Netflix & Project 3 Feedback

Netflix

What I like most about Netflix's new branding is it's more sophisticated and reflects their status as a global brand, market leader and innovator versus strictly an entertainment company. It's like Netflix matured. Before the brand was saying "Hey! Check out our cool stuff." Now, it's, "We're the leader in entertainment."

Project 3

After this week's class, I kept thinking about what Don said about the nachos in Death Proof and then thought about the iconic "tasty burger" scene in Pulp Fiction. I kept wondering how is it the food in his movies is soooo mouthwatering? I found a really fascinating blog post/short video about the Power of Food in Tarantino films that includes an interview with Tarantino and a critic talking about how food is used to establish/transfer power among characters. I also made the connection that his films are so indulgent, visceral and cathartic (true story, when I saw Inglorious Bastards in theaters, the audience literally clapped and cheered when Hitler and all those nazis get burned alive.) just like eating an indulgent meal.

Here's the nacho scene :)

So anyway, I decided to explore the food theme with important and recurring food items from the respective films.

But I'm afraid it may be too cryptic, particularly for people who aren't familiar with the films....What do you guys think?

Re: Netflix

This is yet another example of Netflix being ahead of the competition. It’s also interesting to note that with Netflix, the platform is driving the content, with a majority of people who (binge)watch Netflix as opposed to a specific show. Hulu could use a creative rebranding along with a solution about ads.

it doesn't hurt that Netflix strongly suggest that you continue on to the next episode in a series

Hulu is only good for recent shows, and I didn't know about Amazon Instant Video until I read it somewhere in the menu for Amazon Prime. 

from the comment section:

"Streaming services do not sell content per se. There is nothing on any of those services that cannot be had for free, via piracy, for more effort and risk. The streaming services sell safety, reliability, a good user experience. Compare them on that basis and you see why they are ranked as they are. Netflix's user experience is clearly superior. Amazon's is all right, Hulu's is ruined by advertising."

"Anyone who wants to try to compete with Netflix needs to think in terms of good user experience and think global. Much easier said than done. Maybe Google or Apple could do it."

Sidenote: It's interesting that Hulu and Amazon uses green while Netflix sticks with black and red.

Re: Netflix

In undergrad (I studied marketing) we did an analysis on Netflix and their brand. We read multiple articles saying Netflix wouldn't last because their business plan wasn't adaptable and they were struggling to get new releases. That was about 4-5 years ago, before they had their Original Series and now Original Movies.

I looked up Netflix's brand strategy, and their long term goals are summarized by Internet TV apps, Content people love, Netflix focus, competition, and relationships. I pulled this from their site, as it's the most relevant to branding:

Netflix Focus

Netflix is a global Internet TV network offering movies and TV series commercial-free, with unlimited viewing on any Internet-connected screen for an affordable, no-commitment monthly fee. Netflix is a focused passion brand, not a do-everything brand: Starbucks, not 7-Eleven; Southwest, not United; HBO, not Dish.

We don't offer pay-per-view or free ad-supported content. Those are fine business models that other firms do well. We are about flat-fee unlimited viewing commercial-free.

We are not a generic "video" company that streams all types of video such as news, user-generated, sports, porn, music video, gaming, and reality. We are a movie and TV series entertainment network.

We are a relief from the complexity and frustration that embody most MVPD relationships with their customers. We strive to be extremely straightforward. There is no better example of this than our no-hassle online cancellation. Members can leave when they want and come back when they want.

We are about the freedom of on-demand and the fun of binge viewing. We are about the flexibility of any screen at any time. We are about a personal experience that finds for each person the most pleasing titles from around the world. To deliver this experience to our members, we expect to spend over $700 million on technology & development in 2016.

This goes hand in hand with why they focused their branding campaign even more. Interesting to tie the two together.

I also found an article in the Wall Street Journal from April 2015 about their strategy, which highlights how they focused their resources and marketing on online and mobile:

While it makes sense to highlight its original programs and ramp up spending abroad where Netflix is less of a household name, the idea that the company would cut U.S. marketing spending right now might seem counterintuitive. In recent months, HBO Now, SlingTV and Sony have all entered the streaming market.

It’s the kind of environment that would typically fuel a marketing and advertising arms race. But according to the company’s shareholder letter, Netflix executives don’t view the new entrants as competitive threats. In fact, Netflix sees the new streaming services as just more encouragement for consumers to cut the cord on traditional pay TV.

Netflix has, in recent years, decreased the amount of money it is spending on paid advertising in the U.S. across media like television, radio and Internet display ads. The company spent about $121 million on advertising last year, down from $143 million in 2013 and $218 million in 2012, according to Kantar Media.

Netflix said Wednesday that it’s moving more marketing dollars online where it can better target audiences, particularly on mobile devices.

“We have migrated over the last two to three years to be more content forward in our marketing, more digital in our marketing, we’re getting smarter and more efficient about how we put those dollars to use,” Mr. Wells said on the earnings call, in response to a question about the decision to cut back on U.S. marketing spending.

Netflix's best friend: Chromecast

When I use Netflix, I use it with Chromecast. For anyone not in the know, Chromecast is an HDMI stick the size of a thumb drive that inserts into the back of your tv, and has a cord connecting it to a power source. It has to be connected to WiFi, but once you have it set up, you can “cast” from your phone to the tv. I’m a big fan of things you can purchase once and not have to pay a monthly subscription, and Chromecast is a steal at $30 to own. Not everything that you can pull up on your phone can be cast to your tv, but so far I’ve used it for Pandora, other radio station apps, YouTube, and most importantly: Netflix.

Yes, Netflix! It gets even more beautiful when I don’t have to pay the Netflix subscription (thanks roommate’s sister!). They're so diesel in their market domination that they undoubtedly have worked this freeloading clause into the subscription price.

(Forgive the atrocious spelling)

I rarely use Netflix on anything other than my phone, so I didn’t interact with their web interface. The mobile controls are fairly simple though, to the point where I don’t even think about them. I think that’s what constitutes a good design: when something just works intuitively to the point where you don’t even notice it.

They still have a few bugs to work out with the Chromecast and the mobile controls, for example, sometimes when you hit pause on your phone, the tv will keep going, and sometimes when you close the app, it continues to run on the tv. My roommate accidentally turned on the tv in the living room and blasted Jason Aldean Pandora all night without ever leaving his room. Oops!

I think it’s just one more step closer to the future. Everything will be controlled by our phones, until the phones are replaced by Google Glass, or whatever the next medium is. While our phones are nice, we still like to see stuff on big screens so the Chromecast is really hot right now.

I am sorry folks -

When I last checked the V2 pdf on blog submissions, I was supposed to submit a blog for this week (11/4) and I just haven't been able to do so. Unless there is something I overlooked. So if Erin you filled in for me, thank you and I will be happy to fill in for an upcoming week if need so be.

So sorry about that guys if I did.

Re: Netflix and The Stack

I've always noticed that Netflix's software/interface was very different from other providers. For instance, it is very noticeable that the Hulu and Amazon Prime apps both use the same interface, at least that's how they appear on my Xbox 360.

But Netflix has always been distinctively different. I think that Netflix has gone beyond establishing a brand by having a naming convention of just how things move and are displayed. But then again, Netflix is an interactive space on all platforms, so maybe it is just taking our 2D idea of a brand guideline to a new level.

Netflix & The Stack

It seems like Netflix’s new global brand identity has been popping up in many of my design-related emails the past couple days, so I decided to check-out what all the fuss was about. Since the brand is so broad and has become much more popular in recent years with their original series domination, they hired Gretel to rebrand and unify everything. Something cool to note is that they did not change the logo – just the material and communication pieces. Gretel’s solution? Something they coined, “The Stack.” It is: “A visual metaphor and an identity system in one. It implies both the infinite, ever-changing catalogue and the custom-curated selections that make up the core of the Netflix service.”

Here’s Gretel’s Full Description:

Our solution: The Stack,

The Stack is a visual metaphor and an identity system in one. It’s an endless, living catalogue of shows and movies. The stack implies two ideas at the heart of the service: selection and curation. Netflix is both catalogue and curator, calling forth and constantly updating selections custom-tailored to users.

As an identity it’s distinctive, clear, infinitely variable and easy-to-use. It can scale to any size and translate to any platform. It works in motion, print, digital and out-of-home. It’s just as effective in Times Square as in Powerpoint. It connects everything the brand touches, internally and externally, and the brand ‘volume’ can easily be turned up and down as needed.

Watch:

Netflix Branding: Brand Hub from Gretel on Vimeo.

The rebrand seems to be very celebrated among designers as far as I can read right now. For a brand that was kind of all over the place and without a clear home in the market, this seems to really tighten everything up, moving it into a strong future as a company with a real presence.  In addition to implementing The Stack into promotional material and processes, they came up with the new tagline to go along with it, “See What’s Next.” They even integrated the re-brand slowly over time so that audiences wouldn’t be shocked by the change. 

Check it out. I think it’s pretty awesome and designed very thoughtfully, even when it comes to the balance of information on different “cards” in The Stack. I love that they crop the logo but still keep it recognizable in some cases. It’s just so versatile. I think it really brings home the point that simple is smart. 

What do you guys think about The Stack and the new identity? I have never heard of naming your brand concept before – but it’s an interesting tactic and a catchy thing for bloggers to talk about, for sure. Have you ever seen anything else like that (naming your branding tactic)? The only other thing that comes to mind since I spent so much time with it, is Airbnb – they actually named their logo the Bélo and it has a clear community/visual-communication concept/purpose behind it.