Building the Netflix brand: Franchise logic, authorship, and distinction in the promotion of Stranger Things

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The article explores how Netflix uses the promotional narratives of its content, specifically Stranger Things, to pursue control of its wider brand associations. The study applies thematic and discourse analysis to demonstrate how the brand narrative articulated in interviews with the Duffer Brothers (a set of key promotional paratexts) enforces strict interpretation boundaries for Stranger Things, its creators, and Netflix. Specifically, the promotional discourse (1) draws on the commercial structures and reception patterns of genre franchises and auteurism to produce alignment with the value systems of different audience markets, and (2) capitalizes on cultural oppositions between film and television to connect the Duffers’ original authorship to the idea of Netflix as a unique streaming platform. The article thus suggests a complex branding process at work in the marketing of Stranger Things, preoccupied with notions of authorship, distinction, and the need to navigate fragmented streaming audiences.
Original languageEnglish
JournalTelevision and New Media
Early online date30 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 30 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • Netflix
  • streaming
  • media promotion
  • franchising
  • authorship
  • interviews
  • Branding
  • brand narratives
  • Duffer Brothers
  • Stranger Things
  • media industries
  • franchises
  • branding
  • paratexts

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