Medium: The New York Times

Vehicle: Newspaper Article

Date: February 5, 2020

Headline/Section/Page: “Disney’s Flashiest Result: 28.6 Million Subscribers,” Business Section: B4

Company Involved: Disney

Story: Disney Plus, which officially launched only 3 months ago, now has over 28 million subscribers, which is way higher than anyone in the company predicted. It goes on to highlight some of the features of Disney Plus that make it stand out from other streaming services. The story clearly talks about the success of Disney Plus, but then highlights that its success is playing a huge role in keeping Disney profitable this quarter, as the coronavirus has forced Disney to remain shut down for over a week and is not set to reopen any time soon.  The effects of this closure is estimated to result in a loss of about 135 million dollars.

So, what do I think? What’s the point of this? 

This is positive PR for Disney because it shows that Disney is satisfying customers in the areas of their company that they are able to control. The story also includes details of Disney Plus and what makes it so enticing to customers, which is built in advertising, and is obviously a positive for the Disney brand. However, I found this story interesting because of the huge setback Disney is facing due to something they cannot control: the coronavirus. If I were a Disney PR professional, I would turn this unfortunate setback into a campaign. I would first publicly donate one million dollars to help support those affected by the coronavirus outbreak in some way (perhaps to families who are financially struggling due to the inability to work because of this virus), and then I would run a campaign around the idea that, while the brand of Disney takes on many forms, and is in so many countries, there is unity in the brand. I would highlight all of the places in the world where Disney is present in some way, and then express that when one part of Disney is struggling, the whole company feels sympathy for them, and wants to help. I picture this being a visual campaign with a “One Love” type slogan where Disney publicly acknowledges those struggling in China and commits to helping them both financially and emotionally.