The unprecedented success of Bird Box (45 million views in 7 days) is the first win of many for Netflix’s new social media strategy. In the post-Christmas lull of 2018/19 Bird Box was everywhere.
But was it plastered all over billboards, TV, or online trailers? No.
Instead it was almost impossible to log on to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook without being confronted with the image of a blindfolded Sandra Bullock accompanied by a witty caption. So how did Netflix make Bird Box so ubiquitous? And how did they do so despite a less than desirable critical response (currently, it has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 66/100)?
Embracing Their Inner Super Fan
In summer 2018, Netflix conducted a marketing overhaul with 85% of its 2 billion marketing budget going on Netflix original titles. Social media was identified as the key way to keep Netflix titles at the forefront of the pop culture conversation.
The main way to achieve this was to transform Netflix’s brand voice from an authoritative entertainment provider to the authentic voice of an audience member. It’s online voice and tone is now that of a meme-savvy, self-deprecating fanboy or fangirl. Through this change in voice, Netflix has begun developing a conversational relationship with fans, developing a fledgling ‘memeconomy’…
So How Does the ‘Memeconomy’ Work?
- Netflix sows the seeds for organic meme-making: Netflix’s numerous social media accounts create the bones of a meme from which fans can create new and interesting riffs. Before Bird Box was released, Netflix sponsored Twitch gamers to do a ‘Bird Box challenge’. Post-release, this challenge took on a life of its own migrating to YouTube, then TikTok, and finally prime-time television.
- Netflix harvests fan-made memes: Through retweeting and amplifying their audiences’ voices, Netflix can pretty much guarantee that the fan’s meme will blow up. With Bird Box, Netflix retweeted several fan-made memes which used existing meme templates created from their other content (e.g. The UnBreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
- Netflix collaborates with famous meme brands and influencers: The brand hosts takeovers of the Netflix account, ensuring that the platform truly becomes an authentic voice in the ‘memeconomy’. In the case of Bird Box, Netflix collaborated with expert meme-makers BirdRightsActivist (@ProBirdRights), an account which posts about news and pop culture from the point of view of a bird. This takeover allowed Netflix to introduce the meme to a new audience through the authentic lens of a respected meme account.
Birdbox is the Word
Netflix’s social media strategy sees them oscillate between meme creator and meme curator, making @netflix a one-stop destination for audiences seeking hot, new meme content. Ultimately, this strategy helped Netflix catapult Bird Box to the forefront of the pop culture conversation.
So, what are the lessons other content creators can take from Bird Box’s digital marketing success? Over the past few months, we’ve been speaking to consumers around the country about their relationships with brands online, and there are a few key suggestions/ideas that keep coming up:
Immerse yourself within the fandom: Position your brand voice as an observer of content rather than a producer – hype up your shows in the way super fans would! However, there’s nothing worse than a brand just trying to be ‘down with the kids’ so it’s important to give your social account a specific and authentic persona that makes sense with your brand image.
Give back to fans: Collaboration with fans is key, either by amplifying their voices on owned pages/accounts or through creating ready-made meme content for them to work with. A good example of this is Velvet Buzzsaw: Here, Netflix created a format for fans to create memes, even offering them a blank base to work from.
Utilise influential voices: Working with known influencers and creators can give memes a level of kudos it wouldn’t have otherwise. Recruiting larger influencers (not just meme-makers) to share this content can then give these content life outside of the meme-sphere.
There is more to meme marketing than just making a meme or jumping on a popular bandwagon: it’s about creating a meaningful relationship with fans based on collaboration, authenticity and shared knowledge.
As Netflix proves with Bird Box this relationship can be incredibly
rewarding for both fans and content creators, and is a really fascinating model
for those companies looking to make a splash online in an alternative, fun, and
youthful way.
Hook Research is a media research and content development agency. We are proud to provide consumer insights and brand strategy to some of the biggest organisations across media, youth and brand strategy all over the world. Want to have a chat about how we can help your business? Get in touch at enquiries@hookresearch.co.uk
