Showmax: Rebrand gone wrong?
I like the idea of starting over, turning over a new leaf and reinventing yourself into a different, newer and improved version. In comes the concept of rebranding. A strategy to mark this change in your mindset and introduce a new way of doing things with the intention to change how you are seen by the public. At a personal level, the process of rebranding is quite flexible and allows room for exploration, regression and do overs until this new version finally lands. In business, however, this process is not always so forgiving. And Showmax might be learning this the hard way.
The online streaming platform recently announced the relaunch of their new app which promised to deliver a few changes to their brand identity and value proposition: a brand-new look, a new app, and a new and improved product suite. The rebrand is meant to signify the company’s plans to scale and become the number one streaming service in Africa in the coming years. While this rebrand supports Showmax’s mobile-first strategy, boasts new international titles and launches their three new viewing plans including Showmax Premier League for English football lovers, the company did not consider how these changes will affect the user experience of existing subscribers while looking to appeal to new audiences.
Days after the launch, I’ve seen several disgruntled users on X sharing their dissatisfaction with the new streaming platform. Subscribers citing that their profiles and watchlists have been deleted, some episodes and seasons of their favorite shows were missing, and the effort of having to log back into the new app and reconnecting all their devices was just plain frustrating. In short, it seems that ShowMax introduced a new way of doing things and expected their users to just get with the programme.
It always seems so arrogant when brands don’t consider how their plans to grow and increase market share affect the very audience who they need to achieve said growth and increase in market share. Even more so, when it is evident that the need to achieve strategic objectives and goals has come at the cost of customer centricity. A few things I would have done if I was part of the Showmax Go-to-Market team for this relaunch.
Run a 360-communications campaign focused on announcing the rebrand and educating subscribers about the new features, benefits and how the changes in the new app would affect their viewing experience.
Give existing subscribers a sneak peak into the new app ahead of the launch to manage any change resistance and/or anxiety around the new changes.
Run a 12-week migration/upgrade campaign with discounts or perks on upgrades ahead of the official launch. This would help to ensure a seamless transition/migration of existing customers from the old app onto the new one and drive excitement around the launch.
Work with the product team to set personalised in-app notifications reminding subscribers about the launch of the upcoming new app and possible changes to their viewing experience.
And lastly, give the people what they want.
The whole appeal of online streaming services is based on allowing audiences to own their viewing experience - watching what they want to watch, when they want to watch it and deciding how to watch it. Audiences want to ‘feel’ like they are in control of the content they consume and this rebranding mishap may have unfortunately compromised the one thing that made the online streaming service so competitive. It’s also worthwhile to note that marketing efforts don’t fix broken systems.
Give me a call next time ShowMax.
