Netflix is a weird company. Honestly, it’s not just a streaming service; it’s a culture factory that somehow convinces millions of people to stay home on a Friday night to watch a show about a high-stakes tug-of-war in South Korea. But behind the scenes, the role of the chief marketing officer Netflix relies on to keep the engine running is a position that has seen more turnover and transformation than a prestige drama series.
Right now, that seat belongs to Marian Lee. She stepped in after Bozoma Saint John’s high-profile exit, and she’s doing things differently.
Marketing at Netflix isn't about buying billboards. Well, it is, but it’s mostly about "the conversation." If you aren't talking about Bridgerton or Stranger Things at the water cooler—or the digital equivalent on X—the marketing team hasn't done its job. Lee, who joined from Spotify, understands that in 2026, the attention economy is a brutal, zero-sum game. You’re not just competing with Max or Disney+; you’re competing with sleep, TikTok, and that half-finished book on your nightstand.
The Strategy Shift Under the Chief Marketing Officer Netflix Hired to Win
For a long time, Netflix followed a "more is more" philosophy. They dropped a massive volume of content and hoped the algorithm would sort it out. But the current chief marketing officer Netflix has pivoted. The strategy now is more about "cultural moments." Think about the global takeover of Squid Game. That wasn't just an accident of the algorithm; it was a calculated push to turn regional content into a global obsession.
Lee’s approach is surprisingly grounded for a tech giant. She focuses on the "fandom." Instead of just blasting ads, the team looks for ways to make the show part of the user's identity. It’s why you see pop-up "Tudum" events and immersive experiences like the Money Heist escape rooms. They want you to live in the show, not just watch it.
Why the CMO Role at Netflix is a Pressure Cooker
The job is notoriously difficult. Before Lee, there was Bozoma Saint John, a marketing superstar known for her work at Apple and Uber. Before her, Jackie Lee-Joe came over from the BBC. Both stayed for relatively short tenures. Why? Because Netflix is a data-driven beast. At most companies, the CMO is the "creative" one. At Netflix, you have to balance that creativity with the cold, hard reality of subscriber churn and "watch-time" metrics.
If a show has a huge marketing budget but people stop watching after episode two, the data shows it immediately. There’s nowhere to hide. The chief marketing officer Netflix employs has to be as comfortable with spreadsheets and churn rates as they are with red-carpet premieres.
Moving Beyond the "Skip Ad" Era
One of the biggest hurdles recently has been the introduction of the ad-supported tier. For years, Netflix’s brand was built on being the "un-cable"—no commercials, no interruptions. When they pivoted to ads, the marketing team had to do a delicate dance. They had to sell the idea of "value" without making the brand feel cheap.
The marketing team, led by Lee, had to convince a skeptical public that watching a 30-second spot for laundry detergent was a small price to pay for access to $200 million movies. It worked. By 2024 and 2025, the ad tier became a significant driver of growth. This wasn't just a sales win; it was a branding win. They framed it as "choice," and users bought it.
The Netflix Marketing Playbook: Real Examples
Take the launch of Wednesday. Most brands would have just run trailers. Instead, Netflix’s marketing team leaned into the "Thing" character, sending a detached prosthetic hand to roam the streets of New York. It was weird. It was creepy. It was perfectly shareable.
This is the hallmark of the chief marketing officer Netflix strategy:
- Create "stunt" moments that feel organic to social media.
- Lean into the weirdness of the IP.
- Use the talent (like Jenna Ortega) in ways that don't feel like a standard press junket.
The results speak for themselves. Wednesday didn't just get views; it became a TikTok dance trend that lasted for months. That is the gold standard of modern marketing. It's earned media versus paid media, and Netflix is the king of earning it.
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The Challenges of Global Taste
Netflix isn't a US company anymore. It’s a global one. Over 70% of its members are outside the United States. This creates a massive headache for any chief marketing officer Netflix hires. How do you market a show like Lupin (French) to an audience in Ohio? Or a show like Dark (German) to someone in Brazil?
The secret is "localization," not just "translation." They don't just dub the shows; they change the entire marketing hook based on where you live. In some markets, a show might be sold as a romance. In others, it’s a thriller. It’s a shapeshifting approach to branding that requires a massive, decentralized team.
What We Can Learn From the Netflix Marketing Machine
Marketing is no longer a monologue. It’s a dialogue. The chief marketing officer Netflix understands that the audience wants to be part of the story. If you're a business owner or a creator, there are specific takeaways from the Lee era that are actually applicable:
- Don't ignore the data, but don't let it kill the "vibe." Netflix knows exactly when you pause a show, but they still take big swings on "weird" marketing ideas that can't be A/B tested.
- Community over Reach. It is better to have 1,000 obsessed fans who will make memes for you than 100,000 passive viewers who forget your name the next day.
- Speed is a Feature. When a meme starts trending, the Netflix social team is on it in minutes. In a world where trends die in 48 hours, being slow is the same as being invisible.
The role of the chief marketing officer Netflix is currently about maintaining the crown in an increasingly crowded room. With competitors like Apple TV+ spending billions on prestige and Amazon Prime Video owning "Thursday Night Football," Netflix has to remain the "cool" choice.
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Actionable Insights for Marketing Leaders
If you want to apply the Netflix CMO playbook to your own brand or project, stop thinking about "customers" and start thinking about "audiences."
- Audit your social engagement. Are you posting at people, or are you giving them tools to talk to each other? Netflix provides the "raw materials" for fans to create their own content (memes, sounds, filters).
- Identify your "Hero" products. Netflix doesn't market every show equally. They pick winners and go all-in. You should identify the 20% of your offerings that generate 80% of the interest and put your creative muscle there.
- Embrace the "Niche." One of Marian Lee's strengths has been acknowledging that not every show is for everyone. By targeting specific subcultures (anime fans, reality TV junkies, true crime buffs), they build deeper loyalty than a "general interest" brand ever could.
The reality is that Netflix has moved past the "disruptor" phase. They are now the establishment. The job of the chief marketing officer Netflix relies on today is to ensure the establishment doesn't get boring. So far, by leaning into high-concept stunts and a deep understanding of internet subcultures, Marian Lee is keeping the red "N" at the center of the cultural conversation.