Commentary: Bob Iger and the inevitability of the comeback
Bob Iger is the CEO of Disney and the CEO of Disney Studios, which includes the Walt Disney Company, ABC Entertainment, Pixar, Disney Channel, and ESPN.
Here’s the deal: What you’re hearing these days is the “death of Disney,” or, if you prefer, that the Walt Disney Company is in a crisis.
It’s a little odd to hear that the company is in crisis: Disney is an entertainment behemoth known for its unique entertainment properties that have spanned the globe and generated billions of dollars in profits and profits for shareholders through the decades. That’s not going to change.
The thing is, Disney has always been in a crisis. There was the Disney Renaissance of the 1980s that fell apart in 1990 largely because of poor management decisions and creative missteps. There was the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s of the 2000s, which was also a disaster that led to the company’s first loss in twenty years, and now, there’s the inevitable Disney Renaissance of the 2010s, which is going to be a success. They’re all going to be happy. They’ll all be happy because they’re all going to be successful.
“The best thing you can do is stay out of the way.” (Benjamin Disraeli)
The great thing about Disney today is that they’re back. They’re back for the second time.
That doesn’t mean they’re going to be the same. They’re not. They’re going to be different in ways you’ve never seen before. They’re going to be different in ways you’ve never seen before because they’re different companies.
The Walt Disney Company is not the same company it was when Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Television, and Walt Disney Records were all part of one business. As the company grew, they grew in different circles.
Disney Studios is not the same company that was once the Walt Disney Company. It’s now owned by the Disney Company, whose business model is, for the most part, the same as it was when they were Disney Studios: Make movies,
