From Shoptalk Fall's drops and collabs panel with Lauren Gallo-Rodriguez, VP-Brand Marketing, The Walt Disney Company: The way to protect some of the most recognizable IP in the world is to set the guardrails once, up front, and then open the vault. Other notable insights included… -Start with the objective, not the partner. Every collaboration begins with what Disney is trying to accomplish and what success looks like. Consumer research and insights map the market and the white space, then the decision comes down to a partner's distinct point of view and what the two can co-create. -Research informs, emotion decides. Insights shape the choice, but the deciding factor is the end state of what Disney wants consumers to feel. That is where the magic comes from, and it is the part no spreadsheet can settle. -Guardrails first, then the vault. Disney aligns up front on what is essential to the brand and its franchises: brand integrity, character integrity and its values. Then it opens the arsenal, meaning Disney storytellers, its artists and access to the vault across all of its IP, so partners know the sandbox they can play in and build on top of that heritage instead of tiptoeing around it.