Michelle Kwan new Disney Spokeswoman

[Linzybrooke]

I can't think of a better spokesperson. Shes an inspirational young woman who, unlike so many others, is actually a good role model for girls of today.

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Disney hires Kwan as celebrity spokeswoman
Star turned down offer to be NBC commentator saying she'd be distraction

Updated: 5:21 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2006
LOS ANGELES - Days after dropping out of the Winter Games, ending her epic quest for Olympic gold, figure skating champion Michelle Kwan accepted a new job on Thursday as celebrity representative for the Walt Disney Co.

Kwan, who recently declined an offer from rival media company NBC Universal to join its Olympics broadcast, will take part in promotions, advertising and public service messages involving all of Disney’s businesses, the company said.

The deal also calls for her to make guest appearances on original TV programming and make personal appearances at live company events. Disney owns the ABC television network.

Financial terms of the multiyear agreement were not disclosed.

Kwan, 25, one of the most successful and recognized figure skaters of all time, has won a record-tying nine U.S. national titles and five world championships. But her decade-long hunt for an Olympic gold medal came to a tearful end on Sunday as she withdrew from competition due to a groin injury.

NBC, which is providing U.S. television coverage of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, initially offered Kwan a job as an on-air commentator for the Games back in January, when it appeared she would not make the U.S. team, NBC has said.

An insider at the General Electric Co.-owned network said Kwan declined an opportunity to take up NBC’s offer, saying she did not wish to be a distraction to her former teammates.

Kwan, the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a native of the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, has been associated with Disney projects before, skating to the music of Disney’s animated film hit “Mulan” in a 1998 television special and appearing in the 1994 special “Greatest Hits on Ice.”

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

You go girl! Being a Disney rep sounds alot more fun than any 'ol NBC commentary anchor for a sport that is only popular every four years. Figure skating is great-don't get me wrong-but who wouldn't want to represent the "Happiest Place on Earth" and get all the perks that come with?

 

[yensiD naF]

To the typical Disney fan, Michelle Kwan becoming Disney's celebrity spokesperson sounds like a great thing. And it is. It makes sense to have a female spokesperson who is also of asian descent. I am expecting that Disney will at some point play the diversity card through it's P.R. department to exploit the race and gender facts.

Most companies don't embrace diversity for the purpose of quotas or to reach the maximum amount of customers. Disney does just that. Now I know that my comments here are going to create a backlash from you diehards, but please hear me out before you attack me.

When the Disney Store put it's first store in South Central Los Angeles, they planned to have a diverse "cast" working there, to "reflect the community." So what did they do? They went out and hired mostly African American castmembers to work at this store. The suits at TDS couldn't understand why the store was not performing. Since this was the first store of theirs in a real urban setting, they thought they did everything right. All they did was assume that because it was South Central L.A. the "guests" would be mostly African American. They usually referred to them as "customers". Anyway, the problem was that the key demographic for this store was Hispanic. Oops!

When I attended a Disney Store manager's conference (a big joke!) in 2000, we were told that we needed to have more diversity in our stores. That we needed to break away from the white, middle-aged women that dominated our casts and hire castmembers that better reflected the community. One of the regional directors actually referred to the long-term CM's from a store that was closing in my district as "dinosaurs", saying that we were not to take any of them into our stores once theirs closed. I took one of those 10-year "dinosaurs" anyway and she proved to be one of my best employees.

Instead, we were to hire Japanese CM's if we had a lot of Japanese "guests".
Mexican CM's if we were in a Mexican community, etc. They had to speak the language. Disney even gave us promotional signage with spanish subtitles to appeal to those guests. Why? Because we needed to get more sales from these people. It was all about money. And they made that point perfectly clear.

When I went to the SMDP (store manager development program) at Disney Store's "home base", that point was driven home even harder. We had a three hour session on "diversity" and how it looks. I was shocked and even appalled at this global company's sad approach to diversity.

So now we have Michelle Kwan being hired as the company's spokesperson. A Chinese female representing the company. Why now? Could it be to appeal to the asian community? Who want's to bet me that Kwan will make an appearance at Hong Kong Disneyland in the next month?

Hopefully the points that I have raised will show you that Disney uses diversity as a marketing tool and practices it because it is necessary to ensure profitability and to keep the shareholders happy.

Unfortunately, Disney does not view diversity as the right thing to do.

Now you can speak your minds.

 

[DancingBear]

I'm shocked, shocked, that the Disney stores wanted to hire people that spoke their customers' language and sought to increase sales.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Disney is not the first or last company to use diversity as a marketing tool...they all do! Just look at any Gap or Old Navy commercial. Hello!! Why wouldn't a company want to appeal to a wider market to increase the bottom line? They would be foolish not to do so. Can't we just be happy for Michelle Kwan and thankful she is a positive role model for our youth no matter her race or ethnicity?

 

[Linzybrooke]

As a Disney Store manager myself it is important to have CM's who speak the language of the demographic...I work in a predominately hispanic location and speak little to no Spanish. It is a huge barrier to have to deal with. Enough said.

As Amanda says in the previous post, lets just be thankful to have a POSITIVE role model for girls right now. I'm so tired of seeing 7 year olds in inappropriate outfits trying to act like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Kwan has been a popular girl for years and I am glad she chooses to use her celebrity to promote a positive female ideal in a culture so swallowed up by spray tan, bleach blonde, living on daddy's money spoiled little rich girls.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

It was all about money. And they made that point perfectly clear.

Duh. What did you think business was about?

I LOVE the idea of Michelle Kwan. So many of the people we see representing Disney these days are obnoxious, silly, annoying, dumb...or some combination of the bunch.

If this is true, it is excellent.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Sure beats Nancy Kerrigan (Carrigan?).

MG

 

[yensiD naF]

Duh. What did you think business was about?

So let me see if I have this right. Practicing diversity and embracing it as a part of a company's culture becuase it's the right thing to do is wrong?

and

Exploiting the company's efforts to promote diversity when it suits them is a good thing?

Creating a diverse workforce comes naturally to a great company and does not have to be promoted. A great company is a partner in their communities, and not just during hurricanes, or when it suits them. A great company has diversity in their top managment. When it comes to these areas, Disney is NOT a great company.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Give me strength...

MG

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Sure beats Nancy Kerrigan (Carrigan?).

MG

You got that straight. What a whiny, uptight little rich witch who was integral to the break up of her trainer(or was it manager?)'s marriage and then turns around and marrys the guy! I'm sorry...I am being mean and petty.

Like I said before, thank goodness for a POSITIVE role model like Michelle Kwan.

 

[MickeyMoper]

I think that they should have chosen Wayne Brady instead!!!

 

[WdWFan72]

Great move by Disney. Everyone loves Kwan. She is almost an American Hero.

 

[MJMcBride]

Sure beats Nancy Kerrigan (Carrigan?).

MG

And Dick "Shotgun" Chaney.

 

[MJMcBride]

Great move by Disney. Everyone loves Kwan. She is almost an American Hero.

How exactly is she an "American Hero"?

 

[exDS vet]

Great move by Disney. Everyone loves Kwan. She is almost an American Hero.

I guess being 2nd best does qualify her in the almost category. But I don't think any figure skater could be considered anything close to an American Hero. But let's look at the facts;

She lost the gold medal in two straight Olympics. Isn't 2nd place the first loser?

She was so arrogant that she spent several years training on her own, without a coach.

For years, she wouldn't even let her own dad near her at competitions.

She wormed her way on to this year's Olympic team without even previously competing under the new scoring system. So much for being a team player huh? They booted Emily Hughes from the team and made her an alternate who wouldn't even go to Italy unless someone dropped out.

Then Michelle dropped out way before the competition even began. She should have never been allowed to go in the first place.

Some "almost" American hero.

But I'm gonna ask a question anyway. Why would anyone consider her in such high regard? I'll admit she's not a Brittney Spears or Jessica Simpson, thank God. But she ain't no Oprah or, um, Oprah either.

 

[dbm20th]

Somehow I don't think Oprah is taking the gig. So, who would you suggest? Kwan is high profile, accomplished, (though I admit there was room for improvement) and popular. If they were looking for a female athlete to take thie gig, who is a better idea? (And I am not asking this question to be a wise- , I really am curious who you have in mind)

I agree with you assesment of this Olympics. She should never have been there, but the committee wanted her, so she really is only half the blame.

 

[DancingBear]

I guess being 2nd best does qualify her in the almost category. But I don't think any figure skater could be considered anything close to an American Hero. But let's look at the facts;

She lost the gold medal in two straight Olympics. Isn't 2nd place the first loser?

First, does somebody have to finish first to be accomplished? Since I assume you aren't the second best in the world in anything, I guess you're the 10 millionth (or whatever) loser.

Second, she did finish first place in 5 World Championships and 9 National championships.

And for God's sake, she got hired as a celebrity spokesperson, not to be an American Hero.

 

[exDS vet]

Somehow I don't think Oprah is taking the gig. So, who would you suggest? Kwan is high profile, accomplished, (though I admit there was room for improvement) and popular. If they were looking for a female athlete to take thie gig, who is a better idea? I really am curious who you have in mind)

I'm sure that they weren't looking for a female athlete for this role. If they were looking for anyone, it was probably an Asian because Disney doesn't practice diversity for diversity's sake. Kwan/Disney/Hong Kong, there's a familiar ring there.

I'll stipulate that there aren't many high profile female athletes out there. That's unfortunate because there is a lot of talent. The media is partially at fault for this perception. The highest profile females that I can think of are probably the Williams sisters, Danika Patrick, Sornestam (sp?) and maybe a few in the WNBA. I'm not saying that any of these would work. They don't have the warm and fuzzy appeal that the Kwan supporters percieve.
Kind of sad huh?

Maybe they should look in another field like entertainment, politics or even Disney itself. Julie Andrews has been a fine honorary Ambassador for the Disneyland 50 celebration. I do think that having a female in this role is good because it follows along the park Ambassador role that Walt himself started.

 

[DancingBear]

I'm sure that they weren't looking for a female athlete for this role. If they were looking for anyone, it was probably an Asian because Disney doesn't practice diversity for diversity's sake. Kwan/Disney/Hong Kong, there's a familiar ring there.

How strange that they would hire someone appealing to their markets for this marketing position.