Brand Personality of Streaming Platforms in 2020: Netflix Vs Prime Vs Disney+

Turn on, tune in, drop out. For great swathes of 2020, the world's population was more familiar with the contours of their TV controllers than their own front door handles. But how did this sudden influx of attention affect the way that the streaming giants were viewed worldwide? 

We've analysed the public perceptions around Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, using the Social Brand Personality Index. 

This method was pioneered by our in-house research team, combining Jungian archetypes with Jennifer Aaker’s 1997 Brand Personality Dimensions to create a metric that marks how the public perceive a particular brand, identifying it with certain traits and archetypes, and how this can change over time. 

So, what did months of online viewing do to our relationship with these brands?

Netflix

The normalisation of streaming services has seen Netflix take on the role of elder statesman and market leader, an enviable position that nonetheless places it in the crosshairs.

Thus far, the service has dodged any bullets. Even, for the most part, those of the conservative-community-led #CancelNetflix campaign. Because while still generating excitement for new releases – viewing figures suggest recent tilts for Oscar recognition have not lessened its appeal amongst younger viewers and genre fandoms – Netflix has built on a reputation for competence. 

Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video, meanwhile, has seen its reputation for sophistication increase. As this dimension touches on both prestige and high price points, this takes in a mix of both positive and negative posts. 

Establishing itself as a brand high in sophistication helps Amazon Prime Video dispel any impression that it's either an ersatz Netflix competitor or else a half-baked add-on to the company's primary business model. 

Disney+

Although the Disney+ service had not been officially launched in 2019, its advance marketing helped to generate enough online activity for us to use the data as a benchmark.

Clearly, the levels of excitement that greeted a then-entirely-abstract project, full of possibility, could not sustain on the release of the platform itself. What we do see, however, is the success of Disney in positioning itself as a family-friendly, nostalgia-focused platform. 

In addition to benefiting from a surge in streaming habits, the uncertainty of a perilous 2020 also likely increased the appeal of a platform that held the narratives and escapism of the 'old normal' in aspic. 

You can download our full 16-slide presentation, including worksheets, by filling out the form below. To find out more how the Social Brand Personality Index might help your brand, you can book a demo with one of our specialists here.