Was the promotion better than the creative for O2 and Netflix?

Background

You don’t have to be a disgruntled Facebook user to know data rules the world. Everyone wants it. Personal data, purchasing data or, in this case, data which runs your mobile life. So, it’s no surprise all the big mobile networks are trying to convince you to commit your data life to them.

So, has it worked for O2 with its latest offering?

The Big Idea

Before I start, I have to say I have done lots of work with other networks, so this is NOT a new idea folks. Three ran a Netflix campaign about six months ago, but the mechanic is different. In this, O2 will give you a six or 12-month subscription to industry-leading streaming service Netflix when you purchase an O2 mobile contract, Sim contract or mobile broadband device like a dongle. To access Netflix, you normally pay £7.99 for the standard service so this saves you up to £96 on a 12-month deal. Not bad I hear you say.

What They Did

The networks know data is the lifeblood of their industry. My kids would prefer to text or messenger someone rather than talk so the days of telephony, as we know it, are long gone and data is king. Our lives revolve around data usage and trusting your network to keep you online safely, quickly and reliably is what it’s all about. So, the more it can encourage you to use your data, the better. Most of the networks are now forming alliances with major online brands such as Netflix, Soundcloud and Apple Music so this is not a surprising campaign if you know the industry. For consumers however, I can see that not having to pay a £7.99 Netflix subscription for at least six months is appealing.

Stranger things have happened.

In Hindsight

As mentioned, I’ve seen this sort of idea on the Three network where it lets you watch Netflix without using your data allowance. As the O2 version saves you the Netflix subscription, I was surprised that the cash savings weren’t flagged up a bit harder. Yes, it’s all worded clearly in the text, but the cash amount is not in any comms I could find, even online, and we all know how much marketers like to shout about a cash saving. The life of the campaign is only until August so not a long piece of activity, and it would have been nice to see alternative executions of Netflix content over and above the Stranger Things alien hand, as not everyone would be a binge-watcher of that show like I am!

There is a slight sting in the tale in that the offer only lasts for six or 12 months so if you buy a two-year phone deal like most are these days, you’ll have to start paying the £7.99 Netflix fee. Okay, we all know there’s no such thing as a free lunch so maybe today’s deal savvy phone buyers will not see this as a negative but for others, maybe it could. Overall, for me, a very decent activity executed quite well – the animated tube panels of the hand are a special fave!