By Cathy Rose A. Garcia,
Associate Editor

IF YOUR FAVORITE SM mall is looking more like a Disney wonderland these days, it’s just part of the mall giant’s multi-year partnership with The Walt Disney Company (Philippines), Inc.

This holiday season, Christmas decorations at SM malls are all about Disney. For instance, a giant Christmas tree made up of Disney Tsum Tsum characters dominates SM City North EDSA’s The Block. Other malls feature well-loved characters like Mickey Mouse, as well as those from Disney animated films like Cars and Frozen.

The “We Love Disney” campaign with SM Supermalls is just one part of The Walt Disney Company’s plan to bring the well-loved brand to more Filipinos, not just in urban areas but around the country.

Veronica Espinosa-Cabalinan, Country Manager Philippines, The Walt Disney Company (Photo: RENDY ARYANTO/Visual Verve Studios)

Veronica Espinosa-Cabalinan, general manager in the Philippines, said the company is pursuing more local partnerships, like the one with SM, to be able to expand the brand’s reach.

“One of our key strategies really to expand our reach is localization. As you know, for you to be able to be successful in localization is you have to partner with local companies because they would really tie in the brand messaging seamlessly into the local culture,” she said, in an interview at the company’s new office in Taguig.

For partnerships, Ms. Cabalinan said The Walt Disney Company is looking for companies that it shares common values and goals, as well as provide reach and relevance.

“Local companies pretty much have ears and eyes on ground. And one of the things me and my team are working on is we want to be known as the Filipino Walt Disney Company, not The Walt Disney Company Philippines. Our goal is really for every Filipino household to have the opportunity to touch and feel the Disney and Marvel brands. That’s our primary goal,” she said.

With SM, the company has a multi-year theatrical promotions partnership that “aims to bring Disney, Marvel, Pixar,and Star Wars movies to life through unique Disney experiences at SM’s entertainment properties.”

“We’re doing the We Love Disney campaign. The SM malls are allowed to dress up their malls in Disney or Marvel characters. This kind of mall-theming is across its chain of malls, including far-flung malls like SM Rosales or SM Lanang. That’s the type of reach we’re looking at,” Ms. Cabalinan said.

This perhaps has helped ensure box office success for Disney and Marvel films. The top five highest-grossing films of all-time in the Philippines are all from Disney and Marvel, namely Beauty and the Beast; Captain America: Winter Soldier; Avengers: Age of Ultron; Avengers, and Iron Man.

Disney has also tied up with Globe Telecom, Inc. for theatrical promotions, media distribution and Disney Interactive. “In terms of how to expand our stories and integrate into every day lives of Filipinos, we have partnership with Globe where we did the web series called I Dare to Dream — which showed how our (Disney) Princess stories were integrated in the every day lives of Filipinos,” Ms. Cabalinan said.

She noted both SM and Globe have the “reach” that Disney was looking for. “That’s very important for us, the way we want to expand into areas where our content hasn’t be able to reach,” she said.

Folded & Hung Star Wars Collection as modeled by celebrity endorsers James Reid and Nadine Lustre

PRIORITY MARKET
Ms. Cabalinan emphasized that Disney considers the Philippines as one of two priority markets in Southeast Asia, along with Indonesia.

“It comes from the fact that Filipinos have a natural resonance towards the Disney and Marvel brands,” she said, noting Filipino children’s favorite characters include Spiderman, Sofia The First, Avengers and Frozen’s Anna and Elsa.

“The challenge is how to continue giving best in class Disney and Marvel experiences to the fans over and over again… Also to remain relevant, we just have to keep up, especially with the technological advancements,” she added.

Disney has also worked with several local companies on consumer products. Folded and Hung recently released a Star Wars clothing line, while Lamoiyan Corporation sells Mickey Mouse-themed Hapee kiddie toothpaste.

Homegrown beauty brand Happy Skin released Disney Princess-inspired lipsticks in October 2016, followed by a Beauty and the Beast collection in time for the live action film’s release in March this year.

“We really work closely with the partner to integrate the (Disney) stories in the every day lives of Filipinos, whether content or products, even social media,” Ms. Cabalinan said.

Disney also has an up-coming partnership with furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, although she did not give details.

“From low to high, what we are looking at is making the content available for all,” she said.

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