What made 'The Voice' so successful?

While I watched 'The Voice' last night along with most of the country, I wondered why this show has been so successful? Especially given that we are buried in reality TV shows at the moment - what is the secret of their success? I believe that it comes down to Engagement; think about it...

Selection - with the blind auditions, people were selected purely on raw talent. Looks, image or age never came into it. We had diversity amongst the teams
 

Teaming - contestants became part of a team and felt a sense of belonging. They actively referred to themselves as being part of 'Team Keith'

Coaching - the experts were able to nurture and develop their team so that individuals had the confidence to perform better, more often and more consistently

Personality - we, as the audience, felt we got to know the coaches more as people than untouchable stars. They came across as real

Respect - there was none of the nastiness, bitchiness or making fools of people in public which many of the other talent shows trade on

Promotion - the coaches had to make tough decisions and select the team members that they felt were the most deserving and had the best chance of winning

Feedback - people received consistent and regular feedback to improve their knowledge and skills

Interaction - we got to see the interaction between the coaches and get a sense of what they were thinking

Belief - the individual team members felt that there was someone in their corner, encouraging them and believing in them

Influence - last, but perhaps most importantly, we as the audience could determine the outcome - and we did, Team Seal

This group was extremely talented but Karise Eden is different to the stock-standard pop star. She has depth, experience (mostly sad) and a sound that is different to the norm but, again, I am thrilled that the final four were not 'manufactured' girl or boy-band targets. It proves that the Australian public is more diverse in their music tastes than they are often given credit for.

It is a proven fact that Engagement makes an impact to the bottom line and Channel 9 are reaping these benefits now. How many of these tools to Engagement do you use in your business?

Natasha Hawker owns Employee Matters Pty Ltd; an HR Consultancy that assists small to medium businesses with their HR functions to make them more efficient and profitable. Their offering includes HR Management, Recruitment, Training, Coaching, and Exit Management – find them at www.employeematters.com.au