Netflix: Netflix Helps Parents Celebrate New Years Eve On-Demand

Credits & Description:

Title: Netflix Helps Parents Celebrate New Years Eve On-Demand
Agency: Zeno Group
Brand: Netflix
Country: USA
Advertising Agency: Zeno Group, Chicago
Entrant Company: Zeno Group, Chicago
Media Agency: Zeno Group, Chicago
Pr Agency: Zeno Group, Chicago
Production Company: Zeno Group, Chicago
Additional Company: Zeno Group, Chicago
Account Supervisor: Liz Fernandez (Zeno Group)
Director, Global Media Relatoins: Jenny Mccabe (Netflix)
Sr Manager, Media Relations: Betsy Sund (Netflix)
Executive Vice President: Tracey Thiele (Zeno Group)
Manager, Media Relations: Anne Wallin (Netflix)
Strategy:
Before kicking off the campaign, Netflix first needed to know, do parents want to celebrate New Year’s Eve before midnight? A third-party study of parents across the globe found the answer was a resounding yes. How celebrations unfold vary by region, but one sentiment rang true in all corners of the world -- parents are spending New Year’s Eve as a family (97%), and more than half of parents (58%) would jump at the chance to put the kids to bed before midnight.With the insight validated, Netflix identified December 28 as the ideal launch date, capitalizing on the slow news cycle between Christmas and New Year’s. In just four days, Netflix would create a surround sound effect for the story -- from pitch efforts and paid social to email blasts and celeb endorsement -- to ensure parents everywhere discovered a new alternative for New Year’s Eve.
Outcome:
Netflix New Year’s Eve generated more than
100 stories and 1.4 billion earned media impressions globally, including three mentions on TODAY. Compared to the top 13 competitors in the kids programming space, Netflix NYE dominated the category’s top stories of 2015, driving 76% more media mentions than the second-largest story of the year, HBO’s acquisition of Sesame Street, and helped earn Netflix a 43% share of voice in the category in 2015 (source: TrendKite).By New Year’s Eve, so many people were talking about the story it trended on Facebook, and a SF Gate article had more than 47,000 shares. But nothing was better than seeing the views roll in on New Year’s Eve night. The six countdowns saw millions of views during the four days they were live on the service, with families from all corners of the globe celebrating New Year’s Eve on their terms.
Campaign Description:
At its very core, Netflix is built on the power of choice; the ability to choose when and what to watch. So how do we make that choice more appealing to parents?Parents want to celebrate New Year’s Eve as a family, but they also want their kids in bed long before midnight on Dec. 31. Netflix harnessed this desire to celebrate the new year before the clock strikes twelve with on-demand countdowns based on kids’ favorite characters, letting parents make the final call on when to celebrate those famous 10 seconds. Kids choose how to celebrate, but parents choose when to say goodnight.Just four days before New Year’s Eve, Netflix unveiled six kid-friendly character countdowns based on Netflix original programming, including Puffin Rock, Care Bears, All Hail King Julien, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Inspector Gadget and Project Mc2. Move over, Ryan Seacrest.
Synopsis:
Everyone knows Netflix has an impressive lineup of original programming. Emmy-nominated shows like House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black are synonymous with the streaming service. But many people don’t realize that Netflix also has an impressive library of content for families and kids of all ages. The question is, how does Netflix shine a cultural and media spotlight on its variety of kids on-demand entertainment to spark brand conversations with families worldwide?The team looked to uncover an insight grounded in how parents are already using Netflix, then anchor on an idea that allowed the Netflix brand to shine through its bread and butter -- content. Through this brand campaign, Netflix set out to achieve the following objectives:Position Netflix as a global leader in the kids and family spaceBuild awareness of impressive kids’ content libraryDrive traffic to kids content on the service
Execution:
Right on the heels of Christmas weekend, Netflix unleashed phase one of its two-pronged strategy, building awareness through traditional press and the brand’s owned channels. Embargoed stories with highly-syndicated outlets went live. The Stream Team, Netflix’s 525-member earned global blogger network, was activated. Plus, an email blast targeted parents in the global membership database. On Day 3, phase two efforts shifted to social and amplifying earned media. Top placements were amplified through targeted paid social posts. Influential vlogger and Vine families posted videos of their kids ringing in 2016 with Netflix. Actress Jodie Sweetin among other celebs shared their Netflix New Year’s Eve parties on social. By dinner time on Dec. 31, weeks of preparation turned into an outpouring of families singing, dancing and counting down to 2016 long before midnight -- kids none the wiser -- inspiring a shared cultural moment that ricocheted from Sydney to London to LA.