Marketing X Squid Game Sensation
Released on September 17, Squid Game quickly took Netflix, and the world, by storm. A few short days after its release it was already number one in 82 out of the 83 countries it was released in! Chances are many of you reading this have already binged the Korean-made show, but I won’t give any spoilers in case you haven’t had the chance to binge yet.
The instant success of Squid Game can be attributed not only to the amazing cast, direction, and cinematography, but also to the marketing that helped boost awareness of the show and turn it into the sensation that it has become.
Word of Mouth Marketing
Here in Canada, there was little to no advertising for the show as compared to how the show was marketed in Korea, where Squid Game originated. Much of the popularity the show received here and in North America came from recommending your friend to watch, as well as an overwhelming amount of content being shared on social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok. Word of Mouth creates almost a hysteria-like phenomenon (que FOMO or Fear of Missing Out), where people feel left out if they aren’t watching, too.
Riding the trend of “Non-English” Cinema
Over the last few years, foreign language cinema has grown immensely in popularity around the world. Parasite, another incredible watch, won Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards, making it the first non-English language film to do so. With the tremendous success this Korean language film received, it seems only reasonable that Netflix would hop on the bandwagon. The success of Parasite proves that people are becoming more inclined to not only watch subtitled films and series but fall in love with foreign culture as well.
Filling a Niche in the Market
Squid Game has really gone where no show has gone before – it combines children’s games with brutal violence, it does not shy away from pointing out growing socio-economic inequalities in Korea and the world, and it all takes place among imaginative and grand backdrops. Instead of remaking or reinventing something that has previously been done, Squid Game filled a gap in the media market. Viewers are immediately captured by everything the show offers and hooked onto the premise, unable to stop watching until the very end.
The virality of Squid Game proves that marketing, no matter how subtle, played a role in its astonishing popularity. Think of these takeaways next time you are planning on marketing – whether it’s a show, a product, or even yourself!
Written by Katie Burcea