Since the pandemic settled in, consumers have been binge watching shows, with savvy brands picking up on what their watching habits signal. Let’s explore popular streaming series and see how consumer sentiment connects to each, along with ways brands can fold that sentiment into their campaign messaging!
Consumers become incredibly invested in the shows they watch, and we see this in the debates and strong emotion shared about storylines, main characters and spoilers online. And these conversations extend across the social web, from social media channels to forums, comments and even media.
If you watch closely, you’ll see many brands are in tune with this consumer emotion and forge powerful relationships with consumers by offering relevant, authentic contributions to the conversation. How do they do that? We’ll show you. But first, let’s look at some streaming channels that are capturing consumer attention, so you’ll know what to watch in the coming months and level up your ‘streaming’ game organically!
Let’s break down a few standouts, along with relevant conversation happening now – and how brands can participate meaningfully to create eager new consumers!
Netflix Keeps Consumers Consistently Watching!
Although nothing beats the Golden Globes for capturing the hearts of the viewing public, Netflix sure seems to be on track to unseat even the most popular movies with its streaming shows. And with the upcoming release of the much anticipated Squid Games, Season Two, the conversation about the service is pretty nonstop.
Exploring “hour of day” data, we see conversations about Netflix are spiking from 9-11am CST, when viewers are sharing theories and media mentions about shows, and there’s a steady hum of viewer posts happening even in the wee hours of the morning:
And exploring what people are saying, when – we see the conversation is pretty different at 3am compared to. 3pm! The 3am conversation (left) is about sentimental favorites and commiserating with other viewers, whereas at 3pm (right), those talking are all business, aggression and angst. Campaign planning should definitely take these sort of interactions into account:
That’s one way to work with the data. Disney viewers offer additional opportunities to explore!
Disney Plus Has Consumers’ Pulse
Disney understands its audience and regularly creates offerings that speak to its diverse viewership. The renewal of its super popular and conversation starter series, The Proud Family is a case in point.
It’s a family thing 💜 The Prouds are BACK in The Proud Family: #LouderAndProuder, an all-new Original series, streaming 23 February only on #DisneyPlusSG pic.twitter.com/Vs3mXp1vn1
— Disney+ Singapore (@DisneyPlusSG) January 20, 2022
We can examine many specifics about Disney’s online audience, including the gender, age, interests, professions, ethnicities and bio terms (how they self-describe). Below, we see the ethnicity index of those talking about Disney – and the diverse mix of participants, as it relates to the general online conversation happening on Twitter.
This intel can serve as one of many foundational elements to help a brand understand who is talking about them. The next part of that, of course – is what they’re saying, specifically – wrapping that psychographic understanding in context. We’ll look at that next
But for brands that aren’t Disney, understanding the diverse audience it attracts – and why – will offer intel that can inform your own brand campaigns, as well as how you speak to your audience. If The Proud Family is resonating with an audience you’re targeting, be sure to be familiar with that show to find ways to better relate to those consumers
YouTube Understands Context
Reality shows are alive and well and a new one that’s winning lots of buzz recently is The Beauty Startup. In it, a family shares its struggles and successes with growing a small startup into a multi-million dollar business.
Why is it so popular? It’s not just because it’s a spicy reality show that’s part “how to” and a strong sell for the American Dream, which viewers are eagerly after. It’s mostly popular because it’s a gritty behind the scenes look at real struggles and messy success. And that is something consumers can relate to, particularly in the startup space, where SMBs worry over everything at once:
And then there are just a bevy of amazing streaming series options to help understand who consumers really are underneath it all. There are shows that elicit emotion and help brands transcend typical consumer understanding boundaries, as they offer raw and real intel around viewers’ inner skeptic, unrealized biases and unmet desires. It’s valuable insight for any streaming platform – and for any brand. And it all just depends on who your target consumers are. Do you know? Advanced AI-powered analytics can help you sort that part out too!
Are you targeting Middle Earth aficionados? Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Ring series is something for you to monitor. They potential is endless, as are your audience targeting options. Be sure to reach out for a demo and we can run you through some demos that are relevant to your specific niche!
