Disney Shakeups May Affect Future Marketing

It appears the House of Mouse is undergoing further changes. The Los Angeles Times has an engaging article about the current decisions being made at the Walt Disney Company. It seems film studio head Rich Ross is letting many of the organization’s mainstays go, and wants to usher in a new era of film and marketing decisions.


To get a breakdown of who is gone and the broad implications of Ross’ moves, I suggest reading the entire article for yourself. What concerns us viral fans though are the comments Ross made about the studio’s marketing techniques:

“In meetings with producers, filmmakers and agents, Ross attacked the industry custom of spending $40 million on a TV advertising blitz two weeks before a film’s opening, rather than enlisting more targeted campaigns that harness social networks and the broader Web. “

If Ross gets his way, we may be seeing significantly more films advertise online than ever before. This hopefully includes more drawn out viral campaigns.    

I think it’s easy to forget that Disney is much more than a movie studio and theme park. It’s one of the biggest and most influential companies on the planet. Having had the privilege to tour the behind the scenes of Walt Disney World in Orlando a few years back, I’ve seen how Disney is a company like any other. Lots of offices. Lots of non-costumed workers. Like any successful, major corporation, there will be politicking and drama over its future. That is clearly what’s happening now, and everyone should keep an eye on Disney’s decisions over the coming months. Not only will they affect some of our favorite properties, but it seems there’s the potential to create a more viral friendly industry. 


Have any thoughts on the matter?  Let us know below.