What’s with the streaming giants and their poor marketing strategy? The three top streaming platforms in the country, and all three have marketing that sucks! Yes, we’re talking about streaming behemoths, Netflix India, Prime Video and Disney Plus Hotstar!
Every homegrown streaming platform in India, be it SonyLIV or ZEE5 or ALT Balaji, or even the linguistically exclusive ones such as Hoichoi TV and Aha Video – each one of them informs its subscribers well in advance whenever a title is released on their platform. It could be a new release, a recently released post-theatrical title or an old classic that arrives on their platform.
After all, that’s what their social media handles exist for, right?
Wrong!
That is, wrong in the case of the big three – Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus Hotstar.
These three seem to have an unwritten commandment that drives their marketing strategy – “thou shalt not reveal”!
So, Netflix will have lined up a super-significant title such as ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, a title whose streaming details people have been asking about since like forever. But does Netflix announce anywhere that Spider-Man: No Way Home is arriving on its platform in the next few days? Of course it doesn’t! Same goes with all the buzzy titles it keeps releasing on its platform – all released with zero mention on social media. If you want to know what new buzzy titles are coming up on Netflix, you need to physically visit and check the Netflix app. Coz Netflix ain’t announcing!
Prime Video takes things even further. It releases buzzy titles without so much as a squeak on social media. The recently released ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’, ‘Visithiran’, ‘Heropanti 2’, ‘Runway 34’ are prime examples of Prime Video’s atrocious marketing skills. Prime Video is super-lax even when it comes to advertising Oscar-winning/Oscar-nominated titles arriving on its platform. If you want to know the latest releases on Prime Video, you have no option but to spend valuable time scrolling through the Prime Video app, hunting for new releases. Coz—you guessed it—Prime Video ain’t revealing!
Finally, Disney Plus Hotstar takes the cake in this atrocious behaviour of zero marketing or announcements of titles that land on its platform – be they much-awaited films such as ‘Death On The Nile’, Westside Story’, ‘Belfast’, ‘Fresh’, or buzzy series such as ‘We Own This City’, ‘Irma Vep’, ‘The Time-Traveler’s Wife’ and more
Almost every new title arrives on Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus Hotstar without any fanfare, advertising, advance notice or social media announcement. Looks like, all three platforms believe in the tenet – “seek, and ye shalt find”.
Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus Hotstar would do well to remember that they have the combined muscle-power of SonyLIV and ZEE5 breathing down their neck. Voot is no longer a pushover either – ever since it has the money power of Reliance, Paramount, Viacom 18 and Bodhi Tree Systems behind it. If Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus Hotstar want to retain their numero uno positions in the Indian streaming space, they better get their marketing act together.
“Seek, and ye shalt find” will not cut ice for much longer.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.