16: Driving audience engagement with the magic of Disney: Insights from Andrew Messina, senior vice president at Disney Advertising
Description
Andrew Messina is a Senior Vice President at Disney Advertising. He began his career on the agency side before moving into daytime sales at ABC, then advancing to a primetime senior account executive role, and ultimately rising to his current position. For the past 17 years, Andrew has led all brand advertising initiatives at Disney Advertising, including linear, programmatic, and addressable campaigns across platforms such as Disney, Disney+, Hulu, FX, and ESPN.
In today’s episode, Alan and Andrew connect at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to discuss the integration, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities Disney offers brands across its many properties. Andrew shares how live events – particularly women’s sports – are shaping advertising, highlights the importance of relationship-building in media sales, and explains Disney’s approach to reaching diverse audiences. He also reflects on the importance of mentorship and how AI and youth culture are influencing marketing strategies.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How rising viewership of women’s sports is creating new advertising opportunities
Why cultivating trust is essential for career growth, plus actionable development tips
Disney’s approach to building relationships with brands
Key quotes:
“Relationships really, really matter, and the only way some of these things are going to get done is through making sure you’re connected.” - Andrew Messina, senior vice president at Disney Advertising
Key highlights:
[00:30] Introduction
[01:10] A nontraditional introduction to the industry
[02:15] Andrew’s path to Disney<span class="Nor
United States
