Here
are the same eight questions which you completed in 1.4. They come from an
interview about the famous American company, Disney. Now
you have the answers to the questions - but there are two answers below for each
question. Click on the one you think is the real answer to the question.
The other one is written in correct English, but just doesn't answer the
question.
Am I right in thinking that the Disney Company consists
of two basic divisions: Movies and theme parks?
Movies
and theme parks constitute major sectors of the US entertainment industry.
The Disney Company is unique in playing a major role in both sectors over
a period of over fifty years, although it's been facing fierce competition
in both the domestic and the international markets.
No,
actually the Disney Company comprises four major divisions – or
operating units: Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Media Networks
and Consumer Products. And each of these units consists of several
divisions. For instance, Touchstone Pictures and Touchstone Television are
large companies in themselves, but are both part of the Studio
Entertainment unit of Disney.
What is it exactly that constitutesthe
basic identity of the Disney brand?
Family
entertainment. Always has been – always will be, whether it’s movies,
TV, the theme parks, records, whatever. If the name ‘Disney’ is on it,
you know it’s a quality product suitable for a family audience.
The Disney brand is one of the few truly
global brands in the entertainment field. However, as other businesses
have found, strong associations with a particular brand can be seen as a
weakness as well as a strength, particularly when companies try to
reposition themselves in changing markets.
That’s not necessarily true of all of the
components of the group, is it?
Well,
I did talk about the Disney name! Some of the divisions of the company
cater for a more adult audience – for instance, the hit series
‘Desperate Housewives’ was produced by Touchstone Television – a
Disney company. However, the Disney brand would never be directly attached
to such a product.
It's
necessary for brands to evolve as societies develop, opening up new
opportunities and threats in the business environment. But it's important
for brand development to be a controlled and strategic process in which
major companies anticipate rather than react to changes in the
environment.
Is it difficult to manage such
a complex company?
Takeovers
and mergers often create complex management structures which can have a
negative impact on efficiency and direction. It's crucial that all parties
are fully aware of these issues and of the need to make difficult changes
to working practices and the basic culture of both companies
involved.
It’s
not easy! The history of the company shows plenty of comings and goings
among different senior executives. There have been plenty of sell-offs and
acquisitions too. But the bottom line is – the company is very
profitable and has stood the test of time in a challenging sector of
business.
Is it possible for a major
entertainment company to operate within such strict parameters
in the 21st century?
The
Disney Company has always operated within clear parameters, which is why,
throughout the second half of the century, their brand has experienced
steady growth in value and market penetration, keeping pace with
globalisation in the entertainment field.
Not
only possible, but essential. You won’t get anywhere in life by
forgetting who you are – and that’s equally true in business. The
Disney brand is one of the most valuable commodities in world business and
they’re right to protect it even if it means they can’t always take
the risks that other companies in the sector can
Would you expect any substantial
changes in policy following the company’s recent deal with Pixar animation?
Few people could have expected that Pixar
- a relatively unknown studio only ten years ago - would
grow into a global entertainment brand on the back of a series of
worldwide hit movies. Its policy seems to have been to focus on
development of stories and characters hand-in-hand with technical
innovations.
It’s
too soon to tell. In the past, there have been major changes at the top,
without fundamental changes in direction. I do think the deal is going to
produce a fabulous animation division – the best in the world – and
that can only be a good thing for the company as a whole.
Some critics described Disney’s move to computer-
generated animation as a
paradigm
shift in the field. Is that going too far?
Well,
some fans were horrified when Disney abandoned hand-drawn animation after
80 years. But the fact is, ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Shrek’ set a new
standard in the field that Disney has had to follow. And the real heart of
film-making isn’t in the technology. It’s the people, the stories. Now
if Disney forgot about that, then you can start talking about a paradigm
shift!
The concept of paradigm shift derives from Kuhn's 1974 work, 'Structure of
Scientific Revolutions', where it was used to refer to fundamental changes
to the framework of ideas which informed research and theories in
particular fields. The term has been adopted into general culture,
including the business world, where it has been used to describe any
fundamental change in concepts or even practice.
Finally, what about the arrival
of Steve Jobs from Apple? Some
people have spoken of Disney-Apple as some kind of futuristiccomputing-entertainment entity.
The
notion that computing and entertainment could ever be merged together must
have seemed impossibly futuristic, even a few short decades ago. However,
the development of gaming and digital recording and digital effects in
film have meant that the once clear parameters between these fields have
become increasing blurred.
As
I said before, it’s hard to say. What’s for sure is, we’re living
through exciting times. Steve Jobs has become the major shareholder with
this new deal and I’m sure he’ll want to make a significant
contribution to the future direction of the company. What the direction
will be, I’m afraid we’ll all have to just wait and see.