Marketing Lessons I Learned From Disney

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

My family and I love Disney. No, you don’t understand. We LOVE Disney. We go whenever we can get away with it. If the kids have a few days off from school, we might hop a plane to Orlando for a few days. We have run all the marathons on both coasts numerous times. We are straight up nuts for the place, just to give you some perspective before we continue.

Our most recent trip to Disneyland in California was one of the best ever from almost every measurable standpoint. But I won’t bore you to death with stuff that only I might find interesting. No, instead…

Today I want to give you a few things that I have learned from Disney about marketing over the years.

1. Give People Real Value

Now, invariably, someone is going to smart off about how expensive Disney is and ask me “How on earth they can give real value when they constantly price-gouge” (others words, not mine). First of all, Disney is an entertainment business. They entertain. That’s the value they provide. When you are in the parks, the outside world doesn’t exist. Any idea how much it costs to pull that off? I’d wager a lot.

I’ve had several friends over the years that think I’m an idiot for spending so much money there, but the smiles on my kids faces, and the excitement and joy it brings us is worth every penny to me. Also, without fail, every time those friends finally take the trip, they come back saying “Oh, we get it now!”

In your business, what are doing to bring your customers joy, excitement and delight?

2. Exceed Expectations And Create Magic

Probably the thing I love most about Disney is not only their obsessive attention to detail, but just the simple fact that they go way further than they have to make the experience magical. In fact, that is HOW you create magic for others.

An example, in our room at the Disneyland Hotel, they have installed new headboards in every room. These new headboards are really nice with carved detail of the castle from the park. Any other place, that would be the big thing in the room that would make you go, “Man, that’s awesome!” But not at Disney. When you flip a switch on the table lamp, fiber optic fireworks appear all across the headboard in a replication of the nightly fireworks show. But wait! That’s not all! As the fireworks dance across the room, there’s a little music box inside the lamp that plays “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” for 30 seconds or so.

In normal marketing circles, you would sort this type of thing by labels like “Satisfiers” and “Delighters”. Walt called it “Plussing It”. Giving it that extra something that makes it magical. I have a hundred examples but, this latest one was one of the best moments of our trip. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to record the music box because my kids beg to hear it every night before going to sleep. Such a little thing for Disney to do, yet it has made a huge impact on people that were already raving fans.

How can you “Plus” your product or service to create magic for your customers?

3. Pay Attention To Details

Now, I want to avoid tripping anyone up here. I don’t want you guys getting caught up trying to make everything exactly perfect, because it will never be. Perfection is a trap, but so is sloppiness.

Attention to detail is the main reason why Disney is so popular.

In each area of a Disney park, everything from the lighting to the trash cans are made specifically for that area of the park. It all fits together. There is no break in the fantasy. There will never be a Tomorrowland trash can in Adventureland. Likewise, your message and vision should be consistent. Don’t be a jack of all trades and master of none. Find your voice, your message, your passion and own it down to the last detail.

This most likely means NOT doing certain things as far as marketing goes. Don’t try to appeal to everyone, it will never work. Find your audience and dazzle them. Over deliver to them. Create magical, lasting value for them and you will both win.

It’s a formula that Disney knows well and executes with precision and efficiency, and I love them for it.

Wanna know how I can afford to take so many Disney vacations every year? I discovered a way to make extra money while writing about the things I love. It was almost kept a secret, but you can listen in here.