Get inside the Disneyland bubble! Here’s what you can learn from the man who said all your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them!

Monday: MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Walt Disney is one of the pioneers of the American animation industry. Just by the mention of his name, you’ll immediately think about Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and all other Disney characters in the world! According to an article from the American Express Open, “to create a truly remarkable Disney World that could literally market itself, Walt Disney had both corporate and park employees ride the rides before they opened to the public.” Disney believed in applying authenticity to magical experiences and cared deeply about detail and quality. He is known for creating experiences that have the ability to market themselves. Keep reading to know important lessons from Disney’s life and experiences as a businessman. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Get inside the Disneyland bubble! Here’s what you can learn from the man who said all your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them! Walt Disney: The Founder of The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company is a multinational mass media corporation valued at around USD 45 billion. It is the second largest broadcasting and cable company in the world and has shaped the childhood and pop culture of a lot of people. … and it all started with one man. Walter Elias Disney―a.k.a. Walt Disney―was an American motion-picture and television producer and showman. He was one of the pioneers of animated cartoon films and the creator of iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. As a child, Disney began his schooling at a school in Marceline, Missouri where he first showed a taste and aptitude for drawing and painting using crayons and watercolors. A few years later, he and his family moved to Kansas City. The young Disney began to study cartooning with a correspondence school and later took classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. In 1917, Disney moved to Chicago and entered McKinley High School where he took photographs, made drawings for the school newspaper, and studied cartooning with the hope of getting a job as a newspaper cartoonist. His progress was interrupted during World War I, as he worked as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross in France and Germany. After the war, Disney returned to Kansas City in 1919 and from there, he got employed as a draftsman and inker in commercial art studios. That’s when he befriended Ub Iwerks, another young animator whose talents later on contributed to Disney’s success. Disney and Iwerks established their own small studio in 1922 and acquired a second hand movie camera with which they made 1- to 2-minute animated advertising films for distribution to local movie theaters. From then on, the two started creating animated cartoon sketches such as Laugh-O-grams, Alice in Cartoonland, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. With the help of Roy Disney, Walt Disney’s businessman brother, they were able to open a shop in Hollywood, California. You might be able to guess what happens after that! Disney’s career gained momentum, he started earning money from his works, and out came Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, The Three Little Pigs, and many other animal cartoon characters! After that, Disney also ventured into feature-length cartoons, where he started working on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinnochio, Dumbo, Bambi, Fantasia, etc. In the early 1950s, Disney initiated plans for a huge amusement park to be built near Los Angeles, California. When the first-ever Disneyland opened in 1955, Disney’s disposition towards nostalgic sentiment and fantasy was evident in the park’s design. The place soon became a mecca for tourists from all over the world and appealed to people of all ages, but most especially to children. At the moment, there are six Disneylands across the globe―in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong! So… what are some of the strategies employed by Disney and his team (from past to present) to market the brand to consumers? Using nostalgia to encourage customer loyalty. One of The Walt Disney Company’s trademarks since 1923 has been making an emotional impact on people’s lives. To successfully use emotions as a marketing technique, the company mastered the use of nostalgia marketing. [Nostalgia Marketing: Linking a brand’s purpose with old ideas to evoke feelings of security.] How did the brand do this? By reviving old classics like The Jungle Book, Beauty and The Beast, and other famous Disney movies! Targeting different groups of consumers with a multi-channel strategy. One of the things The Walt Disney Company does to keep its fans engaged is strategically creating content for different audience segments. For example: Disney’s Star Wars revival captured the attention of both millennials and older generations. How? By creating different types of content for the movie such as videos, fun facts, Star Wars recipes like the photo below: Alternatively, the hit movie, Frozen, targeted younger audiences. Since the company knew that most Frozen fans don’t have an Instagram account, the brand targeted the audience using a different medium: Toys and consumer goods! By using a multi-channel strategy, the company was able to reach more audiences worldwide! Establishing Disney World and Disneyland as destination brands. Disneyland and Walt Disney World are two of the main tourist attractions for people of all ages, especially children. … and that’s all thanks to Disney’s adaptability! These theme parks are constantly changing according to themes, events, and other trends at the moment. This ability to adapt creates unique experiences for visitors and even if it’s not their first time to go to Disneyland, there’s always something new for them to see. Mastering storytelling that resonates with and inspires consumers. The Walt Disney Company is one of the most effective brand storytellers and this is not just because it’s an entertainment company. Let’s use the movie, Inside Out, as an example. The film is all about understanding, acknowledging, and accepting the validity of one’s emotions. To market the movie, the company created a series of memes pertaining to various current events and seasons. While these memes seem all fun and games at first glance, they’re actually strategic: They establish a brand touchpoint that isn’t too promotional or advertorial in nature. These are just some of the things you can learn from Disney’s life and his company’s strategies. If you research more about his humble beginnings, you will see that there’s a lot more lessons you can get from him. If you’re just starting your career in the independent sector, congratulations! You’ve succeeded in the first step towards achieving your goals: Getting out of your comfort zone. You just have to keep going. Then, if you’re experiencing a bit of struggles, just remember these life hacks from Disney! Sure, the both of you may have huge differences in terms of experiences, but that doesn’t mean his life can’t serve as an inspiration. Here are a few quotes from Disney that you may ponder on: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” “When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.” “If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing started with a dream and a mouse.” “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Monday’s MicroBusiness Marvels! Learn more about P. T. Barnum on next week’s MicroBusiness and Marketing Marvels!/p>