Background
For my Marketing Strategy course, I developed a comprehensive marketing plan to address Disney+'s $11.4 billion operational losses since launch. The challenge was clear: Disney+ was bleeding money, and customer satisfaction with original content was declining. The industry consensus pointed to a fundamental content value problem.
Core problem
Subscribers didn't see enough value in Disney+'s library. They wanted new releases, but Disney couldn't keep up with Netflix's production pace without losing more money. The real issue? Disney was ignoring its greatest asset—decades of beloved classics that built the brand in the first place.
I proposed a nostalgia-driven retention strategy targeting millennial parents (ages 29-44) with young children. Instead of chasing expensive new content, leverage what Disney already owns: the classics.
Strategic pillars:
"Disney Vault" UI redesign: Dedicated app section showcasing Disney Renaissance films and timeless favorites
"Keep the Magic" campaign: Marketing focused on parents sharing childhood favorites with their kids
Disney+ Explorers gamification: Badge system rewarding users for watching classic content
Research approach:
Designed a 3-part survey distributed to 150,000 subscribers to validate the nostalgia hypothesis
Conducted target market analysis across families, millennials, and Gen Z
Built a SWOT analysis identifying Disney's "unmatched IP library" as an underutilized strength
Budget allocation:
$300K for brand perception surveys
$1.2M for focus groups and UI testing
$10-20M for digital campaign execution
Results and Impact
The plan proposed a 12-month roadmap with measurable milestones: increase content satisfaction from 77% to 78% and shift subscriber value perception from "lack of new releases" to "current library value."
What I learned: Sometimes the best marketing strategy isn't creating something new—it's reframing what you already have. Disney didn't need more content; it needed to remind people why they loved Disney in the first place.