Developing a branding strategy for a company is as important to its success as any and all of the employees working for the business. Without distinct brand identification, the product is unrecognizable and the customer has no recollection of experience or a reason to buy. The brand is the true essence of the company in distinction and how it sells. Therefore, it is important to develop a brand and strategy early in the product life so all marketing efforts can be focused on supporting the brand and a common goal. Looking towards the challenges, benefits, and strategies of other companies can be of great use to Global Gadgets Imports (GGI). I’ve decided to focus on a popular globally known brand to show how a simple concept can help the brand to spread like wildfire.
The Disney Brand concept started in 1923 by Walt Disney as animator and his brother Roy Disney and Margaret Wrinkler as financial back-up. He was only 22 years old with big dreams of taking the entertainment world where it had never been before. In 1923-1927, the “Alice Comidies” tickled fans with the stories of a girls adventure with animated characters. When this concept grew old, he quickly came up with a new character to amaze his audience: Oswald the Rabbit. Sadly, this character was short lived as Walt’s partner Margaret Wrinkler and her husband stole the rights to this animation because of their financial backing. From his hardship came the first sketch of his most successful character. Walt and his brother Roy went into business together as The Walt Disney Company (IMDB, 2009).
From their first production studio in Silver Lake, CA several popular films and shorts were produced. Walt’s new character, Mickey Mouse, made his first debut in a sound synchronized animation called “Steamboat Willie” in 1928. Theirs was the first cartoon to use sound and it baited the audience to beg for more. The Silly Symphonies” began in 1928 followed by “Three Little Pigs” in 1933. Mickey Mouse continued to make his presence known on the screen with his pals Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. Walt was a true success and American loved his characters. The first animated feature produced, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was show in 1937. Pinocchio, Dumbo and Bambi quickly followed in 1940, 1941, and 1942 respectively. To date over 50 animated feature presentations have been released under the Walt Disney Company (IMDB).
The Disney Company has branched off into various brand extensions, co-brands, and segments. The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group operates as its own brand with several extensions including Walt Disney Pictures and Television, Miramax Films, Pixar Animation Studios and Disneynature. The Disney-ABC Television Group operates ABC, ABC News, abc Family, ESPN, The Disney Channel and several others. Interactive marketing is handled by Disney Interactive Media Group and includes Disney.com, ABC.com, and ESPN.com. Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts owns and operates in Orlando, FL and Buena Visa, CA as Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line. In Paris and Hong Kong joint ventures have brought two more successful theme parks and one licensed resort in Tokyo. Other Disney brands include World of Disney, Jim Henson’s Muppets, and Baby Einstein (CJR, 2008).
For my analysis, we’re going to look specifically at the Disneyland Brand in Buena Vista, CA. Walt Disney’s Disneyland opened in 1955 after several years of intense planning. This dream was created in his childhood when his father used to take him to carnivals, zoos and parks. He wasn’t a huge fan of rides and missed out on some of the fun. As a result, Walt wanted to create a park where children and adults could have fun together. Some of the first attractions included fly with Peter Pan, Wild West with Davy Crockett and the Mad Hatter tea party. Using memories to evoke thoughts and feelings towards his brand, the Disneyland theme park became very successful (The Walt Disney Company, 2009).
Challenges have been ever present for this brand extension. In Hollywood, CA. not too far from Walt’s theme park was the heart of Universal Studios and the Studio Tour. This tour opened in 1915 and gave visitors a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of a working movie studio. In 1964, the tour was upgraded to moving trams rather than stationary bleachers. In 1977, Universal Studios Hollywood became a real competitor to Disneyland when it introduced the Screen Test Comedy Theater and the Animal Actors Stage. Today, the two theme parks fight tooth and nail to pull visitors to their parks. Both brands have two parks each but their brand and emotional evocation are completely different. While today’s Universal Studios vies towards a louder, harder and more active theme park, Disneyland remains a classic, more traditional, and family oriented approach (The Studio Tour, n.d.).
Leveraging brands in the theme park industry is important for capturing repeat business and new customers. Disneyland uses classic fairytales and stories from feature films to draw in the customer. Many of their commercials use familiar concepts such as all girls want to be princesses, which princess or character are you? More recently, their promotion efforts have been catered towards celebration, asking the viewer “What will you celebrate?” It ties in with their brand image of timeless and the importance of family. The Disney Company continues to use its heritage and the characters that Americans fell in love with years ago as their main branding pull and point. On the other end of the spectrum, Universal Studios conquers the more modern and wild side of theme park goers. With more thrill seeking rides featuring 80-foot raft plunges, and action-packed adventure, there is no wonder Universal Studios gives Disneyland a run for its money.
GGI will need to utilize these same concepts to leverage its brand over the competition. Which aspects of the company allow customers to have a connection with the product? The modern design coming from Asian manufacturers suggests high quality and class with functionality. GGI home décor and gift items are not your everyday choice. There is originality and craftsmanship included in each piece. Perhaps GGI could rest its strategy upon a devotion to quality and detail to help pull in more familiarity for a wider variety of market niches. Another important point I feel GGI can take away from the Walt Disney Company overview is to constantly look for opportunities as they arise. Walt Disney dabbled in animated shorts, to feature films, television programs, radio broadcasts, theme parks and so much more. GGI should always seek expansion and then next frontier in home décor and gift items. Anticipating the customers needs returns a greater response than just meeting them.
In conclusion, I think there is a lot to be taken away from looking at other companies. Understanding how other home décor retailers market to their customers is an important step. Choosing colors and a slogan that is thought provoking and meaningful is also significant when trying to build meaningful relationship with your customers. GGI should observe as much as possible to learn from their competitions mistakes to save time and money.
References:
Columbia Journalism Review (CJR). (2008) Who owns what. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from http://www.cjr.org/resources/index.php?c=disney
International Movie Data Base (IMDB). (2009) Walt Disney. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000370/bio
Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (2008) Marketing Management. (13TH ed.). Pearson/Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
The Studio Tour. (n.d.) History of the tour. Retrieved April 17, 2009, from http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/attractions/studiotour.shtml
The Walt Disney Company. (2009) Company history. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/complete_history_3.html
Reference:
- The Walt Disney Company. (2009) Company history. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/complete_history_3.html
- The Studio Tour. (n.d.) History of the tour. Retrieved April 17, 2009, from www.thestudiotour.com/ush/attractions/studiotour.shtml
- International Movie Data Base (IMDB). (2009) Walt Disney. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from www.imdb.com/name/nm0000370/bio
