgoe concedes that mistakes were made last year. For starters, Lythgoe says the show spent too much time on big-name guest mentors and performers, at the expense of investing viewers in who's who (particularly early in the show's competish).

"We need to put our hand up and take the blame," he says. "We missed out on telling the best stories. If (contestants) were uninteresting, it's because we made them uninteresting."

As a result, "Idol" is looking to shake things up this year by spending more time on those contestant backstories.

"I want to give up that time and focus on the kids," Lythgoe says. "It's the emotional hooks that sell us, and get us watching every week. I don't think last year we were necessarily an appointment to view. There wasn't a 'I want to watch Bo Bice win' or 'I want to see Justin Guarini get kicked off' feeling to the show."

Already, the marketing of "Idol" has reflected that change, Liguori says.

"We've had our promos talk a little bit more about 'I'm from Nebraska, I'm a cotton candy maker,' and 'I'm from Oklahoma, I'm a cowboy,' " he says. "We're basically trying to set it up that this is a show about people with stories. ... It's about people who think they're good (singers) and (are) not, and people who think they're good and are great."

As a marketer, you have to know your audience.  If you lose sight of how to bring them in and experience your product, you will struggle.

You have to adapt and evolve your sales lead generation campaign constantly.  What you did to bring in new customers two years ago might not work as well now.