What Makes Eurovision Excellent?

Context.

These totally absurd performances would be irritating anywhere else, or at least embarrassing, but we expected Eurovision 2011 to be over-hyped, over-coloured, and over-acted. So we love it. And by we, I mean I. And my college-aged hipster-wanabee music-nerd friends. But it's fantastic!

For an example, check out this year's winner, Azerbaijan's "Ell and Nikki." The song has some beautiful phrases and some moving harmonies, but I'd skip right past it if I heard it on the radio. However! The context makes it one of the most unforgettable songs of the year. Because of a careful use of context, Ell and Nikki are now international stars and national heroes, having won Azerbaijan the right to host the MAJOR Eurovision 2012 contest.

Maybe you're not as geographically ignorant as me, but I've been practicing all night and I still can't pronounce Azerbaijan. The right move at the right time will now bring this little-known European nation millions of dollars worth of international marketing and exposure.

You literally cannot buy the kind of airtime Azerbaijan will now get.

What is the secret? Make sure you're offering a product (performance) which is actually good, then just make sure you're presenting it to people who actually want to hear about it. And make sure to catch them at a time when they want to hear about it. Not in the middle of a busy work day, and NOT in the middle of their dinner.