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‘Hacks’ on Attracting New Audiences Without Throwing Out the Old
The HBO hit "Hacks" has a great lesson on how older workers can benefit from the ideas their younger counterparts come up with.
Written by: Antonio Ferme, Senior WriterUpdated Jan 03, 2024
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(HBO Max)
Speaking of bridging the generational divide … In the age of NFTs and influencer marketing, seasoned executives might be hesitant to adopt trendy strategies promoted by their younger employees. After watching the zany HBO comedy series “Hacks,” something tells us it might be worth rolling the dice.
The show follows the downfall and resurgence of Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a fading stand-up comedian who loses her permanent residency at the Palmetto Casino in Las Vegas.
Given her unwavering fan base, Deborah laments that she doesn’t have to work for laughs like she used to. She hit a peak in her career, and rather than switching gears, has continued to coast on the durability of her schtick.
To help combat her shortcomings, Deborah hires a younger writer named Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help reinvent her act. She is initially hesitant to take Ava’s advice given her conceited attitude, but as they spend more time together, Deborah begins to cherish her wit and veracious outlook.
Ava pushes back against Deborah’s fixation on self-deprecating punchlines and challenges her to take accountability for her tumultuous past. Deborah follows Ava’s advice while writing her new comedy special, which shines an honest light on her experiences as a female comic in a male-dominated industry. This approach would later prove to help younger audiences relate to Deborah’s perspective.
After shopping the program to different streaming services, Deborah’s team is left with second-rate offers. Given her confidence in the material, Deborah decides to self-fund her special and sell DVD copies to her loyal followers. The bold move generates instant buzz and a bidding war that ends with Deborah back on top of her game.
The lesson? With great risk comes great rewards. Deborah’s career comeback highlights the value of leveraging younger employees who might have fresh ideas to attract new audiences. At the same time, however, remember to balance this with traditional strategies that have already proven to be successful.