Global Ethos, Local Context: Netflix’s Positioning Strategy in Poland

Abstract

The article examines the brand positioning strategy of Netflix in Poland within the broader context of global discourses of diversity and inclusivity. It is grounded in the assumption that the streaming platform has consistently constructed its image as a brand representing liberal values, deploying them both in its corporate communication and in local production and marketing practices. The article seeks to explore how Netflix’s global branding strategy has been adapted to the Polish socio-cultural context. The analysis demonstrates that during the first years of its presence on the Polish market, Netflix effectively used the discourse of diversity as a tool for distinguishing itself from the country’s conservative media and political landscape. The platform positioned itself as a modern, progressive, and socially engaged media actor capable of addressing topics marginalized by traditional broadcasters. At the same time, the author argues that inclusivity functioned primarily as an instrumental element of Netflix’s branding strategy, serving the accumulation of symbolic brand capital. Alongside demographic changes within streaming audiences and the growing popularity of conservative attitudes among younger viewers, the liberal discourse of diversity gradually began to lose its market effectiveness. As a result, Netflix increasingly shifted its communication and programming strategies toward more universal, folk-oriented, and emotionally safe narratives.