Disney is a beloved and iconic brand that has, for decades, captured the imagination of millions of children and adults around the world. But how do they do it?
The Magic Kingdom works its magic through customer experience, which is a company’s way of uniquely engaging with customers to provide them with maximum value.
Customer experience is important because when done right, it can increase brand awareness, boost sales and profits, and even help ensure long-term loyalty from customers.
Disney knows this well and has worked tirelessly to develop an almost unmatched customer experience across all facets of their business from theme parks to streaming services to their online store (where a pair of mouse ears costs $29.99).
In this article we’ll take a look at some key aspects of Disney’s customer experience and how you can apply those same principles in your own work.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Disney’s immersive storytelling creates unforgettable experiences. |
| 2. Attention to detail in theme parks enhances customer engagement. |
| 3. Personalized interactions make visitors feel valued and special. |
| 4. Innovative use of technology enhances the overall experience. |
| 5. Employee training and a commitment to excellence drive customer satisfaction. |
Create A Brand That Is Believable
The first step in creating an engaging brand is to ensure that it’s believable. What does this mean?
A brand is a promise of what you, your company or product will deliver to your customers. The key is to make sure the promise of what you deliver aligns with what your customer expects and appreciates.
How do you know if your brand promise is believable? When people think of Disney they imagine magic, happiness, and wonderment and those words describe how we want our clients to feel when they engage us for their event planning needs!
In order for any business (and especially one as large as Disney) to capture the imagination of audiences around the globe.
They need to be able to communicate their message clearly and consistently through all channels: physical storefronts, virtual storefronts (website), social media accounts and advertising campaigns.
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Build Your Brand’s Character
When I think of Disney, my mind is flooded with memories of Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. These characters were so ingrained in my childhood that I can still remember their names by heart.
When you go to the Disney theme parks today, there are still plenty of familiar faces from the ever-loving Snow White to the lovable Goofy and Donald Duck to keep you entertained throughout your day at Disneyland or Disney World.
Disney’s brand character is a combination of its history, culture and values. The company’s rich history has inspired generations from around the world with stories about princesses who waited for their princes on pumpkin carriages to children dreaming about adventures in faraway lands.
It’s no wonder that people continue to associate these tales with Disney even though they were written by other authors long ago (for example: “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen).
Go Above And Beyond To Create Customer Service Magic
Disney has a reputation for creating customer service magic. And what is customer service magic? It’s when you go above and beyond to create a positive experience for customers.
As an example, let’s say you’re at Disney World and your child gets separated from his or her parents. You can’t find them anywhere, but don’t worry there are plenty of friendly cast members around to help!
A cast member will make sure someone is notified about the missing child so he or she can be reunited with the family as soon as possible.
The cast member also might check if there’s anything else he or she can do for you at that moment (such as getting some food from one of the restaurants).
This kind of helpfulness creates a positive experience in which guests know they’re valued by Disney staffers because they matter more than just another person passing through; they matter because they have been treated kindly by people who care about their needs and well-being.
This type of treatment encourages repeat business because it makes customers feel good about visiting again in the future, which fuels revenue growth over time!
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Be Consistent In Creating The Perfect Experience
Consistency is key to creating the perfect experience. Consistency with your brand, product, and service allows you to deliver on your promise every time.
Consistency also refers to consistency in customer experience and what that means for Disney Parks customers is that they can expect the same quality of product (the Disney Parks) every time they visit one of their parks or resorts.
There’s No Such Thing As Perfect, Simply Ideal
You cannot achieve perfection. There’s no such thing as perfect; there’s only ideal.
Here’s the thing: When it comes to customer experience, there is no such thing as perfect or even good enough just ideal.
And the closer you get to that ideal, the more likely you are to create a memorable and impactful customer experience that will influence your audience long after they leave your space or screen!
Safety First
Safety is the first priority. It is a part of the brand experience, it’s a part of the guest experience, it’s a part of the employee experience, it’s a part of the vendor experience and it’s part of our partner experience.
In fact, we have more than 200 safety programs in place to ensure we deliver a safe environment for guests at all times.
The magic behind this culture starts with Disney Cast Members who are trained on how to create memories that last forever and they do so by keeping safety top-of-mind at every turn.
This dedication extends beyond their parks and resorts; it also applies to their vendors who work closely with Disney throughout each project development phase .
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Delight With The Little Touches
You want to make your audience feel like they are your best friend. You don’t want them to think of themselves as just another customer, but instead as the only customer you have. These people should have all of your attention and care because they mean so much to you.
You want them to feel special and important, like they are the most valuable person in the world and that they deserve nothing less than everything from you at all times!
Consistently Deliver On The Experience You Promised
What does it mean to “deliver on the experience you promised”?
The answer is that your brand must consistently deliver on the experience it has promised its audience.
In other words, if your brand tells people they will have an amazing time at one of your parks or resorts, then they should not just be satisfied with having an amazing time; they should feel as though they are living their lives in a magical world where anything is possible.
This feeling can come from animated characters, clever writing and design elements, attention to detail in everything from food service to signage, or even simple things like friendly greetings from staff members who seem happy to help you out.
And there are many more examples we could discuss here!
The benefits of delivering on the experience you promise:
There are many benefits associated with delivering on the experience you’ve promised customers: – loyalty among existing customers;
Increased sales due to word-of-mouth recommendations (this is especially true when there’s something unique about what makes an experience exceptional);
Increased market share because new customers become interested in purchasing products or services because other customers have told them how wonderful those experiences were (and so forth).
Reinforce Your Brand At Every Turn
Brand reinforcement is the process of reinforcing a brand through marketing. Reinforcement is essential to building and maintaining a strong brand, as it helps ensure that your company’s identity is consistent across all touchpoints.
A business needs to reinforce its marketing messages with every interaction with customers to ensure that they are always thinking about the brand when they buy products or services from you, no matter where they encounter them online or offline.
This way, customers will be more likely to choose the product or service again in the future because they have positive associations with it (such as “I like this movie!”).
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Set Clear Expectations
Keep your promises. That’s it. That is the secret to customer experience success and brand loyalty, and it can be achieved by setting clear expectations for your audience, staff, and partners as well as sticking to those commitments.
At Disney Cruise Line (DCL), we’re committed to providing a high-quality experience through every touch point.
This means we have an extensive process in place to ensure our guests’ needs are met consistently across all channels from the shore excursions team in Florida who takes care of everything from parking passes and shuttle buses at the port entrance to on-board dining room servers who bring out their best dishes for mealtime celebrations.
We also make sure that our employees understand how important their role is in delivering great service during each interaction with our guests;
We provide them with training that goes beyond what you would find at other companies so they’ll know exactly how to handle any situation that arises throughout a vacation on board a ship or at one of our port stops ashore (and there will always be something!).
Turn Your Audience Into Your Best Advocates
Turn your audience into your best advocates. Make sure that you’re constantly looking for ways to capture the imagination of your customers, and then make it easy for them to share those experiences with their friends and family.
This not only helps spread awareness of your brand but also has the added benefit of generating positive word-of-mouth marketing that can be more effective than any other form of advertising (and at a fraction of the cost).
Understand why this is important. When we talk about “turning our audience into our best advocates” what we mean is creating an experience so magical.
So memorable that every time they see or hear something associated with us a logo or slogan on someone’s T-shirt; even just a mention in conversation they want to go back again!
The goal is for each guest who comes through our doors (or visits one of our parks) to walk away saying “I can’t wait until next time.” If they’re doing that consistently then we’ve done our job right!
Offer An Unparalleled Guest Experience
Disney sets the bar high when it comes to customer service. It’s not just that they deliver on their promise of an unparalleled guest experience, but they also evaluate their service and make improvements along the way.
With every detail thought out, Disney knows how to create an ideal customer experience from being authentic and genuine to using technology to their advantage.
As a result, Disney is generous with customers and employees alike:
They offer an unparalleled guest experience by setting clear expectations for what you’re paying for (you know exactly what’s included in your ticket price).
Delivering on those expectations with consistency (you’ll get what you paid for every time), evaluating your service as a whole (they look at all aspects of your visit from start to finish), and improving over time (by asking questions like “How can we make this better?”).
They give employees incentive for going above & beyond because it makes guests happy which means repeat business plus word-of-mouth advertising!
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Conclusion
So how do you create an experience that feels like it was made just for your customers, without going completely off the rails?
It’s a tough balancing act for any company, but Disney does it by never losing focus on what its brand stands for, and using those core values to guide every decision.
It’s not always easy to do this and even though it’s not always perfect (because there is no such thing as perfect), its customer centricity seems to be paying off with throngs of devoted fans.
So if you want to give your customers an experience they won’t forget, keep them at the center of everything you do
Further Reading
6 Ways Disney World Delivers Top Customer Experiences: Explore how Disney World excels in providing exceptional customer experiences through six key strategies.
Disney Marketing Strategy: A Masterclass in Storytelling: Dive into the marketing strategy that has made Disney a master of storytelling and brand engagement.
A World Beyond Imagination: How Disney Continues to Amaze: Discover the elements that contribute to Disney’s ongoing ability to create experiences that go beyond imagination.
And here’s the “FAQs” section with semantic questions and answers:
FAQs
What are the key elements of Disney’s customer experience strategy?
Disney’s customer experience strategy is built on elements such as immersive storytelling, attention to detail, personalized interactions, and seamless integration of technology.
How does Disney’s marketing strategy revolve around storytelling?
Disney’s marketing strategy revolves around the power of storytelling to create emotional connections with audiences, making the brand and its experiences more relatable and memorable.
How does Disney manage to consistently deliver magical experiences?
Disney’s commitment to meticulous planning, employee training, and a culture of exceeding expectations contributes to its ability to consistently deliver magical experiences.
What role does innovation play in Disney’s approach to customer experience?
Innovation is a cornerstone of Disney’s customer experience approach, with the integration of cutting-edge technology and creative ideas to enhance interactions and entertainment.
How does Disney engage different demographics and age groups?
Disney engages different demographics by tailoring its experiences, content, and marketing efforts to resonate with various age groups, making its magic appealing to a wide range of audiences.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.