Blockbuster and Netflix are two businesses that began operating within the same type of market the movie rentals. At the same time, the two businesses functioned is completely different niches. Blockbuster worked through an enormous chain of brick-and-mortar stores where the clients could go any minute to choose and rent a film recorded on VHS cassettes. Netflix was founded in 1997 as an online movie rental business. It operated through a website where the viewers could choose the films they wanted in a gallery using a search engine and sorting the films based on their titles, actors, or directors. The movies of DVD carriers were sent to the clients via mail.
As one may notice, even though both Blockbuster and Netflix earned their income renting films to the population, their businesses were structured very differently and targeted different groups of customers. While Blockbuster worked within the traditional VHS cassette market, Netflix addressed the first adopters of the innovative technologies. That way, Blockbuster expanded their customer base opening more stores and maximising its geographical coverage, whereas Netflix chose to target the underserved portion of movie consumers, those who owned the DVD players and were in need of films in different form. One may say that Netflix created a blue ocean business that functioned in an area without any competitors as at the end of the 1990s most of the movie rental companies were focused on working with VHD carriers and owning brick-and-mortar stores.
Comparing the positioning of the two businesses in relation to each other in 1999, it is important to notice that Netflix was just a beginning company operating for two years only. At the same time, Blockbuster was the leader of its market, a well-known movie-rental giant with multiple stores. Besides, the client bases of the two companies different a lot as well. While Blockbuster successfully conquered the majority (owners of VHS players), Netflix addressed a relatively small number of clients who had DVD players and had access to the internet. That way, when it comes to the state of things in 1999, in terms of revenues, popularity, brand recognition, and client base size, Blockbuster was an obvious leader of the two. The situation started to shift several years later when the global adoption of the new technologies by the masses started to bring more and more clients to online-based businesses. That was the time then Blockbusters leaders first admitted that Netflix was a competitor and a threat to their companys income.
As for the trade-offs of Blockbuster that were further used by Netflix to promote and expand their business, there are several. First of all, Netflix adopted Blockbusters tactic of having no obvious customer base and targeting all clients available by means of offering an extremely wide library of films suitable for all age groups and tastes. Secondly, trying to respond to Netflixs online-based competition Blockbuster arranged a system of discounts to obtain more clients. This idea was also taken by Netflix so that it could develop a flexible set of prices and special offers to enlarge its customer base and a number of rentals. Finally, Netflixs video on demand (VOD) strategy is a more innovative form of a trade-off that existed in Blockbusters business years earlier in a form of extended availability allowing the consumers to find the movies they wanted in the last minute.
Netflix is a brilliant example of proper business management where everything is done correctly. The organization has consistently implemented intelligent, calculated decisions, from its marketing and content to its corporate strategy and product. Netflix has developed a deep grasp of its audience that few companies have because of the massive market share. The brand has no boundaries to what it may do in the future with the solid and expertise, cheap product. I have learned a lot from Reed Hastings, who originated the notion of launching an online movie renting provision.
Discussion
The firm started operating on a pay-per-rent basis on the rental stores, with rates as well as due dates. Netflix chose to transform to a subscriber-based approach after seeing an incredible growth. The Company launched a customized movie suggestion service, which aids in correctly predicting options for Netflix users (ENDEVR, 2011). By the introduction of video on demand via the internet, the firm decided to depart from its original primary business approach of selling DVDs. They opted to stream their material as part of their online streaming strategy. The platform has advanced to streaming technologies, improving and elevating Netflixs entire business structure and income (Wang, 2022). The company is now one of the worlds largest Internet business by revenue after transforming to a streaming platform.
In my opinion, the main factors that led to the success of the companys success were:
Flexibility: Since the company provides its subscribers with the ability to watch whatever video at any time, they have been able to grow significantly. They may manage information on any screen and at any time.
Using Technology to Cause Disruption: Netflix has been expanding its audience base at a steady rate over the years. Netflix only mailed DVDs but eventually eliminated late penalties, considerably aiding Blockbusters crush. With time, they advanced from distribution of the content to streaming movies of very high-quality as well as TV episodes. The business has already started concentrating on the production of its original content to maintain its growth prospects. There is a great reception to the contents among the subscribers and has been labeled a popular program across the board.
Improved User Experience: The company does widespread research to deliver the most incredible user experience possible. The most notable feature is the showing of movies generated by customers. It also has a download-and-go option that allows users to view programs without connecting to the internet. It also permits users to share their Netflix account as well as provision of a 30-day free membership.
Various Options: Distribution partners deliver Netflix subscribers with numerous movies, TV shows, and documentaries. This continuously introduces new alternatives, enticing millions of clients.
Conclusion
If I were to alter one thing about Netflix today, it would be aggregation. My take is that Reed Hastings and his team has little to lose and much to gain by moving to a hybrid aggregator network on which multiple content producers sell directly to customers at their pricing, from being a video aggregator under a single subscription. Fear of hunger for new adventures and rivals inspire becoming a platform. Competitors like Walmart would be Netflixs greatest worry owing to the vast amount of resources and experience accessible, yet they continues to lag behind Netflix. According to my study, Blockbuster had multiple retail outlets to cope with, as well as many other aspects of a business, and so did not have a dedicated staff of workers entirely committed to the online DVD rental business.
References
ENDEVR. (2011). How Netflixs Reed Hastings changed the world. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Wang, Y. (2022). Netflix: How to keep a continued success. In 2022 2nd International Conference on Enterprise Management and Economic Development (ICEMED 2022) (pp. 1215-1219). Atlantis Press.
Netflixs primary strengths include its brand value, focus on customers, and global scope of influence. Over the years, the company has established a highly loyal fanbase in many countries by providing video services of the highest quality and using an effective regional pricing strategy ( The remarkable Netflix, 2022). Consequently, Netflix produces a significant amount of original and interactive content, which is only available on the platform ( Inside Netflixs content, 2020). Lastly, the company demonstrates high levels of adaptability by constantly adjusting to new industry standards and rapidly changing customers preferences (De Silva, 2022). As a result of these intelligent strategies, Netflix has achieved the dominant position in the video streaming market and solid financial performance (see Figure 1 and Figure 2).
Figure 1: Netflixs Income Statement Figure 2: Netflixs Balance Sheet
Weaknesses
Netflixs major weaknesses include its vulnerability to copyright regulations, a lack of pricing customization, and debatable decisions concerning service availability. Although the company has multiple original shows, the majority of the content is copyrighted, leading to legal risks and less overall profitability (Parker, 2022). Moreover, the company has recently made a number of ambiguous decisions regarding service availability, which damaged brand value and the reputation of a customer-oriented company. Namely, Netflix substituted its password-sharing policy with a costly alternative, and thousands of people criticized this decision online (Solsman, 2023). Reputation damage is one of the most significant potential weaknesses due to Netflixs reliance on its brand value and customer-oriented services for product differentiation.
Opportunities
Netflixs primary opportunities include collaborations/partnerships, a focus on innovative technologies, and the expansion of pricing strategies. The company has achieved notable success through associations with relevant companies, such as Nike, to pursue shared objectives and attract new customers (Stern, 2023). It is plausible to continue this approach and initiate more partnerships to expand the companys scope of influence. For instance, collaboration with research & development (R&D) organizations is helpful for testing innovative technologies and their applications in streaming services. Lastly, Netflix can improve its pricing customization options to attract more viewers or collaborators. For example, the implementation of advertisements on several subscription plans is beneficial both for customers and investors (Pallotta, 2022). As a result, the company has a large number of opportunities to grow in the market.
Threats
Netflixs primary threats emerge from the high competitiveness in the video streaming market and piracy complications. At present, multiple competitors, such as HBO, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, and Vudu, continually improve the quality of their services and implement innovative solutions to attract more customers (Parker, 2022). This development provides significant risks for Netflix and saturates the market. In this sense, it is possible that another company will achieve an advantageous position in the sector, depending on its product differentiation and marketing strategies (Parker, 2022). Additionally, piracy presents immense challenges in the video streaming industry, and Netflix loses billions of dollars annually due to this threat (Parker, 2022). The complete SWOT analysis is presented below in Figure 3:
Figure 3: SWOT Analysis
Critical Issues
Among the examined issues, the most critical ones include the policy-making that might harm the brand value and dense rivalry in the industry. As mentioned before, Netflixs most notable advantage is its positive reputation associated with its focus on customers and high-quality services. However, if ineffective management and decision-making obstruct this strength, it will become a critical issue that might result in significant changes in the market. Customers might start looking for alternatives and switch to Amazon Prime Video, HBO, or other platforms in the highly competitive industry. Moreover, these companies provide comparable services of the highest quality, meaning that customers might not return to Netflix.
Trends, Competitive Forces, and External Factors
The video streaming market service is expected to grow exponentially in the 2020s, providing opportunities for relevant companies in this sector (see Figure 4). The most notable trends include technology focus, emphasis on educational videos, and live streaming ( Video streaming market, 2022). The dense competition will create demand for more innovative ways of product differentiation, meaning that companies will have to continually improve the quality of their services to stay relevant in the market. The primary external forces that might affect the development of the industry in the 2020s concern copyright regulations and associated punishments. At present, piracy presents a significant challenge for companies in the market, and external legislative standards might help mitigate this obstacle.
Figure 4: Expected Growth of the Video Streaming Industry
Major Implications
The major implications of the examined issues suggest that Netflix should reconsider its policy-making to satisfy the customers needs and evaluate the current trends. Although the sector is expected to grow, the dense rivalry might cause irreparable damage to Netflix if the company makes a series of unfavorable decisions and loses public trust. In the realities of the video streaming industry, even solid financial performance does not guarantee success. The overall market size is expected to grow from $444,3 to $1,721.4 billion in eight years, and Netflixs position at the end of this period will be dependent on its decisions concerning customer management and policy-making.
Recommendations
Based on the present analysis, the following recommendations might help Netflix maintain its advantageous position in the market:
Evaluate industry trends;
Implement more customer-oriented policies;
Maintain a positive brand reputation through a series of pricing customization and original content strategies;
Collaborate with R&D companies to implement innovative solutions and attract more viewers;
Invest in long-term projects due to the expected growth of the video streaming industry.
In a corporate climate where organizations are constantly competing with rivals that make and sell identical items, change is not only an unavoidable task but also a crucial component of driving innovation and gaining a competitive edge. Today, Netflix is a breakthrough and a champion because it provides value to its customers. The foregoing are some of Netflixs customer relationship offerings. Netflix is able to provide its clients with niche creative programming at a low cost and without needing to prepare ahead of time. It may provide clients with both popular and unique materials in one location. Netflix has effectively expanded into new markets by focusing on local linguistic knowledge. They provide translation and translations for the majority of the material.
Netflix was one of the first streaming platforms to be widely available on regular television displays, computers, and mobile devices. Netflix provides a solution for clients that rely solely on a wireless connection. Netflixs data analytics and technology have evolved over time, making catalog navigation considerably more accessible and more personalized (Mier & Kohli, 2021). It eliminates the need to switch through channels or hunt for guidance. Netflix captures value by offering a relatively low monthly fee for streaming. They appear to grasp importance by increasing size and volume while delivering the same product offering to international audiences.
The markets shares markets are influenced by competitiveness, which in turn impacts the overall cost. Amazon, HBO, and Showtime are all expanding their rivalry with Netflix. Netflixs prices are being driven up as a result of the intense competition. Changes in technology, such as the transition to 4k screens, cause problems. Innovations, such as the development of new software, the creation of new proprietary technology, debugging, and research to keep up with the latest, have a direct impact on cost and are hence major cost generators for Netflix.
Netflixs cost is also affected by the number of members or consumers. Unexpected variations in the subscriber base have a direct impact on cost. Netflix, for instance, lost a considerable number of customers after changing its price strategy. Consumer litigation, property, and other legal aspects of the corporation are also significant cost generators for Netflix. Aside from these, there are minor sociocultural, political, and ecological issues that affect Netflixs costs.
Newer technologies, regulatory reforms, sociocultural or stockholder perceptions, as well as new entrants rule-driven business organizations in a fast-changing world, are unable to cope with the current adaptation necessary to receive or retain success, losing customer base to those groups that can evolve. Netflix maintains its capability to change freedom and responsibility through its organizational culture notion. The company invested in hiring the most excellent possible people and rewards high achievers while filtering out repeat, undeveloped land terrible producers.
Netflix, as an organization, has proved its ability to successfully create and respond to change via a plethora of critical shifts seen throughout the companys life. Netflix has been able to accomplish this due to its distinct and, in some ways, unmatched corporate culture. Netflixs essential culture is centered on the open discussion at all levels and in all aspects of the companys operation. Netflix does not have fixed vacation rules; instead, they encourage employees to choose their own acceptable number of holidays and express this to their management. Upper management is advised to open the floodgates by collecting holiday entitlement and advertising it to their staff in order to increase motivation to use this practice.
Reference
Mier, J., & Kohli, A. K. (2021). Netflix: reinvention across multiple time periods, reflections, and directions for future research. AMS Review, 11(1), 194-205.
Increasingly popular streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix are eager to win over and maintain the interests of Millennials in the media industry, but who are these Millennials they aim to appeal to and how do they achieve this, if at all? In this report I aim to compare and contrast the two American media-service providers, Youtube and Netflix, and discuss their “rivalry” and individual influences on Millennials as well as any strengths and weakness they acquire and how one may have the edge on this generation more so than the other. I will also be touching on other areas such as the social media impact on this generation.
What defines a consumer as a Millennial? There are many opinions on what makes a person identify as a Millennial and there is no right or wrong answer. You are classed as a Millennial if you were born between the early 1980’s to the mid 1990’s (Moloney, 2017). However, published by the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of a Millennial is ‘a person who was born in the 1980s, 1990s or early 2000s’. As a child born in the millennium year, I would define a millennial to be a person who was born from the year 2000 and later as this would make sense being the year of the millennium. However, I also think researchers and studies have concluded on their descriptions due to societal patterns and technological growth. As well as the Millennials, there are other generations that we should be aware of. Those who are born within the 60s to early 80s are referred to as Generation X, between 80s and 90s are often referred to as Generation Y and finally Generation Z/Millennials are born between mid 90s to early 2000s. These are identities given to member born within these years and they can be differentiated by one common topic. Technology. Gen Y were brought up on video game systems, cell phones and personal computers, whereas Gen Z had technology such as smart phones and tablets. Generation Y is the new generation after Generation X that can be classified as a person who was born between 1980’s and 1990’s (Mansor, 2013). Whereas, members of Generation X are loosely, people born from 1995 to 2010 (Francis and Hoefel, 2018). Baby Boomers was a name given to the generation of people born following the years of the Second World War. Howe and Strauss allocated the years 1946 – 1964 for this specific generation. They also state that members of Generation Y and Millennials range from the years between the 1980s and the year 2000. According to Pew Research centre, all millennials will be between the ages of 22 and 36 in 2018 (Shugarman, 2018). So why do popular streaming companies such as Youtube and Netflix want to appeal to the millennial generation as opposed to the Baby Boomers generation?
With greater access and understanding of today’s technology, Millennials tend to be more tech-savvy and are widely considered to consume more digital video than the average person (Comscore, 2016). This may be a result of growing up in the generation where these technologies have been created and grown alongside Millennial members. In 2016, it was said that in the U.S alone there are about 80 million millennials, making them larger than any other demographic in the country (Speier, 2016). For any company to be successful, they must target their content to appeal to a large demographic. Netflix and Youtube are two examples of American streaming platforms that would have taken this knowledge into account which is why they aim the vast majority of their content towards the Millennial generation. There are also more Millennials in the workforce than other generations, with an expected $1.4 trillion in disposable income by the year 2020 (Speier, 2016). With the younger demographic being between the ages of approximately 22-36 entering the workforce,
Why are Millennials so important to large brands when there are plenty of members in older generations willing to pay for their services? Millennials are dealing with student loans, getting mortgages and starting a family so why do companies not aim to invest their time in generations who are rid of student loans, have mortgages and possibly families? With regards to marketing for audiences and consumers, older generations may feel alienated as to why companies are no longer focusing on appealing to them. Despite being in their prime spending years, why are companies targeting the younger audience? Marketers are aware that the Millennial generation is the future for their companies, and they want to hear their voices and ask them “What do you want from us?”. The answer to these questions is that they take into consideration the long-term potential as Millennials have lots of ‘purchasing power’ (Speier, 2016). Brand leaders want to continue their companies for years to come so it is important to appeal to the Millennial generation as they will be the ones to carry it on. However, with this comes a risk as loyal customers to large brands may feel neglected by marketers and this could lose the company business. As millennials enter adulthood and their peak spending years, in a decade Generation Z will likely become the focal point as millennials become older and more established (Speier, 2016). This cycle will most likely repeat for future generations.
Video platforms, such as Netflix and Youtube, are increasingly becoming the preferred choice of how consumers choose to watch entertainment rather than watching it on the television. Why? Because of its convenience. Linking back to how Millennials are often perceived as entitled and lazy and how they have grown up with mobile technology such as phones and tablets, they are able to stream these platforms anywhere which a simple click. Whereas for real-time television, this is harder to do so. Millennials would rather binge watch a series at one time rather than wait weeks for episodes because it is convenient; if they have access to this technology then they will choose to use it. Some may argue this is the beauty of television; it keeps you coming back to want to find out the next part. If Millennials are beginning to replace watching television on the big screens with a smaller one, what could this mean for the future of television?
Netflix, founded in 1997, started as an entertainment company in the US and it specialises in providing streaming media and video-on-demand online. The core business has been media streaming and on demand videos, but, in 2013, Netflix ventured into television and film production, along with online distribution (Mandal, 2017). It has roughly 14 main categories to choose from ranging from Romance movies to Thrillers, Documentaries as well as popular television shows. Netflix gives users a choice of three contracts to pay for its services and it can be from as low as £5.99 a month. An affordable and reasonable price for Millennials some would say. Other than its asking price, what attracts the younger audience? An element of Netflix which makes it so unique is how the streaming service markets their own content with the words ‘a Netflix Original’, an example being the show House of Cards that was Netflix’s first original series on the site in 2013. Many of the film titles include these words which tell its audience that this is exclusive content that can only be found on Netflix, disregarding hard copies and illegal streaming. I would argue exclusivity is an important marketing strategy for attracting audiences such as Millennials as it makes them feel significant. Businesses, like Netflix, can use this to their advantage as it is proven with psychological studies that we feel special when we get ‘in’ with something. Whether that be in a group of people or buying an exclusive materialistic item, it is nice knowing that you have access to something that not everyone will have. Despite how Netflix may now be considered as quite mainstream rather than it being a luxury, having exclusive content that is only accessible to paying customers is what attracts the consumer.
The video streaming space is becoming increasing competitive with popular rivals to Netflix such as Youtube, Hulu and Amazon Prime/Fire TV. Youtube is still the dominant video streaming application consumed on mobile (The Global Phenomena Report, 2018). Having grown up with mobile technology such as smart phones and tablets, Millennials/Gen Z are the target audience for these platforms. More than nine-in-ten Millennials own a smart-phone (Vogels, 2019) make Youtube an easy an accessible service than is free to download and use.
Netflix, through Mr. Tom Dillon, worked on improving the software. Netflix developed a distribution system in San Jose. Dillon used the data he had to design a software program that helped Netflix to determine the best locations for Netflix distribution centers. The program continually evaluated and adjusted the best locations for distribution. Netflix also assisted the customers to develop the habit of online rentals.
The online technology contributed to reaching the new clients quickly and even influenced the referencing of new customers. The fulfillment operations enabled the customers to rate and list the movies. The organization was able to cluster the customers depending on their desired movies. It could also assemble movies and recommend them to the client. The software could help marketers to know their target market and how to tackle it. The operations became cheaper.
The customers could rent and stay with the movies as long as they wanted. The mathematicians formulated the algorithms that came up with Cinematch. It was an electronic matchmaking concept. Membership subscriptions grew to over 100,000.
Netflix came up with the home rental library program. The Serialized Delivery Program was an automatic way of sending movies to customers. The Queue also came into being a part o the serialized delivery. The record DVD release also entered into the market by the year 2000.
The Cinematch program created customer clusters. It involved the people who had rated the same movies similarly. It also helped the organization know the number of copies that were available before doing a delivery.
A company like Netflix could not launch today. The original business model of providing classic films to customers could be a setback in itself. The entertainment industry has advanced greatly. One must launch on the platform of online ordering and supply. But there would still be stiff competition.
Netflix’s original documentary series Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror first aired on September 1st, 2021. The series consists of five hour-long episodes and describes the events that occurred on September 9th, 2001, and the War on Terror that followed (Netflix, 2021). It touches on the events that led to the formation of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, how the events of 9/11 affected the people of the United States, and how the government responded to the threats both inside and outside the country. Turning Point delves into several difficult subjects, illustrating how America was not only the victim of 9/11 but also the cause of it happening. Several actions perpetrated by the American government can be compared to the actions of their Islamic enemies, as well as other fundamental groups. However, the series fails to fully delve into the details of the actions perpetrated by the government.
Turning Point lays the groundwork for discussion about the duality of influence of the government, and in doing so allows for arguments regarding the label of ‘fundamentalist group’. Though it is widely used in today’s media, the fact that the concept initially comes from Christianity is not known to many. The term was initially used in the late 19th century to refer to a movement that wanted to return to traditional Christian values (Sidahmed, 2018). However, what the documentary fails to address is that many religions, including Mormonism, have fundamentalist movements that seek to return to a previously used set of rules. The Mormon fundamentalists, for example, believe that their ancestors should not have abandoned the concept of polygamy, as it was a necessary part of their way of life and faith (Bennion, 2020). However, by utilizing the term ‘fundamentalist’ without properly explaining it, the documentary has fed into the current-day notion of fundamentalists being linked to terrorist actions. Furthermore, Turning Point fails to address the fact that not only is fundamentalism considered by some to originate from the United States, but also that the actions of the US leadership can be compared to the common ideas attributed to fundamentalist groups as well (Gilligan, 2017).
While Turning Point does a good job of showing both sides of the 9/11 disaster, it does so in a largely pro-American manner. The first episode of the documentary opens with the televised reactions of those present inside the Twin Towers and in the area immediately surrounding them on the day of the event. While the relationship between Al Qaeda and the American government is given later, the immediate emotional response leads viewers to side with the American public that suffered in the event. However, the documentary fails to delve fully into the atrocities perpetrated by the government during the War on Terror. It addresses some, such as Alberto Gonzalez, a member of the White House during the Bush Administration that heavily pushed for the implementation of ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’, however, does not expand to more current-day administrations (Sculos, 2021). For example, it does not address the increased number of drone strikes during the Obama Administration and the continued existence of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Both were excused from using War on Terror, with Gitmo being used specifically for keeping and interrogating suspected and known terrorists. While this may exceed the scope of the topic the documentary set out to cover, this information would have created a whole picture. This is especially notable since they did delve into current-day events at the end of the last episode, albeit briefly.
Instead, Turning Point chooses to focus on the positive aspects of American presence in Afghanistan and the War on Terror. This may have been done deliberately to maintain an optimistic outlook, however, does not fit the unbiased outlook that a documentary should have. Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror raise several significant questions for discussion in terms of what fundamentalism means and whether it is necessarily bad, but does not fully answer them.
References
Bennion, J. B. (2020). The history and culture of Mormon fundamentalism in the United States. In The Palgrave handbook of global Mormonism (pp. 677-702). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Gilligan, J. (2017, July). Toward a psychoanalytic theory of violence, fundamentalism and terrorism. In International Forum of Psychoanalysis, 26(3), 174-185. Routledge.
Sculos, B. W. (2021). Absolute impunity: On the legacies of 9/11 & the policies of the war on/of terror. Class, Race and Corporate Power, 9(2), 8.
Sidahmed, A. S. (2018). Islamic fundamentalism. Routledge.
Brian Knappenberger (Director). (2021) Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror. [Netflix series]. Netflix.
The point at which a serial killer’s prey becomes a person to fear is a narrative change that will inevitably shock the audience. This dramatic shift of the story occurred in the critically-acclaimed and viewer-beloved Netflix series You. When the audience first meets Love Quinn as a new love interest of the protagonist, Joe Goldberg, they worry for her life and safety, knowing the latter’s tendencies of initially over-romanticizing the relationship, which later turns unhealthy and violent. However, Love Quinn turned out to be not the type of person who could get victimized by Joe but rather was a match to him in many ways, including obsessive behaviors, violent tendencies, a history of committing murder, as well as dysfunctional relationships with her family. Thus, when the protagonist tried to idealize his new victim and protect her from the outside world, the supposed victim herself felt that she had to do everything in her power to safeguard the relationship despite its visible dysfunctions. Considering these facts, what the TV show does with the character of Love Quinn is that it presents her in a way that makes the audience relate and sympathize with her despite her being a psychopath.
Discussion
The third season of the TV show unravels the nature of Love’s character in greater detail, connecting her present and past behaviors. The audience is already used to the fact that Joe is a vicious individual who does not hesitate to confine people in a glass cage in his basement, stalk women digitally and physically, and dispose of the bodies of those he has killed. He can hide beneath the innocent façade of a regular ‘guy-next-door’ to lower the degree of suspicion toward him. Notably, Joe has a severe savior complex, which makes the women for whom he preys appear helpless ‘damsels in distress in need of his help and attention. Such a trope is quite common in popular culture and warrants a further discussion of the characters from the perspective of feminism.
When Love Quinn enters the picture, she shatters Joe’s view on womankind. She appears to be a step ahead of Joe, with her thoughts being much darker and more sinister, rooted in traumatic childhood characterized by severe neglect from her parents and codependence with her twin brother. Like Joe, the murderous streak of Love begins when she was a teenager and was in self-defense, similar to Joe’s experience. However, even when acting with good intentions in mind, Love chooses to cover her tracks and blame others for her wrong-doings as it appears easier to her. The tendency for murder that she has tends to emanate from both insecurity and jealousy, which is why she murdered Joe’s former girlfriend and another woman who had suspicions of him, convincing Joe that she acted to protect him.
Despite the heinous tendencies of Love and her lack of remorse for her actions, her character develops in such a way that makes her relatable to the audience. As she and Joe have a child and move to a new family-friendly neighborhood, she encounters the challenge of being a new mother, being constantly tired, hemorrhaging sleep, and struggling to maintain her sense of self. Like many other women who have just had a baby, Love is dissatisfied with her postpartum body and gets deeper into her insecurity when others start commenting on it. Women who struggle with their bodies, whether after giving birth or not, can sympathize with Love because she is on her own with the issue, and no one can help it go away except for her to gain confidence back. Moreover, motherhood in itself is obliterating as it changes a person’s perception of themselves, puts a strain on relationships, and requires significant physical and mental labor.
Despite the sociopathic traits, the relatability of Love in areas such as womanhood and motherhood prevails, making the audience, particularly the female part of it, sympathize with her. The fact that she and Joe do not connect well as parents is another relatable aspect, as many young parents feel disconnected from one another when a new member of the family appears. In the very first episode of the third season that introduces the new routine of Love and Joe, there is a scene encapsulating the push and pull of being first-time parents and trying to find a role in a new family. In the scene, Joe and Love arrive at their house and head to the kitchen, putting the baby car seat in the adjoining room. Love looks around the mess everywhere, the unwashed baby bottles and dirty dishes, distressed and disappointed. She instantly feels overwhelmed at the prospect of having to clean up the mess while being already sleep-deprived.
The human qualities inherent to Love not only make her relatable but also allow the audience to understand the reasoning behind her horrific actions and crimes, even though the show emphasizes their immorality. At no point can one justify her violent behaviors; however, some of them are understandable. When a person does not feel like themselves, nor is there enough support on which they can count, irrational actions are likely to take place. What makes her even more relatable is that most of the murders she commits stem from her fear of losing her small family. To a certain degree, this happens in many marriages or relationships – either or both parties agree to sacrifice something to make sure that they stay together with the other person, whether it is one’s career, relationships with other people, or other choices. Moreover, to preserve relationships, people in real life may act irrationally and out of emotion, which also characterizes Love’s actions.
The initial portrayal of Love Quinn in the series aligns with the stereotypical ‘damsel in distress trope as Joe jumped to any opportunity to safeguard the seemingly innocent and naïve young woman against the perils of the violent and scary world of which he was a part. This classic trope usually portrays the man as the hero or a prince who is there to jump at the opportunity to save his beloved (Carling 5). Joe, with his persistent savior complex, feels that it is only he who can protect Love from her family and anyone else who may hurt her. Love, on the one hand, accepts Joe’s intentions as she feels that he is the first person in her life to care about her honestly. On the other hand, she breaks down this stereotype later by showing her true colors, pointing to the fact that it is her from whom the world should be protected.
Notably, the ‘damsel in distress character Ark is usually broken down in superheroes and other fantasy movies that show the physical and moral strength that heroines have. They usually fight for what is right and push the message of moral good to the audience (Carling 6). In You, however, Love does not fight for what is morally right when freeing herself from the damsel trope. Instead, she assumes the worst qualities that Joe also happens to have and acts in selfish interests. It is common for the characteristics of femininity to include kindness, love, care, and nurture, all of which align with Love’s personality. Nevertheless, her aggressive and toxic behavior border on masculinity and can be seen as transgressive on the part of a woman. When Love overpowers Joe both psychologically and physically, she prevails in their relationship as the dominating figure whom, at some point, Joe fears.
A unique outcome of Love Quinn destroying the ‘damsel’ trope is that despite her relatability and the hardships of being a new mother, she becomes the villain in the series, making the audience sympathize with Joe. Such a turn speaks volumes about the fact that pop culture has consistently romanticized male serial killers, presenting them as mysterious and vulnerable at times (Spychaj 3). Even though both Joe and Love are terrible people who are dangerous to society, the narrative shifts in a way that favors Joe in the end (Moore). From a feminist lens, regardless of the severe mental health and self-perception challenges that Love experiences, her character does not get a pass in the long run, while Joe does and goes on to have his life with Love dead.
The character arc of Love Quinn in You does not deserve to be romanticized because she is a bad person, even some of her qualities make others sympathize with her. Love has a distorted view of relationships and life because of the experiences she had earlier in life. She had to deal with neglectful parents, judgmental neighbors, and her new estranged and psychotic husband, in addition to postpartum body issues, troubles adjusting to life with a toddler, and being a good wife. What is unique about Love’s character is that even though she knew that her actions and behaviors were terrible, with each act of violence, she became more detached from the situation, trying to shift the blame. On the one hand, for a viewer, her impulsivity and jealousy make it easy to despise her as a character. On the other hand, the traits and circumstances that cause her behaviors make the viewer sympathize with her.
Conclusion
As with many people, Love’s desire to be accepted and loved often clouds her judgment, with emotions overtaking her. Love Quinn breaks down the ‘damsel in distress trope that is common in the popular culture narrative by showing that psychopathic tendencies are not only inherent to men. Instead of being the one to be saved by Joe, her character transforms into a person from whom Joe seeks safety even though he possesses the same negative qualities as her. What remains problematic in the series is that as soon as Love becomes more violent and relentless, she is considered the villain of the story, which illustrates the bias of pop culture in favor of romanticizing psychotic male characters like Joe.
Works Cited
Carling, Rylee. “Damsel in Distress or Princess in Power? Traditional Masculinity and Femininity in Young Adult Novelizations of Cinderella and the Effects on Agency.” BYU Scholars Archive, Web.
Moore, Sam. “We Need to Talk About the Treatment of Women in Netflix’s You.” I-D, Web.
Spychaj, M. “Serial killers are interesting, they’re not heroes”: Moral boundaries, identity management, and emotional work within an online community.” Wilfrid Laurier University, Web.
Netflix is an American media services provider that was first conceived in 1997. The company’s primary business is its subscription-based streaming service that gives access to a library of films and television programs. Over time, the number of Netflix users had grown to 147 million in 2018, and 154 million if one considers free trials (“Netflix by the numbers,” 2018). Fifty-seven percent of users (around 80 million) are now streaming internationally (“Netflix by the numbers,” 2018). In 2018, the total revenue had amounted to $15.8 billion with the number of employees approximating 5400 people (“Netflix by the numbers,” 2018). Since 2012, Netflix has been putting more emphasis on in-house production, and so far, many Netflix-native movies and programs have been quite successful. For this reason, many creatives see Netflix as a perfect platform for realizing their potential and making their artistic endeavors known by broader audiences. This paper goes into detail on how a Canadian producer can pitch an idea to Netflix: eligibility, restrictions, and success recipes.
Netflix Canada: Emergence and Specifics
The Canadian market was the first international market that Netflix tapped into – in 2010. Since then, Netflix has become part of Canadian culture with an estimated number of subscribers of 6.9 million (Statista, 2018). In just nine years, the brand has got to command the largest prime-time audience in Canada. Surely, not all local producers and broadcasters were all that enthused about the emergence of a powerful foreign contender. For instance, at an industry summit this year, Catherine Tait, president of the CBC, expressed her concerns for Netflix’s expansion into the Canadian market. She even went as far as calling the US company an imperialist, occupying power.
It is true that Netflix has revolutionized the way modern media is perceived. For the industry, its solutions have been disruptive and, for this reason, so successful. In the case of Canada, on top of offering users services under fairly attractive conditions, Netflix has yet another competitive advantage. As a foreign company, it does not have to contribute to the Canadian Media Fund (CMF) that finances Canadian content or collect the GST (5% Goods and Services Tax) as Canadian firms are obliged to do (Olive, 2019). The industry’s chief regulator, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and its largest trade body, the Canadian Media Producers Association, believe, given the revenue as large as $942 million in Canada, Netflix should make contributions to the CMF (Olive, 2019).
However, all these concerns might be proved ungrounded: in actuality, Netflix is one of the things that makes the Canadian film industry healthier. In 2018, the brand pledged to use $500 million toward creating and promoting Canadian content (Greenwood, 2018). Later that year, the US company reported the establishment of what they called Netflix Canada, a new entity that would focus completely on championing grassroots content. The scope of responsibilities of the new body would include shooting and releasing shows and films themselves, buying the rights and distributing films internationally, and holding summits and workshops for creators.
At the same time, in 2018, budgets for Canadian production had surged to $8.9 billion, with a 6% increase as compared to 2017 (Greenwood, 2018). Arguable, without a bump in foreign investment, that number would have been unachievable. Every year, Netflix spends as much as $100 million, supporting and licensing Canadian originals. A new production hub in Toronto is projected to employ as many as 1,850 people (Ahearn, 2018). Thus, Netflix expansion might mean more jobs for Canadians – hardly a threat to the industry.
In January 2018, in an interview for the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA) Indiescreen magazine, Netflix’s Director of Global Public Policy explained why creating Netflix Canada could be good news for local producers. The following insight from the interview is especially helpful: as of now, Netflix cannot make certified CanCon without collaborating with a Canadian broadcaster or Canadian distributor (Olive, 2019). This means that the brand is required to enter co-production with native companies to launch CanCon originals. This fact alone opens a lot of opportunities for starting partnerships. As Wright states, Netflix already attracted some Canadian talent such as director Tony Elliot who worked on the movie ARQ (Olive, 2019). However, in cases like that, the end products are not certified for CanCon. At the same time, Netflix’s director claims that the brand does not wish to put too much emphasis on the labels. The main goal of Netflix Canada is to make high-quality content for a diverse and dispersed audience.
Submissions and the Idea-Seeking Process
Concerning handling unsolicited submissions, Netflix Canada adheres to the same policies as Netflix in other countries. The company acknowledges that due to the growing popularity of the brand, a great number of people would like to use it as a platform for developing their own ideas. However, for now, not a single regional Netflix center accepts unsolicited submissions (“Unsolicited submissions,” n.d.). At that, Netflix does not discriminate against the form of submission, be it an idea or a fully developed script. If someone wants to pitch an idea to the company, they need to find an appropriate medium. For a submission to be solicited, it needs to be forwarded through a licensed literary agent, producer, attorney, manager, or entertainment executive. Regardless of their job title and position, the person who facilitates submission needs to have a pre-existing relationship. If an idea is submitted through any other means, it is classified as unsolicited and will be automatically declined.
Netflix Canada employs a number of strategies to ensure a constant flow of creative ideas and submissions as presented below:
Netflix hires a team of creative experts – executives and buyers, who review pitches for shows and movies to filter those who fit the format the best;
Netflix maintains deep relationships with the creative community and talent agencies of Canada, who often serve as a source of ideas for shows and movies;
Netflix experts frequent film festivals and established venues and might purchase finished works there;
Many ideas are generated within the company and forwarded to writers and other creatives for further development (“Unsolicited submissions,” n.d.).
From the company’s news policies, it becomes clear that given the growing audience, Netflix is on the lookout for the next big thing. For instance, in February 2019, Netflix CFO David Wells unveiled a new piece of statistics that was quite eye-opening regarding the company’s expansion plans. In the next year, the number of shows that Netflix will roll out is likely to be in the 700 range. Out of these 700, 160 will be in-house productions with 80 of them being US originals and the other half – foreign-language movies and shows (Patel, 2018). Seven hundred projects from a single network is an ambitious goal, and it is only natural that Netflix will soon set itself on the next content-seeking spree. However, despite the possibility of mutual interest, independent producers should still ensure that the process takes place through an official that the company trusts. Thus, making such a connection is the first step for anyone who wants to conquer Netflix Canada, and pitching the actual idea only comes second.
Gaining Representation
Since Netflix does not allow unsolicited submissions, any ambitious writer or producer has to seek representation. The process might be tricky and require a creative to redistribute their energy from their artistic processes to management-related tasks. One way to go about finding a representative is by generating more publicity. Online, it may take the form of submitting scripts to specialized Canadian platforms as well as promoting an idea on social media. The latter is especially useful since it gives a writer a chance to test the waters and figure out whether broader audiences would be accepting of a new show. Offline, it is possible to gain some traction by attending festivals and entering contests. A Canadian-specific option would be to apply for a Netflix production hub in Toronto that is opening this year. Netflix has expressed commitment to providing 1,850 jobs in Canada and ensuring that studio and sound stage leases belonging to the hub are multi-year (Ahearn, 2018). The foundation of the Toronto hub is a positive development for Canadian filmmakers. Netflix is going to become closer to grassroots communities and come into contact with Canadian talent directly. It is expected that the hub will facilitate finding representation and pitching ideas.
Pitching to Netflix
Learning to pitch a show is as important as knowing how to write a good script itself. A writer can put together a solid pilot that can still fail if he or she is not able to communicate their ideas. Apart from great writing, one should be able to get past the financial gatekeepers, i.e. Netflix Canada executives by proving that their ideas have it all: originality, longevity, and the “wow-factor.” In the case of Netflix, the cinematography is business as much as it is art, therefore, it is imperative that an idea proves to yield benefits in the long term. In order to pitch successfully, a writer should answer the following questions:
What kind of pitch should it be to sell this one particular idea?
What should be included in the document?
How should the pitch be tailored to suit the particular entity – in this case, Netflix Canada?
The first idea that comes to mind is to research the entity for answers. When asked what Netflix Canada is looking for in a pitch in terms of genre, the brand’s Content Executive Elizabeth Bradley replies “Everything.” (Kornfeld, 2018) According to Bradley, Netflix aims at diversifying its content and does not discriminate against the genre. It can be a sci-fi, thriller, drama, or comedy; even remakes of classics are accepted (Kornfeld, 2018). The only thing that really matters is a writer’s confidence that his or her story will resonate globally. As Bradley puts it, when pitching to Netflix, writers should ask themselves as to why their idea is exciting and how it is capable of making a difference. Once Netflix has faith in the producer’s vision, the rest is merely technicalities. Bradley states that the company does not put that much emphasis on the package of directors and actors. According to her, casting and hiring are all solvable problems. However, what Netflix cannot solve easily is subpar writing and storytelling.
While Netflix’s executives propagate a diversity of ideas, customers make their own choices regarding what they look for in a show or a movie. Thus, to pitch successfully to Netflix, one should not only use executive’s opinions to guide them but also look out for trends. The top ten most-watched Netflix shows in Canada in 2018 are a mix of comedies, thrillers, and detective stories (Hazan, 2018). As it seems, the Canadian audience has versatile tastes, appreciates a compelling storyline, and prefers a healthy dose of humor. Among movies that “made” it in 2018 is Insatiable, in which a disgraced civil lawyer/beauty pageant coach takes a bullied teenager as his client. Another hit is Retribution that revolves around a horrific murder that wreaks havoc upon the lives of two families living side-by-side in rural Scotland. The Canadian audience has shown interest in documentaries – for instance, Girls Incarcerated that provides an insight into the lives of juvenile delinquents has been popular on Netflix. Remakes such as Chilling Adventures of Sabrina based on the Archie comic have also been met with appreciation.
The question remains as to how a writer or producer presents his or her idea in a way that could ignite Netflix’s interest. The general rules may still apply: regardless of the form – a TV show, a movie, or a documentary, the core concept is the end-all-be-all of an excellent pitch. Netflix is a large company with a very limited time resource. It is only natural that neither of its entities, Canada included, has time to review long scripts, all the while seeking golden nuggets. Professional screenwriters employ a strategy widely known as the Elevator Pitch: a concise description of an original idea that has just enough details to make it interesting.
Further, any pitch package needs to include a convincing pilot script that would give the reviewing executive an idea of one’s writing style and the direction that the show may take if approved. The third important element is the so-called series Bible – a document that goes into detail about the universe of the show. Usually, it needs to cover the following:
An interesting title that is reflective of the main theme;
Logline, or the Elevator pitch – an impactful summation of the story in one or two sentences;
Synopsis providing a broader overview of what is happening in the series’ universe and highlighting the most compelling thematic facets;
Characters, including protagonists and other key players with key details on their backgrounds and lifestyles;
Pilot outline with a step-by-step breakdown of the entire episode;
Future prospects outlining the contents of the next episodes or sequels.
Conclusion
Over the last few years, Netflix has expanded deep into the Canadian media market. Some people find this aggressive expansion worrisome and express disdain for the government’s current inaction concerning Netflix’s lack of contribution to the CMF. An alternative opinion that appeases many native filmmakers is that Netflix has the potential to transform Canadian television and give local talent a chance. Since 2010 when Netflix just tapped into Canada, it has made an effort to provide jobs for locals and fund Canadian projects. Given the dynamics of investment, many writers and producers wish to pitch their idea to Netflix and make it the next big thing. As of now, the brand does not accept unsolicited submissions, i.e. those made without an official representative. The latter can be found through online platforms, contests, festivals, or at specialized hubs such as Netflix Toronto hub. Netflix does not confine potential contributors to a definite set of themes and genres. However, the company seeks out only those who are confident about their ideas and can submit a full pitching package including the Elevator pitch, series Bible, and a pilot script.
Price elasticity of demand is an economic concept that highlights the price sensitivity of a product. The concept highlights the relationship between the change in price and the total demand of a product or a service. If a slight change in the price of a product or a service is followed by a large change in the demand for the commodity, the relationship is considered elastic. If there is a large change in the price, but a slight change in the demand for a commodity, the relationship between the price and the demand is inelastic. Companies have to evaluate the price elasticity of demand for their products to determine the pricing of the products. Companies need to understand the number of consumers that they might lose or gain with each unit change in price (Foxall, Yan, Oliveira-Castro, & Wells, 2013). This is particularly helpful because it provides the companies with a clear picture of the profit margins and the changes required to attain certain percentages of returns.
One of the companies that have used the price elasticity of demand strategy is Netflix. Netflix has experienced numerous changes in its entertainment services, and its current pricing strategy is a function of numerous attempts to change the price to harness a larger global market share. In 2011, the company increased its prices for various entertainment packages, and this led to a significant decrease in the subscriptions. This revealed that the relationship between the prices of the entertainment packages and the demand for the services is elastic, and the company discovered that a slight increase in the prices results in a large decrease in demand. Similarly, oil companies such as BP and Shell have discovered that a large increase in the price of oil does not necessarily stop consumers from purchasing the normal amount of fuel on a regular basis; hence, the commodity has an inelastic demand. Such products are normally associated with the development of certain policies that limit the prices within a given ceiling. This is because the producers of commodities with inelastic demand might ask for outrageous prices for the commodities.
References
Austin, J. (2016). Dentist’s view of Colgate vs. Crest toothpaste debate. Web.
Foxall, G. R., Yan, J., Oliveira-Castro, J. M., & Wells, V. K. (2013). Brand-related and situational influences on demand elasticity. Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 73-81.
Kachani, S., & Sadighian, A. (2012). The price advantage. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, 11(3), 348-349.
Schmidt, K. M., Spann, M., & Zeithammer, R. (2014). Pay what you want as a marketing strategy in monopolistic and competitive markets. Management Science, 61(6), 1217-1236.
