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Khovanska Luiza

Blogger, founder of Ll Studios Corporation

(Canada, Toronto)

https://www.doi.org/10.25313/2524-2695-2025-5-04-29

STREAMING SERVICES AS PART OF A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Summary. This article examines the stages of communication strategy development and the types of modern streaming services. It provides brief characteristics of each format and outlines the advantages of engaging consumers through video content. The aim of this study is to explore the process of integrating streaming platforms into a company’s communication strategy and to assess their effectiveness. The research discusses key phases in building a communication strategy and classifies different types of streaming services. It includes performance statistics of streaming tools in a business context and describes the stages of their implementation within strategic communication. The findings highlight the importance of aligning content tone and platform choice with audience expectations. The study also emphasizes the promise of this direction and the need to consider the experience of similar companies in the same field. It identifies a direct link between ongoing performance monitoring and the achievement of core business objectives. The relevance of the study stems from the rising popularity of streaming platforms and increasing competition among businesses for user attention. This article may be of interest to entrepreneurs and marketers designing promotional strategies for their companies, products, and services in today’s digital environment.

Key words: streaming, streaming service, communication strategy, business strategy, video content, content.

Introduction. Listening to music on the subway, working out with a trainer via screen, or making holiday shopping decisions based on a live virtual product demonstration—these experiences have become part of everyday life thanks to the rise of streaming platforms.

Depending on the niche, certain companies dominate specific areas of the streaming space. For instance, Netflix is widely known as the leading platform for streaming movies, while Spotify serves as the go-to service for music streaming. The relevance of this research lies in the fact that as the economy evolves and continues to respond to global trends and shifts, streaming platforms are becoming centralized hubs for meeting consumer demands across a wide range of categories. This creates new opportunities for businesses to leverage streaming services in pursuit of their strategic goals.

The purpose of this study is to examine streaming services as a component of corporate communication strategy. The research objectives are as follows:

– To explore different types of streaming services and evaluate their effectiveness,

– To analyze communication strategies,

– To describe the process of integrating streaming tools into a broader communication framework.

The novelty of this work lies in its focus on how streaming can be embedded into business communication strategy, and in its evaluation of the impact of video-based tools on achieving business objectives.

Methods and Materials. This research was conducted using data analysis and structuring methods. Two types of sources were reviewed: studies on streaming services [3–7] and scholarly literature on communication strategies [1–2]. After analyzing both categories, insights related to streaming were integrated into established communication strategy models and examined from multiple perspectives.

Results and Discussion. In today’s highly competitive environment, capturing user attention has become increasingly difficult, prompting companies to invest significant effort into developing comprehensive and effective communication strategies for promoting their products or services. The communication process itself can be schematically represented by the universal sequence proposed by American scholar Harold Lasswell (Table 1).

Table 1

Harold Lasswell’s Communication Model [6]

A communication strategy is a structured plan outlining how an organization or individual will engage with its target audience. It includes a set of objectives and goals, core messages, communication channels, tactics, and metrics for evaluating the success of communication efforts [1].

The primary purpose of a communication strategy is to support an organization in achieving its communication goals—whether that involves informing, educating, persuading, or engaging a specific audience. It can be used in various contexts, including promoting a new product or service, building brand awareness, managing a crisis, or shaping public opinion.

Effective communication strategies are designed around the specific needs and preferences of the target audience and take into account the broader social, cultural, and political context in which they operate. They often involve a combination of communication channels such as social media, email, streaming platforms, traditional media, live events, and advertising to reach their intended audience.

Developing a communication strategy involves several key steps to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and overall effectiveness (Table 2).

Table 2

Stages of Developing a Communication Strategy

Source: compiled by the author based on [1]

In this way, a communication strategy becomes a versatile business tool capable of serving a wide range of objectives.

This study focuses on one particular type of communication channel: the streaming service. A streaming service is an online platform that allows users to access multimedia content—such as podcasts, games, films, or music—without the need to download files in advance [5].

There are specialized streaming services designed for delivering music, podcasts, movies, games, fitness sessions, radio broadcasts, online shopping, and more (Table 3).

Table 3

Types of Streaming Services

Source: compiled by the author based on [6]

Using streaming platforms to pursue business objectives has become a cost-effective strategy for attracting customers and reaching global audiences. Compared to traditional paid advertising, this approach offers broader outreach with relatively lower investment [6].

Statistical analysis of streaming service usage has shown that 80% of audiences trust a brand’s live video more than reading blog posts, and 82% prefer live video over social media posts. These figures indicate a clear shift toward video content, which fosters more interactive engagement with consumers. Research also shows that brand perception can drop by 62% if the video content is of poor quality [7].

The advantages of using streaming services and video content as marketing tools in the context of digitalization include the following:

– video on a landing page can increase conversion rates by 80% or more;

– including video in an email can increase click-through rates (CTR) by 200–300%;

– 39% of managers contact a salesperson after watching a video;

– 59% of managers prefer watching a video over reading text;

– 73% of B2B companies that use live video report positive ROI outcomes [7].

However, streaming services also have certain drawbacks:

– high production costs;

– ongoing expenses for maintaining a support team;

– difficulty measuring the direct impact on overall sales [3].

Live broadcasts can extend the reach of an event to millions, connect international offices, and attract vast audiences for product launches, fashion shows, or exclusive fan releases. There are now more opportunities for live streaming than ever before, with reduced costs. This has contributed to the rise of streaming within SMM strategies, increasing engagement and the effectiveness of social platforms. Marketers are now actively integrating streaming services and video broadcasts into their digital marketing strategies.

Streaming services are gaining popularity as they allow users to consume content without downloading or storing large files. Internet speed remains the primary factor influencing streaming quality. Nonetheless, modern communication infrastructure allows for smooth playback even with minimal bandwidth, making these services widely accessible.

The stages of building a branding strategy for streaming services are largely consistent with those used in general communication strategy development. The first stage involves identifying the target audience and its characteristics. This includes conducting marketing research to assess brand awareness and loyalty among potential consumers.

The next stage is identifying key audience segments. This is a crucial step, as it helps define the potential reach and build an effective sales funnel. Understanding the audience allows for the creation of original, relevant, and engaging content. Streaming platforms also support live Q&A sessions, which can increase interest and foster better engagement.

The third stage focuses on creating live-streaming content. It is important to evaluate the platforms best suited for live delivery to maximize audience involvement. The most widely used platforms for live streaming include Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitter Live, and YouTube Live. Leveraging these platforms in a branding strategy can offer numerous benefits, such as: brand positioning against competitors; instant audience reach; faster sales cycles; interactive engagement; humanizing the brand; improving brand awareness and connection; increasing lead generation; boosting traffic.

With all these advantages, the central strategic challenge becomes defining the direction and focus of the streaming channel.

The fourth stage of a branding strategy should focus on content development. Content is the key factor influencing audience engagement and spreading brand messaging. Streaming is now a central component of many digital marketing campaigns, offering brands tools to deliver new messages and reach potential customers. This format offers several advantages: it increases engagement, improves SEO performance, and enhances conversion rates [7].

In conclusion, streaming services represent a powerful tool for promoting products, services, and brands. They enable direct interaction with consumers, offer immediate feedback, and allow businesses to adapt quickly to the evolving needs of their audience.

Conclusion. This study highlights the potential of integrating streaming services into a company’s communication strategy. Research shows that most consumers engage more effectively with video content than with text, making video a more vivid and emotionally resonant format for delivering messages.

To achieve meaningful results, however, particular attention must be paid to the needs of the target audience and the quality of the content. This requires the coordinated effort of specialized professionals and involves both financial and time investments. Understanding the audience involves not only identifying its needs but also aligning those needs with the appropriate delivery channel—that is, selecting the right streaming platform. Each service has its own user base, and it is crucial to accurately interpret the expectations of potential clients and integrate content into the most relevant platform.

It is also valuable to examine the experience of companies in similar sectors, learning from both their missteps and effective decisions. Reaching business goals begins with clearly defining them and regularly evaluating how well the chosen communication model, content style, tone, and message align with the short- and long-term objectives of the company.

Gathering feedback and analyzing consumer behavior and sentiment should be ongoing processes, with content continuously adapted to reflect current realities. When used strategically, streaming becomes a powerful tool for promoting products, strengthening brand recognition, increasing customer loyalty, and driving overall business growth.

References

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2. Johnson, M., & Woodcock, D. (2019). LiveStreamers on Twitch.tv as social media influencers: Chances and challenges for strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 13, 321–335. Retrieved April 14, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2019.1630412.
3. Streaming media business strategies and audience-centered practices: A comparative study of Netflix and Tencent Video. (n.d.). ResearchGate. Retrieved April 16, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368923496_Streaming_media_business_strategies_and_audience-centered_practices_a_comparative_study_of_Netflix_and_Tencent_Video (accessed: 16.04.2025).
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6. Types of streaming services. (n.d.). Elpassion. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.elpassion.com/blog/types-of-streaming-services (accessed: 10.04.2025).
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