The initiative is part of Disney’s continued effort to bolster and increase representation in content for advertisers.
In an effort to be more inclusive and bolster representation, Disney Advertising has signed branded content development agreements with diverse-owned media companies, including Out’s own parent company equalpride!
Each company under the agreements will develop custom short- or long-form branded content, and although the agreements are rooted in streaming, the size of the company’s portfolio will support content distributions across multiple platforms.
“What we’re trying to do is create systematic and meaningful change in the end,» Joe Campbell, SVP of client partnerships at Disney Advertising, told Adweek in a statement. «We can’t do that if we’re not consistent and intentional. None of us are here for the heritage months only. We all activate 365 days a year. So if clients want to work with us for five days or 52 weeks, we have solutions. And these teams here are all part of those solutions.”
Equalpride, as well as Cocina, Group Black, and UnitedMasters, will operate as the primary production partners for independently produced content.
Kerel Cooper, president of advertising for Group Black, said: “We know that Black creators of content have a lot of influence, but we also know that many times they get overlooked and don’t necessarily get the funding for certain projects. And so for us, the partnership with Disney really solves for that because we are certainly aligned on a mission and vision.”
Campbell noted the deals are both good practice and good business.
“We’re all in the business of reaching audiences, and if you’re not reaching all audiences, you’re missing out on effectively running your business and selling whatever product you’re looking to sell,” he said. “We’ve been in the engagement business for 100 years at Disney. And we just want to make sure that we’re engaging with everybody authentically. And that’s really where these partnerships come to life.”
Equalpride is an LGBTQ-owned and operated media, digital, social, TV, print, and entertainment company. Its portfolio includes the beloved LGBTQ+ brands Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Plus, PRIDE.com, and the all-new Advocate Channel.
