Netflix & Daredevil. Best Practices in Launch PR.

Just read a great piece from Janko Roettger of Variety on Netflix’s international launch of Season 2 of Daredevil. It isn’t the typical piece you’d expect from Variety because it focused on the behind-the-scenes technological components and complexities of streaming an entire season of a series across the global at once. Not an easy feat.

​And Netflix did an amazing job orchestrating not only the actual streaming launch (I personally can’t wait to binge watch next weekend) but also the intimate PR event that resulted in Janko’s piece. People reading his story may not even think about the logistics and intricacies that were put in place by the PR and marketing teams to create that moment.

While only one story is wasn’t your run-of-the-mill launch story. And that’s what really struck me. Netflix took the time to really craft a unique experience for these reporters. One that allowed them to go deep enough into the tech without exposing any proprietary information, deep enough for reporters -- and their readers -- to feel special about their access.

This story is a reminder of what is possible when PR and marketing teams think outside the box for launches. Product launches aren’t what they used to be and not every launch should be cookie-cutter or transactional. What elements can you bring to your launch that provide an experience? Do you have visuals? Do you have experts that can speak to different aspects or viewpoints of the launch?

With all of that said, not every company or launch can or should try to pull off what Netflix did. There is a large element of risk when you bring reporters into a space with special access to unveil something live and in real-time. Something could go wrong or fail. But in Netflix’s case, the risk was worth the reward. And it is something that all PR and marketing teams should evaluate on some degree for future launches.