Big Interview: Netflix (chilling optional)

Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Money Heist and Squid Game are among the series which have helped Netflix to make its mark within the consumer products space. Now, with a strong team in place, new series and an expanded kids slate thanks in part to joining forces with Roald Dahl Story Company, it’s clear there is much more to come from the streaming giant. LSB finds out more.

Inset: Stradivarius created a fashion collection inspired by Bridgerton.

Stream engine

“As a company we want to entertain the world through our content, and our consumer products team extends that entertainment,” begins Filippo Zuffada (pictured right), director of consumer products EMEA at the streaming service. “Our focus is impact in people’s life, less so revenue. We want to reach our audiences through programmes that are meaningful for them across different channels and price points.” The company has been steadily building its CP team, making sure it has a mix of “functional and country expertise” explains Filippo. There are country leads in each of the top five markets (UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain), dedicated marketing, legal, PR, strategy support and a talented product development team working alongside Netflix’s partners. “Consumer products represent a way for our fans to connect with our shows beyond the platform,” Filippo continues. “The merchandise developed through our partners often gives the fans an opportunity to celebrate and create conversations about brands that they love with their friends and family. Whether it's wearing a Hell Fire Club t-shirt after watching the latest season of Stranger Things, donning the glasses from El Professor in La Casa de Papel or attending a Bridgerton tea experience, these are all ways to continue to live and love our content

Inset: Stranger Things drove “unprecedented fandom” from the very beginning, says Filippo.

Iconic stories

Since joining forces with Roald Dahl Story Company, a huge focus for Netflix is to bring some of the iconic stories to consumer products. Projects coming out of the partnership will be announced soon and Filippo says they will become a “key pillar” of Netflix’s strategy.

“RDSC has a successful track record working across a range of licensing and partnerships especially in the UK, which we’re keen to build on,”

Filippo says.

“Matilda is the first movie that will be available on Netflix outside of the UK and we have seen strong interest from partners all over the world. Taika

Waititi [of Jojo Rabbit and Thor] is working on two original animated series, the first based on the world and characters of Charlie and the Chocolate

Factory, the second is a wholly original take on the Oompa-Loompas.

These are key projects for us that we are working on and we can’t wait to share more at BLE with our current and future partners.”

Partnership success

“It’s too difficult to choose one!” exclaims Filippo when LSB asks about the most successful examples of Netflix’s CP partnerships to date.

“The Hell Fire Club t-shirts have been a huge success with the lines being the number one licensed items for many of our retail partners this year,” he comments. “The launch of the second season of Bridgerton also saw a lot of successes. One of my personal favourites was the work we did with Stradivarius for a Bridgerton-inspired fashion collection. The series has incredible CP potential and we saw some of this materialise for season two, while we’re looking forward to season three.”

“Two of our non-English series brought about a lot of interesting licensing programmes. Firstly, the La Casa de Papel [Money Heist] series really put non-English content on the map and gathered fans around the world which inspired many CP partners’ interest. The much talked about series Squid Game caused a global conversation so quickly that we had to deliver products in record time - it was a very fun ride and we’re gearing up for season two.”

beyond the screen that establishes a meaningful connection.”

When it comes to Stranger Things – a series that Filippo describes as “incredible” – from the very beginning it drove “unprecedented” fandom and this has translated into CP success.

“Our audiences just loved it and very spontaneously started a conversation about the series, characters and the world of Hawkins. When you have IP like that, to work on consumer products is a privilege because we are dealing with rich imagery that allowed us to do crazy things like bringing back ‘New Coke’ for season three or now working to celebrate Eddie Munson’s Master of Puppets solo in season four.”

Being close to the consumer in the most relevant moments for them is one of the things that Filippo says is very much top of mind for Netflix in the next six to 12 months. “Whether it’s the holiday season, Halloween or their birthday; we have a large portfolio of titles that can make this moment even more unforgettable for a fan and we will lean into those moments more,” he says.

Alongside that, keep your eyes on Bridgerton. Filippo adds: “Bridgerton is coming back in 2023 and everybody is excited about finding the new diamond of the season. The world of this series is so rich and has so many angles that we want to explore in more ways to connect with fans.”

It’s not just adult brands that will see a focus either, with Netflix continuing to invest in the preschool and broader kids content slate: “The addition of the Roald Dahl projects, as well as titles like our recently launched animated film, The Sea Beast, and upcoming preschool series, Spirit Rangers will help us to develop more meaningful brands that kids will love.”

Ultimately, the creative excellence of the story is what dictates what can be translated into consumer products, says Filippo. “It’s not enough to have strong viewing, we also need to monitor the conversation that is generated, see how the fans are interacting with the content and campaign on various platforms and then listen to our partners as they know their business better than us,” he concludes. “If we couple their intuitions with the learnings that we have, then we can achieve great results.”

Inset: The Hell Fire Club t-shirts have been the number one licensed items for many of Netflix’s retail partners this year.

Inset: Filippo says that there are many angles they’d like to explore in the ‘rich world’ of Bridgerton to connect with fans.