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Talking about the company's strategy in China, Stanley Cheung (Cheung), Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Disney, Greater China said, "We are not fixed on the idea that we have to lift stuff from the US and drop it into China and if that doesn't work, we don't have business. I think that would be a narrow way of doing business."10 He said that Disney gave great importance to finding 'locally relevant' and 'appealing content' in addition to bringing more Disney family entertainment content to the country.11
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Disney also wanted to project itself as a local company in China. Cheung said that he wanted Disney to be regarded as the Chinese Walt Disney Co. and not as the Walt Disney Co. operating in China.12
Disney felt that as its products like films,13 cartoons, and toys and kidswear14 were being well received by the Chinese, localizing the products/content was a rational move. Jo Yan (Yan), Vice President (Sales) of Buena Vista International, the international distribution arm of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. a motion picture and television feature distribution company owned by Disney, said that as the company's 'core values were appreciated' (by the Chinese) the 'next step logically for the company was to start making them (films and other content) locally'.15
Cheung said that Disney's decision to diversify into Chinese films had 'everything to do with market opportunity'. He said that the decision was not taken in response to China's restrictions on the import of foreign films16 or the country's tough censorship and certification regimes.17
But media experts attributed other reasons for Disney's local co-production, apart from those put forward by the company. Joseph Lampel (Lampel), a film industry expert from London's Cass Business School felt that Disney gained a dual advantage by producing a film in China. First, because Magic Gourd was co-produced in collaboration with Chinese government agencies, and was based on local content, it was expected to help Disney get around governmental restrictions on theatrical release. Second, a film with local content was likely to appeal to the Chinese audience, increasing Disney's cachet in China.18 Disney hoped that the success of Magic Gourd would help the company establish itself more strongly in the booming Chinese market.
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10] "Disney Adopting Local Content for China Market," Taipei Times, June 26, 2007.
11] Patrick Frater, "Disney Brings 'Magic' to China," www.variety.com, May 16, 2007.
12] Patrick Frater, "Disney Takes Local Route in China," www.variety.com, June 28, 2007.
13] Disney had released 19 dubbed films prior to the release of 'Magic Gourd' in China.
14] Disney sold toys and kids wear through its 4,200 'Disney Corners' in China (as of mid 2007).
15] Patrick Frater, "Disney Takes Local Route in China," www.variety.com, June 28, 2007.
16] The Chinese government strictly controlled theatrical release of foreign films on the country. China implemented a quota system according to which only about 20 foreign films were permitted for theatrical release in a year.
17] Patrick Frater, "Disney Takes Local Route in China," www.variety.com, June 28, 2007
18] Katie Allen, "Magic Kingdom Woos China with Tale of an Enchanted Vegetable," The Guardian, June 11, 2007.
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