On the ABC drama “Scandal,†Kerry Washington plays Olivia Pope, the best consultant in Washington, but even that character would have to be impressed with the marketing savvy that is pushing the series to new heights in the ratings.
On Nov. 29 “Scandal†drew 6.6 million total viewers for an episode that ended with an assassination attempt on President Fitzgerald Grant, played by Tony Goldwyn. Taking a page from the “Who Shot J. R.?†advertising playbook, ABC started a Twitter campaign tied to the hashtag #whoshotFitz, which was displayed on-screen during the episode. Viewers could also chat with the cast if they used #AskScandal.
The effort, combined with viewer curiosity about the cliffhanger, paid off in the ratings. The following episode, on Dec. 6, drew a series high in the 18-to-49 demographic, the age group most prized by advertisers, and in total viewers, 7.4 million. The upward trend continued on Thursday when, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers, the show once again reached new series highs for the winter finale, both in total viewers, 7.8 million, and in the 18-to-49 category.
