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Disney Mobile: Leveraging on Japan's mobile landscape
An early mover into the mobile content market, the Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) has emerged as a worldwide leader in mobile content, providing carriers and consumers all the world with some of the most compelling mobile entertainment available today. WDIG entered the mobile market in 1999, with the launch of informational, text-based content services in the U.S., under the ABCNEWS and ESPN brands. However, in June 2006, a disappointed Disney pulled out of the cellular phone business in the US, on pretext of delays in the spread of 3G networks in the country.

In March of 2008, Disney decided to direct its attention towards Japan, which is home to a huge Disney fan-base. This time, Disney Mobile was inclined to get it right, by paying close attention to the cultural and technological landscape of the country. Disney Japan adopted a commendable approach to this, by teaming up with a local telecom conglomerate, SoftBank, to become the country’s first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), offering both voice and data services. Disney strategically left back-end operations (distribution, price planning, sales, billing, etc.) to their partner and focused on bringing content, design know-how and brand value into the partnership.

Japanese customers can sign up for Disney Mobile at over 2,000 SoftBank stores and buy jointly designed handsets featuring various Disney characters. Subscribers can download Disney cartoons, games and ringtones, surf exclusive Disney web sites and use @disney.ne.jp as their mobile mail address. Disney nailed its market research too; Disney's main target market in Japan comprises women in their 20s and 30s!

Disney is today the No. 1 mobile entertainment brand in Japan, with distribution on all 4 major carriers in the market. It currently has more than 3 million paid subscriptions (100 – 300 yen/month), along with a free Disney Fan Magazine with nearly 1 million subscribers. Disney Mobile recently reached agreements with mobile giants Mobage-town and Mixi Mobile, which now feature Disney characters on their sites. Based on early learning in Japan, Disney has expanded its mobile business globally, with main offices in Tokyo, Munich and London and content available in more than 40 countries through deals with 80 carriers and distributors.

It was a job well done by Disney Mobile in Japan, and highlights the significance of cultural intonations, business development localization and thorough market research, in order to successfully exploit media technologies.

Source: How Disney Mobile is succeeding in Japan Wireless fact sheet: Disney
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