Now You Can Glee

It's a new season of Glee and there's a lot to be happy about! The show has quickly become an entertainment phenomenon, mostly because it pulls on so many insights -- there's something here for all of us.

First, there's the whole sing-along musical thing. Most won't admit it, but musicals are fun, and we secretly love to sing along. If you notice, the producers very carefully pick a range of music to attract a pretty wide audience. There's music in there from when I was in high school, and then there's Beyonce. This is a trick that they must have learned from American Idol ... pull songs from across the generations to get both the kids and their parents.

And then there's the whole cool vs. uncool drama, which gets played out masterfully. The uncool kids are the ones that get to sing, and we sing right along with them, and they become the heroes. The show's tagline? "For the aspiring underdog in all of us."

Throw in a love story here and there, a "villain", and pretty soon you have must-see television, an emerging brand, and quite an experience. One that keeps evolving across touch points as the brand grows.

The best part? This little entertainment property is becoming a brand! An online experience to beat the band. Music CDs and downloads. And now, for the launch of the new season, Fox introduced an app that you can download onto Apple devices. Simply select songs from the show and sing along with them ... and it gets better. You can also form your own glee club with "friends" around the world and sign the songs and record them together!

Imagine recording a song with people from all around the world, harmonizing to each other, sending it around to each other's devices.

A perfect fit with the Glee television show, but customized to make the brand experience more personal. Using mobile technology and social media to extend the television show brand's equity. Not necessarily the first to do it, but the sing along viral aspect is pretty darn cool if you ask me.

Love the show even more. You can read about the new app here: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/television/5994.html

What's your experience? Jim.