CONTENT
THE HOUSE THAT TOOK OVER RUSSIAN TV
THE HOUSE
THAT TOOK
OVER RUSSIAN TV
REALITY DOMINATES PRIMETIME TV EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. IN RUSSIA,
THE HOUSE HAS SWEPT ALL BEFORE IT. DOBRINYA GUTIEV AND VERA KAGAN
EXPLORE THE SUCCESS OF DOM-2.
For the last eight years, Russian TV
record-breaking 8m Roubles.
schedules have been dominated by Dom,
People have remained loyal to the show
to get involved. International brands, in
early as 2005. The TNT channel earned
they should invest in the show or not.
because it’s interesting. For young people
particular, stayed away at the start.
$7m from indirect advertising and
Many – who naturally are not in the
sponsorship in a single season.
show’s target market – reject integration
Russian for The House. It’s a spectacularly
The House was so successful that in May
who live with their parents, Dom-2 shows
successful reality TV format that has
2004, the TNT-owned channel tweaked it
the basics of a self-reliant life, letting them
Local companies, however, were less
defied religious condemnation and
to create Dom-2 (The House-2). This time
see real human behaviour and study other
reticent. Russian mobile operator Megafon
For the first three to four years, integra-
feelings towards the show.
commercial caution to strike it big.
round 20 young boys and girls signed up
people’s mistakes.
used Dom-2 to raise the brand loyalty and
tions paid-off handsomely. After 2009,
They may have to change their views,
brand recognition – after seven months
however, the commercial performance
however, as the economic climate has
brand loyalty increased by 20%.
started to decline.
changed. After 10 years of impressive
with no end in sight. More than 400
Step-by-step international brands have
TAKING PART
to find love and build a home for the winIt wasn’t the first reality show on Russian
ner. To win they had to form a relationship
GAINING POPULARITY
TV, that honour falls to Behind the Glass –
with another participant.
Dom-2 has been on air for seven years
similar to Big Brother – which ran in 2001
growth when there was little need to take
risks, Russia is now different.
and offered viewers constant access to the
Over the years the focus of the show has
people have taken part and more than 10
become involved, to the point where
TNT has now changed its sales policy and
lives of participants.
changed. Instead of simply rewarding
couples have got married.
commercial clutter has become excessive.
only allows 5-10 products to get involved at
Growth rates have now shrunk to around
More than 90 brands – including Huggies,
any one time to decrease clutter. The show
4% – from around 6-8% – and brands need
participants for their mastery of building
The success of Behind the Glass was a me-
skills, the programme now spies on them.
However, while the show continues to
M&M’s, Panasonic, Pepsi Max, KitKat,
has also become a multimedia operation:
to find new media solutions. At the same
too moment for TV, with every channel
The audience knows practically every single
be one of the highest-rating shows in
Nokia and Twix – have now participated.
there is a magazine, which sells more
time, dramatic media inflation have also
starting its own reality projects. TV-6 in
step they take – “candid” TV cameras, extra
Russian TV history, it hasn’t always
than 100 000 copies a week, participants
pushed traditional strategies out of reach
particular invested heavily in the genre,
episodes and online translations keep the
been popular with brands, regulators or
After Remington’s integration into the
tour all over Russia and appear across the
for some brands. Sponsorship on shows
putting reality shows front and centre of
audience informed almost 24/7.
religious leaders.
show, young ladies headed to the shops
media landscape, on popular Russian TV
such as Dom-2 can generate a big impact at
saying: “I want the same curling irons as
talkshows and in TV commercials.
a relatively low cost.
its schedule.
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opportunities as a result of their personal
The show is also no longer about introduc-
Due to the nature of some of the content,
the girl from Dom2”. Remington’s brand
It hit gold in June 2003 with the launch of
ing a completely new set of participants
it has had to retreat from the daytime
recognition increased from 20% to 70% and
Online Dom-2 attracts more than 40,000
Those that do take the plunge need to
The House. Based on a format developed
every year but about getting to know a
schedules and now airs only after 23.00.
sales went up sevenfold.
unique visitors per day and has about a
make sure they take full advantage of the
by British company Zeal, it challenged
rolling group of competitors. Some of
million registered users. It’s become a
opportunities Dom-2 provides. Once you
couples to spend four months building
them have been in the house for more
The Russian Church protested against
According to the company Gallup Media
media juggernaut.
enter The House there can be no
a house, without any professional
than three years and viewers will always
the show and its participants and,
Russia, Dom-2 became a leader in product
help. The prize for the winners was a
recognise a familiar face.
initially at least, brands were reluctant
placement in the Russian TV market as
MEDIACOM | BLINK #3
half measures.
For marketers the key question is whether
BLINK #3 | MEDIACOM
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