Why Disney is courting creators to build a deeper bond with fans

Beneath the watchful eyes of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs that hold up the Walt Disney Co. corporate offices in Burbank, performers from the Broadway production of “Aladdin” were belting the familiar notes of “A Whole New World” to a sea of raised phones and cameras.A rapt audience of nearly 70 content creators was filming every moment of the performance for their followers. They were gathered on the studio lot last month as part of Disney’s Somos Magic Summit, a three-day event involving a series of panels and presentations at the company’s corporate headquarters and excursion to the Disneyland Resort theme parks. The goal: to deepen the relationship between the entertainment giant and these key Latino internet personalities.“You grow up watching Disney on TV and playing with Disney toys, and then to see them wanting to work with you, it’s like, OK, like, what is going on right now?” said Natalie Aguilar, a 24-year-old San Diego-based influencer known for making feel-good content online with her family.As social media continue to act as a cultural megaphone, content creators are now widely seen as an essential part of marketing for companies of all kinds, including retailers and coffee chains. For Disney, the stakes are even higher. At a time when studios are in a fierce competition for consumers’ attention, Disney is trying to lean into its biggest advantage — its massive and unique fan base. By working with creators, the entertainment conglomerate is trying to build on that loyalty and boost engagement with its various characters and products.Though Disney has collaborated with creators for years, the company is now scaling its efforts. This year, Disney has already collaborated with more than 6,000 creators, up 30% from 2025. These creators’ posts brought the company nearly 12 billion impressions on social media, Disney said.“We know that our fans want more,” Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer, said in an interview. “And what creators offer us is an authentic fan point of view in our creative process. Based on where people are spending time and the types of entertainment they’re engaging with, it creates numerous opportunities for us to have an always-on relationship with our fans.”At the Somos Magic Summit, held Sept. 27-30, the dozens of creators in attendance had a combined follower count of more than 185 million. “Let’s be honest,” said Nicole Leo, vice president of creator content and partnerships. “Creators are our best digital billboards these days.”Following the “Aladdin” performance, creators also heard from ESPN and Pixar executives, played Disney Channel trivia and participated in a spooky “Huluween” dance party. The three-day trip included a stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the luxury hotel at the Disneyland Resort, tours of the Burbank studio, an exclusive look into upcoming projects like Disney California Adventure’s new “Coco” ride and the studio’s upcoming animated movie “Hexed,” as well as time in the theme parks.Disney offered creators a wide variety of future opportunities, including set visits, press junkets and red carpet interviews with talent.The entire trip resulted in dozens of posts from each of these creators, such as daily vlogs, “get ready with me”-style videos and comedy sketches.These creator trips aren’t meant to feel transactional, said Anastasia Ali, Disney’s vice president of inclusive marketing and audience growth. Disney said it didn’t pay these creators to attend the trip, beyond covering their accommodations, and didn’t require them to share a certain number of posts. Instead, Ali said these events are intended to develop a “reciprocal relationship.”These creators will often get exclusive access to events, where they can make content, and Disney earns more social media chatter. In some cases Disney also has paid partnerships with influencers who promote their products.“They’re storytellers of their respective communities,” Ali said. “Our hope is that their audiences … see Disney as a place where they can bring their families and friends, where they can find their entertainment preferences and that Disney ultimately becomes their go-to brand for all kinds of entertainment.”The creators, too, see these opportunities as “mutually beneficial,” said Arthur Menezes, a New York-based influencer who was part of the summit. “They give us access to cool things. We promote those cool things and share them with our audiences,” said Menezes, who has previously attended pop-up events, red carpets and the company’s advertising upfronts presentation. “It’s a win-win situation.”Not everyone at the event was a Disney-focused creator. Isa Kristen, a 27-year-old Austin, Texas, resident, had not been invited on a trip with Disney before Somos Magic.As a full-time content creator, she always found that when she went to the theme parks for fun, she “would milk the content” because “anything that you post about Disney is going to perform well.”“It’s this global phenomenon. Not everyone has had the privilege of going to the park because it’s not always the most accessible or affordable,” Kristen said. “Consuming Disney content is not just nostalgic, not just entertaining, but it gives you that sense of belonging.” The Somos Magic Summit is just one piece of a broader push, as Disney has slowly taken more public steps to engage with creator content. Disney has inked several content partnerships with major internet personalities. Most recently, Disney announced a deal with sports and comedy group Dude Perfect. With more than 60 million YouTube subscribers, the creators are expected to make content tied to the 50th anniversary of “Star Wars” and the upcoming Marvel Studios film “Avengers: Doomsday.”In August, the company announced a new partnership with TikTok that will give creators access to Disney assets for use in short-form videos that will appear on the social media platform, as well as the Verts vertical video feed on the Disney+ app.Tribune News Service