And Then Blockbuster Responds
In yesterday's blog post, I wrote about the confusion caused by Netflix and their decision to raise prices and switch around some of their services. It left customers in a spin, and the industry scratching its head.
I find it equally interesting to see what Blockbuster did in response. It's not like Blockbuster is an angel either, the company has been on many a list of brands that are likely to disappear.
But like in any good marketing "fight", Blockbuster seized the moment by capitalizing on customer confusion, giving people reasons and incentives to switch. The brand reacted quickly and communicated clearly.
First was a promotional offer to "rescue" Netflix customers with a free trial period along with messaging about the superiority of Blockbuster, including getting access to new movies and games sooner ... speed to all things new is the holy grail in entertainment.
Then the social media kicked in, always a good place to capitalize on confusion, with tweets and facebook posts explaining how much better Blockbuster can be. Even Blockbuster customers got in on the action, commenting about how much they like the services. Always a good sign, marketing nirvana in fact, if you can get your own customers to persuade new customers to join in. Getting your customers talking to each other positively is heaven. Makes those social media "word clouds" so awesome!
I am not sure how Blockbuster is doing, I don't think they've released their numbers yet. But Netflix, as reported, is down over 800,000 customers, some of whom I am sure have switched to Blockbuster -- persuaded by their opportunistic marketing.
Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
PS - Join me on November 3rd for my free webinar sponsored by TicketLeap.
But like in any good marketing "fight", Blockbuster seized the moment by capitalizing on customer confusion, giving people reasons and incentives to switch. The brand reacted quickly and communicated clearly.
First was a promotional offer to "rescue" Netflix customers with a free trial period along with messaging about the superiority of Blockbuster, including getting access to new movies and games sooner ... speed to all things new is the holy grail in entertainment.
Then the social media kicked in, always a good place to capitalize on confusion, with tweets and facebook posts explaining how much better Blockbuster can be. Even Blockbuster customers got in on the action, commenting about how much they like the services. Always a good sign, marketing nirvana in fact, if you can get your own customers to persuade new customers to join in. Getting your customers talking to each other positively is heaven. Makes those social media "word clouds" so awesome!
I am not sure how Blockbuster is doing, I don't think they've released their numbers yet. But Netflix, as reported, is down over 800,000 customers, some of whom I am sure have switched to Blockbuster -- persuaded by their opportunistic marketing.
Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
PS - Join me on November 3rd for my free webinar sponsored by TicketLeap.