Stephanie Skinner’s Post

Still thinking about the Disney Super Bowl ad from last night. It's remarkable how their brand voice resonated through simplicity, evoking powerful emotions and memories. This ad brilliantly showcases the profound impact a carefully crafted brand message can have on storytelling and audience engagement. With just a simple black font against a neutral background, Disney didn't just announce the streaming of the Taylor Swift Eras doc (although they did it wonderfully). They effectively tapped into our collective nostalgia, reinforcing their timeless connection with audiences. This serves as a powerful reminder to marketers about the significance of brand voice in delivering impactful messages. It's not just about what you say, but how you say it. Kudos to Disney for demonstrating the art of storytelling at its finest. https://lnkd.in/errENJD2 . . . . | Super bowl 2024 | Super Bowl Ads | Disney Plus ad | Disney ad |

I've written previously that the new metric that streamers are focusing on is TIME SPENT. This is a great article detailing some of the new features that Disney is actively developing for its streaming platforms to increase viewer engagement and retention. These initiatives are aimed at extending the time subscribers spend watching content to reduce churn and boost ad revenue. "A metric known as “hours per subscriber”—a measure of user engagement—has taken on increased importance at Disney in recent months, current and former streaming employees say. Netflix, famous for enabling binge-watching with batch releases of episodes, has also given priority to improving user engagement and return visits in recent years." #ctv #timespent #streamingtv

Disney's defensive strategy in the most expensive proxy battle in history. The Walt Disney Co. and Trian Partners, led by Nelson Peltz, are currently in the midst of the most expensive proxy battle in history. Why it matters: Disney is pulling every communications lever to fight off Peltz ahead of the April 3 shareholder meeting. Between the lines: Disney must cast a wider than normal communications net because of the enormous amount of retail investors who own the stock. Zoom in: To do that, it has launched a grassroots... https://lnkd.in/drjJcEPx

From the Journal: Iger returned for his second stint as CEO to a changed #media business and impatient shareholders. He is under pressure to ensure The Walt Disney Company’s #streaming business reaches profitability in the final quarter of its current fiscal year, after racking up more than $11 billion in losses in its first four years. Disney’s acquisition of Fox Corporation #entertainment assets for $71.3 billion was supposed to supercharge its #streaming efforts, bringing in lucrative franchises like “Avatar” and “The Simpsons,” but the company has been slow to monetize much of the library of shows and characters it purchased, and is already selling off parts of key properties it got in the deal. That transaction also saddled Disney with more than $14 billion in Fox debt and a bigger portfolio of declining cable #TV networks. “There are just no easy solutions today,” said Peter Murphy, former head of Disney’s strategic planning department, a kind of advisory board for the company set up by Eisner in the 1990s. “Disney wants to be a high-growth, tech-oriented company but they still have one foot firmly planted in the Old #Hollywood, Old Broadcast, Old Cable world.” Meanwhile, Disney’s movie studios, which form its creative engine, are sputtering. Fans are fed up with endless Marvel sequels, and live-action remakes of classic animated films have disappointed at the box office. Much of Iger’s second tenure as CEO has been spent exploring, but not executing on strategic plans. Iger flirted with the idea of offloading traditional TV assets, but recently tempered expectations of any such deal. ESPN has had talks with #sports leagues about offering them stakes in the network in exchange for assets, such as the National Football League (NFL)’s subscription-streaming service and the NBA’s League Pass package. So far no deal has emerged. For investor Nelson Peltz, Iger’s actions so far—from job cuts, to cost savings and strategic reviews—are inadequate. Last week, Trian Fund Management, L.P. said in a securities filing that it has nominated Peltz and Jay Rasulo to Disney’s board, and called for changes including “Netflix-like” 15% to 20% profit margins for Disney’s streaming business as well as clarity on the returns for planned effort to launch a direct-to-consumer ESPN product. This time, Peltz has financial help from former Marvel Entertainment chairman Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter, who played a key role in Disney’s rise as a superhero movie juggernaut. Now, Iger must face off with Roberts—this time, not as a seller, but as a buyer of Comcast’s one-third stake in the streaming service Hulu, which is majority owned by Disney. The final chapter of Iger’s Disney story is still being written. He may very well prevail in the activist battle, forge deals that fortify Disney’s streaming business and return some magic to moviemaking. Iger’s famed know-how in developing hit franchises out of Disney’s intellectual property will be put to the test.

Disney sold ads for a hefty sum of $1.7 million to $2.2 million for a 30-second spot during the Oscars. But did anyone pay attention to the commercials? I certainly didn't, except for Larry Bird in the attic. The last time I watched the Oscars was when Dana White's Power Slap was on stage. It begs the question, how can we improve our connections with viewers and fans? At Dropt, we have some ideas, but we'd love to hear yours. How can we make an impact beyond just selling inventory. #Oscars #Advertising #Marketing #Connections #Viewership

What was a relatively clean organization of Brands in Disney+ now has a carousel which is so confusing and abstract it devalues the other content. Disney+ to most was an experience where they could follow Brands they love like Star Wars, Marvel or Pixar. That experience is now full of streaming TV noise, American Idol, American Horror Strory, Shogun, Greys Anatomy. It’s like all of the audience segments turn up in one cacophonous room. Each show vying for the customers attention. This is the opposite of The Walt Disney Companys physical experiences The Walt Disney Studios is not Hulu - Disney+ can be a space where Hulu turns up, but it can’t be the loudest voice. #brandstrategy, #brandarchitecture, #infomationarchitecture

Earlier today as The Walt Disney Company held another Town Hall Meeting with Disney CEO Bob Iger, that was moderated by ABC News anchor David Muir (around this time last year is when Iger was reinstated unexpectedly as CEO of The House of Mouse) from the ousting of former Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Some of the top brass from other company execs from DMED, Direct to Consumer, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products were there today and even Iger has admitted for running the company for 15-years and stated: “I knew that there were myriad challenges that I would face coming back,” Iger said. “I won’t say that it was easy, but I’ve never second guessed the decision to come back, and being back still feels great.” Even for the theme parks and even in a previous memo and where also Iger said: “As I reflect on the immense progress we've made this year and look ahead to the many opportunities before us, I'm grateful to all of you - the people of this great company - for the tremendous work you do each and every day to ensure we continue delivering incredible entertainment for our audiences, guests, and fans all over the world." -> https://lnkd.in/gcmsx-E9 -> https://lnkd.in/gadTunAk #thewaltdisneycompany #disneycastlife #disneyworld #disneyland #disneyparks #disney100 #businessnews #businessanalysis #entertainmentnews #entertainmentindustry #disneylife #industrynews #newsupdate #newstoday #popculture

This Disney+ launch was genius: PMMs, you should steal this social playbook 👉 Every Disney brand replied to the Disney+ launch tweet. All with funny on-brand messages in their POV. From Pixar to Star Wars and The Avengers. They created one epic thread. The result? Massive engagement for their launch 🚀 📌 Key takeaways for us PMMs: 1) Tap into your entire brand ecosystem 2) Stay true yo your brand voice 3) Coordinate for max impact Well played Disney! Well played 👏👏👏 h/t mkobach on X for the great thread

Disney CEO Bob Iger tells employees he wants to start "building again". As a Disney fan and a reoccurring visitor to their parks, I want to preface that this is just my opinion on my take on what I think is going on with The Walt Disney Co. Why isn't Disney the "juggernauts" they once were? Park attendance is down. Well, if I have to take out a loan just to visit your theme park, we may need to have a conversation. Look, I get it, you have to buy your attendance. New rides, new realms, you need to do something to keep your guests coming back. And well, you have to offset those costs somewhere, but not so much that people feel they need to go into debt just to visit. It's because no one wants to go to the movies anymore! Not really. The top 4 movies of 2023 domestically were Barbie, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Universe, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Heck, Five Nights at Freddys performed very well. It is now Blumhouse's highest grossing movie at the global box office. What do these movies have in common? Well, they are all IP titles and or sequels. What this tells me is people will flock to the theaters for not just the characters, but characters we the audience love and for the unique stories they tell. Do I believe The Walt Disney Co. will turnaround, absolutely. This is a time where they need to look themselves in the mirror (which I'm sure they are doing). Let's get back to the basics when it comes to the guest experience. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the current state of The Walt Disney Co. #waltdisney #bobiger #waltdisneyworld #marvel #boxoffice #themepark https://lnkd.in/g6kX38TY

What if you took this strategy and applied it to yourself? We assume strategies like this are just for products and things. IMO the coolest, most upgradeable, most full-of-hidden-potential product is Your Future Time. So imagine now you need a new job, or you got a big promotion, or you want to share a major professional milestone. What if you borrowed this approach? Find 5-6 awesomely unique people in your network. And craft a connected story with them. A connected story that amplifies them (like Pixar, Nat Geo etc) And amplifies you. Resulting in a win for everyone. Not just you. Disney gave us all a master class on wielding power. And remind us that magic power happens together.