Hulu Planbook Case

Group 4

Hulu

Final Planbook

The company that we've chosen is Hulu and as a group we'd like to study the company Hulu and understand how its marketing plan analyze how they could possibly improve. There are many trends that Hulu as a company has to consider when planning its marketing strategies. Currently the economy is slowly on the rise which means that households are beginning to be able to afford small luxuries again. Technology is constantly advancing, especially so in the business of television. As technology advances, so does the area of media streaming. Television channels now make their shows available online through companies like Hulu and Netflix. This trend originally had network executives worried that online media might hurt their viewership and create direct competition. Instead, it has allowed networks to partner with online streaming providers for a mutual benefit. The networks still get their viewers and the media streaming provider's service is used. This is proved by a steady incline in the amount of content provided by networks to be streamed online and the increase in networks willingness to partner with these types of service providers. The brand is currently one of the most popular and oldest websites available for streaming of television shows and movies. Its most notable competitor is Netflix. Hulu differs itself because it provides streaming access to new shows usually within a day of being aired for many of the major television channels. The company has both free and paid memberships available.

Hulu is supported by advertisers that show commercials during shows. The company has a large population of subscribers and is still growing meaning their ad space is becoming increasingly valuable. Regular advertisers can reach anyone who streams the show online but Hulu also offers a Hulu+ option that allows advertisers to reach millions of users with enabled tablets, smartphones and other devices. Through its success, Hulu has a long list of reputable companies that purchase air time including: McDonald's, Verizon Wireless, Allstate, Visa, etc. Hulu also runs advertisements for people to use its services. It advertises on billboards, on television, through other streaming networks, through radio, and it often uses celebrities to market its content. A specific example is a commercial featuring Seth McFarlane that promotes both Hulu and Family Guy by having McFarlane ask viewers to go to the website and watch the show. Another advertisement that is common for Hulu is to partner with a specific network like TBS and have a billboard advertising the channel by having people watch their shows on Hulu.

The biggest competitor for Hulu is definitely Netflix, as they both provide a similar product. Netflix markets by telling people they have the option of watching an