The television network that houses the popular television series Pretty Little Liars is showing signs of evolution. The ABC Family Network is losing its old title and moving on with a new network name. ABC has now formally transitioned to Freeform, this week.
A lot of names were considered and the renaming initially was meant to focus on removing "Family" from ABC Family. The word was not quite popular with the 18-35 age group. The Disney-owned company wanted to reach that particular female target audience.
Tom Ascheim, network chief, calles the age group "their first kiss and first child". The name Freeform is distinct and appeals to a sense of discovery which is important to this core audience. Though it is helpful to have ABC and Disney on the name, it does not sound appealing to the age group which doesn't chime in to their instinct, he explains:
We're delighted to be family-friendly and wholesome but it's kind of specific, and it's not particularly representative of who we are.
Ascheim has hinted that the Freeform brand may not be isolated to a television network alone. Focus groups were conducted and consumers were asked what they thought of the name if it was a clothing line or streaming service. This is a sign that the network is evolving with the current market especially since companies are now focusing on live and online video streaming services.
The network's research shows that they are happy with the network. Ascheim explains that their researches come directly from their core young audience and that they talk to them regularly - filling out surveys and asking questions.
If you're a "Becomer", then Freeform is the network for you, as explained online, Becomer is a life stage between childhood and adulthood. Becomers are "really in formation kind of freely", as Ascheim puts it.
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