Disney Case

1) What does Disney do best to connect with its core consumers?

Interestingly Disney’s core customers have changed during the company’s

history. During the 1980s, Disney started marketing to the elderly as well. But more

importantly, this company has over the years used emerging technology to improve guest

satisfaction through a progressively richer media and entertainment experience. Disney

has succeeded over the years by constantly changing its parks, themes of new movies

while still making available nostalgic characters to remind an entire generation of the

multimedia they grew up with. Walt Disney studios, parks and resorts, Disney consumer

products, media networks and interactive media make up the 5 segments of the Disney

market. Each of these segments have a diverse age range as well as different tastes in

Disney characters and their personalities as brought to light by the park staff, voice-over

actors and all the cast of the various movies and shows that Walt Disney and the great

creative minds that the company as attracted into its workforce.

Disney targets secondary guests also. These are people who have any influence in

the buyer’s decision to buy or not buy to see a movie or not to see a movie. The

impression the store or employee has on this secondary guest can lead to repeat business.

Essentially Disney views any purchasing process from approach to sale to service as an

opportunity to put on another show and wow the guest who frankly has many places they

could find a similar product or service.

2) What are the risks and benefits of expanding the Disney brand in new ways?

New is always a scary word for a well-established brand. New brings risks,

uncertainty and caution. However establishing its own TV channel has allowed the

company to observe, tweak and polish a given media from concept to product.

Disney has recently announced its plan to build two huge parks solely dedicated

to The Star Wars ultimate experience. It should be noted however that Disney at any one

time has several projects in various phases of construction. There is always something

new at Disney and that is what keeps people revisiting for a second and completely

different experience as most people do not visit any given park inside and out. With these

new parks along with a brand new Avatar park, Disney has promised to deliver a fully

immersive experience unlike at any other competing park.

Expanding the Disney brand may carry some risks as well. Most importantly, any

new products weather it is media or physical experience have/has to contain at its/their

core the Disney experience. For example the company might tomorrow release a new

plush toy based on its new movie. It might have a small Disney tag, it might even be

placed next to familiar Disney characters, and however it may be passed over by a

customer due to unfamiliarity with the character. To introduce any tangible product the

characters have to be a success in a movie or production. It is then that Disney goes all

out in providing endless merchandising about the particular character, product or service.

Sometimes, a company may diversify its products, services into too many different

markets and risk the individual products or services that do not reflect the ideals of the

brand as much as its core products, characters or services do.