Do you ever wonder why can’t you find foreign shows and movies on Netflix? Well, Netflix’s marketing team is fully behind that. Netflix has over hundreds of foreign shows and movies with unique and original plots for streamers to watch — but these titles are often heavily hidden or easy to miss.
Netflix Originals has opened up a broad spectrum of entertainment for its viewers to enjoy. Whether it’s with a nail-biting documentary or a cliche film that will be inevitably dragged, Netflix’s marketing team always gets people talking about its offerings.
The team uses trailers to grab the viewers’ attention, placing the culmination of plot, performance and hard work in the hands of social media. They primarily preview trailers in their official Twitter account to show the controversy plots and groundbreaking performances for the first time. The trailers share one thing in common: English audio. Take a few glances at Netflix’s Twitter, and you’ll see that most tweets feature English speaking trailers or videos that engage with their viewers.
However, the trailers of foreign shows and movies are shown on own separate account using their mother tongue. Most viewers will easily miss these shows and movies unless these shows and movies become a rare international hit like Elite.
Netflix also changes the original titles of foreign films and shows to English titles, which often causes confusion. For instance, The Most Beautiful Thing is a catchy title with its aesthetic television poster. Once a viewer clicks on its profile, the summary of the show is in English, along with the title of each episode and its individual summary. However, the trailer is completely in Portuguese. It’s something the viewer would not expect if they intended to watch an English audio show.
As for viewers searching for foreign shows? They could have easily missed an innovating show about women changing society in Brazil during the 1950s. The mistake would not happen if Netflix revealed its original title: Coisa Mais Linda.
Netflix’s international tv show categories feature English-text shows such as The Queen of Flow (La Reina de Flow), Cable Girls (Las Chicas de Cable) and The House of Flowers (La Casa de Flores). Easy to miss, right?
So, why can’t viewers go to the specific categories of the foreign language? This is where hidden gems are introduced. Netflix still categorizes their foreign shows and movies behind English titles. Many users might brush off show or film because of the title as they believe it’s a mistake or a bug in the Netflix system.
Netflix is a huge advocator for films and shows of color. So why are they doing the bare minimum to promote the entertainment? A simple post of a foreign show’s trailer would not hurt. They can easily schedule their posts or link them together in one app. So, what’s the problem?
If Netflix believes they will gain viewers and money by changing the text of the original language, then they are completely wrong. There’s a chance Netflix will lose viewers and money. How? The lack of promotion is one of the main reasons. There’s no denying promotion gets people talking. However, changing the text does show how Netflix knows its audience: they are closed-minded. Unfortunately, Netflix is not really pushing for a change.
It’s a huge loss for the audience for not having the chance to discover the talent within foreign performers, writers, directors and staff. It also clearly shows how Netflix feels towards foreign entertainment. Netflix is willing to work and give a chance to underrated, foreign talent but fails to give them a boost to the international audience.
Netflix should stay and stand for their grounds on diversity. Change the entertainment back to their original title and audio. If Netflix thinks they are losing viewers on foreign entertainment, then they are completely wrong. They are opening doors to viewers to watch talented foreign actors, actress, writers and directors who deserve more and are worth more.
Featured Image via Unsplash.
