Disney Advertising recently hosted its third annual Tech & Data Showcase demonstrating the breadth and depth of Disney’s technology and data innovation. The media and entertainment powerhouse put on a multi-faceted production shot across key creative and studio locations, followed by a live Q&A moderated by ABC News chief business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis at GMA Studios in Times Square.
“This day is dedicated to demonstrating how we continue to show and prove the power of Disney’s data and technology solutions that are driving real results for brands today. Our priority is to anticipate client needs and help better serve their businesses, 52 weeks a year,” said Disney Advertising president Rita Ferro.
During the showcase, Disney highlighted several key advancements that are dominating the industry, including:
- The Acceleration Of Cross-Screen Insights
- Rapid Adoption Of Disney’s Audience Graph And Clean Room Technology
- First-Party Measurement Of The Future
- Access Through Automation
“Our bold vision to build a dynamic platform, inclusive of measurement, was a strategic move for Disney. Owning our own proprietary ad engine gives us greater flexibility and control, in order to prioritise delivery behaviour for ad clients. And as illustrated today, it’s working,” said Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution chief technology officer Aaron LaBerge.
During the live Q&A, Rebecca Jarvis was joined by Disney Advertising executives: Client Solutions and Addressable Enablement EVP Lisa Valentino, EVP and Advertising Platforms head Jeremy Helfand and Audience Modeling and Data Science SVP Dana McGraw. The dialogue ranged from Disney’s proprietary technology, to providing choice and flexibility to clients, and building a future proof blueprint that scales across screens like streaming.
Key takeaways from the conversation:
- On the importance of technology that’s built, not borrowed or bought: “When you own your own tech, you can really own your own destiny.” – Lisa Valentino
- Behind Disney’s intention of driving forward data innovation: “We were ahead of our own schedule, and [now] we’re able to offer all three things – activation, buying and measurement. We have a right-now solution, not just an idea.” – Dana McGraw
- Fueling the technology in-house: “Being able to build products once and deploy them across all Disney endpoints leads to our vision of the unified ad platform – build once, deploy everywhere. Buy once, deliver everywhere.” – Jeremy Helfand
- Paving the way across the marketplace: “We have nearly every category activating in a Clean Room … Disney’s blueprint for optionality means we have to be constantly innovating ahead in the marketplace.” – Lisa Valentino
- Connecting audience insights across screens: “We wanted to build our own graph our way, in-house, so that we knew what we were building, and what we were doing puts consumers first – that’s number one. It’s really, ultimately, the connective tissue for everything that we do.” – Dana McGraw
- Viewer experience and business results are not mutually exclusive: “There is a direct correlation between viewer experience and return on investment … Owning your own tech stack does not mean a lack of interoperability.” – Jeremy Helfand
Disney Advertising’s annual Tech and Data Showcase sets the stage for the company’s continued commitment to delivering insights-driven and performance-proven solutions to brands and advertisers across the Disney portfolio. Disney Advertising will host its annual Upfront event at the state-of-the-art North Javits Center in New York City on 16 May 2023.
