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Perceived Values of

Subscription Video

on Demand Services

A multiple case study exploring perceived values’

influence on decision-making when selecting

subscription video on demand services

BACHELOR PROJECT

THESIS WITHIN: Business Administration NUMBER OF CREDITS: 15

PROGRAMME OF STUDY: Sustainable Enterprise Development AUTHOR: Dennis Oskarsson, Felix Ekeroth & Viktor Sandoff JÖNKÖPING May 2021

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Acknowledgments

Firstly, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our tutor Ziad Elie Suleiman El Awad. Without his guidance, expertise and feedback, this study would not obtain the same quality it has today. For the time, engagement and conviction put aside to our team, we are endlessly humbled and grateful.

Secondly, we want to thank each individual participating in the study. Through dedicating their time to us and providing useful insights, this study was able to gain rich data,

representing the ground for the research.

Thirdly, we are grateful for our seminar group and surrounding peers who showed great interest in the study and were able to provide new takes and knowledge throughout the whole process. Through getting feedback from someone outside the research, it helped the

researchers to get a new perspective on subjects.

Lastly, we would like to thank Jönköping International Business School and the professors for engaging and challenging us with instructive and knowledge gaining tasks. The knowledge gained from the past three years has been essential for building the ground of this project.

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Bachelor Project in Business Administration

Title: Perceived Values of Subscription Video on Demand Services Authors: D. Oskarsson, F. Ekeroth and V. Sandoff

Tutor: Ziad Elie Suleiman El Awad

Date: 2021-05-24

Key terms: Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD), Perceived Value, Attributes, Consequences, Values

Abstract

Background: With great developments within technology and internet provision,

subscription video on demand (SVoD) has made a remarkable entrance with a

competitiveness which has resulted in a shift in the television industry (Noh, 2020). The user pays a monthly fee and gets access to a platform which offers a library of content. The escalated competition among SVoD services (Pennington, 2020) has resulted in businesses to re-evaluate how users and potential users' perceived value of the service and the resulting effects may have on their business.

Problem Discussion: Perceived value is seen to be the most critical determinant of

willingness-to-pay and whether an individual makes the decision to purchase (Chang, Wang & Yang, 2009; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001). Empirical studies that focus on the role of perceived values in the purchase decision in a digital context have been conducted in various fields, such as, freemium services (Hamari, Hanner & Koivisto, 2020) and music streaming (Guerra & Fernandes, 2019) or mixing various streaming apps together (Oyedele & Simpson, 2018). While previous research has studied perceived values’ role in the decision-making process in streaming segments, almost none of them has explored its role specifically in SVoD services. Furthermore, no previous studies have explored the temporal dimension of value, which has shown to be of great importance in technology-based self-services (Heinonen, 2004).

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Purpose: This study explores the elements that mostly influence users’ perceived values

when making the decision to subscribe to a SVoD service. The purpose is to investigate the market of subscription video on demand services and better understand what users perceive as valuable, as well as how and why these influence their purchasing decision. Building on this understanding, we develop a framework that illuminates the user's decision-making process when subscribing to a SVoD service.

Method: An inductive qualitative case study methodology was adopted, building on

semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten SVoD service users. The interviewed users were between the ages of 25-32.

Conclusion: The researchers concluded that users of SVoD services emphasize four

perceived values when subscribing, these are: emotional, social, convenience and epistemic. These values were thereafter categorized into perceived immediate and future values of subscription. When an individual is in the process of subscribing, the person weighs the temporal dimensions of perceived immediate and future values towards the price of subscription, which equates in the perceived value. The user will select the service which offers the highest perceived value.

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Table of Contents

List of Tables ... vi List of Figures ... vi 1. Introduction ... 1 1.2 Problem Formulation ... 2 1.3 Purpose ... 4 1.4 Research Question ... 5 1.5 List of Definitions ... 5 2. Frame of Reference ... 6

2.1 Method for Literature Review ... 6

2.2 SVoD Services ... 7

2.3 Perceived Value ... 8

2.4 Perceived Value Within Streaming Services ... 9

2.5 Criticism to Current Literature ... 11

2.6 Gaps in the literature ... 12

3. Methodology and Method ... 13

3.1 Research Philosophy ... 13

3.2 Research Approach ... 13

3.3 Primary Data Collection ... 14

3.3.1 Semi-structured Interviews ... 14

3.4 Question Design ... 16

3.5 Research Design ... 17

3.6 Ethics ... 17

3.6.1 Anonymity and Confidentiality ... 18

3.6.2 Credibility ... 18

3.6.3 Transferability ... 19

3.6.4 Dependability ... 19

3.6.5 Confirmability ... 20

3.7 Data Coding and Analysis ... 20

4. Empirical Findings ... 23

4.1 Perceived Epistemic Value ... 23

4.2 Perceived Social Value ... 25

4.3 Perceived Convenience Value ... 29

4.4 Perceived Emotional Value ... 32

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5. Analysis ... 36

5.1 Perceived Future Value of Subscribing ... 37

5.2 Perceived Immediate Value of Subscribing ... 38

5.3 Perceived Value ... 40

6. Conclusion ... 42

7. Discussion ... 43

7.1 Theoretical Contributions ... 43

7.2 Implications for Subscription Video on Demand Services ... 44

7.3 Limitations ... 46

7.4 Suggestions for Future Research ... 47

8. References ... 48

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List of Tables

Table 1. Information About Interview Participants ... 16

List of Figures

Figure 1. Sample of the Coding Structure ... 21

Figure 2. The Consequence of Educational to Perceived Epistemic Value ... 25

Figure 3. The Consequence of FOMO to Perceived Social Value ... 26

Figure 4. The Consequence of Social Watching to Perceived Social Value ... 27

Figure 5. The Consequence of Involvement to Perceived Social Value ... 28

Figure 6. The Consequence of Up-To-Date to Perceived Social Value ... 29

Figure 7. The Consequence of Easy to Navigate to Perceived Convenience Value ... 30

Figure 8. The Consequence of Watch Anywhere/Anytime to Perceived Convenience Value 31 Figure 9. The Consequence of Binge Watching to Perceived Convenience Value ... 32

Figure 10. The Consequence of Entertainment to Perceived Emotional Value ... 33

Figure 11. The Consequence of Cost Saving to Perceived Emotional Value ... 34

Figure 12. Hierarchical Value Map of what Perceived Values Influence the Decision when Individuals Select a SVoD Service ... 35

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1. Introduction

The following section introduces the reader to the evolution of SVoD services and introduces customer perceived value. Furthermore, a problem formulation followed by the purpose of this study is explained related to the research topic. Additionally, the research question is presented as well as a list of definitions which will be valuable for the reader to increase their understanding of this study.

1.1 Background

Viewing movies and series through traditional linear TV and pay-per-view, has for many years been the dominating and obvious choice for individuals. However, with great developments within technology and internet provision, subscription video on demand (SVoD), has made a remarkable entrance with a competitiveness which has made a dramatic shift in the television industry (Noh, 2020). The consumer instead pays a monthly fee and gets accessibility to a library of content. This alternative approach has according to Herbert, Lotz & Marshall (2019) increased the quality of viewing movies and series, without interruptions of TV-commercials. The library is also easily accessible on any device as long as an internet connection is provided, which offers a geographic convenience for the subscriber (Herbert et al., 2019). Social trends have persuaded the adoption of online streaming services for people under the age of 35 and they are more likely to purchase online streaming services rather than cable television (Lee, Nagpal, Ruane, & Lim, 2018). Data collected on Swedish citizens from 2014-2019 shows that linear TV has had a decrease in views, while streaming services are steadily increasing. Netflix is currently the dominating SVoD service, followed by the Swedish service provider, NENT, with the subscription-based client Viaplay (Myndigheten för Press, Radio och TV, 2020).

Perceived value is grounded in a cost-benefit trade-off, concerning the overall utility a

consumer perceives from using or desiring a product/service (Zeithaml, 1988). The success of a business is dependent on aspects of perceived value in the adoption of services or

technologies. E.g., convenience value plays an important role since streaming services rely on ease of use, speed and the accessibility of content on multiple devices regardless of users’ location, whereby emotional value is the essence of streaming services in assessing

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individual’s enjoyment of content and experience (Singh, Singh, Kalinić, & Liébana-Cabanillas, 2020).

As the demand for such services has grown, an increasing number of SVoD services has come to enter the market, escalating competition (Pennington, 2020). In turn, the movement has emphasized the importance of businesses within the segment to re-evaluate how customers and potential customers’ perceived value of the service is affected.

1.2 Problem Formulation

Due to increasing competition in the SVoD market, service providers are adopting new processes for delivering their services, aiming to secure a higher market share (Pennington, 2020). As such, service providers are moving beyond the price, as the mere basis for

competition, into developing a service proposition that elevates the type and form of services they are offering. Against this change in service offering, users are featuring a change in the perceived value they bestow upon the service(s) they ascribe to. When conducting a

marketing strategy, defining and being aware of the firm’s customers perceived value can greatly assist in predicting purchasing behavior (Ulaga & Eggert, 2006; Chen & Dubinsky, 2003). If customers perceived value would be met and satisfied, the chance of losing customers will decrease while loyalty increases (Anderson & Srinivasan, 2003). Depending on whether a consumer decides to go through with a purchase and the individual’s

willingness-to-pay, the person’s perceived value towards that specific product is regarded to be the most critical determinant (Chang et al., 2009; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001). However, a majority of current studies have taken the side of investigating offline commerce, leading to research being scarce considering perceived value within the online segment (Overby & Lee, 2006).

Empirical studies of perceived values’ role in purchase intentions in a digital context have been conducted in various fields: freemium services (Hamari et al., 2020), music streaming (Guerra & Fernandes, 2019), or mixing various streaming services together (Oyedele & Simpson, 2018). While previous research has studied perceived values’ role in the decision-making process in streaming segments, almost none of them has explored its role specifically in SVoD services. Oyedele & Simpson (2018) found that emotional and social value

influences usage of streaming apps but mixes music services and video services together, failing to acknowledge the differences in the services nature in their research. For example,

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while music services often only require one subscription, video streaming services may require several since content often is specific and locked to a given platform (Chiang & Jhang-Li, 2020). Furthermore, freemium services mean the user can get access to the platform’s content without having to pay for it (Hamari et al., 2020) in contrast to SVoD services where there is a fixed amount the user needs to pay for a subscription. These differences in assumptions regarding purchase behavior means that the results from these studies cannot be taken directly into this new context, and further theorization is needed. Furthermore, all previous studies in the streaming segment fail to acknowledge the temporal dimension of perceived value. Time has been shown to be an important value dimension and influencer of customer perceived value in technology-based self-services (Heinonen, 2004). Hence, an understanding of what point in time the perceived value is seen as valuable, can help in understanding how the perceived value influences the purchasing decision. For example, if the perceived benefit of the value is expected to fall upon the customer immediately or sometime in the future.

Previous research within the streaming segment has primarily taken a quantitative approach (e.g., Oyedele & Simpson, 2018; Lestari & Soesanto, 2020; Azzahro, Ghibran, & Handayani, 2020) in explaining the perceived value of individuals, regarding streaming services. This means that findings of these recent studies have been limited in allowing for new perceived values to be discovered. That is because this quantitative research has evaluated the

relationship between predetermined variables to test if they have a significance in users’ decision-making process. In contrast, a qualitative approach allows us to go beyond and explore at a more in-depth level by unraveling insights as the project moves forward. Qualitative research allows for contributions by finding new perceptions that the potential user might have when choosing SVoD services, as well as an increased understanding of already established perceived values in decision making. By evaluating users in depth with a blank sheet of perceived values, new discoveries could contribute with knowledge to the continuously developing phenomenon of SVoD services as well as providing an answer to the intended research question.

In Sweden, usage of SVoD services has experienced a massive growth across all age groups in the last few years (Statistiska Centralbyrån, 2021). But research on the Swedish population remains absent, where a greater depth of the users and potential users of streaming

entertainment is explored. It is needed to increase knowledge of consumer behavior in the changing environment of accessing entertainment on the Swedish market. The level of

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success of a SVoD service is highly dependent on users’ or potential users’ perceived value (Singh et al., 2020). The findings of this study could be of great value for the SVoD service providers to access new knowledge regarding consumer behavior in the Swedish market. The results of this study could thereafter be adopted by SVoD services with the aim of

understanding consumer perceived value within the consumer’s decision-making process, leading to more loyal customers who increases the firm’s profitability (Okongwu, Lauras, François & Deschamps, 2016; Luo, Homburg & Wieseke, 2010) and increases market share (Beneke, Flynn, Greig & Mukaiwa, 2013; Gummerus, 2013).

1.3 Purpose

To fill gaps in the existing literature, this research is conducted to build a theory, which will create valuable insight of observation on users’ perceived value when subscribing to SVoD services. This study will dig deeper in what variables of users’ perceived values influence the selection and motivation for subscribing to a SVoD service and seeks to explore how the identified variables together influence the decision-making process. As SVoD services are growing and the market is constantly expanding (Pennington, 2020), there is a need to continuously conduct research in this field to get an understanding of customer perceived value. Through taking use of the theory which the study aims at developing, companies within the SVoD segment can get a better understanding of what and how users value the service. Realizing the user’s subscription intentions, the business can make efficient changes to further meet potential and current customers’ expectations.

This research project aims to provide insights of users’ value perceptions when they decide to subscribe to a subscription video on demand service. The purpose is to explore the market of subscription video on demand services and create an understanding of what users perceive as valuable. With this information, a framework will be built that explains the user’s decision-making process when subscribing to a SVoD service. By knowing what the users’ value, the SVoD companies get valuable insights regarding what attracts individuals and how to maintain them.

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1.4 Research Question

To address the purpose, this research will make sense of what customers value by using the research question:

How does users’ perceived value influence their purchasing decision when selecting a SVoD service?

1.5 List of Definitions

SVoD - A subscription-based service for streaming video on-demand.

Perceived value - The cost-benefit trade-off regarding the overall utility a person perceives

from using or desiring a specific product or service (Zeithaml, 1988).

Attributes - Concrete and abstract features or characteristics of a product or service

(Reynolds & Gutman, 1988; Gutman, 1991).

Consequences - The consumer benefits as a result from a product or service’s features and

characteristics (Reynolds & Gutman, 1988; Gutman, 1991).

Values - The end-benefit of a product or service which aims to satisfy a personal value

(Reynolds & Gutman, 1988; Gutman, 1991). .

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2. Frame of Reference

The frame of reference section presents the process of deriving and including relevant literature followed by introducing the reader to the inductive and iterative nature of the research process. Thereafter, an in-depth review of existing relevant literature regarding SVoD services, perceived value, and perceived value within streaming services are presented. Lastly, criticism to the current literature is presented followed by identified gaps in previous research.

2.1 Method for Literature Review

The literature review was conducted to situate the research to previous work and already existing knowledge. Utilizing the search engines Primo at Jönköping University Library and Google Scholar, broad search terms such as “streaming services” and “video on demand” were applied separately, generating a vast number of results. As the authors started familiarizing themselves with the topic, the next step was to determine more specified

keywords and search terms to help identify relevant sources and thus recognize research gaps. This part of the process of conducting the literature review took a funneling approach. As the process went on, the authors could recognize more specific terms as they got more insight. Terms such as “on-demand entertainment”, “perceived value”, and “subscription video on demand” were applied in different combinations to yield relevant results. Furthermore, these results were filtered down to solely show peer-reviewed journals to maintain a degree of reliability of the sources. To determine which articles to include, firstly their respective

abstract was read and then the article was searched through using identified keywords, such as “customer value” and “perceived values”. If seemingly relevant, the article was then fully read. And, as the phenomena of streaming movies and TV online, i.e., this field of research, is relatively new, the aim was to include only the most recently published research. Thus, the articles included from the beginning were deemed the most relevant for this research and came mainly from the domain of consumer research. Ultimately, this process gave an insight in that there was a lack of previous research, especially qualitative, in understanding what customers value in subscription-based video on demand services in this growingly

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Due to the inductive nature of this work, it required the researchers to go back and forth between the data and previous studies. After the data had been collected and the analysis process was underway, the researchers went back to adjacent research in other fields to help understand and explain the findings. Social identity theory (Hogg & Abrams, 1988) was used to explain the underlying motivation of subscribing through perceived social and epistemic values, while the law of diminishing marginal utility (Marshall, 1890) was shown to influence perceived emotional value of subscription.

2.2 SVoD Services

SVoD services can be described as portals from which the user can access internet-based television. There are two main types of SVoD service alternatives which one can choose from. Either you subscribe and get access to the traditional channel and a library of content of what has previously been broadcasted. When new content gets released on linear TV and airs on the traditional channel, the user will also get access to the material on the streaming platform (Wayne, 2017). The other subscription alternative, and the most popular one, is based around organizational schemes where movies and series are collected and/or produced by the service provider. The content provided is sought to address a wide population where everyone can find suitable material. (Wayne, 2017). Netflix, with its great succession of kickstarting the SVoD movement, is still up to this day the dominating business in its segment. Amazon, with the video platform Amazon Prime is the second biggest actor in the market of SVoD (Noh, 2020). However, major disruptors have come to enter the market. The launches of Disney+ and Apple TV+ in 2019 and HBO max in 2020, have put pressure on SVoD services to ensure that unique value is delivered to all subscribers (Pennington, 2020). However, according to Herbert et al. (2019) it is still unclear which SVoD services compete or work as a complement to each other. While some platforms have got a greater focus on series, such as Netflix and Hulu, other platforms are more oriented towards movies, such as HBO. Furthermore, many streaming services have come to increasingly compete through the production of original content. With a large selection of SVoD providers being active for several years, data has been collected of subscribers viewing patterns and behavior. By thereafter analyzing the data, strong formulas can be created and used to produce custom fitted TV series and movies with a high probability of succeeding (Chiang & Jhang-Li, 2020). As of the pivoting of Netflix originally produced content in 2011, film and television studios have begun launching their own SVoD services. The response is sought to eliminate the

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leverage of the middleman distributor. More recently, once Disney launched its streaming platform Disney Plus, the studio announced its withdrawal of all produced content from Netflix. (Herbert et al., 2019).

With an increased amount of SVoD service platforms and users subscribing, previous research has investigated the reason to why individuals browse content online, rather than viewing movies and series on linear-TV (Bondad-Brown, Rice & Pearce, 2012; Lee et al., 2018). Further studies cover how changes in video quality can alter consumer behavior (Krishnan & Sitaraman, 2013), whether the introduction of SVoD services influence digital piracy (De Matos, Ferreira & Smith, 2018), and if there exists a substitutability between cable TV and SVoD services (Cha & Chan-Olmsted, 2012). However, literature is scarce in

investigating how individuals make their decision in selecting a SVoD service.

2.3 Perceived Value

There have been many different definitions of what perceived value is, but its importance has been acknowledged for a long time, as it plays an important role in customer loyalty and long-term success for businesses. The concept was first defined by Zeithaml (1988), and was grounded in a cost-benefit trade-off, referring to the overall utility a consumer perceives from using or desiring a product/service. Early further conceptualizations of the term focused on economic value and saw perceived value as the ratio of quality and price. The earlier views saw perceived value as a unidimensional concept but was criticized for its inability to discern the complex nature of value perceptions and has since been developed to consider more aspects rather than just the economical. More nuanced perspectives are multi-dimensional and include utilitarian and hedonic components (Hamari et al., 2020). Furthermore, also a

temporal dimension to value has been recognized as an important influence on value perceptions, meaning that the perceived value is perceived as relevant at a specific time (Heinonen, 2004).

A definition of the term commonly used by marketers today is perceived value as “a

relativistic preference characterizing a customer’s experience of interacting with some objects such as goods, thing, place, event, or idea” (Wu & Li, 2018, pp. 80-81). For a marketer who intends to create long-term relationships with its consumers, the goal is to create higher customer value by creating higher benefits for the customers. To create these benefits, there needs to be an understanding of what the customers value. Understanding customer needs and

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wants has always been a goal for marketers to design effective marketing strategies and activities (Wu & Li, 2018). This is however a difficult task, as these values are subjective and defined individually (Malone, McKechnie & Tynan, 2018). A satisfied individual ultimately leads to a more loyal customer who generates higher profitability (Okongwu et al., 2016; Luo et al., 2010) and market share (Beneke et al., 2013; Gummerus, 2013) for the firm through a positive word-of-mouth. According to Zanon, Munhoz, Calache & Carpinetti (2020), there is a positive correlation between customer satisfaction and customer perceived value.

Investigating customer perceived value has lately been emphasized when firms conduct their marketing strategy (Ulaga & Eggert, 2006). Defining and being aware of one’s customers perceived value can be of great help in predicting purchase behavior (Chen & Dubinsky, 2003) and deal with customer relationship management (Payne, Holt & Frow, 2001) It is considered that customer perceived value is the most critical determinant of whether a

consumer goes through with a purchase and the willingness-to-pay for that product (Chang et al., 2009; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001). According to Cowles, Kiecker & Little (2002), businesses who are selling their product or service online should dedicate extra time in finding out the consumers desired values and motivations for using the medium. By satisfying the firm’s customers’ perceived value, one can increase consumer loyalty through reducing the

probability of people moving to another e-business (Anderson & Srinivasan, 2003). However, research done today is more focused towards investigating perceived value within offline business environments, leading to a shortage of studies in online consumer behavior regarding customer value (Overby & Lee, 2006).

2.4 Perceived Value Within Streaming Services

Streaming services are platforms which add value to the user by providing content online, accessible through electronic devices. Some individuals might, from an economical viewpoint, prefer using streaming services prior to e.g., visiting the movie theatre, whilst others value e.g., availability or the library of content when considering a monthly

subscription. Empirical studies of perceived values’ role in purchase intentions in a digital

context have been conducted in various fields, e.g., freemium services (Hamari et al., 2020) and music streaming (Guerra & Fernandes, 2019) but little has been conducted in the context of subscription video on-demand. The study by Oyedele & Simpson (2018), aimed at

examining effects of perceived consumption values and self-identity related to streaming apps on likelihood of recommending and using streaming apps. A quantitative research approach

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resulted in a model which proposes multiple dimensions of emotional value, convenience value, price, and cognitive effort, and it is unique by implementing identity salience in terms of value. Identity salience reflects on the one’s self-identity and how important it is to oneself or in the perception of others. All these perceived values, except for perceived price, were found to affect the likelihood of people recommending streaming services to others. Findings were that identity salience is significantly influenced by emotional and social value, and that it in turn affects individuals’ usage and recommendations of streaming services. In the era of digitalization, consumers will adopt contemporary information technologies (IT), such as SVoD services or social media apps, that promote their self-identity in which streaming services are an important aspect since it directly influences your identity salience. The

relationship of information technologies and self-identity is defined as “the extent to which an individual views use of an IT as integral to his or her sense of self” (Oyedele & Simpson, 2018, p.297). Further research is encouraged to elaborate on this subject, however, with an increasing amount of SVoD services, there are an increasing number of options to select from when adopting the most suitable option to fit the individuals own identity salience. The price was found to be less important than convenience value in affecting consumer behavior. This was concluded because streaming services offer a monthly subscription at a low cost, but also since college students gain free access to streaming services from family and friends. The findings suggest that managers of streaming apps should provide consumers with a clear message about how their streaming apps provide differing consumption values to customers and find ways to ensure their streaming apps are salient to the self-identity of their customers

(Oyedele & Simpson, 2018).

Further research was made by Azzahro et al. (2020) where the willingness to pay for acquiring subscriptions of on-demand entertainment streaming services and factors of customer satisfaction was closer evaluated. Results from a quantitative research approach showed that quality of content and quality of experience positively affect customer

satisfaction, however, it does not affect willingness to pay for streaming services. Quality of accessibility did not positively influence customer satisfaction; however, it directly influenced willingness to pay. The perceived values were identified as perceived enjoyment, monetary value, and identity salience and were proved to positively affect customer satisfaction whilst social value did not. These results show that e.g., word-of-mouth in the social environment does not have a positive effect on the customer satisfaction of streaming services.

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subscriptions of streaming services. However, monetary value positively affected both customer satisfaction and willingness to pay. In conclusion, factors that positively influence customer satisfaction could affect willingness to pay for a streaming service (quality of content, quality of experience, perceived enjoyment, monetary value, and identity salience), meanwhile the factors of quality of accessibility, monetary value, and identity salience directly influence willingness to pay for streaming services.

Also, Lestari and Soesanto (2020) conducted a quantitative study on Netflix users, where they investigated what factors influenced the attitude to use and continue to use SVoD services. Their results concluded that there was a positive relationship between perceived system quality and perceived enjoyment, and the attitude to use SVoD services. They also proved that there was no significant relationship between the ease of use and perceived quality and the attitude to use a service. However, the ease of use and perceived quality, respectively influenced perceived system quality and perceived enjoyment. Thus, indirectly influencing attitude to use. They also concluded that perceived price level showed to have a negative effect on the attitude, as most of the respondents felt burdened as they had to pay more in subscription fees to watch content in high image resolution.

2.5 Criticism to Current Literature

Firstly, differences in assumptions regarding the nature of different kinds of streaming

services makes the results of these inapplicable to the context of SVoD. Oyedele and Simpson (2018) mixed different kinds of streaming services together in their research but failed to acknowledge these differences. For example, while music services often only require one subscription, SVoD services may require several as content may be original and locked to the platform (Chiang & Jhang-Li, 2020). Hamari et al. (2020) and Guerra and Fernandes (2019) researched perceived values’ role in purchase intentions of freemium services. However, since these kinds of services means that the user can access all the content without having to pay for the service, the results cannot be directly translated to the context of SVoD, where users are required to pay a fixed amount to be able to access anything at all.

Secondly, all previous studies of perceived values in the streaming segment have failed to acknowledge the temporal dimensions of perceived value and how it affects the decision-making process. As the value dimension of time has been shown to influence customer

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is seen as valuable can help in understanding how the perceived value influences the purchasing decision. For example, if the recognized variable is perceived as valuable immediately or in the future. This makes previous literature weak in explaining the customer’s decision-making process and calls for new theorizing to be developed.

2.6 Gaps in the literature

While SVoD services are continually growing, little research has been conducted on what users’ value in this context and no previous studies have considered the temporal dimension. Understanding the perceived values towards a product has been argued to be the most critical determinant for whether a consumer goes through with a purchase and their willingness to pay for it (Chang et al., 2009; Ulaga & Chacour, 2001), thus rendering this a fascinating subject. The scarce number of prior studies on this topic (Oyedele & Simpson, 2018; Azzahro et al., 2020; Lestari & Soesanto, 2020) have all taken a quantitative approach and tested

predetermined variables’ role in the decision making. Hence, any other value of possible relevance may have been overlooked. This requires further research in exploring users’ perceived values in a qualitative manner, which allows the research to go beyond and recognize if there is anything else that is perceived as valuable in the decision-making process. Furthermore, variables that previously have been acknowledged have merely been listed as having a role in the decision making, and explanations of how they influence decisions or why remains unknown. Therefore, further research on how different factors influence purchasing behavior and why they have that relationship is needed to increase the understanding of this critical aspect in consumer decision making.

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3. Methodology and Method

This section initially presents the research philosophy and approach of this study, followed by explaining the process of collecting primary data using semi-structured interviews and the laddering technique, as well as explaining the question- and research design. Furthermore, ethical, and underlying considerations of trustworthiness of this study is presented followed by explaining the data coding and analysis process, allowing the reader to gain a perception of the process for the following sections of the study.

3.1 Research Philosophy

Interpretivism takes the stand that social reality is shaped by the perception of people, which makes the paradigm highly subjective. This research aims at providing answers to users' perceived value of SVoD services, where motives and values of individuals has been investigated. The study goes beyond existing empirical evidence and inquiries. By

investigating the complexity of the social phenomena, an interpretivism approach was deemed as fitting and therefore chosen for this research. This research has explored, discovered, and interpreted findings of individuals' perception of value, which made interpretivism a suitable approach (Collis & Hussey, 2014).

3.2 Research Approach

The topic of SVoD services is relatively new and because of the highly competitive

environment, where procedures change and new actors come to enter the market, much of the existing literature found by the authors was deemed as obsolete. When there is a lack of literature on the topic investigated, an inductive approach is viewed to be an appropriate approach for generating data and reflecting on theoretical themes (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2016). This research has taken an inductive approach where new patterns in data and theory collected has been explained by primary and secondary data. The study was built around an iterative process, where the researchers went back and forth, from literature to data collected, to make sense of observations and use relevant theory to explain the findings. An inductive approach was, regarding to the researchers, the best approach for serving the stated purpose.

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To explore the purpose of this research, the authors had to decide between using one of the three methods, exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory (Saunders et al., 2016). However, with limited literature on the research topic of perceived value within SVoD services, neither the descriptive nor explanatory approach were applicable. To serve the purpose of

investigating what and how variables of perceived value influence a user’s or potential user’s decision when selecting a SVoD service, the authors deemed an exploratory method most suitable. An exploratory study is suitable when there are little or no previous studies within the area. Furthermore, instead of testing a hypothesis, the research is aimed towards the finding of patterns in data collected and development of ideas (Collis & Hussey, 2014). Through conducting an exploratory study, it allowed the researchers to make sense of observations and yield important insights of customer behavior within SVoD services.

3.3 Primary Data Collection

The collection of primary data was conducted through interviews, which is the most applicable method of data collection to meet the stated purpose. When conducting research under an interpretivism paradigm, the choice is between unstructured or semi-structured interviews (Collis & Hussey, 2014). In an unstructured interview, the interviewer prepares no questions in advance but allows each interview to have its own flow where questions arise during the process. The questions asked must be open-ended, meaning that the interviewee should not have the possibility to respond with a yes or no. Semi-structured interviews are considered most relevant for this research because there will be a set of questions which is required to ask all interviewees. In conducting the semi-structured interviews, the researcher planned some questions in advance which allowed us to steer the conversation towards a specific topic. As the interview carried on, follow-up questions were developed which yielded further insights of the interviewee’s thoughts. The conversation must target certain aspects of perceived value which semi-structured interviews allowed us to do.

3.3.1 Semi-structured Interviews

Sixteen people, living in a variety of geographical locations around Sweden and within the age span of 25-34 were contacted through phone, email, in person and were asked to participate in the study. Out of sixteen individuals, we got fourteen replies and ten people agreed to participate in an interview. Ten face-to-face interviews were conducted where each interview was held for approximately 60 minutes and included users between the age of

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32. A purposive sampling method was used to select the participants, which consisted of SVoD service users. The foregoing sampling technique was chosen as the participants were required to possess certain characteristics:

● Having previously subscribed to a SVoD service ● Being within the age gap of 25-34

The criteria of previously subscribed to a SVoD service is important for the participant to have developed a relationship and feelings toward SVoD services. If no such characteristics exist, the interviewee might not be able to express rich data as no emotions or values are associated with SVoD services. The age gap of 25-34 was chosen based on what individuals use SVoD services the most, both in absolute terms and procentually (Statistiska

Centralbyrån, 2021). Purposive sampling technique was deemed as accomplishable since the researchers have prior knowledge about the stated purpose of the study. Awareness of our own perceived values in the context of SVoD services, led to the participants selected being well suited for the study and fit the profile.

Conducting semi-structured interviews helped the researcher collect open-ended data, explore interviewees values and beliefs, and dig deeper into these thoughts with the usage of follow-up questions (DeJonckheere & Vaughn, 2019). To comply with the aim of the study, which is exploring what the user’s underlying perceived values are when subscribing to a SVoD service, a laddering technique was used during the interviews (Reynolds & Gutman, 1988). Laddering technique is useful when investigating what values influence the process of a customer’s purchasing decision (Reynolds, Gengler & Howard, 1995). As value is revealed as the highest level of abstraction in this technique, as well as in this study, it was deemed as relevant and suitable for the interviews. Questions such as “Why did you choose to subscribe to the SVoD services you have today?”, were asked. One interviewee expressed that

popularity among friends was the dominant factor, which will be framed as an attribute of subscription. With the help of probing questions, it led the interviewee to dig deeper into one's motives and consequences of subscription. By asking why popularity among friends was important to the participant, the consequence of feeling involved got revealed. Through asking how staying involved would make the participant feel and why that is important to him/her, the perceived variable of social value was eventually discovered. Applying this process to the interviews, led the interviewee to move from attributes to consequences and finally the underlying values that affect the individual’s purchasing behavior when selecting a

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SVoD service. Doing so helped us get a broader understanding of the temporal dimensions of the interviewee’s perceived values and how they were connected, but also a greater

knowledge of the underlying factors which determine the individual’s selection of SVoD services.

Table 1. Information About Interview Participants

3.4 Question Design

When conducting the interviews, the laddering technique was used. This technique allowed for uncovering the underlying meaning behind the participants’ preferences and behavior towards streaming services, by moving from a lower level to a higher level of abstraction in three interconnected levels. These three levels were attributes, consequences, and lastly values (Reynolds & Gutman, 1988; Gutman, 1991) which is the highest level of abstraction in our study. These three levels were considered when designing the questions where new variables of each level emerged as part of the coding process. Attributes are product features or

characteristics that are more concrete. Each attribute has particular consequences for the user, which also can be described as perceived psychosocial benefits of using the product. Lastly, these perceived consequences lead to the user’s deepest desired outcome of using the product and is expressed in terms of the user's personal values, the values which a subscription is sought to satisfy (Reynolds & Gutman, 1988). As users by themselves cannot articulate their underlying, actual motivations for why they purchase a certain product, the laddering

technique made it easier for the researcher to acknowledge these motivations by repeatedly asking probing questions (Haridasan & Fernando, 2018).

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3.5 Research Design

The researchers decided to conduct a multiple case study as it allowed for in-depth exploration of complicated matters in natural settings. As for exploring the high level of abstraction connected to users' perceived value, multiple cases allowed for a stronger data collection method for theory building, compared to a single case study (Yin, 1994). Previous studies have investigated users' perceived value within freemium services (Hamari et al., 2020), music streaming (Guerra & Fernandes, 2019), and various streaming apps mixed together (Oyedele & Simpson, 2018). Through conducting research within the unexplored area of users’ perceived value regarding SVoD services, it allowed the researchers to compare the various cases to assess whether a finding was unique to a single case or shared among the different cases, hence increasing the quality of emergent theory (Eisenhardt, 2007). The sample of the case study consists of SVoD service users between the age of 25-32, where each case was represented by an individual participating in the interview. It was apparent that participants have had unique experiences and motives for subscribing. Understanding these differences and the perceptions they impose on a subscription helped the researchers to illuminate great insights. As for investigating the complex phenomenon of perceived value, which can take on countless variables and differ between individuals, a multiple case study was helpful in developing and improving existing theory (Crowe, Cresswell, Robertson, Huby, Avery & Sheikh, 2011), which was the authors’ intention with the research.

Furthermore, a case study seeks to generate answers to questions such as, ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what’, which makes the research design a viable option since it serves the stated research question (Saunders et al., 2016). The context of the case study will be limited SVoD services, meaning the exclusion of freemium video services and music-based subscription alternatives.

3.6 Ethics

Research ethics plays an important role and operates as a safety net for all participants of this study, including the researchers. Research ethics is concerned with the manner in which research is conducted and how the results or findings are reported (Collis & Hussey, 2014). By following and applying the ethical guidelines (appendix 1) published for researchers made by Bell & Bryman (2007), this study ensures to have been written through a responsible, transparent, honest, and moral perspective, ensuring a safe environment for all participants. The procedure began by ensuring amongst the researchers to operate accordingly. Next, once the sample was identified, participants were contacted and provided with a description of the

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purpose study, as well as an explanation of their rights during the process. Once confirmed from both parts to be included in the research, a form of consent (appendix 2) was signed before conducting the interview to create a safe environment for all participants. The interviews were conducted in a face-to-face approach where local and national restrictions regarding COVID-19 were followed.

3.6.1 Anonymity and Confidentiality

Conducting in-depth interviews, especially when applying the laddering technique, will involve the participants to dig deep into their feelings and possibly reveal vulnerable

information. Anonymity was offered to each involved participant, where we assured that their identity will remain unknown and referred to using a letter in the research. This led to the participants being more open and feeling safer to express their feelings and values (Collis & Hussey, 2014). By reassuring the interviewees that data will be handled in a secure manner where no information could be traced back to the participant, an honest dialogue where no harm fell on the respondents could be achieved (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998).

3.6.2 Credibility

Credibility is the term used to establish confidence in the truth value of the findings of the research (Guba, 1981). Since there are three researchers involved in the project, being

transparent and having everyone involved in the whole process was deemed as essential. This is aligned with Collis & Hussey (2014) thoughts on credibility and is believed to increase credibility. Consequently, the researchers gained a comprehensive knowledge concerning the topic of SVoD services and everyone could contribute.

Neither of the researchers had experience with using the laddering technique when conducting interviews. To increase our skills and enhance credibility, two pilot interviews were

conducted to ensure professionalism to the case study. Measures of improvements were observed, and feedback was given. The interviewers could thereafter remove, improve, and add questions to gain a greater structure of the laddering technique for the interviews to come. As for the proceeding interviews, the researchers put focus on preparing the interviewees and making them feel safe. The participants chose their own locations for the interviews, with the aim to minimize vulnerability and increase openness. Full privacy and anonymity were also offered, leading to the participants feeling more confident to vent their feelings and values. These actions were done to increase the credibility of our findings.

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Furthermore, the researchers used investigator triangulation to increase credibility when coding the data collected. Notes and recordings were transcribed and individually translated by every researcher. Each researcher individually identified the attributes, consequences, and values of the transcripts. The identified variables, recordings, notes, and transcriptions were thereafter cross-checked to ensure correctness of the study. When deciding on the quotes to bring up in the findings section, each participant got to view the translated version of what they implied during the interview. This was to ensure correctness to the translation of

transcripts, making sure that the findings truly described the participants' experiences, which further increased the credibility of the study (Creswell & Miller, 2000; Padgett, 2008).

3.6.3 Transferability

In this research, the researchers have used a sample consisting of ten interviewees and niched the study to the perceived value of users in the SVoD segment. When an individual decides to subscribe to a SVoD service, there are some specific values which the user aims to satisfy. Although this study has identified these values within the SVoD segment, previous research has shown that an individual’s values can correspond across products and services (Mazis, Ahtola & Klippel, 1975; Andrews, Ansari & Currim, 2002). Meaning that the emerging values identified in this study can be translated into other products to predict customer purchasing behavior and intentions. With transferability referring to the extent in which the findings of a study can be generalized to other settings or contexts (Collis & Hussey, 2014), this study is viewed to possess a high transferability.

3.6.4 Dependability

The researchers increased dependability by being transparent and systematic throughout the whole process of the study. Audio recording, coding and investigator triangulation of the interviews were successfully accomplished, enhancing the dependability of the research (Shenton, 2004). Notes were taken during the interviews which together with the audio recording allowed for no information to get lost. Peer-reviewing allowed for individual’s not participating in the study to be informed about our research process on several occasions, allowing for critique and readjustments to improve the quality of the study (Sandelowski 1986; Streubert, 2007). Including peer-reviews and self-assessing the researchers’ subjectivity were procedures contributing to a reduced biased study, hence increasing the dependability (Guba, 1981).

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3.6.5 Confirmability

The researchers approached confirmability by making sure that the research process is clearly described and ensured that the findings section is solely derived from empirical data (Collis & Hussey, 2014). Investigator triangulation was of great help to reduce personal opinions and bias, allowing for confirmability throughout the whole process. This was accomplished to make sure that interpretation of findings were not figments of the researchers’ imagination, but completely derived from the data collected.

3.7 Data Coding and Analysis

Once the data from the semi-structured interviews was collected, the main part of the analysis took place. The analysis was inspired by the general analytical procedure with the three main stages of reducing data, displaying data, and drawing conclusions and verifying the validity of those conclusions. The approach is suitable for the interpretivist paradigm for analyzing interview transcriptions (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Transcriptions from the interviews were constructed from notes and audio recordings by using all words and expressions the

interviewee used, to collect all raw material and capture the full picture. The written transcriptions were reduced by using coding into 1st order concepts (attributes), 2nd order themes (consequences), and 3rd order aggregate dimensions (values). Both the attributes and consequences had to be reduced to limit the number of categories. If the same attribute or consequence were expressed using different words, then the researchers interpreted and combined these into the same category e.g., “well-made documentaries” and “high quality productions” resulted in Quality of content, or “feel included” and “being involved” equaled Involvement. The attributes were detected through the answers to the fundamental questions (appendix 3). Some of these attributes were mentioned by several participants but derived different consequences. The following is an example of the procedure. Being able to access content would show to be an answer to the question of what attributes or functions the person looks for when choosing a SVoD service. Therefore, accessibility was derived as a 1st order attribute. The probing question was based on the answers presented by the participant and aimed at finding out the consequence of the provided attribute. This could be reached by asking the participant to elaborate further on the answer in which e.g., being able to watch the content anywhere at any time was presented. Watch anywhere/anytime emerged as a 2nd order consequence of the attribute of accessibility. The 3rd order aggregate dimensional value was thereafter asked for by peeling yet another layer of the consequence. For example, the

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consequence of watch anywhere/anytime was elaborated into the value of convenience once the participant was asked to explain why it is important to be able to watch the content anywhere at any time. Here, the value of convenience emerged from the answer provided.

Figure 1. Sample of the Coding Structure

This procedure resulted in several attributes, consequences, and values to emerge. Similar values have been captured in previous studies, however, the values used in this study emerged from the researchers interviewing process and coding/analysis and have been interpreted by the researchers. All interviews became unique, depending on the answers provided, since the probing questions were grounded on the answers provided. When the answers provided by the

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participants were similar, the researchers chose to include those quotes that best described and captured the subject of discussion.

Furthermore, inductive research describes a study in which theory is developed from the observation of empirical reality; thus, general inferences are induced from particular instances (Collis & Hussey, 2014). The analysis is aligned with this method where the results of the empirical findings were further developed by theorizing from interpretations by the researchers. Results were that two temporal dimensions emerged and were plotted as

perceived immediate value and perceived future value. To support the findings of the emerged temporal dimensions, other theories, e.g., social identity theory, were used. During the process of the empirical work, it was unknown what would emerge. Therefore, once realizing that there was e.g., a social element involved in the decision-making process, the researchers went back to the literature and found that social identity theory was a suitable theory for explaining results emerging from the empirical findings. The writing process required an iterative

process of going back and forth between empirical findings and existing theory to make sense out of the results.

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4. Empirical Findings

The following findings are derived from the in-depth interviews and presented aligned with the research question. The identified perceived values are individually introduced with an explanation of the researchers’ interpretation, followed by the procedure of the emerging 1st order concepts (attributes), 2nd order themes (consequences), and 3rd order aggregate dimensions (values). Lastly, a summary is presented as well as the entire hierarchical value map showing the identified behaviors of the interviewees.

4.1 Perceived Epistemic Value

During the interviews, it was found that gaining knowledge is of great interest for several participants when subscribing to consume entertainment of their choice. There was a great emphasis for absorbing knowledge from the chosen entertainment gained from SVoD services out of self-interest and is therefore a great value that emerged from the participants. In this study, we define Epistemic value as: satisfying a desire for knowledge.

Epistemic value was recognized from the desire of gaining knowledge when subscribing to a SVoD service and is shown to be a value of importance when choosing a SVoD service to subscribe to. The combination of finding content, not only for entertainment purposes, but for satisfying a desire for knowledge is addressed from different angles by participant A-C and H-J. The underlying attributes were found to be quality of content, accessibility, and original content. Furthermore, probing questions resulted in the consequence of educational. These consequences were further linked to our definition of epistemic value.

The attributes quality of content, original content, and accessibility shows to be attributes of the consequence educational. Participants A, B, and J address the attribute quality of content where the quality has an impact on the outcome of the time spent absorbing the content. It was found that the participants have a need for gaining knowledge to not waste time. The content reaches direct impact for educational purposes which further links to epistemic value i.e., satisfying a desire for knowledge. The following are statements from participant A, B, and J regarding what the person looks for in a subscription:

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A: “I mainly look for documentaries. [...] If I have watched a good documentary, I get the feeling that I have learned something. It is not a complete waste of time but I’m doing

something productive as well.”

B: “[...] that you can relate to the content you both have watched, then maybe you’ll learn something new. [...] Things that you experience in life or that you have watched, you can

bring with you in life to increase self-confidence or use in my working career.”

J: “The best content. [...] Of course, there are times when I just want to be entertained but most of the time, I subscribe to watch movies or series with the purpose of learning

something.”

The attributes original content and accessibility were addressed and further elaborated into the consequence educational. According to participant C, H and I, the accessibility and original content of SVoD services increases your general knowledge and boosts your identity salience, meaning how you are perceived for oneself and in the eyes of others. This addresses the value of satisfying a desire for knowledge and is thereby linked to epistemic value. The following quotes were acknowledged:

H: “I want to maintain a certain level of general knowledge [...] The documentaries that Netflix produces are very good and contribute with knowledge through entertainment, which

personally feels more rewarding than, e.g., reading an article.”

I: “In addition, subscribing to develop my knowledge to identify myself as a more educated person. [...] I want to increase and maintain my knowledge and commitment in e.g., sports to

enjoy the games and competitions I watch to a greater extent.”

C: “As I continuously want to improve my knowledge, subscribing to a SVoD service will give me easy access to different kinds of content with the aim to learn something new.”

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Figure 2. The Consequence of Educational to Perceived Epistemic Value

Subscribing with the aim to satisfy a desire for knowledge was shown to affect the purchasing decision among participants. The knowledge gained from consuming content from a SVoD service could thereafter be applied in daily life, such as using the acquired knowledge to appreciate future sports competitions more highly or use the knowledge in a working career. It was apparent that individuals' self-confidence got enhanced and the knowledge could also be used in a social setting.

4.2 Perceived Social Value

Participants made it clear that future value was an attractive desire and motivation for subscribing. It was mentioned between the participants that knowledge and information retrieved from consuming a series or movie, could thereafter be used, or applied in daily life to strengthen current connections or build new relationships. The underlying reward of the value was described as to improve the participants personal relationships, feeling

belongingness to a group, and contributing with knowledge in a social context. According to the participants, the five consequences of social value were Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), social watching, up-to-date and involvement. These consequences altered from the 6

attributes popularity among friends, original content, accessibility, quality of content, multiple devices, and technological features.

The consequence of FOMO arrived from the attributes: popularity among friends and original content (A & F). Participant A explained how his friends got him to subscribe to Netflix:

A: “Well, three of my friends had recently viewed a new original series which Netflix had released. When meeting up someday, they started chit-chatting about its content and were all very excited about it. Even though the series did not really interest me. [...] I subscribed out of

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Through probing questions, the interviewees were able to dig deeper into the underlying value the respondents acquired from subscribing out of FOMO. It became evident that an

enhancement of social connections and belonging to a group were the factors that justified the action of subscribing. Participant F clarified:

F: “I subscribed to view the series with the aim of feeling more connected to my friends and be able to express how I felt about certain things.”

Figure 3. The Consequence of FOMO to Perceived Social Value

Participants (B, D, G & J) explained accessibility, multiple devices and original content as the attributes which allowed for social value to emerge from the consequence of social watching. Participant D, G and J implied the followingly:

D: “The reason for my previous subscriptions has involved me and my friends hanging out and wanting to watch a specific movie together. When finding the platform which offers this

movie, we could easily subscribe.”

G: “Soccer is something me and my friends solely watch when we are together. Being able to share the account among each other, reducing the cost, has led us to subscribe.”

J: “With Discovery+ broadcasting their originally produced quiz-based series, me and my friends can come together and compete.”

Social value was according to participants (B, D, G & J) achieved as a consequence of social watching. The interviewees implied that value was gained when sharing the moment with

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someone else. This is explained in participants B and G’s responses to how joy is gained from consuming video content:

B: “It’s much more enjoyable to watch content together with someone than by yourself. It’s a way of hanging out together where no conversation is forced to take place, but the streamed

content may invite to conversations and experiences can be shared.”

G: “In the long run, watching together with someone enhances the friendship since it fills an empty space and creates new topics to discuss later on.”

Figure 4. The Consequence of Social Watching to Perceived Social Value

Furthermore, another consequence that got brought up which does not give immediate value is involvement. The consequence of involvement was explained by participants (A, F & I) to originate from the underlying attributes, popularity among friends and quality of content. Participant A and F explains:

A: “The need and strive of feeling involved circulates around the preferences and what type of movie and series is popular to my group of friends.”

F: “If there is a good movie or series which I have not seen, it can lead to me being excluded from conversations where this series is being discussed.”

In this case, participant A would subscribe to a SVoD service with a strive to boost the

person’s social life, hence the reward of social value. The interviewee explains that the type of SVoD service and content one consumes reflects the identity and image other people have

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towards oneself. Participant A implies that people have become more judgmental of one’s individual series and movie preferences, subscribing to a SVoD service to watch popular content could make the person feel more involved. The interviewee implied the followingly:

A: “I have noticed how series and movies are very much involved in people’s conversations. If the ‘right’ content has not been watched, one can easily get left out of the group. Putting time aside to watch what is trending could make me feel more involved and invited to a social

setting. [...] which is why I subscribe.”

Figure 5. The Consequence of Involvement to Perceived Social Value

The bearing attributes to the underlying consequence of up to date is expressed by participants (A & F) as popularity among friends, quality of content and technological features. This is exemplified in the subsequent quotes:

A: “Technological applications are of great help to find newly released and trending content, which is something that I look for in a SVoD service. Newsletters, top 10 trending content and personalized suggestions bring me up-to-date and help me find content to enjoy and share to

my friends.”

F: “Newly released content which gets hyped in the media can make me subscribe to a SVoD service. [...] when the well-made documentary Cowspiracy was widely spoken about, I had to

subscribe and watch it to stay current.”

Social value is regarding participant A achieved through the consequence of being up to date. The interviewee explains the importance of being on top of new trending content, with the intention to be the person who introduces new content to the surrounding people. In this way,

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the participant receives appreciation, gratitude and builds up a trustful identity. Interviewee A explained the previous motive of subscribing in the following quote:

A: “It’s not like I want to be a trend-setter within the industry, but successfully introducing a series to someone can be compared to doing a good deed. The introduced person is filled with

gratitude and gets the feeling that they owe you one back. […] where I want to strengthen my relationships to friends.”

Figure 6. The Consequence of Up to Date to Perceived Social Value

Increasing and enhancing social relationships were recurrent motivations that a subscription ultimately would yield. Subscribing with the aim to feel belongingness in the future was an evident motivation that appeared in the interviews. Undeniably, for a social value to be met, being able to effortlessly access the SVoD service was brought up as an obstacle, motivating a strive for convenience value.

4.3 Perceived Convenience Value

Perceived convenience value is defined as consumers’ perception of the time and effort required to find and facilitate use of self-service technologies (Collier & Kimes, 2013). A common denominator that emerged was the value of convenience. Most interviewees (A-B & E-J) were shown to appreciate, to a great extent, the effortlessness that today’s SVoD services can provide for the consumer and, therefore, serves as a value when choosing a SVoD service to subscribe to. The attributes that raised the value of convenience were user interface,

technological features, accessibility, multiple devices, and original content. The attributes were further elaborated into consequences plotted as; easy to navigate, watch

Figure

Table 1. Information About Interview Participants
Figure 1. Sample of the Coding Structure
Figure 2. The Consequence of Educational to Perceived Epistemic Value
Figure 3. The Consequence of FOMO to Perceived Social Value
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References

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