{"id":1627586,"date":"2022-08-31T04:02:39","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T08:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1627586"},"modified":"2022-08-31T04:02:57","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T08:02:57","slug":"faith-centered-families-dont-need-disney-anymore-but-does-disney-need-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/faith-centered-families-dont-need-disney-anymore-but-does-disney-need-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith-Centered Families Don\u2019t Need Disney Anymore, But Does Disney Need Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffaith-centered-families-dont-need-disney-anymore-but-does-disney-need-them%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1627586&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Has Disney hype reached peak cringe?<\/p>\n<p>Announcing a promotional event with yet more Marvel and \u201cStar Wars\u201d titles coming to their streaming service, Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said, \u201cWe look forward to celebrating the second annual Disney Plus Day on September 8 with activations across our synergy machine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During that <a href=\"https:\/\/thewaltdisneycompany.com\/disneys-q3-fy22-earnings-results-webcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">earnings call<\/a> on Aug. 10, investors heard the global entertainment empire\u2019s latest spin. Attendance at Disney Parks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/2022\/08\/15\/theme-park-spending-up-despite-lower-attendance-this-summer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">is stagnant<\/a>, but revenue is up thanks to increased prices. Chapek also announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/08\/10\/disney-raises-price-on-ad-free-disney-38percent-as-part-of-new-pricing-structure.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">upcoming price hikes<\/a> to streaming services. Plus, some buzzy films like \u201cBlack Panther 2\u201d and \u201cDisenchanted\u201d starring Amy Adams are on the way \u2014 along with a computer-animated \u201cPinocchio\u201d being widely panned for its \u201cuncanny valley\u201d visual look.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"HrmcZjqs1F2BuRp8YDyzfJGV5eSkn3VLM7HtQvWWghCykcqe7jwuTxOlf0X6mKBKd3YP6\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The talking points masked signals of potential trouble. Similar to Netflix, their domestic streaming subscriptions <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2022\/digital\/news\/disney-streaming-subscribers-netflix-1235338752\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have slowed<\/a> to almost a halt. Signs of Marvel fatigue <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2022\/jul\/12\/have-we-gone-from-marvel-fatigue-to-marvel-exhaustion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are<\/a> showing. And their \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/06\/07\/disney-doubles-down-on-lgbtq-programming-with-lightyear-and-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lightyear<\/a>\u201d feature from Pixar, long considered Disney\u2019s crown jewel, bombed in theaters.<\/p>\n<p>Hollywood analysts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/disneys-woke-lightyear-tanks-us-box-office-mainstream-media-cant-seem-figure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blamed<\/a> various factors for why \u201cLightyear\u201d flopped, such as CNN <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2022\/06\/19\/media\/lightyear-box-office-pixar-disney\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claiming<\/a> families were \u201cconfused\u201d by the space-ranger concept. But Brad Benbow, a growth strategist who has advised several Fortune 500 companies, notes that a central plotline about a same-sex couple (including their on-screen kiss) mattered to many families in the nation\u2019s heartland.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFaith-centric households and those driven by traditional values have typically taken their kids to \u2018Toy Story\u2019 movies,\u201d said Benbow in a phone interview. \u201cBut they had some adverse reaction to what they heard about \u2018Lightyear.\u2019 It\u2019s an exact example of ignoring people whose faith impacts their purchasing decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Major corporations have increasingly left faith-driven households out of their equation, claims Benbow. They use three pillars of marketing \u2014 homing in on an audience\u2019s demographics like income, geography, and psychographics \u2014 but ignore how people\u2019s beliefs drive them. He recently co-authored \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/spiritugraphics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spiritugraphics<\/a>\u201d with case studies to enlighten interested executives.<\/p>\n<p>Still considered by many the leader in family entertainment, today Disney has \u201csome real tipping point choices in front of them,\u201d according to Benbow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a culture at Disney, do they view people from traditional and faith-centric families as, in essence, bigots?\u201d he asks. \u201cAnd does that mean they don\u2019t want them? Or do they view them as somebody they respect and want to be part of this broader community that they call Disney?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Faith-Driven Families Increasingly at Odds with Disney<\/h2>\n<p>As CEO of JDA Worldwide, which counts brands like the NFL, the PGA, and Ameritech as clients, Benbow helps companies reach the nation\u2019s estimated 120 million households. \u201cIf you look across the landscape, there are about 38 million U.S. households that live a life that is significantly persuaded by their faith \u2014 approximately a third,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While he says his own Christian beliefs affect his approach, the market advice applies broadly. \u201cIt\u2019s not about whether or not you\u2019re wholly bought into the faith-centric market, or not bought into it at all,\u201d says Benbow. \u201cThe question has to do with: what is the right tone for your brand as it relates to your value proposition and this faith-centric market?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The book includes new opinion research on these faith households, which include evangelicals, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews, finding that 84 percent of them \u201clean conservative in their ideology.\u201d Specifically, 49 percent of the faith-driven group say they consider same-sex marriage to be \u201cmorally wrong,\u201d and another 37 percent express limited support.<\/p>\n<p>Benbow focuses on market dynamics rather than specifics of gender ideology or the theology of marriage. \u201cWhether it\u2019s streaming or a broad movie release or at a park, how far can you go from the Judeo-Christian notion of family until that constituency says, \u2018Wow, I\u2019m not supposed to be here\u2019?\u201d Recent surveys from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2022\/may\/25\/disney-brand-takes-hit-corporate-survey-after-feud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Harris Poll<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accesswire.com\/711680\/War-on-Woke-Survey--ACVF-Investors-Rank-Disney-the-Wokest-Company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">conservative investors group<\/a> found that Disney\u2019s reputation has taken a hit this year due to their perceived corporate activism. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Disney has increasingly touted their association with LGBT themes. Animated kids series \u201cBaymax\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/07\/01\/baymax-shows-remorseless-disney-plans-to-keep-pummeling-kids-with-its-sexual-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">included scenes<\/a> of a same-sex dating relationship and of a transgender person shopping for tampons. Recent Marvel films \u201cEternals\u201d and \u201cDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness\u201d prominently feature same-sex themes. Later this year, Disney Plus plans to premiere a documentary on pop star and gay icon Elton John.<\/p>\n<p>The marketing guru points out that \u201cmost of the world\u201d has for millennia viewed \u201cthe traditional family model as the norm.\u201d Pew Research <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2019\/10\/29\/global-snapshot-same-sex-marriage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a> that currently 32 of the world\u2019s 195 nations have legalized same-sex marriage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow companies characterize what the family is supposed to be, and how they respect or don\u2019t respect faith, will have global impact,\u201d said Benbow. \u201cWhere Disney is making enormous strides with their brand \u2014 in places like the Middle East and Asia \u2014 these positions are material.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>An Opening for Conservative Alternatives\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>In recent months, the marketplace of streaming video on demand has reached a critical inflection point. Netflix seems to have <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/04\/29\/7-counterpoints-about-whether-netflix-will-keep-bleeding-subscribers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hit a ceiling<\/a> in its U.S. growth. HBO Max is <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/08\/23\/john-oliver-rips-hbo-max-parent-for-canceling-shows-series-of-tax-write-offs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in disarray<\/a> under new management. And commercials coming to every streamer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/media\/2022\/08\/23\/ads-or-no-ads-the-choice-netflix-and-disney-plus-subscribers-will-soon-face\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">may repel<\/a> consumers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Could a streamer targeting family-and-family audiences reach critical mass? Several sources <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/05\/16\/these-dozen-disney-plus-alternatives-offer-families-options-but-is-it-enough\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recently noted<\/a> the current dozen-or-so Disney Plus alternatives offer some quality film and TV titles but are limited compared to Disney\u2019s franchises and billions in annual investment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most important thing is for some player who can reach families with traditional values to decide not to play small ball,\u201d said Benbow, who consults several faith-based media ministries. \u201cThey need to go for it, to seek to gain controlling interests in major players in the sector. Because the market is clearly there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the top 20 box office earners that are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boxofficemojo.com\/genre\/sg2615079169\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explicitly religious<\/a> \u2014 all but one released in the past 18 years \u2014 related genres like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-numbers.com\/market\/source\/Based-on-Real-Life-Events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">biopics<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/list\/ls061312232\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inspirational<\/a> have shown staying power in theaters. Faith-friendly films such as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.crosswalk.com\/culture\/features\/best-christian-movies-on-netflix.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blue Miracle<\/a>\u201d (Netflix), \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/10\/16\/clouds-spotlights-catholic-familys-struggles-with-teens-terminal-illness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clouds<\/a>\u201d (alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/05\/23\/10-notable-faith-conscious-films-on-disney-plus-and-5-still-in-the-vault\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">others on Disney Plus<\/a>), and \u201cThe Jesus Music\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hulu.com\/movie\/the-jesus-music-1f4a3aef-1ee8-43bb-b9e7-899a363bbf2d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hulu<\/a>) have drawn in streaming audiences.<\/p>\n<p>But most of the proceeds accrue to major Hollywood studios. \u201cIn a macro sense, faith-driven producers have been behind in terms of using innovative communication to spread positive influence,\u201d said Benbow.<\/p>\n<h2>Hype and Consequences<\/h2>\n<p>On Sept. 9, an estimated 100,000 people will descend on the Anaheim Convention Center for the <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/d23-expo-panels-marvel-disney-parks-star-wars-1849391180\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">D23 Expo<\/a>. Marvel boss Kevin Feige will announce further <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/sdcc\/23275835\/marvel-mcu-phase-5-schedule-calendar-upcoming-ant-man\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marvel Cinematic Universe productions<\/a>, other Disney executives will plug upcoming films, and fans will learn what\u2019s coming to theme parks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Event hype will invariably trade on characters and themes that have made Disney so beloved. Tim Allen, an actor popular with many in middle America, reprises his holiday role in \u201cThe Santa Clauses\u201d limited series, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/mickey-story-of-mouse-film-review-walt-disney-documentary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">documentary<\/a> on Mickey Mouse promises insight into Walt\u2019s icon.<\/p>\n<p>The brand equity of Disney is almost unrivaled, admits Benbow. \u201cFor many families, their life is in part attached to Disney and they fondly recall experiences at their theme parks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But he doesn\u2019t think Disney is interested in \u201cplaying both sides\u201d of various ideological divides.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreat brands compel and repel, that\u2019s what they do,\u201d said Benbow. \u201cThe market today probably has a significant lack of clarity about what the Disney brand is. It\u2019s not the Disney of 1965. What they produce and stances they\u2019re taking clarify who Disney is today and what the intent is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Disney executives, creative producers, and staff may feel adamant about \u201ctaking a position on something more innovative on the gender front,\u201d says the author.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn a free market, it\u2019s their right to not care about faith-driven households. Eventually, that will be reflected in their market share gains or losses. It\u2019s certainly not without consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Josh Shepherd covers culture, faith, and public policy for several media outlets including The Stream. His articles have appeared in Christianity Today, Religion &#038; Politics, Faithfully Magazine, Religion News Service, and Providence Magazine. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he previously worked on staff at The Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family. Josh and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their two children.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-comments mt-30 mt-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-comments-container d-flex flex-column align-items-center py-30\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"106\" src=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fdrlst-mark.svg\" class=\"img-fluid mb-20\" alt=\"The Federalist logo eagle mark\" \/>    <\/p>\n<p>Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.<\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/plans\/pricing\/\" class=\"btn btn-on-white\">Subscribe<\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Has Disney hype reached peak cringe? Announcing a promotional event with yet more Marvel and \u201cStar Wars\u201d titles coming to their streaming service, Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":626,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1627586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1627586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/626"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1627586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1627586\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1627586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1627586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1627586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}