Last weekend, inspiration on the power of “fresh consistency” came from an unusual source: the TV programme Strictly Come Dancing. I joined Mrs Taylor on the sofa to watch this week’s episode (she’s as passionate about dancing as I am about rugby). For non-UK readers, Strictly Come Dancing or Strictly for short is a British television phenomenon that brings together celebrities and professional dancers in a competition where they perform various dance styles. Airing since 2004, the Strictly brand is now on its 22nd seasons and continues to pull in 7 million+ viewers, double the viewers of its nearest ratings rival in the peak Saturday night slot.
Below we look at how fresh consistency has helped the dance go on and on and on for Strictly.
1. CONSISTENCY: REMEMBER WHAT MADE YOU FAMOUS
The first key success factor for the Strictly brand is remembering what made it famous and then keeping these key elements consistent. The fundamental format has stayed pretty much the same from launch:
- Professional dancers are paired with celebrities to compete for the glitterball trophy
- A panel of four judges delivers expert feedback and scores, while the audience participates by voting for their favorite pairs
- The grand final is held in the Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom, as symbol of British dance culture
One thing worth noting here is how powerful consistency can be in modern culture. In an unpredictable and often scary world, Strictly is a reliable and beloved weekly burst of feel-good entertainment.
2. FRESHNESS: REFRESH TO STAY RELEVANT
Consistency is important but not enough to stay relevant and keep brining in new viewers. Part of the Strictly brand magic lies in the fresh twists that keep it feeling new. The show consistently introduces a new set of celebrities each season. Beyond this core proposition, in recent years, Strictly has made efforts to be more inclusive, embracing diversity in age, background and ability. In 2021, Rose Ayling-Ellis, a deaf actress, captured hearts and went on to win the competition. The current season features a remarkable contestant who is sight-impaired. Liverpool comedian Chris McCausland lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s and 30s and has wowed judges and viewers alike.
Presenters have also evolved over the year to keep the show fresh (below left). Although Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have been the two anchors since season 12, a range of presenters have been used for the complementary show, It Takes Two (1).
Image from https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Strictly_Come_Dancing
And the same principle has been applied to the four judges. Craig Revel Horwood has incredible longevity, having been on the show since season 1, but other judges are regularly replaces with new ones to refresh the format (1).
Image from https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Strictly_Come_Dancing
3. DISTINCTIVENESS: AMPLIFY DISTINCTIVE BRAND ASSETS
The Strictly brand stands out in a increasingly crowded content landscape through its multiple distinctive brand assets (DBAs). These have been carefully protected and amplified over more then two decades, helping to build distinctive memory structure:
- Name: the name Strictly Come Dancing itself is another example of fresh consistency. Come Dancing was a BBC ballroom dancing competition series aired from 1949 to 1998. When the revamped the show was re-launched as a reality TV series, this original name was merged with part of the name of Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 film, Strictly Ballroom.
- Visual assets: the spinning glitterball device and logo typeface are instantly recognizable symbols that embody the glamour and sparkle of dance and have stayed remarkably consistent
- Sonic branding: the theme music, with its lively, brassy notes, evokes the feel of a grand ballroom and has become an auditory signal for viewers that it’s time for the weekend’s entertainment
- Visual style: colourful costumes, stunning stage sets and the polished look of each performance add to the show’s cohesive visual style, creating a sensory experience that’s distinctively Strictly
Images from https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Strictly_Come_Dancing
4. REACH: DRIVE DISTRIBUTION
Strictly, first broadcast under the name Dancing with the Stars, is an incredible example of driving reach through distribution. It is the world’s most successful reality TV format, with licences in 75+ countries including the US, China and India (2).
In conclusion, the Strictly brand demonstrates the power of “fresh consistency” by retaining familiar elements in each season while introducing new and diverse faces, themes and stories that resonate with contemporary audiences. This delicate brand balancing act has kept Strictly relevant, beloved and a constant on British television. It has also helped the brand weather the recent storm of negative publicity regarding the behaviour of certain professional dancers on the show.
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