Recommended Viewing on Netflix

Back in May, I wrote and posted a piece about the success of Netflix and how I was enjoying their service, particularly the instant streaming movies, to the point of canceling all of my premium cable movie channels. The company recently announced very strong Q2 earnings, while Blockbuster Video continues to sink, but rather than revisiting the same old story, I am relaying some shrewd insight into one of Netflix' key methodologies, provided by a networking acquaintance with expertise in analytics.

Although most of my Netflix viewing selections have been either acclaimed/popular films I missed in theaters or those recommended through a Film Discussion Meetup I attend each month, one of the things that makes Netflix well-beloved by many is its recommendations based on one's past viewing habits and personal movie ratings.

As some have noted, Netflix can seem amazingly accurate in predicting what its users might like to watch and what they will enjoy. This prescience is no accident, nor is it merely based on suggesting movies with similar themes, directors or actors.

Recently, an associate of mine named Meta Brown, whose experience & expertise is in the field of analytics (and the marketing thereof), put together a very informative video about how Netflix offers up customized and largely on-target viewing selections to each of its millions of users. With her permission, I have posted Meta's video below and those interested are welcome to connect through her LinkedIn page or the contact information provided in the video itself.

And next time Netflix recommends you watch movies as seemingly disparate as Citizen Kane, National Lampoon's Vacation and The Blind Side, you'll at least have some idea as to why.