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Operational Planning of the Walt Disney Company

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Organizational Planning of The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is a leader in family entertainment, spanning the globe with its many subsidiaries in dozens of countries. Founded in 1923 by Walter and Roy Disney, the company was known then as The Disney Brothers Studio. Over the years, the name changed, additional companies were added, and the vision statement grew to focus on three fundamental pillars: “generating the best creative content possible; fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology; and expanding into new markets around the world” (The Walt Disney Company, 2014). Disney has many strengths, one weakness, many opportunities for growth, and a few threats that create a challenge for this global leader. This paper will discuss these items as they relate to the operational and strategic goals of the company. Disney’s strengths include having a significant customer base for its cable channels, having many diversified entertainment businesses, and having increased profits in the past decade (The Walt Disney Company, 2012). The biggest weakness that Disney has identified is that 75% of their revenue in 2011 was generated from customers in the U.S. and Canada. This is an opportunity for expansion of their operations to bring Disney entertainment to other parts of the world (The Walt Disney Company, 2012). The opportunities that Disney can develop include expanding their presence in emerging economies including Russia, China, Asia Pacific and India. Additionally, the distribution agreement they signed in 2012 with Comcast will allow them to expand their presence in the cable television market. This includes their cable network channels such as the Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ABC, ABC Family, and 12 unique ESPN channels (The Walt Disney Company, 2012). The threats that Disney must focus on is their steep

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