Disney sees digital engagement as way into new markets, brand officer says

ANAHEIM, California -- U.S. entertainment group Walt Disney hopes to use digital engagement to reach more fans, the company's chief brand officer Asad Ayaz said in response to questions about how the company can expand into countries without a Disney theme park or where film screenings are restricted.

"The top two drivers of the Disney brand are obviously our movies and our theme parks," Ayaz said on the sidelines of the D23 fan event held in Anaheim, California, between Aug. 9 and Aug. 11. "But now, as the world is changing, there's a lot of ways for people to engage with Disney. Especially in digital and social... that is a huge part of fandom."