This case won the Free Case category at The Case Centre Awards and Competitions 2022. #CaseAwards2022
View photos and video from the awards presentation on 10 May 2022.
Who – the protagonist
Netflix, the world’s leading streaming video on demand (SVOD) provider. Their business model was the first to offer movies and TV series commercial-free, with unlimited viewing on any internet connected screen for a no-commitment monthly fee.
What?
By 2019, Netflix had 167 million paid subscribers in 190 countries worldwide. 60% of paid members were outside of the US and Canada including two million subscribers in India. Netflix had increased its investment in India at a rate faster than any other market, determined it was the source of its next 100 million subscribers.
Why?
With a population of 1.3 billion and improved internet access through 4G smartphone connectivity, India had a large potential market for subscribers. Netflix had already introduced its cheapest, mobile only subscription plan in an attempt to make inroads, however, competition from other SVOD providers, traditional broadcasters and telecommunication companies was fierce. In addition, commitment to local content in the country’s 22 regional languages was needed to expand their appeal. Netflix had to ask how best to acquire it’s next 100 million subscribers in India?
When?
The case was written in 2019, 22 years after the company was founded.
Where?
Netflix is a US company which operates in 190 countries worldwide. It entered the Indian market in 2016.
Key quote
What next?
Attracting 100 million subscribers in India raised fundamental strategic questions for Netflix. Which elements of its strategy should it stick to and which would it be willing to change to grow in India? Would it need to re-examine its pledge to stay advert-free? Or allow new content such as sports or user generated videos? Or would acquiring or merging with an existing local player increase its foothold in the market? As the competitive landscape continues to evolve, Netflix must choose a strategy for India without undermining their overall global strategy.
This is the second back-to-back Free Case Award win for Don Sull and MIT Sloan after winning in 2021. It is the first win for co-author Stefano Turconi and the first of London Business School’s 20 wins to be awarded in this category.
Winning the award
The authors said: “Since 2009, the MIT Sloan School of Management has provided open and free access to case studies, simulations and teaching material. We are proud to have contributed to this store of learning and gratified that many institutions of higher education around the world have readily adopted our case study.”
Case popularity
They continued: “Strategy scholars and business leaders always have to grapple with the question of how organisations execute strategy for optimum results. This issue lies at the core of the Netflix Goes to Bollywood case. Although Netflix is one of the most successful companies of our time, it is not obvious how it should adapt its strategy and culture to thrive in the hyper-competitive Indian entertainment market. The open-ended and data-driven nature of this case makes for an engaging class discussion.”
Writing the case
The authors commented: “Integral to the case are 26 exhibits in tabular format covering two decades of financial data, operational metrics, people analytics, and industry and competitor statistics. To gather and organise so much information was both thrilling and challenging. We are grateful to the industry analysts and MBA students who offered their help with data collection and beyond.”
Case writing advice
They explained: “Immerse yourself in the subject you want to document, ideally long before you start writing the case. Explore the subject from a variety of angles until you identify a framing that resonates with you and your target audience. And don’t be afraid to share your interim findings with colleagues and students. Exposing your work to criticism early in the process will save time (and unwanted surprises) later in the process.”
Teaching the case
The authors added: “We have used the Netflix Goes to Bollywood case a limited number of times, but early feedback has been promising. In the words of an MIT Sloan MBA student, “Hands down the most memorable and fun case study I did in my first semester at Sloan! Really enjoyable to learn something so culturally relevant and get to apply all the learning and frameworks from the entire semester in one single case.” We look forward to hearing more comments from instructors and students.”
The case
Who – the protagonist
Netflix, the world’s leading streaming video on demand (SVOD) provider. Their business model was the first to offer movies and TV series commercial-free, with unlimited viewing on any internet connected screen for a no-commitment monthly fee.
What?
By 2019, Netflix had 167 million paid subscribers in 190 countries worldwide. 60% of paid members were outside of the US and Canada including two million subscribers in India. Netflix had increased its investment in India at a rate faster than any other market, determined it was the source of its next 100 million subscribers.
Why?
With a population of 1.3 billion and improved internet access through 4G smartphone connectivity, India had a large potential market for subscribers. Netflix had already introduced its cheapest, mobile only subscription plan in an attempt to make inroads, however, competition from other SVOD providers, traditional broadcasters and telecommunication companies was fierce. In addition, commitment to local content in the country’s 22 regional languages was needed to expand their appeal. Netflix had to ask how best to acquire it’s next 100 million subscribers in India?
When?
The case was written in 2019, 22 years after the company was founded.
Where?
Netflix is a US company which operates in 190 countries worldwide. It entered the Indian market in 2016.
Key quote
What next?
Attracting 100 million subscribers in India raised fundamental strategic questions for Netflix. Which elements of its strategy should it stick to and which would it be willing to change to grow in India? Would it need to re-examine its pledge to stay advert-free? Or allow new content such as sports or user generated videos? Or would acquiring or merging with an existing local player increase its foothold in the market? As the competitive landscape continues to evolve, Netflix must choose a strategy for India without undermining their overall global strategy.
Author perspective
This is the second back-to-back Free Case Award win for Don Sull and MIT Sloan after winning in 2021. It is the first win for co-author Stefano Turconi and the first of London Business School’s 20 wins to be awarded in this category.
Winning the award
The authors said: “Since 2009, the MIT Sloan School of Management has provided open and free access to case studies, simulations and teaching material. We are proud to have contributed to this store of learning and gratified that many institutions of higher education around the world have readily adopted our case study.”
Case popularity
They continued: “Strategy scholars and business leaders always have to grapple with the question of how organisations execute strategy for optimum results. This issue lies at the core of the Netflix Goes to Bollywood case. Although Netflix is one of the most successful companies of our time, it is not obvious how it should adapt its strategy and culture to thrive in the hyper-competitive Indian entertainment market. The open-ended and data-driven nature of this case makes for an engaging class discussion.”
Writing the case
The authors commented: “Integral to the case are 26 exhibits in tabular format covering two decades of financial data, operational metrics, people analytics, and industry and competitor statistics. To gather and organise so much information was both thrilling and challenging. We are grateful to the industry analysts and MBA students who offered their help with data collection and beyond.”
Case writing advice
They explained: “Immerse yourself in the subject you want to document, ideally long before you start writing the case. Explore the subject from a variety of angles until you identify a framing that resonates with you and your target audience. And don’t be afraid to share your interim findings with colleagues and students. Exposing your work to criticism early in the process will save time (and unwanted surprises) later in the process.”
Teaching the case
The authors added: “We have used the Netflix Goes to Bollywood case a limited number of times, but early feedback has been promising. In the words of an MIT Sloan MBA student, “Hands down the most memorable and fun case study I did in my first semester at Sloan! Really enjoyable to learn something so culturally relevant and get to apply all the learning and frameworks from the entire semester in one single case.” We look forward to hearing more comments from instructors and students.”
