4.

How successful do you think Bongo’s campaign evmvq _vKzb, Bongo ‡`Lyb (Stay
Home, Watch Bongo) was? Compare Bongo’s initiative during the pandemic with that
of Netflix, in reference to the case.
Answer: Bongo is a Bangladeshi start –up company, emerging as a YouTube Channel in
2013. The programs being widely favored and admired, it expanded into a standalone app-
based platform, offering Bangla movies, shows, and the like for the users. At the time of
pandemic, It campaigned overall the country by the slogan named evmvq _vKzb, Bongo
‡`Lyb (Stay Home, Watch Bongo) and it was wonderfully succeed at that time. The
success of Bongo comes from its positive campaign and ways of success that it gains in my
point of view is given in the below:
1. Increase of viewership: The platform was made free for everyone to help individuals
remain entertained and safe at home during the period. Since a large portion f the
people of Bangladesh are still not habituated to viewing content through a
subscription based model, this offer was welcomed by all.
2. Appreciation of government: During Covid-19 pandemic situation government tried
to stop people gathering in a same place which was too difficult. As Bongo
campaigned for evmvq _vKzb, Bongo ‡`Lyb (Stay Home, Watch Bongo) which
helped to stop people gathering by involving in an entertaining platform and it got a
huge appreciation form the government.
3. Increase of traffic in live TV view: Viewership and traffic in Live TV viewing is
also increased at that time. The platform ‘Bongo’ hosted important news of the virus
in its live TV options, increasing traffic in those channels. It was made free for
everyone to help individuals remain entertained and safe at home during the period.
By this, its channel traffic significantly increased from 1 million to 4 million which is
0.2 million unique visitors per day.
4. Helps in enhancement of brand awareness: During the pandemic, everyone got
stuck into the home and feel bored. For entertainment, they watched TV but at the
same time with different person cannot watch their same channels. Bongo utilized this
opportunity and designed to carry out the objective and eventually increase brand
awareness for Bongo.
5. Reaching to the targeted market: It reached its targeted market successfully for the
OTT platform belongs to the age group of around 18 to 34.
6. Successful product positioning: As a large portion of the people of Bangladesh are
still no habituated to viewing content through a subscription-based model, this offer
was welcomed by all.
The comparison of Bongo’s initiative during the pandemic with that of Netflix, in reference
to the case, is given in the followings:
Bongo is a Bangladeshi start-up that first appeared as a YouTube channel in 2013.
Because the programs were well-liked and admired, it grew into a standalone app-based platf
orm that provided users with Bangla movies, shows, and other content. During the pandemic,
Bongo decided to make its platform free for everyone. The platform was made free for
everyone in Bangladesh, ensuring entertainment and safety at home during the pandemic, as
many people are not familiar with subscription-based content viewing. Now, Bongo earns 60
percent and 40 percent of its revenue from AVOD (Post-COVID-19) and SVOD (Pre-
COVID-19) models respectively. Although the initiative to make Bongo free for everyone
during the pandemic was positively received, the re-introduction of the SVOD model saw a
decline of 5% subscribers.
On the other hand, Netflix is the most popular and internationally renowned entertaining
platform in Bangladesh. It had more than 200000 subscribers in Bangladesh and has received
more than BDT 180 crore in a year only as per the subscribers. It has their own app through
which the user can sign in and access content available to them. Surveys show that 54% of
US adults used Netflix in 2017. Its popularity increased in 2019 November in Europe and
Asia Pacific was promising at that time.
Though it reduced its monthly subscription but it was higher than Amazon Prime and Hotstar
in COVID-19. At that time, it was in SVOD which referred to as usual or same premium or
subscription was made before it was or no changed in premium or subscription. But a
noticeable marketing tactic during pandemic can be the lunched of the movie ‘Extraction by
Netflix. Debuting 24 April 2020 into high-water pandemic viewing patterns, ‘Extraction’s
broke out though it was in SVOD service. Although Netflix was in SVOD service, its
international recognition and strong marketing strategies made its brand value up in COVID-
19 and helped it to set it in a high competitive place in comparison to Bongo which was free
at that time.