During the recent SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, Disney Consumer Products President, Tasia Filippatos, discussed how DCP is evolving for a new generation of fans with games, emotion, and unexpected collaborations.
Disney Consumer Products at SXSW
SXSW (South by Southwest) is an annual event that takes place every March in Austin, Texas. The event offers a wide range of activities, including informative sessions from keynote speakers, musical and comedic performances, and film screenings among various other networking opportunities. This year, Disney Consumer Products (DCP) was present to share how The Walt Disney Company’s legacy is expanding through sports, beauty, fashion, jewelry, and home décor, specifically focusing on how cultural insight, emotional storytelling, and innovative collaborations are building a continued legacy for future generations.
Disney Consumer Products includes the world’s largest licensing operation with a $62 billion global retail ecosystem and more than 100 product categories across 180 countries.
The featured speaker was Tasia Filippatos, President of Disney Consumer Products. To begin her talk, Filippatos stated that “each person’s experience with Disney is deeply personal. Whether it’s a memory of a family trip to Disneyland, trick-or-treating dressed as a beloved Disney character, or singing a favorite song on repeat, Disney stories don’t just entertain; they stay with us. And while many fans know Disney for its films and theme parks, DCP is the engine that brings those stories to life in the hands of consumers around the world.”
Regardless, she continued that Disney must also focus on building a lasting legacy for not only those with deep connections but those future generations who experience connections in a brand new way:
Legacy alone isn’t a strategy for the future. Disney’s challenge, and opportunity, is to remain meaningful to each new generation. To sustain that emotional connection, DCP is evolving how fans experience Disney stories by meeting them where they are, embracing new platforms and touchpoints that make Disney part of daily life.
To evolve with the younger crowd, DCP is partnering with gaming platforms to create Disney stories in games such as Roblox and Fortnite alongside building short-form media content for TikTok and YouTube. Using story, product, and experience, Disney’s partnership with Epic Games has shown enormous potential and gain within the company, allowing for fans to “have a voice” and “look for community and shared experiences” on gaming platforms, according to Sean Shoptaw, EVP of Games & Digital Entertainment.
Unique collaborations with Balmain and Bath & Body Works add to cultural and emotional destinations for fans. Marcus Rosie, Head of Global Creative, joined Filippatos on stage to say that “once we define the emotional destination – whether it’s wonder, nostalgia, humor or joy – everything else becomes a design choice,” he said. “Emotion is what turns a moment into a memory.”
Another unique collaboration is with Disney x Formula 1 and the “Fuel the Magic” collaboration. Following the debut of the first Disney x Formula 1 collection in Las Vegas last year, Disney and Formula 1 are continuing their multi-year “Fuel the Magic” collaboration with even more ways for fans to experience the thrill of racing through the storytelling and style of Mickey & Friends. This partnership expanded the Disney fanbase to a new 860 million fans of Formula 1.
Ultimately, Disney Consumer Products has one goal: to build relevance through “creativity, authenticity, and emotional connection.”
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