How to use data to know your audience

(Netflix vs. Amazon)

Data can help companies break down a complicated situation into small pieces. Data is good at that, one big question separated into small little questions. More information can lead to a better simple solution. But then, at some point, after you have found the answers to the smaller questions, you have to zoom out and see how these answers fit together to answer the bigger question. 

In 2013 Amazon, based on all amounts of data collected from their users, developed and promoted eight different TV series with different themes - produced one episode of each and featured on their site for free. Depending on how those shows did according to different KPIs one was selected: “Alpha House” which is a comedy story about 4 Senate lawmakers that didn’t succeed.

On the other hand, Netflix after analyzing the information of its millions of users, they saw a relation between who liked the British show “House of Cards”, who watched shows by David Fincher (director) and movies by Kevin Spacey. This relationship helped them decide to license the American version of the British show and invest about $100 millions of dollars on two seasons directed by David and performed by Kevin. And you know how it went...

Similar topics, big amounts of data, different results. What happened? 

Amazon decreased the amount of information and reduced the vision to those 8 shows and how people responded to them. While Netflix saw the bigger picture, didn’t restrict to 8 shows, but analyzed every piece of content in their platform and how people were interacting with it to then develop the current American version of House of Cards. 

Although data can give us many things, it can not replace the brain and human factor. Remember a puzzle is not a picture until you put all the pieces together the right way. 

Everybody has data, not everybody can analyze it this way, but we can. Let us effectively define your audience and develop a content strategy to get off to a better and more meaningful advertising. Let's chat!

By Naira Perez