Netflix inspiration: three digital marketing lessons from Tiger King
Marketing inspiration can also be found on Netflix during the "stay at home" period. This is demonstrated by Selligent Marketing Cloud: it has followed the hype surrounding the new documentary series "Tiger King" and has been inspired by Joe Exotic and his big cats. The MarTech provider has drawn three lessons for digital marketing from bizarre characters and a bizarre story. Cuddling with tigers is not one of them.
Lockdown winner: The Netflix documentary "Tiger King" went through the roof during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nobody can predict the emergence of a viral hit. There are so many ingredients to success and it often comes down to timing and a little bit of luck. In the case of "Tiger King", the fact that most of the world was under lockdown at the start of the documentary certainly helped. Thanks to the high demand for content to fill time at home, TV and streaming usage shot through the roof. There are also opportunities for marketers to persuade customers to buy with the right content at the right time.
1. timing is everything
Consumers today have full control over their journey and expect brands to be there when they need them - otherwise they will miss an opportunity and perhaps even lose a customer. Marketers should ask themselves: What do customers need right now? What are they actively looking for right now? The answers lie in a 360-degree customer view: this captures customer data on personal preferences, previous purchases and preferred devices in real time. This data is the key to providing personalized experiences and tailored offers using artificial intelligence. The possibility of location-based targeting means that customers receive the right answers at the right time - timing is everything.
2. give the people what they want
Documentaries are all the rage. True crime podcasts, books and shows are all the rage. And animals have never lost their appeal - people love animals! "Tiger King" builds on several guarantees of success.
These also exist in marketing: they are called personalization and artificial intelligence. Who doesn't like going to their favorite bakery and being greeted by name at the door? This is also possible on the Internet if customer data is used correctly - in the right place at the right time. The rest is done by artificial intelligence, which knows the next steps in the consumer's purchasing behavior and makes further recommendations. Personal relevance is generated through emails, website content, mobile personalization or automatic retargeting. This guarantees that consumers see what they really want to see.
3. never underestimate a good surprise
"Tiger King" was a gift no one knew they wanted. The docu-series contains tried and tested entertainment elements such as true crime and animals, but a gun-toting country musician with a zoo and several husbands - that was certainly not on Netflix consumers' wish lists. A story like this surprises and shocks at the same time, resulting in intense binge-watching. Because people love a good surprise!
Marketers can also achieve great success by surprising and inspiring customers. There are numerous ways to do this: Milestones, loyalty programs, the anniversary of registration or a birthday. Discounts and financial incentives are just the beginning. It is much cleverer to consider how loyal customers can be rewarded with non-monetary offers that strengthen long-term customer loyalty. These could be recommendations, invitations to special events or exclusive access to new products.
And that's what they are: Three marketing learnings from eight hours of circus freak show. The marketing experts at Selligent are eagerly waiting to see what learnings the next Netflix hype will bring.
Selligent Selligent Marketing Cloud is a B2C platform for marketing automation. With ten offices in the US and Europe and more than 50 agency partners, Selligent is active in over 30 countries worldwide and offers personalized services.