Towards the end of last year, Disney teased a NEW feature coming to Disney+, and now we finally know more about those changes!
©Disney
Disney went into detail about the new Disney+ feature at the Fourth Annual Tech & Data Showcase at CES, so we’ve now got information about what could be coming soon to the streaming platform.
Disney has been working on shopping and gaming experiences that could double as interactive ads, which is a new idea for streaming that Disney has said is “an important place to be involved in.”
At the Tech & Data Showcase at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Disney introduced “Gateway Shop and Shop the Stream.” According to Disney, this new system has evolved from GatewayGo, which was “Disney’s first commerce-enabled ad format.” The new Gateway Shop “allows consumers to access personalized offers for purchase from a retailer without leaving the viewing environment.”
©Disney
Disney also stated that “soon, viewers can discover and explore products as they watch by sending products they see in films and TV straight to their second screen with Shop the Stream.”
By “second screen,” Disney means your phone, laptop, or any other screen you may have on hand aside from the one you’re watching.
It’s a Disney-themed Roku city!
It sounds like you’ll be able to see a new product in the show you’re watching and immediately access it through advertisers. Disney has already launched a beta program for its “streaming shoppable ad format.”
So how does it actually work? Disney said that “viewers will receive personalized prompts for products that are sent directly to their phones via push notifications or email. Advertisers including Unilever are part of the limited beta, which drives awareness and conversion without disrupting the viewer experience.”
Jamie Power, SVP of Addressable Sales, Disney Advertising, said, “Our goal is to help audiences connect with the brands they love with the least amount of friction, without disrupting the content they’re streaming. Innovation is in Disney’s DNA, and in a cross-screen world, we believe shoppable experiences not only complement, but elevate, streaming.”
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According to Amy Lehman, SVP of Advertising Platforms, “Audience behaviors have changed, and advertising should reflect that and serve both viewers and marketers in new ways. Gateway Shop provides viewers with choice and control, in an engaging and non-disruptive format.”
Disney is going to keep working on the interactive ads, ironing out the kinks when it comes to sending viewers personalized emails and push notifications related to the products they’re seeing on shows and movies.
Disney+ Billboard
Disney also shared another cool new feature that’s centered around their streaming and advertising products: Disney’s Magic Words. This is “the company’s first-to-market contextual advertising format using advanced data. This new technology allows Disney to analyze scenes and visuals across their expansive library, to capture a mood or moment, to help advertisers personalize their messaging specifically around that emotion.”
So in the future, the ads you see on Disney+ and Hulu may be specifically tailored to the scenes and emotions being displayed in the show you’re currently watching. Wild, right?
©Hulu
We’ll be on the lookout for more news, so stay tuned to Disney Food Blog!
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Hmmmm… how are push notifications throughout a program I’m watching not going to be disruptive? Also, I get product placement in shows – conspicuously placed cans of soda or the backs of computers, etc. I don’t really like it much – makes the suspension of disbelief harder – but what’s described here sounds like writer content/narrative/story telling are going out the window. Hopefully we’ll at least be able to opt out if we don’t like it.