We Are In Our Netflix Era
Chris♥️Michelle:
Recently, we were talking to some friends about staying relevant in today’s world. They made the comparison of Blockbuster and Netflix. Blockbuster was great, back in the day, but where are they now? We imagine that their late fees, out-of-stock favorites and resistance to change is why they’re no longer around. Compare this to Netflix. When they started, they were a mail order DVD rental company. Now, they are an always evolving web-based giant! We thought about a similar comparison with our marriage.
Shift from Transaction to Subscription
• Blockbuster Way: every interaction was a transaction and if you’re late, there’s a penalty. I do this when I say to Michelle, “I did the dishes yesterday. It is your turn to do it today.”
• Netflix Way: A flat-rate subscription. We think of this as our commitment to one another’s well-being. We provide support to each other because we’re already all-in. I do this when I say to Michelle, “Let me do the dishes today. You had a rough day at work.”
Personalize the Algorithm
Blockbuster’s founder came from the oil industry and treated movies like barrels of oil. He used predictive modeling to ship specific types and quantities of movies to stores based on the local demographics. Netflix’s algorithm has evolved over time. Netflix doesn’t just look at what you watch but how you watch it (over time, binge or abandoning shows after ten minutes). Netflix wins because it knows what you like before you do.
We personalize the algorithms by:
• Data Updates: Chris and I have changed since we got married. In fact, we are different versions of ourselves today than we were last year. We “update our data” when we research our spouse listening to their newest endeavors, restaurants of interest or hobbies they would like to try.
• Curate Your Playlists: Create “categories” for our time together. For us, Chris can tell by my attire, what kind of evening I’m looking for. If I come out in overalls, I am looking for an easy, laid-back night-like dinner at Chili’s and some TV on the couch. But, if I have a dress on, we either have a wedding to go to, or we are looking for a little fancier kind of evening. We’ve recently dressed up to go to dinner and Le Miserable.
Eliminate the Late Fees
• Blockbuster made money when you failed. In fact, they made over $800 million in late fees. What they didn’t know was that these late fees were like a slow acting poison destroying customer loyalty. In marriage, holding a grudge can create a debt that can bankrupt our connection.
• Netflix practices auto-renewal. We see this as our daily reset with one another. We try not to let resentment accumulate like that $40 fine for a movie that slid under the driver’s seat. Netflix also owns their mistakes. If there is a glitch in their system, they own the glitch and offer compensation. We do this when we offer forgiveness for mistakes made.
Offer Original Programming
•Blockbuster only had a certain number of copies of the latest releases leading to many people settling for watching something they had already seen. We have noticed that if we rely on the same three stories of our lives together, the fun of telling them dies out.
•Netflix invests in originals. We constantly have new material of our lives together because we are willing to try new things, go to new places and experience new adventures.
Blockbuster’s practice was to wait for you to come to them. Netflix reaches out with a “Because you watched…” message. Don’t wait for your spouse to ask for help or affection. Think about it, in 2000, Blockbuster laughed at the idea of buying Netflix for $50 million. Look who’s laughing now…
