Disney will continue to rely on short-form content under the new leadership of CEO Josh D’Amaro and move forward with investing in original intellectual properties and existing franchises under President Dana Walden.
On Disney’s earnings call on Wednesday, D’Amaro’s first since being named CEO, the president noted that the company has already introduced vertical video to Disney+, noting that it’s still early days, but “it’s already driving deeper engagement,” and the ESPN app.
Disney brought it too predator and Lilo and Stitch Videos from creators to its streaming platforms, and it plans to “consolidate this work in the coming months.” The company is also focused on “making sure our IP is visible in relevant ways across social media platforms,” D’Amaro said.
“It’s an area we’re focused on because we have very committed fans who love our brands, franchises and characters, and want to engage with them in this new way. This is especially important when we think about Gen Alpha, which is obviously the newest generation of Disney fans,” D’Amaro said of the overall short-form strategy.
“We will continue to strengthen this work in the coming months and are really focused on making sure our IP is visible in relevant ways across social platforms,” he said.
Overall, when it comes to content strategy under D’Amaro and now Dana Walden, who has been named president and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Company, D’Amaro said the company will continue to invest in existing franchises, as well as work to “take creative risks to build entirely new franchises.” quote Zootopia As an example of a franchise worth investing in, is a new Pixar film Hoppers As an example of a potential new area.
“We focus on investing in intellectual property that is highly successful, builds fan connections and is long-lasting,” D’Amaro said.
When Walden was appointed to her role, Disney brought its gaming business under the same umbrella as its streaming, film and television teams. D’Amaro said the move would help “accelerate the decision-making process,” while praising Walden’s ability to manage this new streamlined organization.
“What lies ahead? We’re focusing TV programming within Disney Entertainment, DTC. So we’re programming for Disney Plus and Hulu, while being smart about the window and content to linear so we can expand reach and maximize revenue. We’ve also integrated our gaming business into Disney Entertainment. This creates new opportunities to cross-promote franchises and use games to expand storytelling and ultimately develop new IP. So, Dana basically makes sure that every decision we make in terms of content, from From development to distribution, “it’s optimized for the fans and the long-term strength of our brands,” D’Amaro said.
