• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 20, 2023

With more competition coming in the form of Amazon Prime Video's ad-supported tier, Disney is continuing its push to attract advertisers for Disney+ and Hulu with a rapidly expanding array of targeting, buying and creative options. 

Since launching the Disney+ ad-supported tier a year ago, Disney has added geotargeting and age/gender targeting and options including use of its first-party audience graph, programmatic buying through private marketplaces and invite-only auctions, and measurement of a variety of performance indicators. 

On another front, the company has been conducting studies that dissect streaming behaviors. The resulting insights are used to produce effective audience targeting segments for advertisers.   

Disney’s first “Generation Stream” study, dubbed Volume 1, defined three segments based on frequency of streaming and use as a standalone viewing mode or in conjunction with linear TV.  The second study defined five distinct types of sports fans within the context of streaming behaviors. 

Now, the company is promoting results of a new “Family Edition” leg of the study, which probed family life dynamics among streamers, including motivations for streaming and streaming's impact on family entertainment.   

This study, consisting of several research methods, including in-depth surveys and interviews with U.S. families/family members, identified several family trends that Disney has translated into four family-oriented targeting segments.  

"With streaming entertainment changing the way we connect as families, communities and across culture, we wanted to understand firsthand the motivators behind what we choose to tune in to, and how we as consumers choose to watch TV together – or on our own time," said Danielle Hydro, senior manager, advertiser insights and performance, Disney and research lead for Generation Stream. 

Nearly half (47%) of interviewees said that their families stream content together, while 41% said they spend their time streaming solo. 

The top benefit of streaming, according to families, is that it unlocks more entertainment choices. “But the flip side is that brands must consider all of the nuances of the format,” including that families are sometimes co-viewing a tentpole moment or sports match, while in other cases, family members are viewing content alone, in a binge session, notes Disney. 

One trend identified is a “new nuclear” dynamic in which families, while less formally defined than in the past, still consider themselves traditional, and still enjoy viewing programs together in their down time. 

The study also found that 77% of families sometimes watch shows, sports and seasonal content together as part of a shared experience on their favorite streaming platforms. These create “memorable moments of impact for brands,” Disney notes. 

Seventy-seven percent of families also said that connecting over their love of content that they view together, or from afar, creates better connection among them, and 87% consider streaming a great way for them to learn about the world beyond their own. 

In fact, 72% said that they prefer content that teaches or exposes their families to new people, cultures, places or experiences, and 67% said they like content that represents diverse races and ethnicities.  

The family audience segments created include “active enrichers” who prioritize quality of life, quality time and health and wellness; “eclectic connectors” who seek to connect with communities and diverse cultures; and “ritual relaxers” who like to watch reality TV or sports. Then there are “selfie escapists” — young individuals or couples who use nostalgic content to escape or live vicariously. 

The new segments identified through the first two “Generation Stream” studies will be available in January as part of the Disney Select menu of 100+ segments based on a variety of first-party data elements, including behavior, psychographics and household characteristics. The family segments will be made available later in 2024, according to Disney.