The Importance of Audience Testing

In 2010, Alois and I found ourselves spending every Tuesday night at the Ballarat table tennis stadium, filming PingSkills videos. The stadium was an hour's drive away, but our passion for table tennis kept us motivated. We had a vision to create a table tennis show that would resonate with our audience, but first, we needed the perfect name. After some brainstorming, we came up with PingCast—a clever blend of PingSkills and podcast. It felt like a winning combination.

With the name settled, we set up our video equipment for the very first episode of PingCast. As we hit record, I welcomed our viewers: "Welcome to the very first edition of PingCast, presented by PingSkills." We dove into topics like the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the impressive performance of a 13-year-old at the NZ Open. We wrapped up the episode with a demonstration on how to play against a backspin ball, feeling pleased with our efforts. We packed up and drove home, satisfied with our new venture.

A couple of days later, I was at lunch with some friends, excitedly sharing the news about our new show. One of them pulled it up on his computer and started watching. Then, he turned to me with a puzzled expression and asked, "The first edition of 'pink what'?" My heart sank as I realised the issue. When you say PingCast quickly, it unfortunately sounds like "Pink" followed by something much less appropriate. It didn’t take long for us to realise that we needed a new name. After some quick thinking, we rebranded the show as PingPod—the Ping Pong Podcast by PingSkills.

We’re not the only ones who’ve fallen into the trap of a poorly tested title. I’m reminded of a time when Graham Norton was interviewing Jane Fonda about a movie she starred in with Robert Redford. Before reading the title, he quipped, "You’ve got to be careful how you say it; I’m not sure they audience tested that title!" The movie was called "Our Souls at Night." Needless to say, a little audience testing can save you from some awkward moments.

Curious to see our original PingCast? Here's the first-ever episode. Just promise not to laugh too hard at our expense!

And for a bit of fun, check out Graham Norton’s take on "Our Souls at Night" here.