Netflix "Red Envelope" Direct Mail Promotes Gift Cards

You might notice a different red envelope in your mailbox this week from Netflix. Netflix is sending out a red direct mail piece promoting Netflix subscriptions as a holiday gift.

Comments

[Complication]

I remember getting this in the mail and being confused. It looks like a typical Christmas card you might receive except it is almost blank and comes with the advertising flier. I guess they were successful in getting me to open it.

[jeb]

I'm so glad trees had to die to send out this annoying promotion. This is Web 2.0?

Fail.

And I agree with the other commenter in that this promotion was as confusing as it was frustrating. What one was supposed to do upon receipt took more than a little figuring. Maybe they need to trim some folks from the marketing department.

[Matt White]

I was surprised that there is absolutely no discount for buying months in quantity as a gift... I thought there might be a moderate sliding scale, the more you buy, the cheaper they are. But, the gift prices are exactly the same as the month-by-month prices, multiplied by however months you are buying.

I think advertising some kind of discount would make people more interesting in purchasing these as gifts. Or maybe I'm just cheap. Either is possible, I suppose...

[Jennifer]

We got one of these in the mail -- without the "Give the Gift of NetFlix" promo card inside. Talk about confusion -- we thought someone had given us NetFlix without knowing we already had it. That clears it up, thanks.

[Steve]

I think this is an awesome promotion. Considering the lame gifts and generic gift cards out there, Netflix is a much better option and a perfect gift for someone who isn't using the service yet. Plus, this mailing even gives me a card and envelope so I don't even have to pick that up! Anything to avoid the malls!

[Sean]

I think I got the same thing last year, and jeb you are so correct, Web 2.0? This is as antiquated and clunky as it gets, why not upgrade the streaming service and get rid of the half-ass marketing department. Confusing junk mail, exactly what our society and environment needs. Thanks netflix.

[Sean]

if we look at the stock chart compared the the S&P - Netflix has continued to outperform the market. Makes me wonder, how much more bang for the buck they could have gotten if the direct mail was more targeted....

Also, if they'd suppress people that are already their customers from getting their direct mail - they could save a few more trees!