Show-off / According to The Global Television Demand report, in 2020, Amazon Prime Video lagged well behind Netflix in terms of subscribers in France, with a market share just over 10% compared to Netflix’s 63.8% share. Speaking to Contagious in August 2021 about Amazon Prime Video’s Cités campaign, Herezie’s executive creative director Paul Marty explained that the reason why the streamer had a small market share in France was because it launched there well after its competitors, and initially its content was predominantly from the US and the UK, and not locally relevant enough. Marty revealed: ‘I think the key for Prime Video is going to be capitalising on how it differs from other streaming platforms […] We need to focus on showing people that we are the experts in entertainment, rather than focusing on what others are doing and trying to mimic that.’
In other words, the remedy to the streaming platform’s challenge lies in its specific offering: its signature shows. This campaign does just that, it gives the streaming platform’s catalogue huge visibility by bringing them to TikTok. The Duet mechanic taps into people’s compulsion to perform, with the added incentive of the chance to voice an actual show. It’s a supremely engaging competition, which creates a host of TikTok content out of Amazon Prime Video’s top shows, which is then shared to all and sundry – driving awareness of the entertainment to be found on the streaming platform. Nissan recently employed a similar strategy for its #HowDoYouSayAriya campaign, creating a fun participatory AR filter game to help build brand recognition around the car’s launch in the US. By focusing on this micro-influencer method, Nissan was able to generate 2,400 videos in just 48 hours – impressive, and effective, given that TikTok For Business states that this type of user-generated ad content is 56% more memorable than ads created for TikTok by a brand itself.
Fame-worthy / The Dubbing Factory puts people centre stage in the creative process of Amazon Prime Video shows. By launching an interactive contest, the brand doesn’t passively advertise at its audience, instead, it fosters interest for its offering by embracing co-creation. Speaking to Contagious in 2022 about the benefits of co-creation, marketing professors Tessa Misiaszek said: ‘Brands can either embrace it, or try to fight it, but you won’t win in the end if you’re not having that two-way communication with your consumer. Before you think, I have to let the consumer create my motto or my logo, that’s not what we’re saying. But you can have dialogue with your consumers, to understand what their needs are, to understand how they’re actually utilising your product.’
Letting the audience tell Amazon Prime Video Story story and offer their own interpretations of its shows in their own language gives people a reason to take interest, to develop a personal relationship with the brand and its catalogue. And, by inserting its audience into the dubbing process – a practice deeply ingrained in French movie culture – the brand makes Amazon and its shows culturally relevant to the local French market. Indeed, according to the French news public radio RFI, France has the largest dubbing industry in the world. The country’s compulsive habit of dubbing foreign films is so prevalent and well-known that it has been studied statistically, covered in a plethora of articles and even made fun of in comedy sketches.
