'Local content recipe for success in global markets': Walt Disney Co Rebecca Campbell

Walt Disney Co believes local flavour is the surest recipe for success in the numerous global markets it serves and localisation is, therefore, the central theme in its content strategy, said Rebecca Campbell, chairman of the company's international content and operations. Speaking at a panel discussion at the company's global fan event D23 Expo here late Friday, Campbell said that Disney wants to serve its viewers in every market with locally produced stories that resonate with the audience. It will also take the very best of its global brands and IPs across the globe.

"Our philosophy is that one size doesn't fit all," said Campbell. "Every company that is global in nature and is headquartered in the US has two choices: They can create products in the US and distribute and sell them overseas, or they can be a global company that serves to win in every single local market by having local people that literally live and breathe local culture and languages and nationalities. I'm proud to say that the Walt Disney Company is the latter and our winning aspiration is to do exactly that." Talking about the content division, she said outside of North America, the company has the following regional hubs - India, Latin America (Latam), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific. Those hubs oversee commissioning and production for their respective markets for the direct-to-consumer (DTC) service.

"We knew when we started the DTC business that we needed to invest in local content... we're relentlessly focused on helping elevate our DTC portfolio as a must have service. It's the exclusive place for the world's best stories to come together throughout the globe," she said. In order to take full advantage of the global slate, Campbell said Disney actually takes a complementary approach when it comes to local content, even as the DTC platforms have Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar as their backbone.

"We also recognise and appreciate that some of our content doesn't resonate as well with our local audiences, as it does right here in the US, and that's why we focus on our local content development or what I like to call content whitespace," she said. "We're investing in areas that require more local specificity, either due to high popularity and select markets or the need for local storytelling with talent and events that are familiar to our local audiences and consumers."

(The reporter is at the D23 Expo in California at Disney's invitation)