Amazon has this week released its plan to launch new streaming products in the highly coveted regions of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
According to Dataxis, historical data has shown that for streaming services to succeed across Southeast Asia, platforms must offer local stories that centre on “traditional values”. Off the back of this data, Amazon has announced its first foray into local development in original productions in Indonesia and Thailand.
The streaming giant will also make Southeast Asian remakes of Western hit productions, including the Italian show Perfect Strangers. The studio has also greenlit three versions of the series Comedy Island, which will see celebrities of the region take part in a situational comedy improv show. International hits like Netflix’s Squid Game have made streaming giants invest in regional content and talents, a change that underpins Amazon’s revised strategy to become the streaming leader in Southeast Asia.
To bolster the new targeted content, Amazon has launched a holistic marketing campaign across Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines featuring local celebrities who have a stronghold on influential marketing on Southeast Asian consumers.
Amazon’s previous pricing structures have been a contributing factor to the streaming services’ struggles in gaining a foothold in the region. The re-launch of the platform in the region will include a new pricing strategy, where Amazon Prime Video will be made available for $4 a month in Indonesia and Thailand and $3 a month in the Philippines, following a seven-day free trial.
Technical changes to the platform’s user interface and experience have also been made, with Amazon Prime Video now made available in the local languages of the regions as well as subtitles being made widely available.
Competition in Southeast Asia has been increasing steadily over the past few years, with the competitive nature of the streaming giants seeing Netflix lose almost one million subscribers.