Andyman100385
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2015
Mr. Iger has been a hot topic in the news and on the Podcasts for a variety of reasons. Many people have varying opinions of him, but I tend to believe he has been great. However, I also believe it is impossible to fully and fairly judge Iger right now, because he still has some work to do. While I do not believe Iger will ever be as hated as Eisner, I tend to think Eisner was better than he is given credit for, as he, just like Iger did the jobs they were brought into do.
Eisner was exactly what Disney needed, at a time that Disney needed it most. Eisner arrived at a time just prior to when branding as we know it today first reared its ugly head into the world (no pun intended). But recall, he was brought it to save a dysfunctional company. In other words, Disney needed a micro-manager. In his first decade, he revitalized the company and oversaw the creation of some of Disney's biggest brands. However, Eisner really began struggling with the evolution of branding which in concept theoretically discourages innovation, Given this focus on built in audiences, Eisner gambled an went all in on the Disney brand. He seemed to believe that the Disney brand could sell itself for little to know money. Hence, after a couple of investments failed, he turned his focus to the constant stream of cheap Disney sequels, and the initial California Adventure just to name a couple of missteps. All of which were cheap, seemingly less risky endeavors. The problem, in my opinion, was that Eisner's place in the company was always transitory in nature. His sole focus became selling Disney with Disney. And as a micro-manager who was often disliked by his colleagues, the second the company became less profitable, he was thrown out.
Similarly, Iger was exactly what Disney needed, at a time that Disney needed it most. Iger is a branding genius, and was brought in to fix a diluted brand. He expanded the Disney bubble beyond princesses and animated movies. Through his purchases of Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel, he added firmly established brands and created a cash cow that permitted Disney to again start taking risks within their own studios, theme parks, and other endeavors. These brands are now being inserted into the theme parks, which cant necessarily "break" Iger's legacy, but will certainly be a large part of it as we see how well these brands can be incorporated into the Disney mold.
If Pandora and Star Wars lands take off, then in my opinion Iger will have one hell of a legacy, as a man who transformed and expanded the brand to places it has never been. If the lands do not pay off, then Iger will also likely be forced out in favor of a person who has the ability to take the next step and flawlessly incorporate/merge the brands.
What do you think Iger's legacy will be?
Eisner was exactly what Disney needed, at a time that Disney needed it most. Eisner arrived at a time just prior to when branding as we know it today first reared its ugly head into the world (no pun intended). But recall, he was brought it to save a dysfunctional company. In other words, Disney needed a micro-manager. In his first decade, he revitalized the company and oversaw the creation of some of Disney's biggest brands. However, Eisner really began struggling with the evolution of branding which in concept theoretically discourages innovation, Given this focus on built in audiences, Eisner gambled an went all in on the Disney brand. He seemed to believe that the Disney brand could sell itself for little to know money. Hence, after a couple of investments failed, he turned his focus to the constant stream of cheap Disney sequels, and the initial California Adventure just to name a couple of missteps. All of which were cheap, seemingly less risky endeavors. The problem, in my opinion, was that Eisner's place in the company was always transitory in nature. His sole focus became selling Disney with Disney. And as a micro-manager who was often disliked by his colleagues, the second the company became less profitable, he was thrown out.
Similarly, Iger was exactly what Disney needed, at a time that Disney needed it most. Iger is a branding genius, and was brought in to fix a diluted brand. He expanded the Disney bubble beyond princesses and animated movies. Through his purchases of Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel, he added firmly established brands and created a cash cow that permitted Disney to again start taking risks within their own studios, theme parks, and other endeavors. These brands are now being inserted into the theme parks, which cant necessarily "break" Iger's legacy, but will certainly be a large part of it as we see how well these brands can be incorporated into the Disney mold.
If Pandora and Star Wars lands take off, then in my opinion Iger will have one hell of a legacy, as a man who transformed and expanded the brand to places it has never been. If the lands do not pay off, then Iger will also likely be forced out in favor of a person who has the ability to take the next step and flawlessly incorporate/merge the brands.
What do you think Iger's legacy will be?
