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News Plus 1 Mar 2021 - 2 min read

Netflix hunts for ANZ marketing boss as content quota pressure mounts

By Josh McDonnell - Senior Writer

Netflix is expanding its Australian footprint as it begins its search for a Head of Marketing ANZ. The streaming giant is making a major push on local content as government mulls quotas for platforms.

What you need to know:

  • Netflix has begun its hunt for its first Australian Head of Marketing
  • Mi3 understands the streaming giant is looking for a local marketing exec with "a deep understanding of the ANZ entertainment and marketing landscape". 
  • Netflix declined to confirm an exact timeline for the hiring process but sources claim it will continue for "as long as it takes".
  • The streaming business now has a content team of three locally, with multiple productions set to commence in Australia this year.

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Netflix has begun its search for its first Head of Marketing in Australia and New Zealand as it kickstarts its expansion strategy. 

Netflix, which now has three local production and content execs on the ground, declined to confirm an exact timeline for the hiring process, but it's understood the firm will take its time to ensure it lands a marketing heavyweight with deep knowledge of the entertainment sector. 

"Country marketing strategy and planning. You will set and lead the marketing strategy to grow the business leveraging market and audience insights, programming needs, brand positioning; set goals and plans to support the strategy in conjunction with other cross-functional peers," per Netflix's job ad.

The role will also oversee and lead strategy and execution across multiple campaigns for Netflix Originals and any "other high profile content". 

Local productions

Government is mulling whether to make international streaming platforms meet local content quotas in line with broadcasters.

Netflix, which launched its Australia office in July 2019, is one of the only international streaming players to have a dedicated local content and production team. 

Federal Communications and Arts Minister Paul Fletcher is working up a green paper looking at how local content investment thresholds might be set and applied.

This could be done through commissions, co-productions or content acquisitions.

ACMA's current guidelines for Australian free-to-air broadcasters stipulate that 55% of Australian content must air between 6am and midnight on primary channels.

A report from RMIT in 2019 found that Australian content only accounted for 1.7% of Netflix's current library. However, this is likely to have increased over the past 24 months, following a slew of new programs commissioned locally.

In 2021, Netflix will launch three new Australian originals, Escape from Spiderhead, Surviving Summer and God's Favorite Idiot.

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