I was having a conversation with my good friend and colleague Marcus Thornton, Chief Marketing Officer of Scheels, about the challenges Netflix is facing. So it’s fair to say Netflix is not having the best time ever right now. Instead of achieving 2 million more subscribers, they lost 200,000. The stock price is the lowest it’s been in five years. Employee morale is reportedly through the floor. The world is watching to see if the streaming giant has merely stumbled or if this is the beginning of a fall.

We begin with Netflix occupying a reasonably strong position – both Loved and Trusted by the public. Think about the whole Netflix and Chill phenomenon. Here we have a case of a brand being explicitly called out as integral to having a good time with your favorite person. There’s a serious amount of love going on.

But something happened. The relationship that was so strong has started to sour. Why? Let’s look at some choices Netflix has made and how they have contributed to the change in the way people feel about the brand.

Love Doesn’t Mean Giving Someone Everything They Want: You Have to Do More Than That.

Have you noticed how Netflix went from having everything you could ever want to watch to having nothing you’re excited about seeing? This is, we believe, directly attributable to the strength of the recommendation algorithms Netflix uses.

At first glance, the logic is sound. Someone likes a particular program and serves them up more content of that type. But – as you’ve undoubtedly experienced – it doesn’t take very long for all of your recommendations to look alike. The algorithms don’t stray too far from the tried and true. It just serves up more of what you’ve already enjoyed.

What’s missing from this experience? Delight. Discovery. The experience of finding something fresh and unexpected that you didn’t know you would like something people love. Netflix’s vast library undoubtedly contains many hidden gems people would happily pay to keep watching – if they ever saw it in the first place. If only there were a way to introduce serendipity into the algorithm, Netflix would be well on the way to getting some of that love back.

And Let’s Be Real: It’s Always About the Money, Honey

Netflix raised its prices steadily over the course of the pandemic. While price hikes are never welcome, doing so when their customer base was already feeling trapped by COVID restrictions was an interesting choice. There was much new financial stress introduced into people’s lives during the pandemic. Adding to this burden at this time was a choice Netflix made that negatively impacted the amount of love their customers feel toward the brand.

In much the same vein, the reports that Netflix is now open to advertising have created delight among advertising agencies – and absolutely nobody else. Customers on the fence about the value of their Netflix membership are not going to be persuaded to stay by adding commercials to the viewing experience.

The third leg of this tripod of terrible is the crackdown on password sharing. Does password sharing cost Netflix lots of money? Absolutely. Do they have the right to limit the delivery of their service to people who pay for it? No doubt. Is the ideal time to address this issue during a period where membership numbers are dropping fast and your employees have just lost tons of money as the value of their options plummeted? Perhaps not. Certainly not if Netflix asks the question, “Will this move make our customers love us  more?”

The Route to Screen Needs to Change – Considering a Post-Binge Netflix

Live by the sword, die by the sword is wisdom that applies in many situations, but in this case, let’s look at it in terms of content creation. Netflix has produced some amazing original content, using a model that involves hiring well-known stars and providing generous budgets. These shows have dropped a series at a time, keeping with the love people have for binge-watching.

This all bears re-examining, given the pandemic and the much more competitive environment the streaming industry has become. Netflix’s studio arm just isn’t as strong as Disney or Paramount, which have decades of experience in fundamentals-based storytelling. Star power can not be purchased in sufficient quantities to guarantee great content. That being said, Netflix should get some credit for bringing in stars from around the world to keep things going. Case in point, Squid Games, the survival drama that introduced Americans to top Korean actors. 

Additionally, a lot of Netflix’s original content is highly derivative of content that has already performed well for Netflix or another studio. It will be difficult at a time when the most comfortable response to tension is to pursue whatever appears to be the safest course, but in terms of content creation, it may be time to give the muse even more freedom. If there was ever a time Netflix needed to be more creative, it’s now. 

Forcing creativity is hard. Thinking strategically about the content release is much easier. Just because a show can be binged doesn’t mean it should be binged. Subscriber retention becomes easier when viewers need to wait to see what happens next. Love requires growth. While the binge-centric model of dropping entire seasons at once may be what’s known and familiar, it could be time for Netflix to explore what might work better. 

What Did I Miss?

Obviously, this is a big story with many different angles to consider. What do you think? What has Netflix done that’s reduced how much their customers love and trust them? What moves would you recommend to get Netflix back on a more positive trajectory? I’m very eager to hear your thoughts.

Management guru Peter Drucker reminds us, “The purpose of business is to create a customer.”

The driving force behind this step is developing customer intelligence. You want to become masterful at generating actionable consumer insights through web surveys, focus groups, one-on-one in-depth interviews, in-store interactions, and more.

Here’s a list of questions that require thoughtful deliberation:

• Who is your business especially for? Who are your Brand Lovers? That is, who will be your most profitable customers?
• What human needs are you trying to satisfy in your target customers?
• What internal tensions are you attempting to resolve?
• What problems are you trying to solve?
• What is the ideal experience you’re trying to create for your target customers?
• What are the emotions you want your Brand Lovers to experience when they interact with you?

Your goal is to understand who your customers are, how they behave, and what they experience. The better consumer insights you have, the better chances you have for executing an effective branding strategy.

Every company wants to be in a position where its customers love and trust them. That’s where profits are high and loyalty is strong – critical considerations for the long-term health of the business.

But sometimes, companies make choices that diminish the relationship they have with their customers. Why would any brand willingly take steps that make their customers love them less?

Trouble Down on the Farm

We could ask John Deere – or, to be fair, any of the other major manufacturers of commercial farming equipment. These highly trusted brands damaged relationships with farmers – notoriously loyal to their tractor brand – by barring owners from repairing their equipment. 

This decision imposed high costs on farmers, especially those operating at a considerable distance from an authorized repair service. The revenue realized from repairs represented a minuscule percentage, and when weighed against the damage to the brand’s goodwill amongst its small pool of target customers, hardly worth it.

So why was this decision made? 

To Feel Less Fear, We Sacrifice Love

Businesses are led by rational people who strive to make intelligent decisions. Farming equipment manufacturers have legitimate concerns about their proprietary technology being stolen and replicated by competitors. 

They also know their customers have relatively few options. There are only so many top-tier brands in this space. 

To address the fears of industrial espionage, the decision was made that there’d be less love in the customer-brand relationship. People stay married even when they don’t like each other very much because each party somehow gets their needs met. 

Until, Of Course, We Wind Up In Court

Dysfunctional marriages end when one party takes the issue to court. While there’s no direct equivalent here, farming equipment manufacturers have found their fear-based response – some would call this their Shadow – checked in the courts. 

The Right to Repair movement has steadily gained traction, culminating in a presidential executive order in 2021. The changes allowing farmers to fix their own equipment haven’t made it far enough into the field yet to track the impact on how the brand is trusted and loved – but we will know before too many harvests.

What do you think will happen? I am interested in hearing your thoughts.

No product is appropriate for every market. Clarifying your ideal target markets is a vital element in formulating your Branding strategy.

Factors might include demographics, psychographics, ethnographics, drivers of need, buyer personas, online/offline, and geography.

Remember you can’t profitably pursue every market so you want to determine where you can most effectively differentiate your brand and attract the most profitable customers who resonate with your offering.

Force yourself to sacrifice and focus on what matters most.

Start by brainstorming a master list of all possible markets you could pursue. Then, determine how you will assess each market opportunity. You may use metrics like market size, growth trends, ability to compete, barriers to entry, and the economics of each market.

Consider:

• Which markets have the biggest and most urgent pain?
• Where are there gaps in the market?
• Which markets are most aligned with your corporate strategy?
• Which markets best match your core competencies?
• Which markets can you most easily reach?
• Which markets have the largest market size and least competition?

Next, assess each market for accessibility, alignment, and overall opportunity. Do what you can to test or validate each market opportunity with key stakeholders.

Review feedback from current and prospective clients as well as employees on the front line. Review trend data from available sources. Try using customer surveys and external focus groups.

Finally, prioritize your market opportunities and refine them on an ongoing basis.

Ultimately, your best opportunities will also attract your competitors, so defining your target markets is insufficient in itself.

You will still need to differentiate your offer and position your brand. But at least now you will have the confidence that you’re fishing where your fish are.

Shortly on the heels of the Joe Rogan debacle, in which Spotify found its user base in conflict over the podcaster’s misinformation, the brand announced it was now in partnership with Walmart.  In the deal, new and existing customers of Walmart Plus – the membership program built to take on Amazon Prime – would receive six free months of Spotify Premium.

Why Did These Two Brands Join Forces?

There are obvious benefits for both brands. Walmart Plus is at a severe disadvantage in terms of streaming content; Amazon Prime has original video content as well as partnerships with the world’s most famous studios in addition to Amazon Music, Amazon Gaming, and more. Adding Spotify Premium makes Walmart Plus more competitive.

And for Spotify, this partnership is a smart way to increase the customer base without exerting a lot of effort. Six months is certainly long enough for a new user to become hooked on the service and continue enjoying it after the free trial has expired.

But Wait…There’s More!

It’s certain that this relationship was navigated well in advance of the Joe Rogan episode. However, subsequent to it, there are additional benefits Spotify is realizing from this partnership. We’ve talked before about how users’ trust in Spotify has been diminished. People who aren’t personally familiar with the brand have certainly heard negative media coverage. 

However, Walmart’s reputation is much the same as it always was. While people may not love the Walmart experience, the mega-retailers performance and pricing are consistent enough that people trust them. 

Right now, for people who are dubious about Spotify – in a position where they’re not sure whether or not they should trust the brand – their faith in Walmart may be strong enough to overcome any hesitation. Admittedly, getting someone to enjoy a generous free trial effort isn’t that high of a bar to clear, but if you’re in this business you know it’s not always a sure thing. During this time of crisis, Spotify’s leadership surely appreciates the assistance Walmart Plus gives to its credibility.

Considering Trust in Strategic Alliances

Brands do business with each other in an endless number of ways. Whether it’s a partnership of the sort we see Walmart Plus and Spotify engaged in or a different model, it’s critical to always consider the impact these relationships have on the trust the public has in your brand. Will you be assisted, the way Spotify currently is, or will your brand suffer? The time to have this conversation is before the deal is made, of course, but it’s also continually relevant to keep an eye on existing relationships to make sure they’re in your best interest. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this – what other high-profile brands have you seen working together to enhance how trustworthy they appear?