Instead, she appears poised, which is a fair accomplishment given a remit that revolves around overseeing several channels across 19 markets in Asia-Pacific, broadcasting Disney-branded programming in nine different languanges to more than 380 million households and their most important occupants, the kids.
Overseeing the Asia-Pacific creative development and commercial operations for Disney Channel, which is effectively the umbrella brand for Disney’s numerous television properties including the eponymously-named Disney Channel, along with stablemate channels Playhouse Disney and Toon Disney, Parkinson is at the forefront of the push to ensure the brand and content integrates and pushes out across multiple platforms, of which digital is clearly a major consideration.
Parkinson is comfortable taking an inclusive approach to managing the operation and the company’s drive to digital. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that employees, from junior assistants through to finance back-office staff, were treated to a working lunch to toss around ideas on digital platforms and social networks like Second Life, and discuss how and where Disney should be involved. As she points out, anyone can have a digital idea.
“It’s a huge opportunity,” says Parkinson. “There are challenges, especially with technical issues, and there is a cost of doing business but, like anything new, we’ll figure it out. We embrace digital technology and we want to make it available as widely as possible, but we’re a responsible brand. We need to ensure our content and our consumers are protected.”
While admitting it can be a challenge to localise the Disney brand and content to achieve maximum relevance in markets which do not have the benefit of its heritage that Western markets enjoy, Parkinson points to India as an example of what can work — and work well. There, the channel has a number of locally-developed live action series achieving record ratings, including Vicky & Vetaal and Dhoom Machao Dhoom.
Although both programmes shy away from using the more traditional Disney characters, both hinge on core moral values that children universally relate to.
Success in China however, is a different story altogether, with an ever-changing regulatory environment.
“China is tough,” Parkinson admits. “We have realised that you need to work with partners, whereas before we’ve probably tried to do it all ourselves.
“The Government is keen to develop its own local animation industry. We’re happy to support that, and we’ve seen some really exciting creative work coming out of China. But although we’re happy to work within the spirit of the guidelines, the guidelines keep changing.”
Parkinson’s ‘softly softly’ approach in China is deeply embedded in her regional strategy. Since joining from Turner she has built a core regional team of consultants in a range of disciplines, including communications and technical.
At the same time, she has been giving each local market far greater autonomy to package and present content as that market sees fit.
“We definitely take a view of ‘think global, act local’,” she says. “We’ve built a team, and now I’m really trying the shape the business with a view to digital — essentially providing directional guidance from a global strategy point of view.”
It’s a strategy which also comes into play in the heated battle between Disney Channel and Turner’s children’s properties.
While admitting the war for ratings is about as fierce as it gets, particularly when it comes to the respective companies’ production and programming departments, Parkinson notes that the two broadcasters are not averse to cooperating in markets to grow the children’s television sector.
“There’s a healthy competition, but there’s also an underlying recognition that if you’re building a market or a sector, then you do need to work together,” she says.
It’s a notion of realism borne of more than a decade of experience in children’s television, after originally joining Turner to work on Turner Classic Movies, a property perhaps closer to her love of old films first realised during an honours degree in arts, English studies and film.
Her first major TV role was VP marketing for Turner Entertainment Networks Europe, which at the time seemed a natural follow-on from her initial career on the agency side, including Saatchi & Saatchi in the UK.
“I was always interested in communication, visual or verbal, so it was a natural progression.”
Nicky Parkinson's CV
2004 SVP/managing director, Disney Channel Asia-Pacific
2001 Managing director, Nickelodeon UK
1995 VP, marketing, Turner Entertainment Networks Europe
1989 Board account director, Collett, Dickenson, Pearce & Partners, London
1985 Account director, Saatchi & Saatchi, London
