This week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2024) in Las Vegas, The Walt Disney Company hosted its fourth annual Tech & Data Showcase which touted the company’s technology and upcoming innovations at the Chelsea Theater inside The Cosmopolitan Hotel, on the Strip.
The Details
Disney CEO Bob Iger opened the showcase with a message reinforcing the Company’s commitment to innovation by reminding the audience that no other media company drives change at the scale of Disney.
During the event, executives detailed the roadmap of advancements that they feel will continue to propel Disney as the leader in the marketplace.
“Disney connects our clients to world-class entertainment, sports and programming with proven engagement that cannot be found anywhere else.” said Rita Ferro, President, Global Advertising, The Walt Disney Company.
“Our industry-leading technology and data capabilities, paired with our global scale and reach, allows us to deliver intentional, and impactful experiences to consumers, while driving performance and effectiveness for brands. Who else can say that?”
Ferro also shared that advertisers can now buy inventory across both Hulu and Disney+ in a single campaign; a capability made possible by the company’s award-winning unified technology stack.
Disney+ and ESPN+ inventory will be made available domestically through Disney Campaign Manager in 2024. The self-service platform will additionally be expanded globally to create another layer of automation later this year.
Finally, she announced Disney’s Magic Words, the company’s first-to-market contextual advertising format using advanced data.
This new technology allows Disney to analyze scenes and visuals across their expansive library, to capture a mood or moment, to help advertisers personalize their messaging specifically around that emotion.
To me that sounds equal parts cool and creepy, but I’d have to learn more about it to pass a judgement.
Disney also unveiled its next generation of ad innovation: Gateway Shop and Shop the Stream.
Evolving from GatewayGo, Disney’s first commerce-enabled ad format, the new format called Gateway Shop allows consumers to access personalized offers for purchase from a retailer without leaving the viewing environment.
Soon, viewers can discover and explore products as they watch by sending products they see in films and TV straight to their second screen with Shop the Stream.
“Gateway Shop is a prime example of the holistic approach we take to building viewer-first ad experiences and formats,” said Amy Lehman, SVP, Advertising Platforms.
“Audience behaviors have changed, and advertising should reflect that and serve both viewers and marketers in new ways. Gateway Shop provides viewers with choice and control, in an engaging and non-disruptive format.”
The One App
Last year, it was announced that Disney+ and Hulu would be merged into one app featuring both streamers for those who subscribed to both.
During the holidays, some of those subscribers were given the beta screens in Disney+ which also had a main screen link to Hulu. I was one of them, though I haven’t fully explored it.
During the CES 2024 showcase, it was announced the company planned for the one app experience to be widely available by March 2024.
I’ll have more on what to expect soon.
D23 Expos
As we reported earlier this week, Disney also used the showcase to announce a ticket on sale date for the D23: The Ultimate Fan Experience in Anaheim this August, as well as announcing a new D23 fan event coming to Brazil in November 2024.
Both are being billed as reimagined D23 fandom experiences, with portions of each event streaming for the first time on Disney+, instead of online as with previous events.
“D23: The Ultimate Fan Experience will be the cornerstone event for Disney fandom,” said Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer at CES.
“Featuring special presentations and announcements, a streaming component on Disney+, musical performances, a new interactive app, one-of-a-kind shopping experiences, and much more, fans and families from across the globe will get to experience Disney like never before in this reimagined celebration.”
