Google Trends from Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’
The Netflix show “Squid Game” is a breakout cultural phenomenon worldwide. In most regions it is, at the time of writing, the #1 show. In a sit-down with Deadline, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said, “Squid Game could be Netflix’s biggest show ever if the early viewership results hold.” So with that in mind, let’s take a look at how a show with a massive global reach like Squid Game looks through the lens of Google Trends.
Overall Interest
Since launch it has been on a massive upward trajectory, which is to be expected given the hype and publicity. From the related queries, we can also see that there’s already interest forming for a second season which has not yet been announced. So let’s dive a bit deeper…
Compare Interest Across Shows
This trend comparison shows 4 of Netflix’s top performing shows over the last 5 years. This gives us some context for how Squid Game is performing relative to some others that we might be familiar with already.
Themes: Financial Conversions
The show centers around a Korean competition, the prize for which is a large sum of money presented to the viewing audience in Korean Won. If you’re anything like me, upon hearing that you went straight to Google to find out that the ₩45.6 billion KRW prize pool in the show is approximately $38.7 million USD. Google also seemingly understands that “Squid – Animal” is a related search which says a lot about what’s going on here, along with the matching timeline in the uptick in searches matching roughly the same point in September 2021 when the show launched.
Theme: Clothing, Costumes & Cosplay
Search interest for costumes has started and is ramping up as recognition for the show is expanding.
In the regions that celebrate Halloween, people are identifying with the iconic outfits worn by the mysterious characters in the show and are looking for ways to start acquiring the look for October’s festivities.
In closing, these are fun exercises to go through for pop culture experiments however the very same techniques applied to your business can have powerful outcomes. The insights gained from observing trends, getting ahead of the crowd, and knowing where to be (or where not to be) is all vital information. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about how to put these methods to use to grow your business.
