The leading streaming services consistently show ‘narcissistic’ tendencies, which can erode subscriber trust and ultimately make them disloyal, claims a new report.
The study by subscriber intelligence specialist Singula Decisions’, The Psychology of a Subscriber, says the broadcasters are failing to connect with consumers on a deeper emotional and psychological level, by not understanding the drivers that motivate a subscriber’s behaviours and interactions, invading their boundaries by asking for a financial commitment too soon and creating ‘avoidant’ or ‘ambivalent’ attachments to subscribers that do not build loyal relationships.
The study is written by qualitative researcher and accredited psychotherapist Jennifer Whittaker and Business Psychologist and Researcher, Katharina Wittgens. “Many brands do not listen to subscribers, nor do they create a safe enough space for subscribers to come forward and give more,” said Whittaker. “In fact, brands often have unconscious narcissistic tendencies and are blinded by the belief that customers are only there to serve, by giving ‘strokes’ to the ego – aka money to the account – and helping to build a good reputation. Unfortunately, brands cannot know subscribers until subscribers give more. But subscribers will only give more if they trust, and they’ll only trust if they don’t feel forgotten.”
In the first report of a three-part series, covering the acquisition phase of the customer journey, research found that dissatisfaction and suspicion can begin from the moment a subscriber ‘joins’ a service, if asked to hand over financial information or commit to the brand too soon
Commenting on the findings, Bhavesh Vaghela, CEO of Singula Decisions, said: “We recognise how tough it can be to build a strong brand and grow a TV subscription business as consumers continue to dip in and out of services every month. OTT brands must think differently about how they build a service and experience that best suits the needs of their customers – and do a better job to emotionally connect with their customers to build trust and loyalty.”
