MOST INNOVATIVE
COMPANIES 2015
30. Netflix
FOR MAKING THE CONTENT IT KNOWS (WITH
DATA!) WE’LL ALL LOVE.
The
entertainment company spent 2014 giving unexpected gifts to devoted groups of
fans. Among them, it announced it bought the global rights to Better Call Saul,
AMC’s prequel to Breaking Bad; the production of a kung fu sequel, Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend; and four new Adam Sandler films. But these
aren’t the slapdash granting of fanboy wishes. Netflix, having drawn in
millions of users with its high-quality original programming, is now using its
trove of data and analytics about international viewing habits to create and
buy programming that transcends cultural and language barriers. "We are
creating a product that really does appeal to the local tastes in each of the
more than 50 countries we operate in," says chief content officer Ted Sarandos.
"And it turns out that the local taste is pretty global."
How
does it work? Adam Sandler is a good example: Despite his unimpressive U.S.
box-office track record lately, Netflix’s research shows that his films are
popular in areas such as Latin America—which means that in creating four new
Sandler films, it just green-lighted four safe bets to capture an important
market. All of its original films will stream exclusively on Netflix, of
course, and forgo a theatrical release (although the new Crouching Tiger will
be exhibited on IMAX theaters too). And given the many millions it will invest
in projects like these, it’s reasonable to see this as a doubling down on
Netflix’s vision of a new entertainment model. "In a world where consumers
are now accustomed to getting what they want, where they want, when they want
it," says Sarandos, "it’s foolish to say we’re going to open this
movie and you can only see it in the theater for the next year."
BY NICOLE LAPORTE http://www.fastcompany.com/3039614/most-innovative-companies-2015/
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