Marketing Tips From Disney - Part 1

Well Mary, the kids, and I are back from our nine  day vacation at Walt Disney World and we had a great time.  While we were gone, this site had a lot of visitors on Wednesday, which I thought was a little odd because I had not posted since the Friday before we left.  Hmmm - I hope this doesn't mean that I'm better off not posting!  Anyway, what did I learn about marketing the Disney way -  a lot.  So, without wasting more of your time, between this post and the next, I will present to you - fellow Mouseketeers, the Top 5 Marketing Tips I Learned While on My Vacation.

Tip #1: Everyone is Special, but Nobody is Unique

The Disney folks are awesome at doing the little things to make everyone feel special - a little "Have a Magical Morning" or driving the extra mile to replace a broken ornament because someone forgot to pack it correctly when shipping it back to the hotel.  However, once you go through the parks you realize that while they make you feel special, they MAKE EVERYONE feel special - not just you.

This was most apparent while we were waiting our turn to have our picture taken with Minnie Mouse.  A little girl, who was not waiting in the long line, ran up to Minnie just as it was our turn.  Now, I don't mind the child running up, but the parents were oogling over how cute she was - like she was the only child being cute around Minnie.  There are a million people at once trying to do exactly the same things as you are doing.  On a rare occasion, do you get to experience something truly special and unique.

Why is this tip important from a business perspective?  In order to stand out in the business world, you must take chances so that there is a REAL reason for you to standout; otherwise you are just part of a sea of sameness. 

Tip #2:  The World Moves At Its Own Speed, It Is Your Job to Catch Up

Have you ever been on vacation in Disney?  The first thing you learn is that you have a real simple tradeoff - money or time.  If you want to go to a special event, ride a particular ride, you need to allocate enough time or money to get you their sooner.  Yes the Disney Bus System is consistent - sort of like betting on the same AT&T customers paying their non-discounted phone service year after year, but you move at their speed which mean a few more stops. 

If you want to get there sooner, you need to spend money on a cab or rental car - basically, pay money to move faster than the rest of the people or plan enough time to get to your spot.

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What does this mean to you?  The World moves at its own pace, so in order to keep up with it you need to keep a pulse on the latest trends, keep yourself current on events, co-mingle with people outside your industry, and keep yourself marketable to the "outside world" - and don't forget to run with the big dogs you have to get off the porch.

That's enough for today.  Tune back tomorrow or Tuesday when I run through tips 3-5.  PardonMyFrench,

Eric

Comments

[Lisa Perez]

This was just great. And you're right. You DO need to stand out among the crowd while simultaneously making everyone feel as if they're special.
Staying current in a very trend-loving environment is more difficult however. While it's good to get your info from the Wall Street Journal, I don't think that most people come close to feeling the pulse of marketing without using conventional methods. With more time it's easier to find ways with which to keep up.
That would be my question to you: how does one stay so dang current without seeming bland or too much inside the box?

[PardonMyFrench]

Funny thing about the Wall Street Journal, about once per week the publish some information that is really cutting edge. That's how I found out about Rollyo.

Eric

[Juno888]

I agree your idea liza... in mentioning that matter..