Once upon a time, Disney stood as the epitome of wholesome family entertainment. But now, the House of Mouse has ventured into the chaotic, fraud-prone world of programmatic advertising. With their latest partnership with Viant Technology, they’ve essentially said, “Let’s roll up our sleeves and see what all this fuss is about.”
The goal? Democratizing access to Disney’s premium connected TV (CTV) inventory for midmarket advertisers. The challenge? Keeping their squeaky-clean brand intact while navigating a swamp full of shady impressions, sketchy data practices, and ad-tech chaos.
Mickey Dips His Toes in the Programmatic Swam
Disney’s partnership with Viant promises advertisers a 20% boost in campaign addressability by combining Disney’s gold-standard Clean Room and BridgeID with Viant’s Household ID tech. For midmarket brands, this is like being handed a VIP pass to the exclusive club they’ve been dying to enter.
Matt Barnes, Disney Advertising’s VP of Programmatic Sales, spun it beautifully: “By bringing more opportunities to the table for midmarket buyers, we continue to level the playing field by providing more flexibility, choice, and control to advertisers.” Translation: If you’re not Google or Amazon, we’re finally letting you play.
Viant’s SVP of Business Development, Tom Wolfe, added his own flair, calling their Direct Access program a game-changer for relationships between advertisers and premium content owners. Bold words—but is Viant really ready to dance on Disney’s polished ballroom floor?
A Glimmering Opportunity or a Recipe for Disaster?
Here’s where it all starts to unravel. Disney’s brand is a gleaming temple to family-friendly magic, where princesses sing, animals talk, and the most heated debates involve Goofy’s species. Programmatic advertising, on the other hand, is the Wild West of digital marketing—a chaotic wasteland of fraud, shadowy fees, and privacy disasters waiting to explode. Tossing these two into the same pot? That’s less a business strategy and more a Molotov cocktail. If Disney can’t keep its hands clean while diving into the murk of programmatic, it risks tarnishing the very magic it’s built its empire on.
Brand Safety: The Tightrope Act
Viant’s track record on brand safety has been, to put it mildly, a rollercoaster. There have been instances where ads have appeared alongside questionable content, raising eyebrows and concerns among partners. Disney, ever protective of its family-friendly image, is acutely aware of these risks. One executive candidly noted, “We’re taking this one step at a time, as we are concerned that Viant maintains their dedication to brand integrity.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher. A misstep by Viant could lead to headlines Disney dreads: “Mickey Mouse Sponsors Sketchy Websites” is not the kind of press that fills theme parks. To mitigate such risks, Disney has been vigilant in its partnerships, ensuring that all advertising aligns with its stringent brand safety standards. This cautious approach underscores the importance Disney places on maintaining its wholesome image, even as it navigates the complex world of programmatic advertising.
Data Privacy: The Compliance Circus
Viant has long feasted on the smorgasbord of data collection, but the regulatory hawks are circling overhead, and they’re not here for scraps. With GDPR tightening its grip, CCPA flexing its muscles, and the third-party cookie era crumbling faster than a stale biscotti, Viant is staring down a crossroads. Evolve or get left behind. Transparency isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the cover charge for staying in the game. Mishandle user data, and you’re not just courting a PR disaster; you’re lighting the fuse on a brand implosion. The stakes? Everything.
Ad Fraud: Programmatic’s Dirty Little Secret
Fraud in programmatic advertising is the industry’s persistent nemesis. From bots inflating click counts to ads surfacing on dubious websites, these issues have plagued digital marketing for years. In 2022 alone, digital ad fraud cost advertisers a staggering $81 billion, with projections suggesting this could escalate to $100 billion by the end of 2023.
Viant must demonstrate its capability to shield Disney’s ads from such pitfalls, ensuring they appear exclusively in secure, premium environments. Failure to do so not only jeopardizes Viant’s reputation but also risks entangling Disney in unwanted controversies, potentially leading to headlines like “Mickey Mouse Sponsors Sketchy Websites.” To address these concerns, Viant has taken proactive measures, such as enhancing its Connected TV (CTV) fraud protection through partnerships with Integral Ad Science. Additionally, Viant has expanded its collaboration with DoubleVerify to bolster brand safety and combat ad fraud.
These initiatives are crucial for maintaining the integrity of both Viant and Disney’s brands in the ever-evolving digital advertising landscape.
Why Disney Took the Leap
Disney’s collaboration with Viant is a calculated move to expand its advertising reach while maintaining brand integrity. Here’s why this partnership holds promise:
Empowering Midmarket Advertisers
Traditionally, Disney’s premium advertising slots were the domain of major brands with substantial budgets. By teaming up with Viant, Disney is democratizing access to its Connected TV (CTV) inventory, enabling midmarket advertisers to tap into audiences previously beyond their reach. This strategy aligns with Disney’s recent efforts to realign its ad sales structure to better serve midmarket clients, offering more localized and consultative services.
Advanced, Privacy-Focused Technology
The integration of Disney’s Clean Room and BridgeID with Viant’s AI-powered Household ID offers a robust framework for precise, privacy-compliant targeting. Disney’s Clean Room technology allows for secure data collaboration without compromising user privacy, while BridgeID connects Disney’s Audience Graph with third-party identity solutions. Viant’s Household ID enables marketers to target multiple connected devices within the same residence, ensuring consistent messaging across platforms.
Enhanced Campaign Performance
The partnership promises up to a 20% improvement in campaign addressability, a significant boost for advertisers seeking efficient audience engagement. This enhancement is achieved through the combined strengths of Disney’s extensive streaming footprint and Viant’s expertise in CTV advertising, providing advertisers with access to Disney’s clean-room technology and proprietary BridgeID, along with Viant’s Household ID.
Challenging Industry Norms
By opening its premium inventory to a broader range of advertisers, Disney is positioning itself as a formidable alternative to industry giants like Google and Amazon. This move offers advertisers more flexibility and control, potentially attracting those seeking to diversify their advertising strategies beyond the established walled gardens. Disney’s realignment of its ad sales structure to focus on midmarket advertisers further underscores its commitment to this inclusive approach.
In summary, Disney’s partnership with Viant represents a strategic effort to broaden its advertising ecosystem, leveraging advanced technology and inclusive practices to deliver value to a wider array of advertisers while upholding its brand standards.
The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher
For Viant, this partnership is a golden opportunity to prove it belongs in the big leagues. But let’s not kid ourselves—Viant isn’t exactly in Mickey Mouse’s weight class. It’s up against ad-tech juggernauts like The Trade Desk, Amazon, and Google, who own vast ecosystems of data and content. Competing with them is like bringing a butter knife to a lightsaber fight.
For Disney, the stakes are even higher. Its brand is everything, and any misstep—whether it’s a brand safety issue or an ad-tech scandal—could blow back hard. A Disney exec summed it up best: “This isn’t just about innovation; it’s about responsibility.”
The Verdict: A High-Risk, High-Reward Bet
If Viant and Disney get this right, it’s a game-changer. Midmarket advertisers gain access to audiences they’ve only dreamed of, and Disney redefines its role in the ad-tech landscape. But if Viant fumbles—whether through fraud, privacy mishaps, or ad placement disasters—this partnership could implode faster than a failed sequel.
For now, all eyes are on Viant and Disney. Will it be a fairy-tale ending or another cautionary tale for the ad-tech industry? Stay tuned, because this is one show you don’t want to miss
