UX Writing Case Study: Localized Row & Collection Names
While creative and personal, existing rows and collections did not have a local flavor that would resonate with audiences in India.
Overview
With Netflix making significant inroads beyond UCAN and Western Europe starting in 2019, it was imperative to identify and lean into opportunities to tune our editorial innovation efforts to local interests. As the lead Creative Writing Strategist for Netflix’s India vertical between 2018 and 2022, I worked with stakeholders to develop text evidence on product beyond synopses — in this case, names for rows and collections of films and series on service — that connected on a more local level for members in India and infused the product with global EQ.
The Problem & The Users
On-the-ground qualitative studies and CI research showed that members in regions like APAC perceived Netflix to be a premium, but western-centric brand that did not understand or capture the voice and sensibilities of local audiences.
As the writing team created data for titles, I began thinking about how to responsibly and most effectively reflect content expertise and create meaning for members in these markets. Simply put, we wanted members to feel: “Netflix gets me.”
In addition to synopses, one early initiative for the India team was to innovate locally-relevant names for title rows and collections appearing on service. These names might use colloquialisms, culturally specific references, etc. to connect with members living in India and around the diaspora.
The Process
Cross-Functional Syncs:
As “Netflix Gets India” was a long-term project, I had monthly syncs with cross-functional partners working in metadata analysis, algorithms, brand and editorial, and marketing, during which I presented ideas for new row and collection names based on the existing and evolving collection of regional titles available on service.
Writing:
After conversations with stakeholders, I chose to use a “culturally informed English” approach to coining new row and collection names as opposed to a single Indian dialect. This aligned with an increasingly common notion of “pan-Indian” content within region and avoided isolating members across regions within the country. The decision was also borne from CI research showing that members used the English UI rather than the Hindi UI; locally-inspired English text evidence would therefore have a broader reach.
Productization
Inspired by trending topics, upcoming festivals, evergreen themes, and notable talent, I curated at least five new row and/or collection names per month. While many names catered to collections of solely Indian movies and series, others encompassed global titles as well.
Riffing on the “First Day, First Show” concept in India of watching the earliest screening of a movie in cinemas, this collection highlighted licensed films making their OTT launch exclusively on Netflix after their theatrical release.
“Desi,” a word referring to being “of the Indian subcontinent,” is often used colloquially. We used it to play off the tongue-in-cheek “Netflix & Chill” for this collection of lighter, feel-good South Asian titles.
“Shaadi” translates to “wedding” in most Indian languages, and is a well-known phrase for the time of year in India during which weddings are frequent due to auspicious dates falling within those months.
Results & Learnings
The rollout of new row and collections names saw notable member engagement, and subsequent qualitative studies marked more favorable perceptions of Netflix in India, driven by both a wider breadth of content as well as text evidence on service that felt more local.
As an early experiment, Netflix Gets India served as a precursor to local initiatives for other regions, and demonstrated the value of infusing text evidence on product with global EQ.