Do brand names matter when content is king? Experiments on naming video streaming platforms

Abstract

Does the name of a brand really affect consumer behaviour? Do 'Netflix's of the world sell more than 'Watch Now's because of the name, is it a name game? Do brands that have preferred names sell more, become more popular and does this depend on nature of the product or consumer segments? How does this play out in the video streaming industry? To investigate the relationship between preferences for brand name across consumer segments and nature of video content, we designed a 2x2 consumer research experiment using the theoretical lens of Construal Level Theory and Psychological Distance. Results show that preference for a 'Utilitarian' brand name increases with age, while that of a 'Fancy' brand name reduces as consumers become older. Our findings indicate that a video streaming platform providing international content is more likely to be subscribed and socially accepted if it has a 'international' sounding brand name! The same is true for a platform offering local content. It is more likely to be subscribed and socially accepted if it has a 'local' sounding brand name.