SWOT Report

Introduction:

The Walt Disney Company has been around since 1923. The company was originally

called the Disney Brothers Cartoon studio, and was founded by Walt and Roy Disney. As the

name suggests, the company started out by making animated shorts. This changed as the

company grew in popularity and enjoyed great success. According to their website, Disney’s

mission “is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe.” They have done this by

producing films, tv shows, theme parks, and many other areas of entertainment. The company

has expanded by acquiring other companies as well. Disney owns (or at least partially owns) the

American Broadcasting Company, the National Geographic Channel, NBC Universal, the

Entertainment and Sports Broadcasting Network, Hulu, and more. Disney is currently run by

Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger. Iger has been with the company since 2005.

Strengths:

Walt Disney as a whole is a massive conglomerate that has been around for the last 100

years building its empire. The company has expanded from making small animated cartoons with

Mickey Mouse to making multi-million dollar productions in various genres and even having

theme parks based on these movies. The first strength that Disney has shown is their ability to

make strategic acquisitions, Disney's strategic acquisitions have played a major role in enhancing

its market position and diversifying its content portfolio. Their most notable acquisitions have

been: Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, Marvel in 2009, and Lucasfilm in 2012 (Complex). This

brought iconic movies like Toy Story, Iron Man, and Star Wars into the Disney portfolio,
breaking into new markets. These acquisitions have proven instrumental in maintaining Disney's

presence in the entertainment industry.

The next strength Disney has proven is their ability to have strong recognition. Disney's

ability to sell itself through its brand has created a culture and movement that we have seen

throughout multiple generations. The Disney brand has become one of magical fairytales, to high

action superhero movies. Even the iconic Disney logo, featuring Cinderella's castle, serves as an

instant portal and memory to people’s childhood no matter what age group sees it. This brand

omnipresence extends seamlessly from entertainment into merchandise, theme parks, and

educational initiatives. Disney's enduring appeal lies in its ability to evolve while staying true to

core values, fostering unwavering trust and emotional connections with audiences. In marketing,

the Disney brand operates as a magnetic force, drawing individuals into a universe where

imagination reigns supreme. This pervasive recognition not only propels the success of existing

endeavors but also opens doors to novel opportunities and collaborations across diverse

industries.

Third, Disney provides a variety of content that helps expand the current demographics

they market to. Disney's success is based in its diverse content offerings that cater to multiple

audiences across various platforms. From timeless animated classics to action films, Disney

delivers a vast portfolio of high-quality entertainment. As previously mentioned, their

acquisitions have helped them expand into different markets. However, their product

diversification has been a massive tell of their success. Such as having television networks like

ABC and ESPN diversify offerings, spanning news, sports, and a range of scripted and reality

programming to providing streaming services of all their content on platforms such as Disney+.

Beyond the screen, Disney's theme parks and merchandise lines extend the storytelling
experience, creating a holistic entertainment ecosystem. This diverse content strategy not only

ensures a continuous revenue stream but also solidifies Disney's standing as a comprehensive

entertainment powerhouse, captivating audiences of all ages and interests.

Lastly, Disney’s global presence has made them stand apart from their competitors.

Disney's global presence helps it stand as a cultural and entertainment pioneer. As previously

mentioned with theme parks, resorts, and media networks spanning continents, Disney has

created a name brand that resonates worldwide. The enchantment of Disneyland and Disney

World captivates millions annually, while its media networks, including ABC and Disney

Channel, reach global audiences. The acquisition of international properties, combined with a

strategic focus on localization, ensures that Disney's “magic” transcends cultural boundaries.

This expansive Disney' footprint not only provides access to diverse markets but helps use

cultural nuances and differences to expand their current content portfolio. Disney's ability to

produce a variety of content that delivers the same level of quality and storytelling has helped

make it a global presence.

Weaknesses:

While Disney stands as a formidable company, there are areas needing improvement. A

notable weakness in recent years revolves around a shift towards prioritizing quantity and a

specific pricing strategy for their products, at the expense of quality. As reported by CNBC,

Disney has been emphasizing the rapid production of content rather than placing paramount

importance on the excellence of their movie. The quantity first mindset Disney has contributed to

the blow they met financially as they experienced its lowest-ever box office revenue, as noted by

CNBC. The focus on profit maximization with a number of diverse products and limited
spending has raised concerns about potential compromises and corners Disney has cut.

Addressing this imbalance between quantity and quality is key for sustaining Disney's brand and

ensuring continued success.

The challenge with this is the need to produce a diverse array of content without

compromising the captive story telling that has become synonymous with Disney. A focus on

quantity over quality will result in inconsistencies, similar plot-lines, or a decline in overall

content quality. This is seen with recent Marvel “spin-off” shows as there has been a lack of

engagement from a consumer base.

Understanding the fine line between quantity and quality along with maintaining brand

image is an ongoing challenge for many large scale entertainment companies, especially one as

big as Disney.. Striking this balance is important to ensure that each piece of content, no matter

what form of entertainment, aligns with Disney's value of delivering magical and memorable

experiences. By avoiding a trade-off between quantity and quality, Disney can continue to foster

sustained audience engagement and loyalty.

Another weakness Disney is facing is their inability to shift between generations. This is

a surprise to many consumers as this is one of the areas Disney always stood out in. However as

previously mentioned, their issue in content has reflected an inability to capture younger

audiences. One obstacle Disney confronts is the competition for attention in the digital realm.

Younger demographics are drawn to a diverse range of content and platforms that offer more

personalized experiences. While Disney has made strides with the launch of Disney+, capturing

the attention of younger audiences requires a competitive edge not only in content but relatability

that Disney has not been able to offer.

 To overcome these hurdles, Disney may need to invest in innovative marketing strategies,

influencer collaborations, and platform-specific content that resonates with younger viewers.

According to inside the magic, Disney’s new versatility of villains and characters have been

unappealing to younger audiences, making it so that Disney adults may be the last consumer base

left. Understanding the evolving preferences of this demographic and integrating these insights

into its marketing efforts will be crucial for Disney to maintain its relevance and appeal to the

next generation of consumers.

Overall, the biggest piece of advice that can be given to Disney when mitigating these

weaknesses is trying to focus on what they have done best for generations upon generations:

produce quality content. The reason the term “Disney adult” exists is because of the timeless

productions Disney has created. From the Lion King to certain Marvel movies, Disney has

proven their capabilities. Now it is a matter of being willing to spend and put time into the actual

content rather than trying to offer a diverse set of movies. This can come later and with time.

Opportunities:

With its household name and billion-dollar corporation, Disney has many opportunities to

grow its namesake and brand. The first opportunity that the company has is its current streaming

services, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. Disney+ has a variety of household films and

television shows, including media from studios like Pixar and Marvel. This gives Disney the

opportunity to collaborate with its different studios and create a variety of content in the

upcoming months. Additionally, having a streaming service specifically for the content owned

by Disney is beneficial for the company, as viewers who want to consume media that are

specifically made by Disney would have to sign up for Disney+. Disney+ also comes with a
bundle deal with their plans that includes their owned services like Hulu and ESPN with a

starting price of $7.99 per month, while other streaming platforms like Netflix only have plans

with their own services. Netflix, for example, has a standard plan for only its own streaming

service for $15.49 per month. The company has an opportunity not only to expand on its current

streaming services, but also to purchase more streaming platforms to add on their current group

of services, hopefully drawing in more audiences.

Another opportunity that Disney can use to grow as a company is establishing more

theme parks and exhibits both domestically and internationally. According to Forbes magazine,

Disney World had an estimated 17.1 million visitors in Magic Kingdom alone in 2022, which

was more than its numbers in 2021. Although there were not as many visitors as there were pre-

pandemic, the substantial amount of visits the company has acquired in the past two years is

quite notable, considering the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on exhibits and parks

globally. It would be wise for Disney to use these numbers as an opportunity to grow and expand

their parks to attract even more visitors in the upcoming years. In 2022, Magic Kingdom even

won the award for the world’s most visited theme park. Disney can take these numbers and

recognition to grow the DisneyLand/World brand, including making more exhibits and creating

an inviting and comfortable environment for its visitors. For example, Disney can appeal to their

audiences' ethos by marketing towards kids, as even beforehand, children were the target

audience for their theme parks as their favorite characters were able to “come to life.” Families

would be more inclined to buy tickets for their children to enjoy these magical experiences. If

Disney puts in the effort to grow its theme parks, then it may be able to see the same numbers it

did before the pandemic—maybe even higher numbers. Additionally, Disney should consider

creating more theme parks outside of the United States. Disney’s international parks are not shy
of visitor-numbers either, with the company’s most popular international park, DisneyLand in

Tokyo, Japan, having 12.35 million visitors in 2022. Expanding the brand into more international

areas will greatly increase the company’s revenue and will also make international populations

more familiar with Disney’s name.

With a name like Disney in the title, audiences are bound to naturally flock toward a

piece of media. Disney has the recognition to create big franchises that get extremely big with

fans and casual viewers alike. The company is known for creating beloved franchises like Toy

Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, and much more. Additionally, the company is well known for

expanding on established franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. With

their talented teams of writers, producers, and artists, it would be beneficial for Disney to use the

resources it has acquired over the years and create and expand upon new and original franchises.

Threats:

Digital streaming of TV shows, movies, and other content has been around since the

internet was made public. It was after the 2000s, however, when it became so big that it started

outperforming live television and movie box sales. Online video streaming brought ease and

comfort to one’s home instantly with a simple device that had a connection to the internet.

Disney, being a master at capitalism and able to bring in money with any venture they seek,

decided to test out the streaming world in the mid 2010s, starting with DisneyLife in Europe and

Disney Deluxe in Japan. They saw good figures in those regions and Disney+ came to life in

November 2019. They had a massive catalog right from the start, ranging from Disney television

to the bigger films that were not on other streaming services. The timing was great for them too,

as Disney’s streaming contract with Netflix was expiring and they needed a new place to bring
customers to. Soon after, the Covid-19 pandemic began and people were subscribing to the

service faster than ever. Here is where things started to slow down since Disney saw this increase

in subscribers and decided to gradually increase their prices and start making certain content

exclusive, either making people pay to see that media or removing content and giving them a

limited time experience. This understandably made groups mad and their increase in subscribers

started to decrease and slow down tremendously.

In early 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild – American

Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike due to labor disputes

with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). One of the main issues

being disputed was residual checks being unfair to actors and writers. A residual check is a

payment made over a long term when a type of media is rerun or aired after the original release.

Many writers and actors believed the residuals were subpar and demanded to be paid more for

the work they have created that will keep being watched for years to come. Strikes have been in

talks for years since studio executives were insisting that writers and actors receive no residuals

from streaming. Another concern was the use of artificial intelligence to replace the likeness of

actors so the real people would not have to be paid for work they were not physically doing.

Overall, the rise of streaming services and the backlash from actors and writers who are

against certain rules regarding streaming have pushed back the full potential of what it could be.

For starters, they made their catalog more exclusive by making the prices increase substantially

and limiting the amount of time fans have to watch a specific film or TV show. They could go

back to their older ways and reduce prices with certain restrictions and allow their programming

to remain longer so fans have more time to stay on the platform. Writers and actors are also

deserving of their hard earned money, they should not be getting little to no compensation for the
work they are creating. Their reputation is at stake if they look like they do not value their

employees enough.

Conclusion:

After researching Disney, it is clear that a large part of their success has come from

expanding the reach of their brand. People all over the world recognize Disney and what the

company is known for. However, like any other company, they have their weaknesses and

potential threats that can harm the company.

 References

Disney - leadership, history, corporate social responsibility. (2020, March 2). The Walt Disney

Company. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/

Disney History - D23. (2023, March 2). D23. https://d23.com/disney-history/#:~:text=Originally

%20known%20as%20the%20Disney,to%20the%20Walt%20Disney%20Studio

Gass, Z. (2023, September 5). Disney phases out younger audience with latest event. Inside the

Magic. https://insidethemagic.net/2023/09/disney-phases-out-younger-audience-with-

disney-adult-event-zg1/

High, K. (2023, February 5). A timeline of Disney’s media acquisitions. Complex.

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/kemet-high/disney-acquisition-timeline

Kelleher, S. R. (2023, June 14). Disney Has 7 Of The World’s 10 Most-Visited Theme Parks,

Universal Has Other 3. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2023/06/14/most-visited-theme-

parks-disney-universal/?sh=5cfd536c400a

Littleton, C. (2018, November 8). Variety. Variety. https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/disney-

disney-streaming-service-launch-2019-1203023789/

Most visited theme parks in the world 2022. (2023, September 18). Statista.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/194247/worldwide-attendance-at-theme-and-

amusement-parks/

Plans and pricing. (n.d.). Netflix. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926

Stream Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Nat Geo. (n.d.). Disney+.

https://www.disneyplus.com/
What Companies Does Disney Own? Everything you need to know! (2001, June 6).

https://makestoryboard.com/blog/what-companies-does-disney-owned

Whitten, S. (2023, November 14). How Disney can save the Marvel Cinematic Universe. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/14/how-disney-can-save-marvel-cinematic-universe.html

Research Proposal Email

To: Dr. Schering

From: Andrew Sprenger, Leonel Diaz, Maddy Ledesma, Ashwin Vaidyanathan

Subject: Research Proposal

Hi Dr. Schering,

I hope this email finds you well. Our team has completed our research proposal on The Walt

Disney Company and are very excited to share it with you.

Our team chose Disney because of its rich history in the entertainment industry. Disney also has

many different components and is not tied to one area. Disney has kept expanding and evolving

over time. Because Disney is so big, we will research the company with multiple research

questions in mind. Although we will not include every question in our SWOT report, these

research questions will help guide us in the right direction.

1. How has Disney as a company changed over the years?

The Walt Disney Company has been around for a hundred years. A company can not survive that

long if it does not adapt to the current time. These changes can include the message of the

company, the leadership, and the media produced. Did Walt envision that the company he

founded would end up where it is today? Has the company changed dramatically when new

leadership was hired? How has the type of media changed when animated shorts were no longer

the sole focus of the company?

2. How has Disney impacted the rest of the media industry?

While obviously not the only company in the media industry, Disney is definitely one of the

most influential and impactful. Other companies have taken aspects of Disney to incorporate into

their own business practices. Disney has also done the same. However, just because something

works for one company, does not mean that it will work for another. What were these aspects

and have they been helpful?

3. How is Disney different from other companies?

There are many different factors that determine the success of a company. How has Disney been

so successful for all these years? One option could be that Disney knows its audience really well.

Another could be advertising and marketing. Maybe Disney just makes better content. It will be

interesting to find out what it is.

4. What is the work environment like?

The work environment is arguably one of the most important aspects of a company. Very few

people would want to work in a place where they are treated poorly. This could lead to problems

with hiring, as well as the morale of the existing employees at the company. Researching what

current and former employees have to say about their experiences working at Disney will give a

huge insight to the work environment.

5. How will the company change over the next few years?
Companies need to evolve with time in order to remain successful, and Disney is no different.

The company will need to figure out what they are good at producing, and also what their

audience wants. Disney also needs to cut out anything that is unnecessary or hurting their profits.

6. What improvements can Disney make?

Aside from changing in general, we will make a point of emphasis describing what

improvements Disney can make to be ever more successful. This can be anything relating to

staffing, types of products, marketing, and more. Despite this, it can be difficult to ensure that the

improvements made in the present will actually pay dividends in the future. The world and

people's tastes are constantly changing. Finding these improvements will be one of the most

important parts of our research.

7. How has the perception of Disney changed over the years?

Having a good public perception is critical for a company to succeed. People have to trust you in

order for them to invest in one of your products. Researching how that perception has changed

can be important for improving the company. Finding out what worked in the past can be a good

indicator of what to do in the future.

In addition to the research questions above, we will also investigate the strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats relating to Disney. Identifying the strengths of the company will

confirm what is working. Finding weaknesses can help the company improve. The threats to the

company are also important to prepare for future success.

Disney has a large group of companies that it owns. If something were to happen to Disney, it

would also affect all of those other companies. Finding ways to improve the company and avoid

threats is ideal for all those involved. Lastly, identifying opportunities can open the door to all

kinds of possibilities for Disney.

How we will research:

We will use many different sources in order to find the best information possible. Because

Disney is so well known and has a rich history, there will be a lot of opportunities to find good

information. The Walt Disney Company's website contains plenty of credible information. There

is a whole timeline on the company’s history, which will be useful to research how Disney has

changed over time. There is information on the personnel, including bios describing what their

role in the company is. The website also has information on careers and investing. Despite this,

this website is not the only good source. D23: The Official Disney Fan Club also has a website

with even more information. It contains articles about different Disney projects, as well as

behind the scenes of the company. We will also use articles with first hand reports on Disney.

This ensures that we research what other people are saying about Disney, and not just what

Disney says about themselves. Our team will research collectively to find the information

needed for the SWOT report.

We believe that researching Disney would be valuable for everyone involved. Thank you for

your time and we are looking forward to your response.

All the best,

Andrew Sprenger, Leonel Diaz, Maddy Ledesma, Ashwin Vaidyanathan
 Procedure Manual

Overview

Welcome to the team! As part of Group 2, you will be expected to provide insights into

the behind the scenes information Disney does not exactly show to their audience. We are not

here to bash the company or persuade anyone to change their beliefs or opinions on anything, we

are simply here to describe the darker side of Disney that needs to be pointed out. You will be

assigned a role in either a SWOT analysis, a research proposal, a teamwork evaluation letter, or a

procedure manual such as this one.

Table Of Contents

1. Rules

2. Procedure

3. FAQ

1. Rules

● Being a good team member

- Participate in group meetings

- Respect your group members

- Take action to solve problems

- Compromise when needed

- Set goals and evaluate progress

- Respect group members

● Researching Disney

- Steer away from personal biases against the company

- When obtaining information, make sure the sources are reliable and fact checked

● Doing your specific role

- Be reliable

- Take responsibility

- Be flexible

- Offer constructive feedback

- Pitch in on small work

2. Procedure

- Once assigned a role, look at the BTW 250 canvas page and locate the Unit 3 prompt to

look at the specific instructions.

- For a procedure manual (like the one you are currently reading), you will describe

what skills are required to be a productive team member, the tasks needed to be

completed by each individual, and how everyone in the group will collaborate.

- For the research proposal, this email will be sent to a supervisor that outlines

resources, audiences, problems and solutions that will be part of the analysis of

your organization assigned.

- For the SWOT report, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the

organization assigned will be discussed.

 - For the teamwork evaluation, this letter will be submitted to the professor that

evaluates the whole of your group and the project during the unit. Discuss how

the team went about tackling each task or problem. A form will also need to be

filled out that grades each individual on their tasks and performance.

3. FAQ

- When is the project due?

- November 15th at Midnight.

- How much of your grade does this project take?

- 20% of entire course grade

- How long is each deliverable?

- Procedure Manual: ~500 words; technical document outlining the directions to

your jobs

- Research Proposal: ~1000 words; email format

- SWOT Report: ~3000 words; formal report

- Teamwork Evaluation: ~ 500 words; letter

- Are there opportunities for others to critique my work beforehand?

- Prof. Schering’s office hours

- Peer reviewing in class on November 14 between groups.

- What does this project do for my business skills?

- Learn about working in teams with business practices and contacting specific

audiences with research and arguments.

 - Learning how to gather reliable and efficient information in a professional setting.

Strengthen your writing practices.

Conclusion

I hope this procedure manual was of good service for you and you are able to better

understand your workload with your group. If you have any questions contact your group

members, and if they can not assist you, contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX or

[email protected] or contact your professor. We look forward to hearing from you and your

team!
 Unit 3 Teamwork Evaluation

November 15, 2023

Dr. Matthew Schering

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

608 S Wright St.

Urbana, IL 61801

Dear Dr. Schering,

We hope your day is going well. We are writing to you concerning the Unit 3 project for

BTW 250: Business Technical Writing. We will be elaborating on the group work done in

various parts of this project, including our job manual, SWOT report, and research proposal. Our

goal for this project was to analyze the company of Disney and create a SWOT analysis

discussing the various strengths and weaknesses the corporation demonstrates, certain threats

that the company should be wary of, and opportunities that would allow Disney to expand its

brand with audiences. Additionally, we strived to create a research proposal that would go into

depth into the various aspects of the company, and created a job manual that would effectively

describe the qualities of being a good and reliable team member.

As a group, we collectively agreed to write our report on The Walt Disney Company, as

it is a well-established brand that has a wide variety of information to analyze and discuss.

Disney is a large company that is well documented online, so information about the brand was
accessible and not difficult to look for. By doing our own research, we were able to find

sufficient information to write our SWOT report and meaningful commentary on the company.

Additionally, Disney is a specific company that produces various types of media, so it is

not an umbrella term that is too broad for us to research on. The first steps we made in this

project were to establish effective research questions that would drive our commentary on the

research proposal and SWOT report. These research questions expanded on the perception,

change, and development of Disney as a company, including: How has Disney changed over the

years? How is it different from other companies? What is the work environment like? How will

the company change over the next few years? How has the perception of Disney changed over

the years? We agreed that these questions would provide us with the inquiry to highlight the

specific aspects of the company, and potential advice we would have for Disney.

For this project, we structured the work to ensure that each team member was completing

a consistent and equal number of tasks. We evenly split the work so that each member did not

have too many or too little tasks compared to the rest of the team. Since there were four major

sections of the project in total, including four main sections of the SWOT analysis, we decided

that each team member would work on at least one section of the SWOT report, while the other

major sections of the project would be accounted for. We collectively agreed that one team

member would create the research proposal and write the introduction and conclusion of the

SWOT report; the second team member would write the Strengths and Weaknesses section for

the SWOT report; the third member would create the procedural manual and write the Threats

section of the SWOT report; and the fourth team member would create the current teamwork

evaluation and write the Opportunities section of the SWOT report. With this method, we
ensured that each team member had an equal number of tasks with the rest of the group, which

we estimated to be about 1,250 words per member in the 5,000-word assignment.

For the Unit 3 Project of BTW 250, our group decided to center our SWOT analysis and

research aspect on The Walt Disney Company based on the size of the corporation and its well-

established brand. We collectively made thoughtful and specific research questions that would

drive the commentary in our SWOT report to highlight the specific aspects of the company and

advice we have for its future. Additionally, we decided to evenly split the major aspects of this

assignment so each team member would have an equal number of tasks to complete. We feel that

our decisions as a team have helped us to create an exceptional project with meaningful insight

and information. We look forward to hearing from you, and any feedback you have about our

efforts.

Sincerely,

Andrew Sprenger, Leonel Diaz, Maddy Ledesma, and Ashwin Vaidyanathan