Each year, millions of people tune in to reality dating shows because of the promise of drama. We all want to see who doesn’t get along with who and the chaos that can ensue when someone is unexpectedly cast aside. But imagine being the producer for such a show and deciding who gets a shot at a national (or even international) spotlight.
Perhaps a potential contestant fired off a tweet four years ago that in today’s climate reads as insensitive and should be deleted.
As any true reality TV fan knows, there’s a fine line between dishy drama and crazy (potentially dangerous) drama. Even years after the fact, fans can recall destructive dating show contestants by name or list instances when bad behavior took the focus off the search for everlasting love. While that may be fun for viewers, the wrong kind of drama makes for unnecessary rounds of jittery nerves among network executives.
Where do producers and networks even begin? Smart casting decisions start with a social media Deep Report. At SMI Aware, we scan public posts across multiple social media platforms and identify posts or behavior that could reflect poorly on a show, a production team, or a network. The network provides us with a list of names and keywords, and we identify and search through all of the potential contestant’s public social media. We scour their profiles for anything that could be damaging or offensive or potentially jeopardize the network.
What does SMI Aware look for? Perhaps a potential contestant fired off a tweet four years ago that in today’s climate reads as insensitive and should be deleted. Or maybe a contestant shows a long-standing antagonism pattern and outsized temper tantrums pointing to an unstable, volatile personality. A Deep Report is a social media background check that’s conducted in a consistent and ethical manner. It’s a necessary part of any network’s due diligence and risk management before choosing to place anyone, no matter how attractive, under the umbrella of a beloved TV brand.
We do not make casting decisions. As with any SMI Aware Deep Report, we provide a neutral analysis of social media behavior based on the client’s scope. Following years of experience with producers and networks, SMI Aware offers unbiased social media reports tailored to meet each client’s specific needs. How a network, or any of our clients, uses our information is up to them.
Contact us to learn more about how our Deep Report can help you.
