You're not wrong. But, corporate culture is more than greed. Profits are definitely important. But, in Corporate America, today, there is more at stake than even 20 years ago. Examples would be ESG scores, inclusivity standards and something I call trend riding.
What is "riding the trend"? Unfortunately, many corporations (even TWDC) is moving towards a benign, "coffee shop", bland offering and style is vogue. Everything is a shade of gray and flat logos. You largely abandon the ideals that the company was founded upon and what drove customers to the company.
Here is a current hub-bub about Cracker Barrel and its rebrand. Cracker Barrel whether you like it or dislike the restaurant is a southern country store for families to eat at. No alcohol. Hearty breakfast with good food. Gather around and socialize. Southern kitchy stuff to buy after your meal. Wood floors. Fireplace. Wait staff that had high appearance standards and wore uniforms that fit the company's goals and ideals. Cracker barrel has abandoned all or many of these things that built its customer-base and is chasing a trend.
On the opposite end, think about the current hub-bub with American Eagle. They have a buxom blonde in a pair of jeans and not much more, and there was a lot of people upset with the campaign. Now these people will make up all sorts of ridiculous reasons why they object to Sydney Sweeney in a pair of jeans, but for me, the people who are upset and on some sort of crusade are probably upset that American Eagle is bucking the trend and going back to what was being done to sell jeans in the 1990s. That's why my DW and I shrug our shoulders, because American Eagle is doing the same thing as Guess did 30 years ago with Claudia Schiffer, Anna Nicole Smith, Drew Barrymore, etc. etc. It may not be the trend today, but it was how jeans were marketed many decades ago and my DW and I are just accustomed to it, I guess.
Look at what TWDC is doing in many regards to its hotels and parks and even the studios to a degree. You get rid of the unique character, color and stylings that were synonymous with Disney parks and hotels and movies. And that was what TWDC built its brand off of was family-fun offerings. Instead, TWDC is chasing trends and not building on the ideals that built the company. There is a lot of flat logos and
Serve alcohol in DL. Sure. Serve alcohol in MK. Sure. Isn't the park for families? Yeah, but the trend is offer alcohol.
Relaxed standards for CMs. Sure. Even if it detriments the storytelling. Sure, who cares about storytelling? That crap was Walt's idea. He's dead. His ideas should be dead too, right?
Many DVC or hotel recent brandings and they lack whimsy and color and stylings that were vibrant and told a great story. The makeovers are often just bland shades of gray or beige, sterile modern looks that don't invoke a family-fun story in the room. It sucks the life out of the story.
Compare logos. Which logo has character and fun and joy. Which logo is clean and bland and boring.
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This type of corporate culture has me concerned as much as greed to diminish the guest experience with the division of your company that has been delivering the biggest revenues to help your profitability and stock price. Lord knows that Bob Iger cannot point to ESPN or LucasFilm or D+ etc. to have been delivering great profits for the company over the past 5 years.
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