Disney: The Perfect Experiential Marketing Example
If you have been fortunate enough to visit Disneyland, Walt Disney World or any other Disney theme park, you get it. Our own John Vachalek previously wrote about Disney as an Experience Marketing Example in 2009. A lot has changed since then with Universal adding mega-attractions, but Disney still has the magic from an overall experience. Simply put, Disney knows how to create great and unexpected experiences. That is why their theme parks are still international destinations and for many people, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
If you have ever read Seth Godin’s Purple Cow, it speaks to transforming good companies into remarkable companies. After all, you see a million cows and not one of them really stands out. However, if among that heard of brown cows, you happen to see a purple one – you absolutely would notice it.
To me, Disney theme parks are a purple cow. I have been to many different theme parks, ridden countless roller coasters, and waited in long lines armed with thousands of calories worth of funnel cake. But, there is only one Disney. And, Disney’s magic is not in the rides alone.
It is in their whole experience.
This summer I took my family to Disneyland. And a few years earlier we did Walt Disney World along with some other Orlando theme parks. And it was in those experiences with the “other” parks that I realized why Disney can charge exorbitant amounts of money and why people return to them. It is because they create one-of-kind experience that are centered on families.
Even parking and getting into the park, Disney has mastered. We were parked and by using the “people mover” we were at the front gate in less than 20 minutes. At another park, I was waiting an hour to simply park the car.
Lines…Just accept there are going to be lines. However, Disney has created the FastPass to allow you get through lines quickly. During a crowd-packed Friday this summer, we did over 15 rides thanks to the strategic use of their FastPass system. And, those times that you do wait in lines, they make that wait an experience with entertaining sets and interactive exhibits. Other parks…Just some concrete and steel people corrals and the latest Maroon 5 single blaring over the speakers. And, yes, at another park on our Orlando trip, we barely managed four rides in a full day.
Lastly, we have a son with food allergies so his diet choices are very limited. But, with Disney, we can go to any restaurant in the park and speak to a chef about his allergies. They literally pull up the ingredients and allow us to see them and they let us know how they can accommodate us. They then make him something in a separate area to avoid cross contamination of allergens and come out later to ensure everything is great.
So, for me and my family, we will pay the high Disney prices because of the experience their parks provide: more rides, accommodating attitude of their cast members, the way you can quickly move through the park and more. Those are all things that have become a cornerstone of the Disney experience and are where they excel over their competition.
Disney is the purple cow.
How to use this information
How can you be a purple cow?
Think about the experience your customers have with your brand and your company. That experience can be the difference between you and your competition. A great experience that is beyond what would typically be expected by your customers can make your company remarkable. And, it is remarkable companies that people talk about and recommend to others. And, in some cases, allow you to charge a premium.
At Webolutions®, a strategic Denver marketing agency, we can help make remarkable experiences for your customers. We continually study current marketing trends, including trends in Experiential Marketing. Call us today at 303-300-2640 to learn more about experience marketing and how it can help you build life-long customers.
