Netflix

Strategic Plan

Solo Project, September 2021

it’s almost impossible to find your perfect match

no, i’m not talking about prince(ss) charming

I’m talking about finding what to watch tonight

Netflix is in a league of its own.

It invests millions into creating original content, securing streaming rights to our favourite shows and curating content specific to our past full-series binges

but Netflix is the same as every other platform out there for one simple reason…

…scrolling

scrolling through endless titles is an obstacle all platforms present, but none of them are acknowledging just how painful it can really be

sound familiar?

Perhaps because if we replace Netflix with Tinder and sub scrolling for swiping, you could easily be describing the experience of finding a match on a dating site instead of navigating through a menu of titles to find something to watch.

Scrolling through endless genres, recommendations and top 10 lists is daunting and let’s be honest, a bit of a soul crush - kind of like what it feels like to meet someone online.

the scrolling cycle, explained

time
stress
watch, repeat

According to a study conducted by SOURCE, the average amount of time a person spends scrolling through Netflix to find something to watch averages 19 minutes. This means that if you settled on watching one episode of Parks & Rec, you will have spent as much time watching that episode as you did searching for it.
19 minutes might sound like nothing, but if you add it up over time, if you watched Netflix every day from now until you’re 80, you’ll have spent a year and a half scrolling.
There is also evidence that there is an exact point at which people will just give up. If content doesn’t captivate the user within 60-90 seconds, the user will straight up leave Netflix and start the processs again on another platform.
Let’s say you’re swiping through Tinder and someone pops up that grabs your attention. You swipe right, match, and make plans to go on a date. You show up and the date has begun! But wait… turns out your date is not who you thought they would be. You’re not into their vibe, it’s not a love connection. What a waste of time. You can never get that time back and regret ever swiping in the first place.
This is the same experience felt when you scroll through Netflix, and finally, choose something after agonizing over the decision only to realize that what you picked was the worst movie you’ve ever seen. You can never get that time back.
This is the digital equivalent of buyer’s remorse.
On the other hand, being exposed to so many choices makes us afraid to actually choose. We don’t want to make the wrong decision. Enter the Paradox of Choice.
Being stricken with the Paradox of Choice, what do our instincts tell us to do? We trade in our new date outfit with our go-to tracksuit, we call our ex and we watch the same show over and over again.
Reverting back to the familiar is therapeutic. Uncertainty and confusion make us crave predictability.
We also have to look at our willingness to intake new information. If we aren’t in the mood to focus or pay attention, we will revert back to something we have already processed to avoid exerting any more mental energy.

so what do we do about it?

Scrolling for something to watch is a huge part of the Netflix identity and experience that it can no longer afford to ignore

It’s time to have “The Conversation”

But no one wants to talk about how many frogs they had to kiss to get there

Scrolling:

A Love Story

Like dating, scrolling is a time-consuming, often infuriating exercise in finding the perfect match. It is a necessary evil, but it can lead to a deep,long-lasting connection.