奈飛公司在普及流媒體方面取得的成功顛覆了傳統(tǒng)電影業(yè)一個(gè)多世紀(jì)以來(lái)的主導(dǎo)地位。
但在經(jīng)歷了史上最艱難的一年之后,該公司的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格正在發(fā)生戲劇性的轉(zhuǎn)變。正如該公司的一位前員工最近在Insider網(wǎng)站上指出的那樣,高管們采取了削減成本和裁員的方式,決策過(guò)程變得“完全是保守的”和“完全是基于恐懼的”。
奈飛公司發(fā)生的變化始于今年4月,當(dāng)時(shí)該公司公布十多年來(lái)首次出現(xiàn)季度用戶(hù)流失。公司股票立即暴跌,此后一直在努力恢復(fù)。
奈飛公司還不得不應(yīng)對(duì)日益激烈的競(jìng)爭(zhēng),競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手包括流媒體提供商迪士尼+(Disney+)、亞馬遜Prime和HBO Max。訂閱服務(wù)研究公司Antenna的最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示,截至4月底,23%的美國(guó)奈飛新注冊(cè)用戶(hù)在一個(gè)月內(nèi)取消了訂閱,這一比例明顯高于其他流媒體平臺(tái)。
上個(gè)月,奈飛公司的收益好于預(yù)期,盡管訂戶(hù)流失了近100萬(wàn),但其股價(jià)小幅上漲。但管理風(fēng)格的變化可能會(huì)一直持續(xù)下去,甚至可能在公司長(zhǎng)達(dá)十年的崛起之后不可避免。
媒體分析公司Disruptive Tech Research的創(chuàng)始人兼首席分析師盧·巴塞內(nèi)斯(Lou Basenese)在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪(fǎng)時(shí)表示:“奈飛公司的業(yè)務(wù)重心——廣告支持的分級(jí)、基于恐懼的管理、裁員——確實(shí)是技術(shù)趨勢(shì)增長(zhǎng)見(jiàn)頂帶來(lái)的痛苦的下行壓力?!?/p>
奈飛公司勒緊褲腰帶
自股價(jià)暴跌以來(lái),奈飛公司一直在努力增加收入。該公司警告說(shuō),將嚴(yán)厲打擊密碼共享,如果訂戶(hù)讓家庭成員以外的人使用他們的賬戶(hù),就需要支付更多的費(fèi)用。該公司還計(jì)劃啟動(dòng)新的基于廣告的訂閱分級(jí)。
從去年開(kāi)始,奈飛公司就承諾要進(jìn)軍電子游戲領(lǐng)域。在過(guò)去的一年里,這家流媒體公司發(fā)布了多款新游戲,并收購(gòu)了多家視頻游戲開(kāi)發(fā)商。
與此同時(shí),奈飛公司也在努力削減成本,包括今年進(jìn)行了兩輪小規(guī)模裁員。該公司5月份裁員150人,6月份又裁員300人。
奈飛公司沒(méi)有立即回應(yīng)《財(cái)富》雜志的置評(píng)請(qǐng)求。
命運(yùn)逆轉(zhuǎn)
此前奈飛公司在疫情早期迅速崛起,這對(duì)公司來(lái)說(shuō)是一個(gè)了不起的轉(zhuǎn)變。該公司在2020年增加了創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的1580萬(wàn)新訂戶(hù),是當(dāng)年預(yù)期的兩倍,因?yàn)楦鞯貙?shí)行“居家令”讓許多人除了看電視無(wú)事可做。
該公司在疫情早期取得的成功導(dǎo)致職位空缺激增,尤其是在內(nèi)容創(chuàng)作和客戶(hù)服務(wù)方面。
但公司內(nèi)部的氣氛可能并不那么樂(lè)觀。前員工告訴Insider網(wǎng)站,公司的快速增長(zhǎng)導(dǎo)致很多員工捉襟見(jiàn)肘,包括較低級(jí)別的員工和高管。
奈飛公司宣布將繼續(xù)擴(kuò)展流媒體庫(kù),盡管經(jīng)過(guò)多年的逐年增長(zhǎng),到2022年,該公司在新內(nèi)容上的支出將維持在每年170億美元的水平。該公司最近還宣布,它將不再注重制作大量節(jié)目,而是更多地關(guān)注觀眾想要觀看什么類(lèi)型的節(jié)目。
不過(guò),一些前員工表示,盡管重新調(diào)整了工作重點(diǎn),但公司高層在預(yù)算方面更加保守,承擔(dān)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也更少。
“不要挑戰(zhàn),完成本職工作就好。他們不想聽(tīng)到挑戰(zhàn)?!币晃磺案吖芨嬖VInsider網(wǎng)站。“工作變得不那么令人愉快了。工作變得非常注重安全?!?/p>
雖然維持內(nèi)容支出可能是確保奈飛公司在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)日益激烈的行業(yè)中維持商業(yè)價(jià)值的關(guān)鍵,但巴塞內(nèi)斯表示,該公司將不得不在內(nèi)容支出和日益不利的市場(chǎng)環(huán)境之間找到平衡。
他說(shuō):“恐懼注定會(huì)占主導(dǎo)地位,直到公司在內(nèi)容成本、員工人數(shù)和從低到零的訂戶(hù)增長(zhǎng)之間找到新的平衡?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
奈飛公司在普及流媒體方面取得的成功顛覆了傳統(tǒng)電影業(yè)一個(gè)多世紀(jì)以來(lái)的主導(dǎo)地位。
但在經(jīng)歷了史上最艱難的一年之后,該公司的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格正在發(fā)生戲劇性的轉(zhuǎn)變。正如該公司的一位前員工最近在Insider網(wǎng)站上指出的那樣,高管們采取了削減成本和裁員的方式,決策過(guò)程變得“完全是保守的”和“完全是基于恐懼的”。
奈飛公司發(fā)生的變化始于今年4月,當(dāng)時(shí)該公司公布十多年來(lái)首次出現(xiàn)季度用戶(hù)流失。公司股票立即暴跌,此后一直在努力恢復(fù)。
奈飛公司還不得不應(yīng)對(duì)日益激烈的競(jìng)爭(zhēng),競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手包括流媒體提供商迪士尼+(Disney+)、亞馬遜Prime和HBO Max。訂閱服務(wù)研究公司Antenna的最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示,截至4月底,23%的美國(guó)奈飛新注冊(cè)用戶(hù)在一個(gè)月內(nèi)取消了訂閱,這一比例明顯高于其他流媒體平臺(tái)。
上個(gè)月,奈飛公司的收益好于預(yù)期,盡管訂戶(hù)流失了近100萬(wàn),但其股價(jià)小幅上漲。但管理風(fēng)格的變化可能會(huì)一直持續(xù)下去,甚至可能在公司長(zhǎng)達(dá)十年的崛起之后不可避免。
媒體分析公司Disruptive Tech Research的創(chuàng)始人兼首席分析師盧·巴塞內(nèi)斯(Lou Basenese)在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪(fǎng)時(shí)表示:“奈飛公司的業(yè)務(wù)重心——廣告支持的分級(jí)、基于恐懼的管理、裁員——確實(shí)是技術(shù)趨勢(shì)增長(zhǎng)見(jiàn)頂帶來(lái)的痛苦的下行壓力。”
奈飛公司勒緊褲腰帶
自股價(jià)暴跌以來(lái),奈飛公司一直在努力增加收入。該公司警告說(shuō),將嚴(yán)厲打擊密碼共享,如果訂戶(hù)讓家庭成員以外的人使用他們的賬戶(hù),就需要支付更多的費(fèi)用。該公司還計(jì)劃啟動(dòng)新的基于廣告的訂閱分級(jí)。
從去年開(kāi)始,奈飛公司就承諾要進(jìn)軍電子游戲領(lǐng)域。在過(guò)去的一年里,這家流媒體公司發(fā)布了多款新游戲,并收購(gòu)了多家視頻游戲開(kāi)發(fā)商。
與此同時(shí),奈飛公司也在努力削減成本,包括今年進(jìn)行了兩輪小規(guī)模裁員。該公司5月份裁員150人,6月份又裁員300人。
奈飛公司沒(méi)有立即回應(yīng)《財(cái)富》雜志的置評(píng)請(qǐng)求。
命運(yùn)逆轉(zhuǎn)
此前奈飛公司在疫情早期迅速崛起,這對(duì)公司來(lái)說(shuō)是一個(gè)了不起的轉(zhuǎn)變。該公司在2020年增加了創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的1580萬(wàn)新訂戶(hù),是當(dāng)年預(yù)期的兩倍,因?yàn)楦鞯貙?shí)行“居家令”讓許多人除了看電視無(wú)事可做。
該公司在疫情早期取得的成功導(dǎo)致職位空缺激增,尤其是在內(nèi)容創(chuàng)作和客戶(hù)服務(wù)方面。
但公司內(nèi)部的氣氛可能并不那么樂(lè)觀。前員工告訴Insider網(wǎng)站,公司的快速增長(zhǎng)導(dǎo)致很多員工捉襟見(jiàn)肘,包括較低級(jí)別的員工和高管。
奈飛公司宣布將繼續(xù)擴(kuò)展流媒體庫(kù),盡管經(jīng)過(guò)多年的逐年增長(zhǎng),到2022年,該公司在新內(nèi)容上的支出將維持在每年170億美元的水平。該公司最近還宣布,它將不再注重制作大量節(jié)目,而是更多地關(guān)注觀眾想要觀看什么類(lèi)型的節(jié)目。
不過(guò),一些前員工表示,盡管重新調(diào)整了工作重點(diǎn),但公司高層在預(yù)算方面更加保守,承擔(dān)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也更少。
“不要挑戰(zhàn),完成本職工作就好。他們不想聽(tīng)到挑戰(zhàn)。”一位前高管告訴Insider網(wǎng)站?!肮ぷ髯兊貌荒敲戳钊擞淇炝?。工作變得非常注重安全?!?/p>
雖然維持內(nèi)容支出可能是確保奈飛公司在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)日益激烈的行業(yè)中維持商業(yè)價(jià)值的關(guān)鍵,但巴塞內(nèi)斯表示,該公司將不得不在內(nèi)容支出和日益不利的市場(chǎng)環(huán)境之間找到平衡。
他說(shuō):“恐懼注定會(huì)占主導(dǎo)地位,直到公司在內(nèi)容成本、員工人數(shù)和從低到零的訂戶(hù)增長(zhǎng)之間找到新的平衡。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
Netflix’s success in popularizing streaming disrupted the traditional movie industry, upending its more than a century of dominance.
But after the toughest year in Netflix’s history, the company’s leadership style is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Top executives have resorted to cutting costs and laying off staff, with decision-making processes becoming “all reactionary” and “all fear-based,” as one former Netflix employee recently noted to Insider.
The changes at Netflix started in April, when the company posted its first quarterly subscriber loss in more than a decade. Its stock immediately took a nosedive and has struggled to recover ever since.
Netflix has also had to deal with growing competition from rival streaming providers including Disney+, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max. Recent data from subscription service research firm Antenna shows that 23% of new U.S. Netflix sign-ups at the end of April had canceled their subscriptions within a month, a significantly higher rate than at other streamers.
After better than expected earnings last month, Netflix’s shares modestly rallied, despite a subscriber loss of nearly 1 million. But the changing management style could be here to stay, and may have even been inevitable after the company’s decade-long rise.
“Netflix’s business pivots—ad-supported tiers, fear-based management, layoffs—are indeed the painful downside to growth peaking for a technology trend,” Lou Basenese, founder and chief analyst at media analytics firm Disruptive Tech Research, told Fortune.
Netflix’s belt tightening
Since its shares plummeted, Netflix has scrambled to increase revenue. It warned that it would crack down on password sharing, requiring subscribers to pay more if they let people outside their households use their accounts. The company also plans to start a new ad-based subscription tier.
Since last year, Netflix has promised to expand into video games. Over the past year, the streamer has released a number of new games and acquired multiple video game developers.
At the same time, Netflix has tried to cut costs, including two small rounds of layoffs this year. It laid off 150 employees in May, followed by 300 more in June.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Reversed fortunes
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Netflix after its meteoric ascent, which was supercharged early in the pandemic. The company added a record 15.8 million new subscribers in 2020, double its forecasts for the year, as the widespread stay-at-home orders left many people with little to do but watch TV.
The company’s success early in the pandemic led to a boom in job openings, especially in content creation and customer service.
But the atmosphere within the company may not have been as rosy. Former employees told Insider that the rapid growth led to many workers being stretched thin, including both lower-level employees and executives.
Netflix has announced that it will continue to expand its streaming library, although spending on new content will be flat at $17 billion a year in 2022, after years of annual increases. The company has also recently announced that it will focus less on churning out a high quantity of shows, and more on what audiences want more of.
But despite the refocusing, some former employees have said that higher-ups are more conservative with their budgets, and are taking fewer risks.
“Don’t challenge, just do the thing. They don’t want to hear it,” one former executive told Insider. “It became less enjoyable. The work became really safe.”
And while maintaining spending on content may be key to ensuring Netflix stays relevant in an increasingly competitive industry, Basenese says that the company will have to find a balance between content spending and an increasingly unfavorable market environment.
“Fear promises to rule the day until a new equilibrium can be found between content costs, headcount, and low to no subscriber growth,” he said.