How The SVOD Giant Is Expanding Its Reign - Again
Netflix recently announced its plans to make viewing available offline - aka content from Netflix can be downloaded and saved to play without internet connection, say on a plane or riding the subway.
This is a big step for the media giant, expanding even further into the leisure time of over 86.7 million subscribers in 190+ countries worldwide. In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at how Netflix Product Placement just got better for brand marketers with its new offline strategy and ability to download and view - and how marketers can take advantage of integrating product into content.
Fierce Competition In The SVOD World
Netflix used to be the one and only streaming service that the majority of people used. Now, the media giant has to compete with fierce rivals such as Amazon Video and Hulu in a market where SVOD companies will add any feature to get a leg up on the competition.
Netflix has been busy trying to cement its position as the king of streaming, including teaming up with Comcast to seamlessly integrate content into X1 custumors' experience.
Now, they are adding a feature to their mobile app that allows users to download content to their device to view offline. While it may seem like a small change, it will vastly expand the amount of their content that is viewed and has major implications for SVOD in general.
Going Offline
Being able to view content offline means more people will watch more content for a longer amount of time. Previously, without internet connection, many people haven't wanted to stream because of sheer amount of space data streaming takes up. Or, their tablet or mobile device does not have data capabilities and relies on wifi to use the internet. Or it's just not fast enough - constantly buffering.
Even with wifi connected, many public wifi networks limit streaming capabilities, preventing viewers from watching Netflix on the go. Such as airlines...
With this new capability, users can download their favorite shows or movies, including original Netflix content, before travelling away from wifi, enabling them to watch this content wherever they go.
Simply look for the download symbol at the bottom of whatever you want to watch, download, and your content is ready for offline viewing! And depending on the storage capacity of your device, you can store whole seasons of a show.
Think about it - now you can binge watch season 1 of Stranger Things on your 10 hour flight from Los Angeles to London without paying for the spotty plane wifi that limits or prevents streaming.
What This Means For Your Brand
Netflix content is being viewed by more and more people everyday, especially now that they can view it offline. And a good portion of that content is original Netflix content. Which means now is the prime time to get your brand integrated into that content.
Without the restrictions on branding that you find with broadcast television, Netflix is the perfect content producer to partner with on product placement. The sheer amount of original content means you can cater your brand integration to whatever audience you choose.
Brands have so many options. They can go after a mass audience with a series like House Of Cards or Orange Is The New Black or target a more niche audience with Love or The Ranch.
Another big advantage to integrating your brand into Netflix's content is that it is good content. Original Netflix content is award-winning and critically acclaimed, and was third only to HBO and FX for number of Emmy nominations last year.
Want To Integrate Your Brand Into Original Content?
Before you spend another dollar on traditional advertising, consider the use of product placement/brand integration in your entertainment marketing strategy. Watch our video to learn techniques to conquer common advertising challenges!
