Introduction
Walt Disney is a broadly diversified international entertainment media conglomerate based in Burbank, California, founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy Disney. The corporation operates in five segments: media channels, theme parks, studio entertainment, household commodities, and multimedia presentations (Boguszewicz-Kreft et al., 2019). The corporation controls a significant portion of each market in which it operates, including 31.9% of television networks, 26.25% of theatrical amusement, and 51.23% of resorts and hotels (Boguszewicz-Kreft et al., 2019). Disney does not have a single market segment; instead, they cater to each family unit, though they primarily target middle-income communities living in urban areas worldwide. With its multi-segment distribution strategies, Disney can serve well-defined customer segments (Boguszewicz-Kreft et al., 2019). This paper conducts a strategic analysis of the Walt Disney Company using internal and external strategic assessment tools. The internal mechanisms applied are the financial, SWOT, and VRIO frameworks. On the other hand, the external evaluation paradigms utilized include the PESTEL methodology. Additionally, the report analyzes key strategic issues and recommendations for the Walt Disney Company.
Strategic Analysis
The term strategic analysis relates to the process of assessing an institution’s workplace atmosphere. This work environment serves as an essential guide for how the business does commerce. Tactical research helps ascertain the firm’s mood and operation and whether the company’s desired results can be achieved (Grant, 2021). Internal strategic evaluation is carried out when a business looks inward and establishes the pleasant and unpleasant functional properties that can be enhanced further with the right set of asset commitments. After completing the internal situation planning and ensuring that the company is bulletproof, the enterprise assesses the external variables that may impede the firm’s advancement (Grant, 2021). To do an appropriate external critical evaluation, a business must understand how the market operates and how competitors’ specific marketing techniques, commodities, and offerings affect clients.
Internal Analysis
SWOT Analysis
This SWOT assessment of Disney illuminates the critical concerns that shareholders and administration must consider when analyzing the corporation. For instance, capabilities sufficient to capitalize on opportunities in the telecommunication services industry indicate the possibility of succeeding strategic expansion. Internal elements, such as the company’s abilities and shortcomings, must be balanced against external factors , such as opportunities and risks in its multinational businesses. The Walt Disney Company must have the courage to face the negative consequences of the sector’s threats and vulnerabilities. As a result, this SWOT analysis provides a framework for analyzing such business concerns.
Strengths
- Diversified services. The majority of businesses in the entertainment industry specialize in a single niche; for example, Netflix focuses exclusively on streaming platforms. By contrast, Disney offers various goods and services through its numerous business areas, including studio entertainment, news channels, direct-to-consumer, and resorts, adventures, and merchandise. Disney is committed to meeting all clients’ requirements, irrespective of age. They can spend their time indoors with Disney+ subscription services or outside at movie theaters or Disneyland amusement parks (Trainer, 2022).
- Greater brand value. The trademark and emblem of Disney are instantly identifiable as films and items made publicly available are often marked with the “D” insignia to indicate that they are from the Walt Disney Studios, Corporation, or Production. According to Trainer’s (2022) publication of the world’s most valuable brands, Disney was ranked eighth, and its business worth is predicted to be $52.2 billion. Through this capability, the firm establishes a reputation as a respectable, family-oriented corporation that caters to all consumers.
Weaknesses
- Racism allegations. Disney faced criticism after it was revealed that Barbara Fedida, a prominent supervisor at Disney’s ABC News, had a record of making prejudiced remarks and participating in other blatantly racist and unethical conduct (Staff, 2020). The outpouring of criticism and outrage addressed at Disney caused the firm to put the implicated executive on administrative leave while investigating their conduct. With rising protests opposing racism, the presence of racist executives is a massive flaw (Staff, 2020).
- Limited innovation. The limitation of inventiveness is related to Disney’s company tactics. The corporation innovates by continuously improving its products. However, the institution’s activities are constrained by a lack of technological advancement in utilizing the latest tools. For instance, Disneyland theme attractions incorporate emerging innovations that are responsive rather than offensive (Causer, 2019). The Walt Disney Company’s conventional competitiveness approach and concentrated growth plans place a premium on item quality and distinctiveness, with a lesser emphasis on quick digitalization.
Opportunities
- Disney online streaming offering (Disney+). Disney is currently working on a direct-to-consumer (DTC) subscription called Disney+ that will include all Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars films (Sherman & Subin, 2021). With its huge selection of movies and television shows, the service may potentially compete with Netflix. Moreover, Disney+’s basic regular membership is $6.99 per month, contrasted to Netflix’s $8.99 monthly (Sherman & Subin, 2021). In general, this is beneficial to customers because Disney will have more alternatives, and rivalry may result in lower costs.
- Tactical acquisitions. Disney has made several acquisitions and partnerships, including Marvel, Pixar, and Fox, which have allowed the firm to grow and capitalize on possibilities in various industries and niches within the entertainment world. Disney has the potential to make other significant purchases in the future, catalyzing its expansion.
Threats
- Competition. Competition continues to be the greatest danger to the Walt Disney Company. Competitiveness is particularly pronounced in the multinational mass film industries. For instance, ambitious businesses compete by offering films akin to those produced by Disney’s Marvel Studios.
- Technological innovations. Disney is not an innovation or software company and thus cannot create capabilities tailored to its needs. As technology advances, watching entertaining content has become widely available via smartphones, which Disney does not have. For example, advancements in technology in interactive order fulfillment in the recreation and mainstream media industries keep shifting profits away from enterprises that provide digital news communications and networks.
VRIO Analysis
The VRIO framework is a critical technique used to review and evaluate a firm’s resources and determine its tactical advantage and effectiveness. The strategic tool assists the enterprise in identifying long-term market capabilities (Baia et al., 2020). Thus, this is accomplished by assessing the corporation’s internal abilities and resources, thereby assisting the business in identifying its areas of expertise and thus enabling the corporation to develop a viable long-term comparative benefit. The VRIO analysis assesses resources and competencies based on the following criteria explored in greater detail below.
Valuable
Valuable capabilities assist Disney in capitalizing on possible opportunities and mitigating challenges from both the micro and macro environments. These capabilities enable a business to extend, progress and develop. The firm’s supply chain is a valuable asset, and as such, it enables the company to reach an ever-increasing number of clients. Thus, this results in an increase in revenue for the corporation. Additionally, it ensures that promotional activities result in sales by making the products readily available.
Furthermore, Disney has spent much in acquiring the most renowned companies in the entertainment sector. Mendelson (2020) addresses the importance of Disney’s Lucasfilms, Marvel, and Pixar purchases. According to Mendelson (2020), Disney’s profitability has increased by 404% since 2006, when Pixar was acquired; and in 2018, Disney accounted for 38% of all box office sales (Mendelson, 2020). Disney’s acquisition of these brands has resulted in the company gaining the leading customer base in the entertainment industry.
Rare
Rare natural abilities are inherited and cultivated by only a few companies in the sector, contributing to Disney’s strategic advantage. The institution’s employees are a scarce resource and highly trained and competent, which is not true of other organizations’ staff. The improved salary and workplace culture guarantee that these workers remain with the company. Moreover, Disney’s copyrights are a scarce resource, as they are not readily accessible and are not held by opponents. As a result, Disney can use them without compromising on performance.
Inimitable
These unmatched capabilities contribute to a firm’s competitive edge and long-term viability. Rival players will find it difficult and costly to replicate these competencies and resources. Disney’s monetary resources are prohibitively expensive to replicate, given they were amassed over time through sustained revenues. To accrue these economic means, newcomers and adversaries would need similar revenues for an extended period. Additionally, Disney’s distribution network is extremely challenging for competitors to replicate, given the business built it progressively over the years. Opponents would need to invest heavily to replicate a similar supply chain.
Organization
These assets were designed only for Disney and cannot be used by other industry participants. They are non-replaceable and so cannot be used by enterprises other than Disney, allowing the corporation to capitalize on prospects and efficiently utilize capabilities for company success. Disney has considerable financial resilience in conjunction with its brand reputation, enabling the firm to explore product innovation and release options and examine prospective acquisitions and mergers for competitiveness. Financial power has also benefited the company by focusing on brand advancements and consistency of quality across the various countries in which it operates. Additionally, technology improvements and integration are critical resources for establishing a strategic edge at Disney, as they enable the company to retain effectiveness and efficiency throughout its numerous industry activities. The technical progress and integration enable the organization to manage worldwide operations efficiently, which is critical for maintaining good supply chain administration.
Financial Analysis
The financial analysis assesses the effectiveness and viability of firms, enterprises, expenditures, and other operational functions. Economic evaluation usually is done to determine whether an organization is sustainable, competent, liquid, or attractive enough to justify capital investments. Furthermore, it is used to assess economic trends, determine fiscal situations, develop long-term corporate objectives, and uncover investment opportunities in firms. Therefore, this is accomplished by combining financial numerical information. A financial analyst will conduct a detailed examination of the companies’ annual reports, including the cash flow statement, income statement, and cash position. In this section, the report provides a critical assessment of Disney’s finances.
Analysis of Disney’s Financial Ratios
A summary of the various financial ratios is given in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Disney’s Financial Ratios
Liquidity indicators are a critical class of accounting measures that are used to assess a debtor’s capacity to repay current debt commitments without generating additional money. Liquidity metrics quantify a corporation’s ability to service debt and its margin of safety by calculating indicators such as the current ratio, quick ratio, and net working capital ratios (Madushanka & Jathurika, 2018). Disney witnessed a drop in all its liquidity ratios in 2021 compared to 2020, as shown in table 1.
The word debt ratio alludes to a financial metric that indicates how leveraged a business is. The debt proportion can be thought of as the percentage of a business’s assets financed through debt. A ratio greater than one indicates that a significant portion of a business’s debt is sustained by its assets, implying that the firm has more obligations than resources. A high ratio suggests that a company may face a debt crisis if interest rates unexpectedly climb. Disney’s debt ratio declined significantly in 2021, closing the year at 26.72 percent (The Walt Disney Company, 2021). The significant reduction in the debt ratio for 2021 could result from Disney’s requirement for long-term liquidity. Suppose the company confined its large debt to meet this demand. In that case, stakeholders should forecast growth in debt burden in the next few years, automatically reducing investment risk.
Analysis of Disney’s 2021 Balance Sheet
As displayed in exhibit 1, Disney had a cash position of $4.6 billion in 2016. It was anticipated that the organization’s cash situation would deteriorate during the next two years, falling to $4.1 billion in 2018. Nevertheless, the company’s cash position would improve significantly, reaching $17.9 billion by 2020. The strong liquidity position in 2020 may be linked to the firm incurring enormous debt to address the COVID-19 consequences (The Walt Disney Company, 2021). Once the virus’s effects have subsided, shareholders should anticipate Disney to cut its cash position to a more manageable level, likely between $4 and $5 billion (The Walt Disney Company, 2021). By maintaining a low cash position, it appears as though the firm manages its liquid assets quite well. Additionally, the significant increase in cash over the last year demonstrates the company’s ability to raise capital when necessary.
Disney Inc. Revenue Growth
Income growth is the increase in the money a company earns during a predetermined time compared to the preceding, identical period. duBois (2022) enumerated that Disney generated around $55.6 billion in revenue in 2016. The firm’s revenue will decline the following year marginally, reaching $55.1 billion in 2017. However, the institution’s income would increase significantly over the next two years, peaking at $69.5 billion in 2019 (The Walt Disney Company, 2021). Nonetheless, the organization’s revenue will decline to $65.3 billion in 2020 (The Walt Disney Company, 2021). Over the last five years, the enterprise’s aggregate revenue growth rate has been roughly 4.5% (duBois, 2022). The company’s significant revenue increase from 2016 to 2020 demonstrates its ability to produce income consistently through its merchandise and offerings. Unfortunately, given the corporation’s fluctuating revenue growth and shrinkage, it appears as though the group’s revenue sources are rather uncertain. COVID-19 once again caused havoc on the firm’s park revenue-generating potential. Thus, this implies that the firm may need to broaden its revenue streams further to ensure investors receive continual revenue growth.
External Analysis
PESTEL Analysis
Walt Disney’s PESTEL assessment examines the company’s business approaches. Walt Disney’s PESTEL research studies the different external variables affecting its operation, including political, economic, social, and technological issues and legal and environmental components. The PESTEL framework identifies the various extrinsic circumstances that affect the firm’s activities. PESTLE research is critical for firms such as Walt Disney since it enables it to comprehend the competitive landscape and continuously enhance its business.
Political Factors
Walt Disney’s information is protected by intellectual property rights (IPR) as with theme parks and media and entertainment streaming content. IPR is critical when an entertainment firm is expanding globally since they differ in each state, depending on the political atmosphere. Additionally, trade agreements and strict controls evolve in response to changes in political settings. For example, the Chinese government strictly regulates video content. Occasionally, the entire show must be shortened to comply with their laws. The administration of the Walt Disney Company has strong opinions regarding current political events. For instance, Igor, the CEO of Disney, chastised former US President Donald Trump over the Las Vegas murder that murdered one of the corporation’s personnel (Lev-Ram, 2017). Therefore, their political preferences have affected the business’ reputation and fan base.
Economic Factors
Rapid industrialization provides an opportunity for corporate growth, and for Disney, this macro-environment aspect is undeniable in emerging economies. For instance, the corporation might anticipate strong revenue development in developing Asian jurisdictions for leisure and mass media items. Rising disposable incomes enhance many clients to purchase the institution’s items. Despite these potentials, the sluggish expansion of the Chinese market poses a challenge to Disney’s external evaluation. China, however, continues to be a significant driver of advancement in the business’s macro-environment.
Social-Cultural Factors
Disney expands its foreign company strategically by capitalizing on pleasant feelings about leisure. This external sociocultural element improves clients’ possibilities of purchasing the firm’s entertainment merchandise. Additionally, growing internet activity creates a potential prospect for the Walt Disney business. For instance, more online product exposure might increase a business’s income from electronic shopping. On the other side, growing ethnic differences jeopardize Disney’s offerings’ appeal, including films and television shows.
Technological Factors
The external technological component of a greater incidence of research and development (R&D) reflects the rapid evolution of technology in the mainstream entertainment industry. For instance, firms such as Disney are expanding their reliance on powerful computer-generated imagery to deliver more competitive items. However, this innovative trend poses a threat by increasing the difficulty of competitiveness. Nonetheless, the same remote or macro-environmental aspect represents a chance for Walt Disney to grow by proactively raising its research and development rate to keep pace with or outperform rivals. Increased use of mobile devices is also seen as a tremendous prospect in the enterprise’s external assessment. The possibility is predicated on the tremendous proliferation of smartphones as an income source for Disney’s worldwide business.
Environmental Factors
Changing and deteriorating cyclical precipitation is a macro-environmental element that threatens the functioning of Disney’s amusement parks. In comparison, the growing utilization of solar energy is a chance to improve global business. For instance, Disney can enhance its corporate image by expanding its reliance on renewable technology. This external environmental variable is contingent on energy generation and storage technology availability in a remote area. Through sustainability practices, Disney has the potential to enhance its brand reputation and productivity improvements significantly. Additionally, revealing such actions to the targeted audience enables managing customers’ aspirations.
Legal Factors
Disney faces difficulty as more severe ecological protection standards are implemented. This external issue has the most significant influence on Disney’s activities in amusement parks, entertainment venues, and lodges, all of which have substantial ecological consequences. For instance, a new facility or resort building alters the site’s environment. While regulatory constraints mitigate the negative repercussions of such developments, they also enforce a constrained sector landscape on Walt Disney. Improved legal status for customer rights creates a tactical chance to grow customer happiness, a key indicator for global business management.
Overall Analysis
The assessment of strategic tools utilized above by the Walt Disney Company enumerates the following analysis. Disney has a prominent and strong brand that is instantly identifiable worldwide. Through this capability, the organization has developed a reputation as a respectable, family-oriented corporation that caters to all consumers. This internal aspect contributes to managing clients’ standards, which are typically favorable compared to the Disney business’s reputation. Additionally, the corporate structure of Walt Disney allows mutually satisfactory collaboration among business units.
This ability enables synergistic collaboration to gain a competitive edge. The characteristics outlined in this section of Walt Disney Company’s SWOT analysis promote long-term success despite the intense rivalry. The constraint on originality is tied to Disney’s business strategy, and by consistently enhancing its products, the corporation innovates. However, the institution’s activities are limited by a lack of technological innovation and the ability to utilize cutting-edge instruments. For example, Disneyland’s theme parks employ responsive, rather than offensive, developing technologies. The Walt Disney Company’s traditional competitive and intensive growth strategies prioritize product quality and exclusiveness while paying less attention to the rapid digital revolution.
Disney’s activities are determined by remote or macro-environmental forces, which create chances for development in the face of competitiveness and other dangers. For instance, serendipitous tactics could be used to target future business expansion in the industrial contexts of emerging regions. Although the bulk of environmental factors in this PESTEL evaluation are opportunities, some of them pose dangers to The Walt Disney Company’s worldwide media and entertainment commercial activities. For example, protectionist policies jeopardize the corporation’s licensing revenues from item sales. However, this external study paints a picture of an industrial environment in which Disney benefits from proactive management measures to increase market dominance and innovation to improve production efficiency and consumer pleasure.
Disney benefits from valuable technologies that allow it to capitalize on possible improvements and mitigate risks posed by micro and macro environmental settings. These competencies assist a company in growing, expanding, and prospering. The distribution network of the business is a great resource that permits it to access an ever-increasing consumer base. As a consequence, the business’s revenue increases. Only a few firms in the field possess and nurture these rare innate qualities, contributing to Disney’s commercial edge.
Workers at the institution are a vital resource, and they are better trained and skilled, which is not true of personnel at other companies. Increased compensation and a more positive work environment ensure that these employees remain at the organization. Furthermore, Disney’s financial resources are too expensive to recreate, having accumulated over decades through persistent revenue generation. Newbies and rivals would require an extended time of equivalent profits to amass these economic resources. Disney’s financial durability and its company image enable it to explore new product development and release alternatives and future takeovers and mergers for strategic advantage.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge to most businesses worldwide, including Disney. The company’s considerable revenue growth from 2016 to 2020 illustrated its capacity to generate steady revenue from its products and services. Regrettably, given the company’s shifting revenue growth and decline, the firm’s income streams appeared to be somewhat unclear. COVID-19 caused damage to the corporation’s park revenue generation capabilities. As a result, the entity’s revenue sources may need to be expanded further to guarantee stakeholders continuously enjoy revenue growth. Additionally, as illustrated in table 1, most of the company’s financial ratios witnessed an increase in performance in 2021 as most economies are recovering from the effects of the pandemic. The removal of social distancing restrictions by jurisdictions has facilitated business and customer interactions boosting Disney’s store sales.
Key Strategic Issues
From the strategic analysis conducted on Walt Disney, the report identified competition as a tactical issue that potentially affects the business. The competition presents itself through the existence of numerous enterprises in the market is an external element that translates directly into the intense rivalry that Disney Company faces. Additionally, businesses’ aggression is an empirical phenomenon contributing to the sector’s competitiveness. For instance, firms that yield high-quality animated films compete vigorously with Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios. Additionally, considerable differentiation adds to competitiveness, albeit in a negligible way. Thus, this external research identifies business aggression and population as the two most critical tactical administration challenges in terms of competitiveness. Disney, for example, is a significant player in the television and film industries, producing feature movies and show episodes. It confronts opposition in this market from Comcast, a diverse company with a stake in a variety of various businesses. Moreover, Disney faces competition from Sony, a primary creator and broadcaster of television content, through strategic partnerships located throughout the world.
Recommendations
Several suggestions for the Walt Disney Company to strengthen its strategic position are addressed below. To increase its competitiveness, Walt Disney must concentrate on how to succeed in global marketplaces and focus on and resolve any organizational challenges. It is suggested that the corporation keeps its innovation efforts to strengthen its corporate image in the industry and remain competitive. The corporation should release films and characters based on users’ tastes and preferences and remain competitive after soliciting their opinions.
Additionally, the organization must purchase the least expensive system that it has embraced. Thus, it will perform any operation necessary to minimize the price while maintaining the same level of quality. By lowering prices while maintaining the same level of quality, the corporation may retain existing consumers and reclaim those lost to the competition. Finally, the business’ institutional structure must be strengthened by allowing for divergence from the family focus. Thus, this assistance enables the organization to operate in a certain segment of overseas markets. Since individuals are more focused online than on television, Disney has the potential to grow its marketplace.
Conclusion
The Corporation works through five divisions: media channels, amusement parks, studio entertainment, consumer products, and interactive media. The word strategic analysis refers to evaluating an organization’s work environment. Tactical research assists in determining the firm’s attitude and operation and the feasibility of achieving the firm’s targeted outcomes. The internal elements shown in this SWOT analysis demonstrate Disney’s opportunity to strengthen its operation and maintain one of the industry’s prominent positions. For instance, the firm’s powerful and well-known brand represents significant competitiveness. However, shortcomings constrain further expansion. The restricted diversity of the corporation is an internal strategic constraint that precludes new business endeavors in high-growth industries.
Disney’s operations are shaped by remote influences that create opportunities for growth in the face of competition and other threats. For example, unexpected approaches could pinpoint future corporate development in growing geographies’ industrial environments. While most environmental factors in Disney’s PESTEL analysis are favorable, some of them present threats to Walt Disney’s global film and music commercialization. The fact that rivalry manifests itself in the form of different organizations in the marketplace is an external factor that directly transforms into the heated competition that the Disney Company experiences. Moreover, corporate aggressiveness is an observable phenomenon that contributes to the sector’s efficiency. For example, companies that create high-quality animated movies face stiff competition from Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios. To boost its effectiveness, Walt Disney must concentrate on how to compete in global markets and on identifying and resolving institutional difficulties.
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