AMANDA DUTHIE PUTS LOCAL CONTENT AT THE CENTER OF NETFLIX’S STRATEGY AS NEW CHIEF IN ANZ
In her first-ever interview since she took over the reins at Netflix Australia and New Zealand, Amanda Duthie indicated that the company’s brand would be built around local audiences. Duthie, who has a long track record as a film executive in Australia, affirmed that her number one priority is to push for content that will be viewed deeply by her regional audience.
I am here to listen, learn, and then act, Duthie stated.< There is fierce competition in the streaming business, but our real power is in storytelling that comes from the heart. For too long, we have not given the Australian and New Zealand public the chance to experience their life, their humor, and their environment and be seen on a world platform. This is not just about the purchase of content; it's about the nurturing of it from the root.
Collaboration as the Core of Authentic Storytelling
The strategy that Duthie has laid out is perhaps a transformation of the current trends in the way streamers do business in different countries. It was very clear that she was enthusiastic about the idea of putting more money into partnerships with local talent, ranging from major production companies to small independent filmmakers. The mission is to develop a pipeline of already-existing unique international content yet to narrow the focus of local talent in the process.
We have this great group of creators, she expressed her pride. My aim is to create a bridge, bringing that talent in touch with Netflix’s resources and global audience. It is about local people telling stories that would not have been told if it were not for this.
Beyond the narrative-first strategy, Duthie’s local-first stance doesn’t stop at drama. She also pointed out plans to venture into documentaries, comedy, and unscripted formats thereby covering the full spectrum of Antipodean culture. She is a firm believer that specificity in storytelling leads to universality of attraction, which was a proven fact with regional successes on the platform in the past.
Confronting The Streaming Disruption Age
Assuming the leadership of an undergoing upheaval of the streaming world, Duthie acknowledged the hindrances but chose to remain optimistic. The audience is well aware, she noted. They are able to tell the fake from the real. Our job is to give them the real deal, consistently and compellingly.
In spite of being subject to a number of confidentiality agreements around the announcement of the next stage of productions, she has shared information about several Australian and New Zealand productions that are already in the developmental stages of her leadership. Her appointment viewed as another step forward is in the opinion of the insiders’ community a move by Netflix to deepen the involvement and investment in the region.
In the end, the clarity of Duthie’s goal was apparent: to make Netflix not just a standard worldwide internet service in Australia and New Zealand but a service that feels entirely made for them. The outcome of this program, in her opinion, should be witnessed in the cultural influences of the stories she has helped to share with the world.
Source: The Age
