What links the Corn Song of 2022, The Great Chicken War of 2023, and football’s Tennessee Titans? If you guessed the Ted Lasso effect, you deserve a trophy. Part coach, part motivational speaker, and part big brother, Ted Lasso provides indispensable words of wisdom on harnessing human potential. He’s like a warm mug of hot chocolate for the soul, enveloping you with inspiration.
Ted Lasso’s rise to popularity is surprising amidst today’s mighty content landscape, filled with snarky, hostile humor that doesn’t promote togetherness. But that’s probably why he resonates with so many viewers. His humor might be absurd, but it’s never silly, and doesn’t humiliate or divide people.
Goodbye to cruelty and hello to kindness.
But there’s something more going on. The show’s enduring popularity is due in part to its consistent uplifting effect on the viewer. Storylines might feature disappointing or disagreeable characters, but each episode still managed to be a breath of fresh air for an audience weary of dour and dark content.
We see the same effect in social media content–witness the success of Mark Rober. No matter his subject matter, Rober’s effect on his audience is consistently positive, and his approach is influencing content creators.
It’s likely you’ve come across lots of “feel-good” content like the Corn Song, last year’s ubiquitous remix, Titans’ announcement (5.9 million views) that chose not to take itself too seriously, and TikTok’s Chicken War. But to simply describe this as feel-good content does it an injustice. It signifies a significant shift in what people want from content, which appeals to and includes everyone. You don’t have to be a football fanatic or a chicken farmer to appreciate or share in this content.
We’re witnessing a profound shift in content consumption, and the hottest viral trend is the Generalist Approach. It appeals to everyone, embraces inclusivity, and intentionally seeks to uplift and include instead of dividing and mocking.
What does this imply for your content?
Experiment with ways to incorporate positive and genuine sentiments into your content. These new muscles might be a little weak for the seasoned cynics accustomed to sarcasm as their love language, but it won’t hurt to try.
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