Multiple Streaming Platforms Are Diluting Our Shared Experiences

Our ever-diversifying world of shared content continues to lead us into a realm of cultural disassociation, where we no longer have shared and unified content experiences to discuss over the company water cooler.

Growing up in the late 1970’s, (Millennials feel free to skip ahead) “Saturday Night Live” was the topic of every Monday morning discussion in the halls of my high school alma mater. We all shared a common experience, meeting the Coneheads, a land shark, Roseanne Roseannadanna, and of course we watched Mr. Bill destroy yet another set – “OH-Nooo”. John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Jane Curtin’s work dominated our conversations, delivering a shared cultural fabric that provided a common starting point for conversation.

Star Trek and Mork & Mindy gave us new words like warp speed, tricorder, shazbot! and Nanu Nanu that deepened our shared cultural bonds. The Phrases “Beam me up Scotty”, “Live Long and Prosper” and “Dammit Jim, I'm a Doctor not a ....” provided a semantic foundation that bound us together.

In the 1990’s it was “Seinfeld,” and Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer that enlightened us to the absurdities of everyday life in the city. And then in the early 2000’s, Carrie Bradshaw and friends gave us “Sex in the City” with plenty to talk about.

But today we are beginning to experience a cultural rift in the shared content we experience. As TV morphs into multiple streaming platforms and more great original content abounds, friends no longer experience a shared perspective. Some of us become Roku or Netflix binge watchers, while others prefer Amazon Prime or live in a Hulu bubble, and soon our very language is no longer shared, nor our content common.

We now find our friends more frequently speaking a different language and living inside a different world. Huluites will dwell on “The Mindy Project” and “Casual”, while your Amazonian Prime friends gather around to share "The Man in the High Castle" and ‘Transparent” scenes. And our Netflix buddies discuss the latest “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black” episodes.

Sports has become the only savings grace, continuing to provide us with a shared cultural fabric on Monday nights – that is if you’re a sports fan.

So the challenge to advertisers and marketing professionals becomes this- it’s a new world out there, and we need to become a market niche specialist, speaking the language and understanding the culture of the streaming platform most favored by your target audience.