Pressing play without signing your life away

This month, Netflix made a big statement in the OTT world by offering potential new customers a range of content, including some of their most popular films and series completely free of charge, no strings attached. Unlike their usual free month trial, which involves users having to enter payment details to receive, Netflix now also offer an insight into their content and UI, without gathering any personal data or card details. Content on offer includes episodes of some of their most popular series like Stranger Things, When They See Us and films like the award-winning Bird Box.

So, why is this a fantastic change for subscribers?

It is a bold move, but something that subscribers have been calling out for. Our recent ‘Psychology of a Subscriber’ research revealed that when asked for card details when signing up for a free trial, subscribers feel incredibly invaded, get suspicious and even angry as they feel that brands know that they’ll forget to cancel.

When people are pushed to reveal details they don’t want to, their boundaries are violated. One of our fundamental human drives that are present throughout our lives, The Drive for Freedom, gets disrupted and when this happens, we often make decisions we’ll regret, just to breathe again.

It is important for brands to establish trust with subscribers and never push them to reveal too much information, too early if they really want to build a loyal relationship with customers. That is why Netflix’s new model, is exactly what subscribers have been looking for and why more brands should follow suit.