Public Relations Campaign for Netflix: PR Assignment for Full Sail University

1. PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN OUTLINE
Name: Jessica Gold
Organization: Netflix
Overview: (Using information from your research and including in-text citations to support
your claims, provide a current summary of the organization, an overview of the campaign,
why the campaign is necessary, what it will aim to achieve, and a summary of how it will
achieve it).
Imagine a world with no commercials, having entire seasons available at one time to
binge watch, and not having any network content restrictions. Visualize a streaming platform
offering convenience to pause, fast forward, rewind, or skip to the next episode with the
click of a button.
What if I told you there is a streaming video subscription service that offers a large library of
the most entertaining movies and TV shows, including exclusive original content with an
innovative platform filled with personalization and automation features offering a high-
quality user experience conveniently accessible on hundreds of devices. Twenty-one years
ago, this platform would not even be imaginable.
Netflix, Inc changed the way the world views movies and television, considered a
pioneer in TV and movie streaming services paving the way for a major change in video
entertainment distribution. At the top of the video streaming Industry, Netflix has over 139
million subscribers globally, as the “world’s leading internet entertainment service.
Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected
screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or
commitments” ("About Netflix"). Netflix plays a large role in current streaming trends
revolutionizing the way people watch TV. In 2017, “About 6 in 10 young adults in U.S.
primarily use online streaming to watch TV” (Rainie, 2017). In UK markets, younger viewers
are watching a third less traditional television and now turn to online streaming services for
their entertainment (Bond, 2017). The Advertising Bureau (IAB) released “The Changing TV
Experience: 2017,” a comprehensive study revealing that most U.S. adults (56%) own a
Streaming Enabled TV, a 56 percent rise from just two years ago, a fundamental shift in the
way that Americans watch television.” (IAB, 2017).
Growing consumer trends in ‘cord cutting’ cause a shift in the way consumers watch
TV and the number of streaming video providers, impacting the number of competitors
Netflix has to go up against. Continued threats of current and new competitors make a PR
campaign essential to staying at the top of the industry, increasing subscribers globally, and
maintaining and expanding brand awareness. This public relations campaign will help drive
global subscriber growth helping Netflix maintain industry positioning as the number one
subscription video-on demand service.

2. The campaign will focus on developing creative entertaining content (owned media)
instead of advertisements. Social media engagement is another focus point for the
campaign, creating easily shareable content with an emphasis on video content based on
marketing trends and past successes. For example, the campaign ‘Netflix is a joke’ effectively
engages viewers and is bold and humorous staying consistent with Netflix’s brand image.
Face to face interactions will occur in creative ways to promote original content that will
create media attention (earned media) humanizing the Netflix brand, by doing relatable
activities that are humorous to see, with promotional banners and content aligning with the
specific ‘Netflix Originals’ being promoted. The campaign will also focus on how much new
content is being put out to help offset consumer frustrations of subscription price increasing.
Goals: (Specific measureable goals and objectives of the campaign.)
▪ Grow streaming subscription business domestically and globally to reach over 150
million in 6 months by focusing on culturally diverse original content variety,
transparency to build consumer loyalty and trust, and customer engagement through
social media.
▪ Maintain image of being a great value despite subscription price increases promoting
a larger content library of originals being offered by maintaining over 90% of current
subscribers from May of 2019 to January 2020.
▪ Improve customer experience by focusing on user experience further developing user
interface features that enhance personalization and convenience.
▪ Create content, not ads.
▪ Maintain top industry position as far as being the world’s leading Internet
subscription service for TV shows and movies using number of subscribers to
measure positioning.
▪ Generate brand awareness through social media engagement by increasing the
number of weekly Twitter post by 20%, scheduling daily video content and engaging
posts with high quality images to promote ‘Netflix Originals’. Using social media tools
like Buffer and Hootsuite to schedule posts and monitor Twitter analytics to measure
progress
Increasing brand engagement and sales is often done through social media (McCue, 2018).
According to Forbes, “Almost 40 percent of users are following their favorite brands on
social media and 1 in 4 users are following brands on social media from which they might
make a purchase” (McCue, 2018).

3. ▪ Build Netflix’s positive brand image by increasing the number of partnerships with
non-profit organizations globally throughout the next year by 30%.
Target Audiences: (Clearly defined external audiences the campaign will target)
• Audiences:
o TV and movie enthusiasts
o TV and movie enthusiasts who love binge watching TV and movies
o Consumers who like the comfort of watching TV and movies from their own
home.
o Consumers who find frequent commercials frustrating
o Consumers who value SVOD services with original streaming content
o Consumers who have at least a basic understanding of streaming and
technology
o College students and young adults on a budget
o Consumers who value convenience, comfort, personalization, and variety
o Families that like to watch movies together
o Want tv and movie services that are flexible and less expensive than cable
Detailed explanation on why each audience is being targeted:
These TV and movie streaming video lovers are being targeted because Netflix offers
exactly what they love. Netflix is a more cost-effective method compared to cable with
greater financial flexibility so young adults and college student certainly fit the desire to fit
within their budget and have viewing flexibility with being able to watch when and where
they want. Consumers who strongly dislike frequent commercials or find them time
consuming and frustrating create a stronger demand for Netflix and are more likely to want
to join or maintain their subscription in order to avoid commercials. In order to stream
Netflix, it helps to have a basic understanding of how to stream or use current technology.
Growing trends of users using smartphones to view Netflix is a strong indicator that having
basic technology awareness is essential to using Netflix. Strengths of Netflix include its
interface personalization features, convenience to watch from home when you want and
where you want, flexibility to pause, play, rewind and watch on over a hundred devices, and
its diverse content library offering plenty of variety.
Users talk about "watching Netflix" as opposed to watching a specific show on
Netflix. They often first decide to binge a Netflix show and then pick the series. “In other
words, the platform is driving the content” (Jerde, 2018). Netflix offering great user
experience, interface/content personalization, and binge watching are features that help

4. Netflix stand out and are features that attract people who value binge watching and
personalized, convenient, and flexible platforms for viewing TV shows and movies.
Messaging: (The key messages the entity will deliver. These will be the campaign’s talking
points that will be communicated to its audiences. This persuasive message should drive
media and consumers to action.)
Despite a recent price increase, Netflix’s high quality, growing content library filled with
exciting originals featuring some of the biggest names in TV and film contribute to Netflix’s
amazing value and global appeal.
Enjoy a convenient personalized entertainment experience being able to. Watch all your
favorite shows and movies when and where you like with access to content
recommendations, viewing categorized lists, profiles, and automatic video trailers/snippets.
Number one video streaming entertainment provider fulfilling all your tv and movie binge
watching needs and desires.
Check out our growing binge-worthy content library today.
***create idea/refine using this concept: We may have different content across the globe but we all binge
watch Netflix. Watching or binge-watching Netflix has become a universal concept. With Netflix we don’t refer
to watching a particular show or movie as much as we refer to the brand (Netflix).
We may not have a lot in common but I’m sure we’ve all used the term watching Netflix.
Netflix be a part of a revolutionizing global experience.
Netflix, a universal experience that is bigger than anyone could have imagined.
Join Netflix in giving back by working with us and our partnered nonprofit organizations.
Explanation on how this message will connect with the target audience and achieve the
goals of the campaign:
These messages will help earn trust, through two-way communication and complete
transparency. This will help with Netflix’s positive public image, brand awareness, subscriber
growth, and customer experience. These messages are bold and exciting consistent with
Netflix’s brand. By aligning our messages with our brand style, we create greater credibility
and brand loyalty. The messages emphasize innovation, global connection, and being a part
of something larger than anyone could have imagined. The messages stress how widespread
and universally known the Netflix brand has become.

5. Public-Relations Tools & Tactics: (The PR tools and tactics to use to communicate the
message to your target audience through various communication channels. These should
consider the tools and tactics in owned, earned and shared media with explanations on how
they will be used and why they will be effective to reach and influence specific target
audiences. Paid media should NOT be incorporated. For earned media, include an
explanation of specific news outlets to target and the tools to communicate with them.
Owned media tools
o Netflix.com website
o Netflix blog
o Netflix application
o Emails sent by Netflix for suggested content to try based in viewing history
o Emails (newsletters) sent by Netflix on what’s new this month or what is
coming to Netflix
o Trailers for their original content created by Netflix
o Social Media accounts used for sharing creative content that Netflix creates
including trailers, and video and images used to promote ‘Netflix Originals’
o Twitter, Facebook, YouTube pages
Explanation of how these tools & tactics will be used and how they will be effective to
reach and influence specific target audiences:
Netflix uses its website and application, examples of owned media to have control over the
message and content being put out. The company uses its blog, emails, and trailers created
by their company to share information, promote their original content, and personalize
communication. Using owned media tools controlling the message through their owned
channels is done using digital publications, including their website, blog, and application to
engage and inform their core audience. When owned media channels have the potential of
building long term customer relationships. Full control and cost effectiveness are the two
major advantages to owned media which will be helpful with customer experience being
able to personalize communication and content to engage specific audiences.
Earned media tools
o Press releases
o News Stories (Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., Tech Crunch, Reuters
o Social Media Mentions, shares, retweets (Twitter mentions)
o Product (Netflix Originals) and Service Reviews Review the latest Netflix
originals
o External Blog Posts (Netflix Technology Blog – Medium)

6. o Interviews (Reed Hastings Interview) interviews from cast of new Netflix
Originals or originals coming soon
o YouTube Videos from 3rd
party channels (FilmStop Trailers)
Explanation of how these tools & tactics will be used and how they will be effective to
reach and influence specific target audiences:
Earned media tools help Netflix with increasing brand awareness through media coverage and
building credibility. Credibility is an important advantage of earned media and essential to build and
maintain customer loyalty. Earned media helps Netflix reach a larger audience with earned media
channels having a larger reach than owned media channels typically do. News stories, social media
mentions, shares and retweets, product or service reviews, YouTube videos created by third party
channels, interviews, and external blog posts all contribute to earned media channels for Netflix.
YouTube videos reviewing Netflix, and Netflix’s content, and videos and articles discussing what is
coming to Netflix are specific examples. Several articles from third parties are published on Netflix’s
success, original content, marketing strategies, and subscriber growth. News mentions occur
frequently through articles, radio, and television. Earned media has the potential to bring in more
traffic leading to user engagement. Digital publications like Tech Crunch, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and
Reuters are all credible sources for earned media for Netflix that reach large audiences and a
tendency to be shared a lot on social media.
Interviews with cast members of shows and movies premiering soon will draw viewers in to signing
up for a subscription and keeping current subscribers interested.
Interviews with CEO, Reed Hastings will help build brand awareness and credibility.
Shared media tools
o Social media
o Twitter
o Facebook
o Instagram
o YouTube
o LinkedIn
o Clever tweets and retweets on Twitter to increase engagement
o Upcoming video trailers/previews shared on YouTube and Facebook pages
Explanation of how these tools & tactics will be used and how they will be effective to
reach and influence specific target audiences:
Social media and user generated content, shared media will be used to easily, quickly, and
effectively communicate to Netflix’s target audience using shared media tools such as
Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. These tools will be used to actively engage with audiences,
build relationships, create a stronger consistent brand image, increase brand awareness, and

7. expand consumer reach with social media conveniently creating a large global reach to help
Netflix continue to expand and increase subscribers world-wide.
Social media will be more laid back, geared towards tech savvy social media millennials,
young adults, social media enthusiasts and new stories and interviews will be more
professional targeting adults, educated professionals
Spokesperson/Spokespeople: (Who will represent the entity in communicating the message
to media and other audiences)
CEO, Reed Hastings
Ryan Reynolds
Ellen DeGeneres
Chris Rock
Explanation of how the spokesperson/spokespeople will effectively communicate the
message to the target audience:
The CEO is vital to have as a spokesperson to communicate his innovative vision within his
messages, and to incorporate the company’s values.
▪ Judgement
▪ Productivity
▪ Creativity
▪ Intelligence
▪ Honesty
▪ Communication
▪ Selflessness
▪ Reliability
▪ Passion
Through comedy, and bold sarcastic themed communication, these celebrity spokespeople
will effectively communicate and entertain the public and stay consistent with Netflix’s
brand as far as image, voice, and tone. These celebrities are also relatable with their humor
which will help humanize the brand and make the Netflix brand more relatable.

8. References
About Netflix. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2018, from
https://media.netflix.com/en/about-netflix
Interactive Advertising Bureau. (6AD, Spring 2018). 67% of Consumers Worldwide Have
Live Streamed Video & More Than Half of Them Prefer Free, Ad Supported Experiences
over Other Options, According to IAB Research. Business Wire (English). Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bwh&AN=
bizwire.c85199217&site=ehost-live
Internet Usage Statistics-The Internet Big Picture World Internet Users and 2018
Population Stats. (2018, August 31). Retrieved September 5, 2018, from
https://www.internetworldstats.com/
Jerde, S. (2018, November 07). Top 10 Most Popular Streaming Services, According to
New Report. Retrieved March 9, 2019, from https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/top-10-
most-popular-streaming-services-according-to-new-report/
Laposky, J. (2017). Youthful TV Viewers Prefer Streaming Content: A quarter of those 35
and Under watch all their TV online. TWICE: This Week in Consumer Electronics, 32(15),
25. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=1
25345072&site=ehost-live
McCue, TJ. “Social Media Is Increasing Brand Engagement And Sales.” Forbes, Forbes
Magazine, 26 June 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2018/06/26/social-media-is-
increasing-brand-engagement-and-sales/#1438e69c7cb3.
Rainie, L. (2017, September 13). About 6 in 10 young adults in U.S. primarily use online
streaming to watch TV. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/13/about-6-in-10-young-adults-in-u-
s-primarily-us e-online-streaming-to-watch-tv/
Schager, N. (2014, December 10). 6 Ways the Movie Distribution Model Is Changing.
Retrieved August 14, 2018, from http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/6-ways-the-movie-
distribution-model-is-changing.html