Winner: MSLGROUP - Netflix: Taking the Bite Out of the Binge
With the advent of the binge watching trend—viewing multiple episodes of a TV show in a row—Netflix revolutionized how viewers engage with and consume content. The problem was that the term was surrounded with negative sentiment in the mainstream media. MSLGROUP needed to solidify Netflix as a visionary leader and tastemaker by owning emerging consumer behavioral trends it had largely created. The challenge was to create a shift in thinking among consumers and media about binge watching. In order to do that, Netflix would have to tackle the issue head on.
Launched in December 2013, the campaign combined trusted surveys, with an informed cultural anthropologist to reprogram the way the media and eventually consumers viewed “the binge.”
MSLGROUP successfully generated widespread awareness of Netflix’s “Binge Watching is the New Normal” initiative. Furthermore, the team was able to spark an engaging and provocative dialogue as The Wall Street Journal broke the news, driving an immediate and strong wave of coverage. The campaign generated 225 unique stories in top-tier media, with more than 1 billion media impressions. And to top it off, 66% of current subscribers say that they are either “extremely satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their service, up from 62% the previous year. It seems the all-at-once model Netflix created is here to stay, complicating the stereotype of the couch potato.
Honorable Mentions:
- Aflac with Big Fuel, First Born and Hill+Knowlton Strategies - Educating American Employers and Workers about Consumer-Driven Health Care
- Airfoil - M*Modal: Data that Drives Engagement and Results
- Bentley University/Weber Shandwick - The PreparedU Project
- Breakaway Communications - Defining the “Grey Charges” Problem for the Media; Positioning BillGuard as the Solution
- Coyne Public Relations - Banfield Pet Hospital Helps “Fido” Fight Obesity
- March Communications - Using Proprietary Research to Drive Thought Leadership
- Waggener Edstrom Communications - Bottom Line Business Impact of Communications