Reference no: EM133034263
Disney+ Hotstar goes all out with marketing takeover across Malaysia Disney+ Hotstar is the dedicated streaming home for global and Malaysian hits. It brings together blockbuster Hollywood movies and award-winning content from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and many more, which also includes exclusive premieres and blockbusters from leading Malaysian studios.
It is available on compatible internet connected devices, Disney+ Hotstar offers commercial-free viewing with a variety of original feature-length films, live-action and animated series, short-form content and documentaries, including series like The Mandalorian, WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and films like Avengers: Endgame, Aladdin and Frozen 2. Disney+ Hotstar will also feature a huge library of award-winning Malaysian cinema releases and homegrown hits, such as J2: J Retribusi, Zombitopia, Ada Hantu, Ejen Ali, Upin & Ipin, and more.
The Walt Disney Company did not hold back on its marketing for the official launch of Disney+ Hotstar in the Malaysia on 1st June. News of the streaming platform first made headlines in Malaysia on 4th May and on that same day, Disney kicked off a 360 through-the-line campaign covering TV, radio, out-of- home (OOH) and even digital and social media.
For TV and radio, Disney's marketing strategy included cherry-picked channels and primetime shows with Astro and Media Prima. There was also a media takeover on TV talk shows and news as well as radio on 1st June. For digital, Disney leveraged YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok for "high impact digital takeovers" to drive engagement and awareness. Four days before the official launch on 1st June, Disney rolled out thematic countdown-to-launch spots featuring recognisable local cultural elements to drive local relevance. The spots featured local landmarks and iconic shadows of popular characters appearing throughout Malaysia.
On launch day, Disney released the "Come to Life" brand spot to showcase the influence its content holds to engage and entice Malaysians from all walks of life. The spot featured a special appearance by Malaysian actor Zul Ariffin and Bornean singer Alena Murang also performed "How Far I'll Go" in a special Facebook performance geo-fenced to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Disney carried out key out-of-home (OOH) placements across Malaysia, such as the New Klang Valley Expressway, Sprint Highway, Lim Chong Eu Highway in Penang, and Jalan Tebrau in Johor Bahru. To top it off, Disney worked with Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for a 3D showcase of its content pillars portrayed at the large screen outside the mall.
With the marketing campaign, Disney sought to drive mass scale brand awareness by surprising and exciting Malaysian consumers with disruptive creatives that leveraged its iconic brands placed in impactful physical and digital spaces, Disney's spokesperson told Advertising + Marketing. "Our aim was to position Disney+ Hotstar as the most anticipated launch of 2021," the spokesperson added.
With influencer marketing becoming increasingly important for brands today, Disney also made sure to tap on popular key opinion leaders such as Nabil Mahir and Sofyank to drive conversations around Disney+ Hotstar in the lead up to the launch. These various activations were also complemented by a media campaign with Astro comprising TV, radio, and digital banners. Astro is the official distributor of Disney+ in Malaysia.
The spokesperson said that its 360 through-the-line campaign had "the highest weight of activity targeting one week pre-launch" but did not elaborate further with specific details and statistics. On- ground media and consumer engagements were avoided due to COVID-19. Through the campaign, Disney also aimed to introduce and establish its identity and positioning by clearly communicating its brand proposition that has been built around its content library, which comprises a wide range of homegrown films and series. One of the campaign's core objectives was to also forge the ability to listen to consumers and act quickly by closely tracking consumers' feedback through social listening and pivoting almost immediately, if required.
Disney worked with Publicis Singapore and Vivaki Malaysia for the overall media execution. Meanwhile, the creative for its countdown spots and "Come to Life" brand spot were managed by Leo Burnett Malaysia while Vividthree Productions handled creative for the 3D showcase. Publicity and communications were managed by Archetype Malaysia and VaynerMedia Asia Pacific handled social media for the launch. Disney declined to comment on its business strategy and targets for Disney+ in Malaysia.
(a) Based on the case above, categorise the promotion techniques used by Disney+ Hotstar.