As far as South African TV critics and several journalists covering television are concerned, Disney South Africa messed up last week with its haphazardly executed media plan for Descendants 2, the first Disney Channel (DStv 303) made-for-TV movie for which The Walt Disney Company SA brought American stars to South Africa.
Disney South Africa's PR and media management didn't bother to tell TV critics, journalists and publications outside of Johannesburg that the Descendants 2 stars Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce and Thomas Doherty would be flying to South Africa for a "red carpet cinema premiere".
Yet after a MultiChoice City headquarters visit at DStv that wasn't communicated as a basic media advisory either, and an evening Montecasino film premiere last week, Disney South Africa late on the Tuesday night bizarrely sent out just images of the stars posing in front of Disney's step-and-repeat Descendants 2 banner.
This was the very first time that multiple members of the Press Covering Television realised that not only were Descendants 2 stars for The Disney Channel actually in South Africa, but that they were in South Africa - past tense, and meaning opportunities to unlock mutual value, coverage and stories lost.
It was only late on Tuesday night long after the premiere banners were packed up that a lot of media realised that Disney South Africa did nothing to offer any interviews, more information, and in this instance couldn't be bothered to alert press about the talent visit that happened.
Then, presumably, Disney SA wanted TV critics and journalists to not just like, but to cover Descendants 2 and feel good about it.
"Good luck with that," snarked a longtime TV writer not based in Johannesburg on Whatsapp to me late last Tuesday.
"Didn't know, don't care," responded another newspaper TV critic when TVwithThinus reached out to ask several if they even knew beforehand that Disney would be bringing Descendants 2 stars for a media event.
It's not just media based outside of Johannesburg. At least two Johannesburg journalists working at newspapers and magazines covering television in South Africa this week told TVwithThinus they also didn't know. "Just bad," was one's response.
Why it matters and why it's striking, is that it marks the very first time that American Disney teen stars for a Disney Channel made-for-TV movie ever came to South Africa.
For Disney Channel it should be a very big deal but how it failed to communicate it and in the way it deliberately decided not to liaise and alert the media, it doesn't come across as if Descendants 2 and actual press coverage was a priority for Disney SA.
Disney acted like the Facebook friend having a birthday who can't be bothered to invite or just tell and warn, and then out of the blue shares photos afterward with "friends" who discover there was a party - but end up struggling to understand why they matter for that and how real the friendship is.
Even more ironic is when Disney South Africa's terrible Descendants 2 fail is compared with what M-Net for instance did in the same week.
Actress Kim Engelbrecht currently in the 4th season of The Flash jetted to South Africa last week and on Thursday M-Net also had media at an event similar to what Disney did at MultiChoice City where she did a media appearance (and interviews).
However, M-Net also very professionally organised phoner interviews with media across South Africa and alerted the national press covering television days beforehand that it would be happening and asked who wanted to partake, what media wanted, and scheduled it.
What makes Disney's bad The Descendants 2 "bubble world approach" so odd is that Disney South Africa is much, much better than this when it comes to letting the media know what is going on and what Disney is busy with.
Disney South Africa is usually very good at how it communicates, updates the media and primes the press about upcoming television, films and other roll-outs, but with Descendants 2 and the overseas talent making an appearance, it weirdly failed to communicate that it's happening - let alone trying to secure wider press coverage to try and get more viewer to actually tune in and watch.
I asked Disney what happened and Disney South Africa responded that the amount of time with the talent in South Africa was very limited.
That sadly doesn't explain why Disney SA couldn't just communicate that ahead of time - or in fact communicate anything about Descendants 2 that would have helped to manage expectations, to maintain existing public relations with media and to keep the press at the bare minimum, informed.
Disney also explained that it doesn't issue national communication regarding a talent tour until the talent are in the country, which was Tuesday.
At this point to give any more coverage to Descendants 2 or to tell about it would be giving the Disney film that The New York Times described as "colourful tuneful fluff" more exposure than what it or Disney South Africa deserves for this.
Apparently only kids in Johannesburg watch The Disney Channel on DStv, and apparently only Johannesburg media matter.
For Disney SA, the media that it works with wasn't good enough to know, respected enough to be involved, or valued enough to even be told about Descendants 2 beforehand. Yet they were considered good enough to be sent photos and captions for publication afterwards.
No word yet from Disney on whether there will be a Descendants 3 film on The Disney Channel.
If there is, and if some cast members were to visit South Africa, be assured that if you're media you will most likely be told on that day, and only if you're in Johannesburg.
