Targeting Ourselves to Extinction: The Dark Side of Modern Marketing

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To grasp the complexity of today’s sprawling digital media landscape, let’s ponder the extent of digital advertising within Disney’s Magic Kingdom itself.

Josh Mattison, executive VP of digital operations for Disney Advertising, mentioned during a talk at the EbMaster’s Entertainment Marketing Summit that approximately 4 to 5 billion advertisements are displayed each week on platforms like Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN. Additionally, they receive around 50,000 unique advertisement designs per month.”

(Note: I have tried to maintain the original meaning while making it easier to read and understand.)

Mattison discussed those figures during a talk about employing AI technologies to manage the overwhelming amount of promotional content passing through Disney’s digital channels. These numbers highlight the challenge, which was evident in nearly every discussion at the April 24 event: The ways to engage audiences are multiplying rapidly, while a significant number of consumers, particularly younger generations such as Zoomers and millennials, are growing increasingly resistant to the idea that they’re being marketed to.

To address these challenges, representatives from traditional studios to streaming platforms, TikTok and Google, all the way to Sephora and NASCAR consistently emphasized a vital aspect: genuine experience or simply being true to oneself.

Darren Abbott, Hallmark’s chief brand officer, emphasized during the initial discussion that we should shift from a narrow focus on demographics and instead consider who these individuals truly are, aiming for genuine connections with them. He added that when we authentically connect with consumers, they will naturally be drawn to us.

For many users, it’s about making the most use of available data to personalize content delivery to individual viewers. On the content creation side, Mattison highlighted that metadata tagging has become so advanced that ads can be customized for specific scenes within a program. To illustrate, if a scene takes place in a kitchen, the commercial break following might show an appliance similar to those used in the room. However, it’s more frequent to encounter marketing strategies that concentrate on details of how audiences have previously engaged with a brand.

To ensure that “A Minecraft Movie” by Warner Bros., their first blockbuster for the year, was authentically Minecraft, they involved established Minecraft content creators right from the start. This included having these creators appear in the movie itself. As Cameron Curtis, Warner Bros.’ global digital marketing chief, stated, “You might have heard ‘chicken jockey’ echoing loudly from some cinemas recently. That was no accident; it was part of our plan to work with creators from the beginning, rather than considering them after the film had already been made.

Highlighting the frustrating aspect of marketing today, yet others warned against becoming excessively specialized in catering to particular fan communities.

Gayle Troberman, iHeartMedia’s executive marketing advisor, expressed in a panel that we’re heading towards obscurity if we don’t change our approach. “We should aim to reach a broader audience,” she said, “not just fans of Taylor Swift and certain types of shoes who own cats and are enthusiastic about pop music. If Taylor Swift only marketed to her die-hard fans, the Eras Tour wouldn’t have grossed a billion dollars. She marketed to everyone instead.

In modern entertainment marketing, it’s a challenge to strike a balance: being all-inclusive while still offering a personal touch – two objectives that might seem contradictory. A clear example of this dilemma can be seen with the film adaptation of “Wicked.” Universal Pictures’ domestic marketing chief, Dwight Caines, stated that the passionate fan base of the Broadway musical wasn’t sufficient to cover the $300 million budget of the two-film franchise, let alone ensure the success of the upcoming “Wicked: For Good.” He explained, “We had to broaden our reach. We needed to appeal to people who might not typically attend musicals but can relate to the movie.

Previously, David O’Connor, the head of franchise and brand strategy at NBCUniversal, noted that the marketing for “Wicked” in countries outside of English-speaking regions necessitated a more tailored approach. He explained, “We constructed a branded environment in Japan that was distinct from what we established domestically.” Despite our efforts to create global strategies, he stressed the importance of considering local nuances.

Simultaneously, it’s frustratingly true that thinking small can have a large global effect. During the last discussion of the day, Netflix’s Marketing VP, Shelly Gillyard, was queried about how the streaming platform manages its most extensive international campaigns. She replied, “We possess an immense social media following exceeding 1.2 billion, and they communicate with us frequently. However, we’ve noticed that if a concept doesn’t resonate in Brazil, it typically fails to gain global traction.

With Joe Whitmore, the global marketing chief of Sony Pictures, seated beside her, there’s a wide grin spreading across his face. “Fortunately,” he shared, “the ‘Karate Kid’ has a massive following in Brazil.” He continued, “So I’m feeling quite optimistic!

At the EbMaster Entertainment Marketing Summit organized by Deloitte, the following individuals were seen: Cameron Curtis (Warner Bros.’ executive VP of global digital marketing), Leenda Dong (a digital creator) and Brandon Lentino (VP of creative and experiential at Viral Nation. )

Cameron Curtis (Warner Bros.’ executive VP of global digital marketing), Leenda Dong (digital creator) and Brandon Lentino (VP of creative and experiential at Viral Nation).

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2025-04-26 20:18