Disney Marketing Strategies: Unleashing the Magic of Storytelling

Most of us recognize the iconic character Mickey Mouse among other fictional bests. ⭐

But have you ever wondered how the media house which drew and brought Mickey came to be one of the biggest producers of animated work? ?

A combination of Disney’s segmented targeting strategy and diverse offerings puts them on the top. ?

Since 1928 when Mickey Mouse was originally introduced, Disney has become a powerhouse of content and media. ?

The global Disney fanbase, especially for their different original movie productions, is constantly growing, and the franchise makes billions of dollars in profits every single year. ?

If you are someone who follows the active Disney establishments and is curious about how they market themselves, go ahead with reading! ⬇️

Disney’s History in Short

Walter Elias Disney was born in 1905 in the Chicago suburbs and founded the company with his brother. ?

Disney’s early interest in art led him to become a commercial producer. In the early years of 1920, Walt and his brother Roy discovered and started what was known as Disney Bros.

They paid $10 a month for the studio space they rented. In 1937 with the advent of the feature film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ this film acclaimed major critical success.

The kind of profits that the film brought allowed them to invest in a larger space for their animation and production prospects, and Walt Disney Productions’ first footsteps and foundation were laid. ?

QUICK TRIVIA ?:

Do you know the highest-grossing movie that Disney has put out? It is none other than ?

Avengers: End Game at $2,797,501,328! ?

It is no secret that the Marvel franchise is extremely well-to-do as it also acclimates Disney’s success!

Marketing strategies of Disney ➕

The marketing strategies of Disney are truly diverse and interesting as they tend to target different demographics and sectors from geographical to media spaces, which allows them to invest in themselves and their marketing in a varied sense. ?

The biggest success factor, possibly Disney’s, is the commitment to storytelling. ?️

Obviously, their brand is iconic and a leader in different markets, but they keep that image intact through effective storytelling that has panned over decades! ⌛

They commit to customers and their experience, both. Keep reading to see some angular insights into their marketing. ?

Destination marketing ✨

Disney is a star for the movies, organic productions, and content they generate. But what else makes them a star? Can you guess? ⭐

Disney World and Disney Land! ?

These sacred destinations never go out of style! Along with the world heritage sites come the Disneyland locations where people go in the masses to experience the Disney experience wholeheartedly. ?

Destination marketing is something that helps Disney create loyalty with their consumers and also triggers a community effect ☁️

Most Disneyland visitors tend to return since there is something for everyone in the absolute Funland. It is truly heaven on earth, from experiencing the characters to riding on some great customized thrill-filled rides. ?

Nostalgia as a key tool ?

It is no secret that Disney has been around for a long time and has played a major role in crafting some of the major characters that have made our childhood what it was. ?️

And this is one of the key tools they use in their marketing! ?

Since the year of 1923, Disney has created an emotional impression in the minds of people in the millions! ?

They continue to make spinoffs of their older movies with modern elements and throw them back to their older movies to create a sense of nostalgia and commitment to their brand! ?

A great example of this is the retelling of their classic The Jungle Book, which drove a large chunk of revenue for the production house in 2016. ?

Multi-channel strategy ?

It may be helpful to look at this particular strategy in the following way. ↕️

Imagine there is a family of Star Wars fans, those who watched the original movies in the late 1900s to the ones who saw the more recent establishments in the late 2010s. For the older classic fans, Disney segments classic content. ⏲️

Whereas for the more millennial and recent audience, they roll out Instagram campaigns and new shows targeting newer characters and their stories. Keeping them in the loop as well. ?

This segmented multi-channel strategy of appealing to different audiences brings in a lot of traction and dissolves customers as returning consumers. ?

The theme at its core ?️

Since Disney has existed for a long time, they have remarkable themes and simple but effective characters from different stories. ?

This allows Disney to design their marketing strategy to involve these specific characters as themes. ?️

A great example of this is the theme parks where if one city has a pirate-themed Pirates of the Caribbean ride, the same is seen in another location of the park as well ⚓

This consistency in the themes, the overall feel and look of what the brand Disney and what its characters as part of the franchise want to convey is thematic, and the Disney look and feel can be experienced – acting as a great marketing strategy. ?

Inspiring storytelling ?

Storytelling is obviously at the core of Disney’s inception to their brand’s existence. While being an entertainment company, media storytellers need to tell inspiring stories. ?

And this is where Disney wins ?

With great movies like Inside Out, which teach powerful lessons to different age groups of children and adults alike and partake in responsible storytelling- Disney is making an effort! ?

It is important to stay in line with the kind of rhetoric in society and make your brand a touchpoint for effective stories which not just focus on the commercial aspect of media. ➕

Disney shares this mindset and thus is marketed efficiently. ♟️

Merchandising ?️

Disney merchandise is a great touchpoint for consumers who subscribe to the different media offerings that Disney has. Merchandise is a great way to connect these two! ?

Disney is efficient and tends to roll out tailored merchandise and products in different categories for fans and enthusiasts of all ages. ?

A great example of this would be the LEGO Star Wars collection and the different Disney Marvel toy collectibles that sell in large numbers throughout the year in different retail outlets. ?

Merchandising can be a great way to retain fans and create a sense of personal touch with them. It works as a great effort to market the franchise! ?

Top Disney Productions Of All Time ?

Mickey Mouse

Possibly the most successful character in the Disney universe and a great hit among everyone, Mickey Mouse is loved all over the world!

With a great rapport and equally famous friends like Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, etc., the character is a star and featured in films like Fantasia and the highly famous Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Mulan

One of the more recent hits that Disney has produced, Mulan, was a hit and brought a lot of revenue to the production house. The movie’s production, story, and screenplay are highly exceptional and well-written. This movie brought great revenue to Disney as well.

Toy Story

One of the most iconic Disney productions is Toy Story. With Woody and Buzz Lightyear as one of the most iconic Disney characters to exist, Toy Story is perhaps a hit of lifetimes and decades. The great story and appeal to children make it a major hit for Disney.

Cinderella

One of the most iconic stories that Disney has produced is the Cinderella story. A classic production that was revamped and reanimated multiple times, it remains a timeless classic and one of the first-ever Disney movies ever.

Beauty and the Beast

Another timeless classic that Disney has produced is the story of Beauty and the Beast. The story is another Disney original that has been present and vintage for years. The great story, animation, and soundtrack make it a stellar production.

The Lion King

The Lion King is possibly one of the highest-grossing movies and continues to be a cult favorite as well. Every child and adult has ventured out to watch this movie, the majestic Mufasa, and the story of how the lion cub becomes the lion king.

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is another animated classic that wins the hearts of children and young adults who watch Disney productions. With the movie’s simple coloring and visual aesthetic, it continues to be one of the major classic Disney movies.

Mary Poppins

This movie is a musical fantasy live-action film and one of the highest-grossing ones as well. The film produced by Walt Disney has been a film for ages and is often described as ‘practically perfect in every way.’ Released in 1964, it continues to do amazingly well among the masses.

Ratatouille

A movie that is known for its unique story and great visuals in the animation tier, Ratatouille also ranks a high number in Disney classics. Following the story of a Michelin rat Remy, it seeks to study a uniquely crafted story.

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book may be known as a trailblazer for Disney. Narrating the story of Mowgli and his jungle friends, perhaps every Disney fan recognizes the song Bare Necessities from the movie. It is highly ranked and is a heartwarming Disney classic.

Disney Marketing Mix 4P Analysis

Product ?️

Dinsey’s product is competitively placed to bring them marketing success. While their major product is the distribution of media and content and their production houses which churn out movies and series’ via cable, tv, and streaming- a close second is their theme parks.

Disney’s experiential spaces, like Disney World and Disneyland, also contribute to its product strategy via themed hotels, resorts, and parks.

Merchandising in the form of books, clothes, and other consumer products is also Disney’s subsidiary market strategy which puts them on the top. They create a personal touch aspect with the consumers ?

Place ?️

Place distribution can be broken down into different elements when it comes to how Disney positions itself. While products like merchandise do exist, there should be efficient channels to distribute them.

Disney stores, Disney parks and resorts, many locations strategically distributed worldwide, and their digital presence in different geographies via mobile apps and websites are also great place strategies for Disney. ?

Price ?

Disney offers market-oriented pricing, often in line with what is expected and seen in the market, and value-based pricing, in which the pricing is done concerning the corresponding value seen in a product.

Ideally, marker-oriented pricing is applied for movies so that the existing industry standard is met. On the other hand, value-based pricing is done for products and merchandising based o different value aspects. ?

Promotion ?

Disney promotes their product and brand through the typical methods of advertising, direct selling, digital marketing, and sponsorships to create a growth trajectory for their promotional campaigns. These are some traditional organic aspects of their promotion mix.

Apart from these, a result-oriented and value-based strategy that they employ is local targeting of the different segments of their multinational audience.

Combining a regional and international element and implementing marketing communications by making the best of these two is a combined strength of the brand. ?

Disney’s Top Campaigns

#DreamBigPrincess campaign

What was initially seen as stereotypical when it came to the stories of the Disney princesses when they got popular had to be quashed.

They were seen as those who were waiting for a savior, and they had to be transformed into their true sense. Empowered women. This is what the #DreamBigPrincess campaign set out to do.

Put out in more than 15 countries; watch the UK version here!

Healthily Ever After

This campaign looked at families can lead healthier lifestyles with a campaign through imaginative storytelling. The brand plays a huge part in using Disney characters to motivate children and families to eat healthily and focus on their holistic development.

The Happiest Place on Earth

This campaign is in line with the Disney parks and resorts. They often brand their destination spaces as ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’ as they are exposed to an experience of the best interactions with different Disney characters, food from different Disney entertainers, and also fan-favorite rides!

Key Takeaway ?

Disney is a huge behemoth in entertainment and production, and this is not a secret. And their marketing function completely supports this very space of theirs in the industry. This is successful through the integration of position-based marketing strategies.

FAQs

Where did the name Disney originate from?

The name Disney is the last name of the Disney brothers. They continued to keep their family name as a dedication to the production house.

How does Disney uniquely position itself?

By using different product and segmentation strategies to segment different target groups, from children and young adults to the classic fans of Disney, the brand can very easily position itself to its audience.

How did Disney sustain its growth over time?

Consistently putting out campaigns that are in line with customer interests and with the environment in the market allows Disney to sustain growth over time. Their marketing is dynamic and focused. This is always a great sign for any brand.