What I’m Thinking About

Microsoft is reaping its way through its video game portfolio like the Grim Reaper with his deathly scythe. Major studios are at risk of closing, thousands of jobs are on the chopping block, and the consensus is that Microsoft’s video game strategy, led by the latest generation of the Xbox, isn’t working.

This is after an insane acquisition spree that saw them collect, among other things, Activision-Blizzard, one of the most lucrative video game studios out there. They own the studios that make World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, and somehow, they’re still not making it work.

Many are calling the acquisition strategy into question, and it puts me in mind of another corporate giant that gobbled up a bunch of other companies.

Yes, that’s right, the Mouse. I’ve been having a serious intrusive thought lately as I take my bi-weekly long thinking walk. Disney is starting to have a brand problem. This is unusual, as Disney is the only major studio that actually has a brand. The other majors (Netflix, Warner Bros, Universal, etc) don’t actively define themselves, but Disney does.

Disney is:

• Family entertainment
• Wholesome values
• A kind of pure-hearted wonder and whimsy

Or as their brand mantra puts it: “Fun family entertainment”.

Except Disney now also owns Marvel, Lucasfilm, and everything Fox has ever owned. Put another way, Disney now owns the Alien and Predator franchises. And while I adore both of those franchises, they are decidedly not “fun family entertainment”.

Go log in to the Disney+ App. Despite the attempts to segment off kids-only profiles, the thing is a mess. The design for the UI is very in keeping with traditional Disney – lots of whimsy, gentle colors, highlights of their kid-friendly classics.

Oh, and also, you can watch Daredevil: Born Again, where the Mayor of New York crushes a man’s skull in his hands with full practical effects. Or Punisher: One Last Kill, where the guy in the upcoming Spider-Man movie brutally kills 67 people! Can’t wait to see how they square the circle of bringing the Xenomorph and Mulder and Scully over when they shut down Hulu and push us all into Disney+!

I want to be clear – I loved Daredevil: Born Again. I am an old school X-Files fan, and one of my fondest memories of courting my wife was seeing Aliens with her at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. These aren’t bad properties… they’re just very strange to see attached to Disney.

Disney has several challenges, but one of their own making is that they’re actively diluting one of their strongest assets – their brand equity. It’s not totally gone, of course. Disney adults and fans still exist, but it’s hard to see new fans forming those same bonds when Disney means so many different things now.

It’s become, in essence, just another movie studio.

What I’m Working on

As I’ve mentioned on this blog, I’ve been supplementing my seven years of marketing experience with theoretical understanding through UCLA’s extension courses. I just wrapped up my Brand and Integrated Marketing Communications classes and am proudly adding my final projects to my portfolio:

1. A brand audit of Blumhouse Pictures, the horror movie giant that is recovering from a handful of misteps and rethinking what they can be.
2. An integrated marketing communications plan for Sanctuary, a slasher movie I wrote in my other life as a screenwriter.

This week I’m starting on my two latest classes: Market Research and Digital Marketing. Can’t wait to see what I’ll learn in these!

Cool Things

Two things from my birthday weekend vacation up at Big Bear, should you ever find yourself there. There will be a theme.

1. Tropicali – Best poke I’ve ever had in one of the grooviest locations I’ve ever been in. Seriously contends with some of the best tiki bars I’ve visited in my life for atmosphere, and the food? Absolutely incredible.
2. Big Bear Tiki Tours – A custom-built flat boat designed to look like a floating tiki bar takes you on a tour of Big Bear Lake while a bartender slings one of the best Mai Tais I’ve ever had. Even more adorable than the idea is the husband and wife duo behind it. They’ve fought to keep their dream alive, and I believe this will be the year they take off. This one is worth the drive and the day trip, people. You will never feel more relaxed than sipping a zombie while rocking gently on the lake, watching the sun go down over the mountains.