Hulu Marketing Strategy Campaign

Project Overview

Company Background

Hulu is a streaming service that launched in 2007 and offers TV and films from major broadcast networks as well as original content. The streaming packages include ad-supported and ad-free subscriptions with the option to include add-ons such as Live TV. 

Hulu’s Current Strategy

Hulu’s current campaign is “Time to Have Hulu”

Social media posts and ads are focused on Hulu’s content library and subscription plans and there is no cohesive branding on Instagram. Viewers often need to have seen the shows in order to understand their marketing – it’s not designed to attract new customers.

The Problem

Hulu’s branding across social media platforms is not cohesive and focuses on engaging current customers, rather than new customer attainment. In the saturated streaming service market, Hulu needs to understand and utilize its competitive advantage.

Research Findings

We created a Qualtrics survey which was distributed to students at the University of Texas at Dallas to determine their brand awareness and perceptions of Hulu compared to other streaming services and their streaming service preferences. 

  • 17 out of 31 respondents were already subscribed to Hulu.

  • 20% of respondents who subscribe to Hulu have plan add-ons.

  • 47% of respondents who subscribe to Hulu cited the student discount or the Spotify student bundle as their reason for subscribing.

Strategic Method

Since our target market is concerned with price point and is drawn to Hulu’s bundles, these findings prompted us to focus our campaign on the flexibility of Hulu’s subscription plans and on Hulu’s commercials, which keep the plans affordable. This is achieved through creating marketing pieces that appeal to our target market. 

Outcomes

Implementing this plan will improve Hulu’s promotion in the following ways:

  • Increase the target market’s awareness of the flexibility of Hulu’s plans

  • Create a positive perception of Hulu’s commercials and the related affordability

  • Strengthen Hulu’s brand in comparison to competitors

User Personas

Instagram Sponsored Ad & Story Ads

Video Storyboards

Video Scripts

Radio Spot

Topline Report

Market Overview

The on-demand streaming service has grown dramatically over the past decade. As of 2020, the market was valued at more than $50 billion, and it is expected to grow even more. Since the pandemic and the lockdown, a lot of people turned to streaming services to keep them entertained “The video streaming services have experienced a rise of around 10% in viewership during the lockdown” (Grand View Research, 2021). There are many new on-demand streaming platforms like Disney+ that just entered the market. Every streaming service company offers something different. That is why making sure Hulu stands out from the rest of the companies is crucial.

Primary Contributors

As mentioned before, on-demand streaming services are in high demand. This is why “In 2019, Disney is set to take the majority of 60% ownership in the company, through the acquisition of 21st Century Fox’ assets” (Market.us, 2020). With Disney taking ownership of Hulu, subscribers now have more options to choose from. Hulu can leverage this new ownership and attract new subscribers by promoting the flexible and numerous plan options they have. Even though Hulu is not the most popular streaming service, they are considered to have “the most quality shows as compared to Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO in the US” (Market.us, 2020) Hulu has a lot of competition but with their low prices and many subscription options plus the numerous add-ons they offer they have the possibility to increase their subscribers and expand overseas.

Key Findings

According to our Qualtrics survey, almost 55% of the people who took the survey are currently subscribed to Hulu. There are several reasons why they selected Hulu, but the most popular answers were “student discounts” and “it came with my Spotify account.” These two findings are important because it lets us know that people are subscribing because of discounts or because it was already included in another package. We also found that all of our respondents were satisfied with their Hulu subscription and are content with the pricing.

In addition, we found through an analysis of Hulu’s social media accounts that their current branding is not designed to attract new customers. Instagram and Facebook posts are primarily behind-the-scenes takeovers from cast and crew members and screenshots or short clips from Hulu’s shows and movies. Potential customers cannot relate to or understand Hulu’s social media marketing, so it is primarily being used for customer retention.

Recommended Actions

Understanding that Hulu has a broad target market is essential. Therefore, creating specific ads and posting those ads on the appropriate platforms is important. Many people do not know the different types of subscription plans Hulu offers or do not like the idea of having commercials when watching their shows. That is why highlighting those plans and explaining why having commercials can come in handy will attract more subscribers. Creating a marketing campaign highlighting these two factors while posting their usual content will cater to both potential and current subscribers.