Asad Ayaz Named The Walt Disney Company’s First-Ever Chief Brand Officer

[DisneyJayBama]

But you said it’s obvious what needs changing. What do you think is so obvious?

Get rid of the wokeness. It’s not that hard.

 

[Chi84]

Get rid of the wokeness. It’s not that hard.

What if people favor opening up to new ideas?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Um.....I'll just let the future answer my question!

And it ultimately will.

I’m more optimistic about this than most of their moves…so that’s “something”…I guess?

 

[donaldtoo]

What if people favor opening up to new ideas?

Nothing wrong with new ideas, but, Disney has demonstrated time and again that new ideas aren’t always better ideas.

 

[Chi84]

Nothing wrong with new ideas, but, Disney has demonstrated time and again that new ideas aren’t always better ideas.

That’s valid. I was just responding to one particular post.

 

[donaldtoo]

That’s valid. I was just responding to one particular post.

I understand that, and was just chiming in. Awkward sometimes to just hop into these conversations. No worries on my part.

 

[BlakeW39]

Yes…prior movies were good

He directed the Indiana Jones movie yet to be released

But
BUT…this is classic KK…award performance that may not work. She loved Rian Johnson and frankly he couldn’t understand Star Wars less if he tried to on purpose. Just awful…it looks worse each day.

Disney has shown a determination - and now it appears It is on Iger - to try and redefine a fanbase who never once asked for it.

The word is hubris. Period.

I hope at some point they’ll stop peeing into the wind

Lol, I love this. Particularly, "Disney has shown a determination - and now it appears It is on Iger - to try and redefine a fanbase who never once asked for it." Disney has completely alienated its core fanbases in its Star Wars, Marvel, and parks brands and it is astounding to me how little they seem to care. Apparently they think that normies outnumber us by so much that really, we don't matter.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Lol, I love this. Particularly, "Disney has shown a determination - and now it appears It is on Iger - to try and redefine a fanbase who never once asked for it." Disney has completely alienated its core fanbases in its Star Wars, Marvel, and parks brands and it is astounding to me how little they seem to care. Apparently they think that normies outnumber us by so much that really, we don't matter.

By “normies”…do you mean a transient general public that forgets a movie the minute they hit the door and don’t buy the product where the actual profit is made?

 

[BlakeW39]

By “normies”…do you mean a transient general public that forgets a movie the minute they hit the door and don’t buy the product where the actual profit is made?

Mmmm.... not really. I'm not necessarily talking about people who know absolutely nothing about what they consume. Those people are numerous for sure but they don't have much influence on the market at large, I think even Disney knows that. I moreso mean casual fans. People who enjoy or even consider themselves fans of the MCU for example, but probably have never even picked up a comic, nor do they even want to. People who have few if any strong opinions on what they consume and don't engage in analysis or criticism of any form of entertainment, whether that be Disney Parks, Star Wars, Marvel, Walt Disney Animation, etc.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Mmmm.... not really. I'm not necessarily talking about people who know absolutely nothing about what they consume. Those people are numerous for sure but they don't have much influence on the market at large, I think even Disney knows that. I moreso mean casual fans. People who enjoy or even consider themselves fans of the MCU for example, but probably have never even picked up a comic, nor do they even want to. People who have few if any strong opinions on what they consume and don't engage in analysis or criticism of any form of entertainment, whether that be Disney Parks, Star Wars, Marvel, Walt Disney Animation, etc.

Well that’s where you get tangled in the weeds…
Disney is a MASS product. So while it would be fool - honestly - to cater to those who DO pick up comic books or dress like Chewie for fun….
…they have to bring that more mainstream WITHOUT turning the backbone off.

Really isn’t that hard…use traditional themes, conflicts…heroes and villains…and don’t treat the audience as if they’re stupid.

Easiest way to do that is to make the characters believe themselves in their portrayals and serve a purpose.
No “box checking”…cause it’s fake.

 

[BlakeW39]

Well that’s where you get tangled in the weeds…
Disney is a MASS product. So while it would be fool - honestly - to cater to those who DO pick up comic books or dress like Chewie for fun….
…they have to bring that more mainstream WITHOUT turning the backbone off.

Really isn’t that hard…use traditional themes, conflicts…heroes and villains…and don’t treat the audience as if they’re stupid.

Easiest way to do that is to make the characters believe themselves in their portrayals and serve a purpose.
No “box checking”…cause it’s fake.

Well right, it would be silly for a huge company like Disney, or even one of subsections like Marvel Entertainment or Lucasfilm, to cater to just one small fragment of their larger audience. But I definitely think those core fanbases are MUCH more important than Disney gives them credit for. Sure, they make up a small part of a company's consumer base and ultimately don't make up the largest share of their revenue either. But...longer term, they are the lifeblood of any intellectual property. Marvel. DC. Star Wars. Disney Parks. Universal even. They have importance in the way they influence the market and the success of a brand, and they do so in ways no other parts of a fanbase are able to. Casual Star Wars fans don't have strong opinions on the sequel trilogy, and if you were to ask them they'd probably say it was pretty good. But the box office much more closely mirrors the opinions of the hardcore fans who hate TLJ and then didn't see Rise of Skywalker. Ditto for Marvel and ditto for the parks— albeit those brands expectedly function a little differently.

These niche fandoms are why companies need to strive for adaptational consistency (faithfulness to the OT or comic book 'accuracy,' as well thematic cohesion in the parks) and artistic depth. Like you said, treating their audience like they're stupid is getting Disney no where.