• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 26, 2021

Well, there’s that. And according to an article in Slate, a bit more when it comes to suggestive promo titles, such as "Sexify," "Sex/Life" and "Too Hot To Handle."

We get the message.

The titles, and the Slate story, suggest the VOD subscription service has learned a lesson from other longtime sites when it comes to grabbing consumers to make quick decisions.

You might know this ploy by the old-school Internet word “clickbait.” How quick? Supposedly, Netflix subscribers take a tiny 1.8 seconds to decide on new content. (TV Watch hasn’t confirmed this with Netflix.)

What is missing, of course, is how big this is for Netflix, when compared to all Netflix’s marketing efforts.

Entertainment discovery is an issue for all premium streamers. The more quickly consumers can make a decision, the better. These decisions can add to a broader consumer database to determine what consumers want -- or consider.

As any Netflix subscriber knows, it always sends follow-up emails asking whether you liked the show -- another data resource. The streamer might encourage one to continue viewing, to complete the TV episode, series or movie.

Now before you start blaming Netflix, remember the history of those older-style premium cable TV networks that don't air advertising, either. Racy, suggestive, violent, scary promo content existed for years on cablers such as HBO, Showtime and Starz.

Dig deeper and you’ll probably find other premium services doing similar stuff to get attention. But never just composite title promos with a narrow -- read racy -- focus.

Everyone -- at least the big players -- want to appeal to a broad range of consumers, including so-called “family-friendly programming.

In the digital age, there is even a wider swath of consumers to consider. Everyone wants all this content in one, easily accessible place. And that makes streamers' jobs more complex.