Disney Unveils Transformative Technology at CES 2024

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, Disney showcased its transformative technology and upcoming innovations, highlighting its commitment to driving change in the media and entertainment industry.

Remarks from Disney Executives

Rita Ferro, President of Global Advertising at The Walt Disney Company, emphasized the company’s focus on connecting clients with world-class entertainment, sports, and programming. Ferro highlighted Disney’s leading technology and data capabilities, enabling impactful experiences for consumers while driving performance and effectiveness for brands.

Disney CEO Bob Iger reinforced the company’s commitment to innovation, emphasizing its unmatched ability to drive change at scale. Executives unveiled a roadmap of advancements that will further position Disney as a leader in the marketplace.

Key Technology Announcements

• Unified Technology Stack: Disney announced the ability for advertisers to buy inventory across both Hulu and Disney+ in a single campaign, made possible by the company’s award-winning unified technology stack.
• Disney’s Magic Words: Disney introduced its first-to-market contextual advertising format, Magic Words, which utilizes advanced data to analyze scenes and visuals across the company’s expansive library. This technology allows advertisers to personalize messaging around specific emotions and moments.
• Clean Room Expansion: Disney expanded its roster of cloud services powering Clean Room interoperability to include Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud. Additionally, Disney and Habu introduced a dedicated portal to simplify the process of setting up a Clean Room for clients.
• Disney Campaign Manager: Disney+ and ESPN+ inventory will be made available domestically through Disney Campaign Manager in 2024. The self-service platform will also be expanded globally, creating another layer of automation.
• Gateway Shop and Shop The Stream: Disney evolved its commerce-enabled ad format, GatewayGo, into Gateway Shop, allowing consumers to access personalized offers for purchase from retailers without leaving the viewing environment. Shop the Stream will enable viewers to discover and explore products seen in films and TV by sending them directly to their second screen.
• Innovid and Lucid: Disney collaborated with Lucid Impact Measurement by Cint to provide marketers with real-time metrics and consideration. The partnership with Innovid will help brands facilitate and achieve desired actions or outcomes.

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

Tickets for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, taking place in Anaheim, California from August 9-11, will go on sale starting March 26. The D23 experience will also expand globally, beginning in São Paulo, Brazil, in November.

Generation Stream Global

Disney Advertising’s international iteration of Generation Stream, its in-house research study focused on the streaming industry, will continue to provide insights into connecting with streamers effectively.

Insights from Disney Executives

• Ajay Arora, SVP, Commerce, Growth, and Identity: Arora emphasized the combination of decisioning, data, engineering, automation, and measurement, creating a competitive advantage for advertising partners. He highlighted the company’s strong tech stack as a foundation for smarter innovation.
• Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer: Ayaz described D23 as the cornerstone event for Disney fandom, featuring special presentations, announcements, a streaming component on Disney+, and interactive experiences. He expressed excitement about the reimagined celebration, which will allow fans and families worldwide to experience Disney like never before.
• Chara-Lynn Aguiar, EVP, Finance, Research, and Strategy: Aguiar emphasized ESPN’s position as the preeminent digital sports platform, unmatched in size and scale. She attributed ESPN’s success to its commitment to innovating the fan experience and offering live events and content from all major leagues.
• Dana McGraw, SVP, Audience Modeling & Data Science: McGraw discussed the company’s Audience Graph as the foundation for innovation, allowing the company to find, activate, and measure specific audiences while understanding how viewers consume content across various platforms.
• Jamie Power, SVP, Addressable Sales: Power highlighted the importance of automation in gaining quicker insights into campaign performance. He emphasized the value of data in making more meaningful buys with Disney.

Conclusion

Disney’s presence at CES 2024 showcased its commitment to innovation, unveiling transformative technology and upcoming advancements. The company’s focus on data-driven personalization, automation, and collaboration with partners positions it as a leader in the evolving media and entertainment landscape.

With its cutting-edge technology and innovative approach, Disney is poised to continue captivating audiences and driving the future of entertainment.