Disney+ Hotstar goes all out with marketing takeover across Malaysia

The Walt Disney Company did not hold back on its marketing for the official launch of Disney+ Hotstar in the country on 1 June. News of the streaming platform first made headlines in Malaysia on 4 May and on that same day, Disney kicked off a 360 through-the-line campaign covering TV, radio, OOH and even digital and social media.

For TV and radio, Disney's marketing strategy included cherry-picked channels and primetime shows with Astro and Media Prima. There was also a media takeover on TV talk shows and news as well as radio on 1 June.

For digital, Disney leveraged YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok for "high impact digital takeovers" to drive engagement and awareness. Four days before the official launch on 1 June, Disney rolled out thematic countdown-to-launch spots featuring recognisable local cultural elements to drive local relevance. The spots featured local landmarks and iconic shadows of popular characters appearing throughout Malaysia.

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On launch day, Disney released the "Come to Life" brand spot to showcase the influence its content holds to engage and entice Malaysians from all walks of life. The spot featured a special appearance by Malaysian actor Zul Ariffin and Bornean singer Alena Murang also performed "How Far I'll Go" in a special Facebook performance geo-fenced to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Disney carried out key OOH placements across Malaysia, such as the New Klang Valley Expressway, Sprint Highway, Lim Chong Eu Highway in Penang, and Jalan Tebrau in Johor Bahru. To top it off, Disney worked with Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for a 3D showcase of its content pillars portrayed at the large screen outside the mall.

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With the marketing campaign, Disney sought to drive mass scale brand awareness by surprising and exciting Malaysian consumers with disruptive creatives that leveraged its iconic brands placed in impactful physical and digital spaces, Disney's spokesperson told A+M. "Our aim was to position Disney+ Hotstar as the most anticipated launch of 2021," the spokesperson added.

With influencer marketing becoming increasingly important for brands today, Disney also made sure to tap on popular key opinion leaders such as Nabil Mahir and Aina Abdul to drive conversations around Disney+ Hotstar in the lead up to the launch. These various activations were also complemented by a media campaign with Astro comprising TV, radio, and digital banners. Astro is the official distributor of Disney+ in Malaysia.

The spokesperson said that its 360 through-the-line campaign had "the highest weight of activity targeting one week pre-launch" but did not elaborate further with specific details and statistics. On-ground media and consumer engagements were avoided due to COVID-19. Through the campaign, Disney also aimed to introduce and establish its identity and positioning by clearly communicating its brand proposition that has been built around its content library, which comprises a wide range of homegrown films and series. One of the campaign's core objective was to also forge the ability to listen to consumers and act quickly by closely tracking consumers' feedback through social listening and pivoting almost immediately, if required.

Disney worked with Publicis Singapore and Vivaki Malaysia for the overall media execution. Meanwhile, the creative for its countdown spots and "Come to Life" brand spot were managed by Leo Burnett Malaysia while Vividthree Productions handled creative for the 3D showcase. Publicity and communications were managed by Archetype Malaysia and VaynerMedia Asia Pacific handled social media for the launch. Disney declined to comment on its business strategy and targets for Disney+ in Malaysia.

Alongside Disney+'s entry into Malaysia, the company also inked a series of multi-year agreements with Malaysian studios such as Skop Productions, Revolution Media Films, Primeworks Studios, WAU Animation, Act 2 Pictures, Les’ Copaque Production, and Red Films, among others, underpinning its support for the local film community.

In February, Disney also carried out a similar 360 marketing strategy for the launch of its streaming platform in Singapore, ranging from TV to radio, OOH and online to maximise exposure. The team also selected primetime shows and channels and worked with influencers such as mrbrown, JianhaoTan, and the cast from SGAG. Former regional lead for Disney+ Southeast Asia, Amit Malhotra, said previously that the plan was not only to drive talkability but to do so in a disruptive manner. Malhotra recently left to join HBO Max as its MD in Southeast Asia and India ahead of the company's launch in the market.

Just 16 months after Disney+'s launch, the streaming platform surpassed 100 million global paid subcribers, the company said during a virtual annual meeting of shareholders in March this year. Disney+ Hotstar is set to launch in Thailand on 30 June, inking agreements with local studios in Thailand, including GDH 559, Sahamongkolfilm, Kantana Group and One 31.

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