Bob Chapek sets the stage for the second century of The Walt Disney Company

Jan 10, 2022 in "The Walt Disney Company"

Posted: Monday January 10, 2022 3:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

In a memo to Cast Members, Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek lays out his plan to take Disney into its next century.

Bob specifically talks about three pillars - storytelling, innovation and audience.

To maintain Disney's storytelling excellence, Bob says that he is establishing new monthly meetings with senior creative leaders. With regard to innovation, he calls on the company to evolve with new technology and use "new canvases like the metaverse on which to paint." Finally, he says that the company must put the audience at "the center of every decision we make."

To end the memo, Chapek summaries what he believes makes Disney stand alone in the entertainment landscape. "We have the world’s most creative storytelling engine along with the world’s most beloved brands and franchises – which we can bring to life in ways no one else can. We have a portfolio of distribution platforms across the world – including powerful streaming services – with the ability to reach audiences anywhere, anytime. We have the #1 news organization and the most trusted brand in sports. We bring people together and make magical memories that last a lifetime at our parks and on our cruise ships. We have a unique ability to impact culture and connect with people on deeply personal levels. And we have you – the best team in the business."

Here is the complete memo.

Team,

As we begin the New Year, I want to share our mission and the strategic pillars that will be key to our success – but first, I want to start 2022 on a note of gratitude for all of you, your talent, dedication, and optimism during the most disruptive time in our company’s history.

Thanks to you, we are weathering the pandemic and emerging stronger than ever. Over the last two years, we continued to tell the world’s best stories, reorganized, and accelerated our transformation to better serve audiences and guests. We looked inward during a time of social disruption, saw how much was left to do, and made significant change. And of course, we underwent a leadership change – and I am enormously grateful for the tremendous foundation Bob Iger left us.

You achieved those things during a once-in-a-century pandemic, and I want to acknowledge those whose roles require them to be in the office or one of our parks, as well as those working from home while managing at-home learning and gaps in childcare. I also appreciate your patience as we begin reopening our offices. Our long-term goal is to provide greater flexibility, and your leaders will be in touch as plans evolve.

It’s ironic that this disruption is happening as we prepare to celebrate our company’s 100th anniversary. For nearly a century, we have defined and redefined entertainment, created countless lifelong memories, and delighted fans and families around the world. It’s a legacy that is simply unrivalled – and a welcome responsibility for us to build upon.

And so I believe our mission for this year is clear: set the stage for our second century, and ensure Disney’s next 100 years are as successful as our first. To do that, we will focus on three pillars.

First, storytelling excellence. What makes Disney so unique is that the stories we tell mean something to people. They inspire, give hope, bring us together, illuminate the world around us, and create memories. That is Disney magic, and we must continue to set the creative bar higher and higher. To that end – and in addition to all my other creative meetings – I am establishing a new standing monthly meeting with our senior creative leaders to discuss the opportunities we face as a storytelling enterprise. This will encourage collaboration, sharing of best practices, and stimulate cross-studio ideation.

Second, innovation. Since Steamboat Willie, we have been the world’s foremost innovative storytellers. That must continue as technology evolves, giving our creative teams new canvases like the metaverse on which to paint. We should be especially innovative as we seek to bring stories to life in new ways – particularly if they enhance what many call our “franchise ecosystem,” which is one of the things that sets us apart.

And third, relentless focus on our audience. We are a big company with many constituents and stakeholders, all of whom have a place in our decision-making. But at the end of the day, our most important guide – our North Star – is the consumer. Right now, their behavior tells us and our industry that the way they want to experience entertainment is changing – and changing fast thanks to technology and the pandemic. We must evolve with our audience, not work against them. And so we will put them at the center of every decision we make.

When you look at the entertainment landscape, I believe Disney stands alone. We have the world’s most creative storytelling engine along with the world’s most beloved brands and franchises – which we can bring to life in ways no one else can. We have a portfolio of distribution platforms across the world – including powerful streaming services – with the ability to reach audiences anywhere, anytime. We have the #1 news organization and the most trusted brand in sports. We bring people together and make magical memories that last a lifetime at our parks and on our cruise ships. We have a unique ability to impact culture and connect with people on deeply personal levels. And we have you – the best team in the business.

I couldn’t think of a better combination, and I could not be more optimistic about our future. I look forward to setting the stage for our next century with all of you, and to making the unique brand of magic that only Disney can.

Bob

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Disstevefan1Dec 04, 2023

FIFY ;)

ewensell3Dec 04, 2023

Fair. Should learn to use search. :)

JoeCamelDec 04, 2023

Several pages back in multiple threads, half a billion or so each time it is paid

ewensell3Dec 04, 2023

Not seen it mentioned anywhere. Fan Shareholder service. $0.30/share dividend to be paid 1/10/2024

TouchdownDec 04, 2023

I would hope most people are, not directly, as Disney is part of the S&P 500 (and the Russel 2000) which should be a portion of everyone’s 401k in the form of a low cost index fund. Year to date the S&P is up 20% nominal, or about 16% real (factoring in inflation) stocks are so important as they are one of the few assets that has been shown overtime to beat inflation over the long term and thus one of the few pathways to true wealth. While they are risky (2022 saw a 19.6% loss) it has averaged 10% in the last 80 years. I know this doesn’t help anyone who is living paycheck to paycheck currently but I hope that anyone (especially someone more then 15 years from retirement) who is not isn’t just doing the easy thing and putting their savings in a savings account/money market fund or even short term treasuries as those assets rarely even keep up with inflation (the most recent gains are very much an exception not the norm.) Im not saying don’t invest in those vehicles they have their purpose as a hedge to a bad stock market year but they should not be used as your main vehicle for retirement assets while you are in your working years.

_calebDec 03, 2023

Tentpoles are a thing of the past. It's a yurt-lattice strategy from here on out.

MisterPenguinDec 03, 2023

Well... yeah. Why is that an issue? They're buying an asset that has worth. They're paying a sum that is equitable to it's worth. That's not going backward financially. What they're buying produces profit, and their share of the profit will go from 66% to 100%. And they'll integrate Hulu with D+ (and ESPN+ and all their linear channels becoming streaming content). That will make 'the bundle' that much more attractive to consumers. Disney *wants* to buy it. Comcast didn't force them, they both agreed to make it happen. And TWDC will still be profiting billions each year.

StripesDec 03, 2023

I see your point. I also think a lot of people may be waiting to see Wish on Disney+, which of course could very well affect Inside Out 2 as well. But, the Wish trailers also received a pretty lukewarm reception. The comments on the trailers, at least before the film was released were very skeptical. Inside Out 2 is getting a lot of positive feedback in the comments. The new movie is a soft reboot. They haven’t made an Apes movie in a long time. I watched all three and enjoyed them very much. People really seem to like the Deadpool character. I think it will do really well, assuming the film is well-executed. Marvel is still very popular. But their films have been hit or miss recently. Their TV shows on the other hand are doing very well on Disney+ and have been quite strong in my opinion.

Model3 McQueenDec 03, 2023

I don't think it's harsh I mean i'd like to know why Marvel and Disney movies are costing over 200 million dollars to make, and are still subpar; why major theme park decisions are consistently anti-consumer (and incoherent) and how Bob could possibly be so blind to it all. He, his hand picked board, and their management is not good. They haven't had a clear-cut financially successful film in years (sorry, omitting GotG3). Chapek was never CEO, he was consistently kept in the dark and Iger continued to be the puppet master. What am I missing?

TalkingHeadDec 03, 2023

Wish was the most watched animated trailer before that. Social media trailer views aren’t a reliable predictor. Be honest, Planet of Apes is a tired franchise that hasn’t produced a big hit in ten years. Deadpool might hit, sure, probably because it’s unlike the other Marvel content being produced.

jriceDec 03, 2023

Oops! I was wrong. They have $14billion in cash. Even though they have it, they still have to pay for Hulu.

_calebDec 03, 2023

I bet it's at least a million dollars.

JoeCamelDec 03, 2023

So you pay 10+ for Hulu and gamble on a couple of tentpoles with the rest?

Fido ChuckwagonDec 03, 2023

Good thing they didn’t invest it in Disney Stock.