Disney said it is expanding the “Magic Words” advertising feature, which was introduced last year, to include live programming.
This and other innovations were touted by the media giant on Wednesday at the fifth annual Technology and Data Expo at CES in Las Vegas.
“Emotional engagement has the power to make us feel something deeply meaningful. This is the most valuable currency of all,” Rita Ferro, head of Disney advertising, said on stage.
Citing 157 million monthly active users across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, she said the new initiative would look to use technology to connect brands to major sports and live entertainment events using what Ferro called “scene-level metadata.”
Disney is working with agency Magna Global and brands like Chipotle and T-Mobile to test the technology, with strong results, according to Ferro. “Emotional connections to important moments significantly enhanced brand perception and engagement,” she said.
The show lasted less than 40 minutes and featured a group of executives from the Disney Advertising Group speaking at The Chelsea, a theater in the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
One of the speakers was Josh Matteson, Executive Vice President of Digital Planning and Operations at Disney Advertising. He discussed the insights the company has gathered on its integrations with Hulu and ESPN+ on Disney+. “People watch more content when we deliver it in a seamless, integrated experience,” he said. “Delivering content across multiple platforms doesn’t cannibalize viewership – it expands it.”
Leading up to the show, Disney introduced a separate set of live programming initiatives to enable brands to capitalize on unexpected sports moments. It also announced 157 million MAUs, 112 million of which were in the United States
