We have been studying streaming TV brands over the past few months to help apps strengthen their position in this evolving market. Of course, there are many streaming brands that consumers know and use regularly. But our interest is in brand development: are these brands building images—perceptions tied to the attributes that matter most to viewers? Those images are essential if an app is going to build an enduring brand position: a place in consumers’ minds. That’s how usage translates into loyalty and a long-term relationship.
So far, we’ve learned that few streaming brands hold strong images or positions. That’s a categorical vulnerability—but also an opportunity for any brand focused on owning a valuable position. What app offers the best live events, for example? Our findings suggest that no brand is known for that position yet. Without strongly developed images, streaming services are nothing more than disposable utilities, reliant solely on the content they produce in the moment.
What’s also clear from our research is that many streaming brands don’t mean what they’re intended to mean. Their brands stand for something else—and that makes it harder for them to establish a strong, focused position in the streaming market. Here I’m talking about YouTube, Amazon, Disney, and Apple. More specifically: YouTube TV, Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV.
Apple and Prime Video have confusing images with consumers thanks to other perceptions. (Credit: Koshiro K / Shutterstock.com)
To many consumers, YouTube means user-generated videos where you figure out how to replace the battery in your nostril-hair trimmer (at least that’s what I use it for). YouTube TV is a paid subscription service that replaces traditional cable. See the problem? Amazon Prime is a delivery service that shows up at my house with batteries for my nostril-hair trimmer. Prime Video? Oh yeah—I can watch videos through my Prime membership, and that’s what they call it. Disney is family entertainment: from theme parks to movies. Yes, they have a Disney+ app that’s known for similarly themed content. Surely the app benefits from the massive equity of the Disney name, but it’s a bit of a walk before consumers connect the “+” specifically to the streaming product.
And then there’s Apple, which means great electronics—computers, phones, iPads, AirPods—and music. Everything that entertains, maybe. But in truth, the name Apple is far too broad to attach to just music or just streaming video. While I’m not trying to tell these amazingly successful companies how to run their businesses, they may be better off creating powerful individual brands that can stand on their own.
So…what’s your brand again? An extension of something bigger and broader that helps—but also slows you down? Or a unique, powerful, focused, meaningful name? A disposable utility—or a deeply understood brand?
