The soap opera creation process

Abstract

Managers in the creative industries have to deal with demand unpredictability and uncertainty. This characteristic does not prevent companies in this sector from trying to pursue knowledge about their consumers and, armed with this knowledge, from articulating the development of new products. This work investigates how the Globo Broadcasting network uses information that comes from viewers for preparing its soap operas. This is a case study that focuses on the types of information and the means by which the company gets feedback from its consumers and on the structure and organizational dynamic that allows for the use of this information in developing its soap operas. The results indicate an adherence to the improvisational model proposed by Kamoche and Cunha (2001), where a minimum structure allows for coherence and favors fl exibility when it comes to including modifi cations based on audience reaction.