Disney+ France discovers which channel combinations drive the most magical brand outcomes

BUSINESS OBJECTIVE 

Identifying the channel combinations that drive the strongest brand outcomes

Since launching in France in 2020, Disney+ has competed in a crowded subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market. The streaming service relies on a premium content portfolio — including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and general entertainment — to attract, engage, and retain subscribers.

Heading into the 2025 holiday season, Disney+ sought to maximise brand impact during one of the industry’s most competitive periods for viewer attention and subscription acquisition. The campaign ran nationally across France, reaching adults with an affinity for streaming content, Disney franchises, and its iconic characters. 

Beyond campaign performance, the team wanted to answer a broader media planning question: Which combinations of connected TV (CTV), broadcast video on demand (BVOD), audio, and online video (OLV) deliver the strongest brand outcomes? 

SOLUTION 

Activating across CTV, BVOD, OLV, and audio

Disney+ launched a seasonal awareness campaign through the Kokai platform experience activating across four channel channels: CTV, BVOD through broadcaster inventory, audio, and open OLV. 

The campaign delivered nearly 17 million impressions, reaching 7.5 million unique people and 6.8 million unique households across France. By activating across multiple channels, Disney+ gained a clearer view of how different media environments worked together to influence audiences.

To measure the impact of omnichannel exposure, The Trade Desk partnered with Happydemics to pioneer a new measurement framework that combined cross-channel activation, unified audience measurement, and outcome-based reporting. The initiative offers an early glimpse into the future of omnichannel measurement as broader capabilities continue to take shape.* 

To measure the impact of omnichannel exposure, The Trade Desk partnered with Happydemics to conduct an omnichannel brand lift study. Together, we developed a first-of-its-kind measurement framework that combined cross-channel activation, unified audience measurement, and outcome-based reporting. Using a matched control methodology, the study evaluated the campaign’s impact across three key brand metrics:

• Brand preference: Individuals were asked questions like, “Which of these brands do you prefer?” 

• Brand image: Individuals were asked questions like, “This is an advertisement for Disney+. What image does it give you of Disney+?” 

• Consideration: Individuals were asked questions like, “In the future, would you consider Disney+? Scale 1 – 10.” 

The analysis also measured how channel combinations performed relative to individual channels, helping identify where omnichannel strategies generated incremental lift beyond the strongest single-channel approaches.

In parallel, Disney+ leveraged our omnichannel insights reporting to measure reach, unique persons, household overlap, and cross-channel distribution. These insights provided a holistic view of how Disney+ audiences were exposed across channels and created the foundation for interpreting the brand lift results. 

KEY RESULTS 

Uncovering how different channel combinations delivered different brand outcomes

In addition to delivering strong brand lift across multiple omnichannel combinations, the campaign gave Disney+ actionable insight into which channel mixes were best suited to different objectives. 

• Brand image: CTV + audio + OLV delivered a 48-point total uplift versus non-ad recallers.** The combination also generated 31 additional points of synergy compared with OLV alone, the strongest-performing single channel for brand image. 

• Brand preference: CTV + audio + OLV delivered a 38-point total uplift versus non-ad recallers.** The combination also generated 24 additional points of synergy compared with audio alone, the strongest single channel for brand preference. 

• Consideration: CTV + BVOD + OLV delivered a 33-point total uplift versus non-ad recallers.** The combination also generated 24 additional points of synergy compared with OLV and BVOD alone, the strongest-performing single channels for consideration.

Together, these capabilities offer a differentiated approach to omnichannel measurement, helping advertisers understand not only the impact of individual channels, but also the incremental value created when channels work together as part of a unified omnichannel strategy. 

These results showed that there was no single “best” omnichannel mix across all brand objectives. Instead, the optimal combination depended on the metric Disney+ wanted to influence. For example, CTV + audio + OLV proved especially effective for brand image and brand preference, while CTV + BVOD + OLV performed strongest for consideration. 

Importantly, the study provided actionable guidance for the Disney+ team’s future planning. The team gained channel-specific guidance that can help inform future seasonal planning, including high-investment awareness periods for Disney+. 

The results also highlight how omnichannel activation and measurement can support advertisers beyond single-channel brand lift reporting. By measuring the incremental impact of channel combinations, Disney+ gained a more precise understanding of how its media mix drives brand impact across the customer journey. 

Discover how omnichannel advertising and cross-channel measurement can help you identify the media mix that drives your business objectives. Contact us or reach out to your account manager at The Trade Desk today.

_{*Not all capabilities described here are available today. References to upcoming capabilities from The Trade Desk or our partners are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to change. 
**Control group consisted of those who stated they did not recall seeing the ad.}