Brand Leaders Never Step Into Toxic Waste
Michael Hedges January 20, 2020 Follow on Twitter
Media brands have all sorts of challenges. Consumer behavior changes. New entrants, literally, stream in. For brand managers to chief executives, brand strength, also called brand equity, is tied to consumer confidence, trust and, importantly, safety. The very best are inspiring. All but the foolish recognize brand strength must be diligently guarded.
 Late last week the Walt Disney Company re-branded film and television production companies 20th Century Fox Studios and Fox Searchlight Studios. The name “Fox” has been dropped. Everything changed, including the email addresses, website names and even Twitter handles.
Media watchers took notice: "I think the Fox name means Murdoch, and that is toxic,” said an unnamed “insider” to Variety (January 17). The name change is “a move that may prevent consumers from mistakenly thinking the movie studio has anything to do with Rupert Murdoch’s polarizing Fox News media,” wrote, diplomatically, the New York Times (January 17). After the Disney transaction, the Murdoch family merged News Corporation newspaper and broadcasting assets with their remaining parts of 21st Century Fox into Fox Corporation.
The famous trumpet fanfare resounded across the world. “The ultra-conservative image of Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News channel, close to Donald Trump, prompted Disney to erase all ties with Fox,” offered French daily Le Monde (January 17). “The media group distances itself from the ultra-conservative Fox News,” said German daily Die Zeit (January 18).
Both 20th Century Fox Studios and Fox Searchlight Studios were acquired last March by the Walt Disney Company as the Murdoch family effectively exited the film and television production businesses. The total price tag was the eye-popping US$71.3 billion (about €64 billion). They will now be known as 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Studios, respectively.
Disney has long been revered for branding genius. From its family-friendly film and TV productions to the famous theme parks every company employee is taught to “protect the park.” For nearly 100 years Disney and its various subsidiaries, with a few stumbles, have exuded customer orientation. And Disney makes a lot of money. "I happen to believe that greatness in creativity always takes care of everything,” said chairman/chief executive Bob Iger to the Wharton Business School (October 17, 2019).
20th Century Fox Studios also has a storied legacy, from the original (1968) Planet of the Apes, the Star Wars franchise and the Titanic remake to television blockbusters MASH and The Simpsons. Searchlight Studios was formed by 20th Century Fox in 1994 to produce edgier films; Slumdog Millionaire its highest grossing title.
Certainly, the “Fox” name continues to resonate in the US market, largely due to the right-wing, conspiracy-theory laden Fox News. Political orientation aside, the Fox News brand engenders tremendous loyalty from viewers and supporters. They are totally immersed, dawn to dusk, like a cult.
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January 20, 2020
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