Walt Disney: The Magic Kingdom’s “digital arms” embrace you
Disney is one of the most recognisable brands in the global tourism industry, hosting over 12 million visitors in 2021. The main target groups for Disney theme parks are families and couples. Secondly, resort and cruise ship projects are primarily targeted at older customer segments and those seeking luxury holidays. As Disney’s external environment has changed, the landscape of opportunities and challenges facing it has been restructured. In fact, digital media is a powerful tool to improve Disney’s competitiveness.
What is the first opportunity for Disney? The global outlook for the leisure industry is positive. Before the pandemic, the number of international visitors worldwide was as high as 1,465 million. Disneyland’s revenue-generating operations have planted flags in countries around the world. Companies broadening their overseas markets should do so by adapting to different languages and cultures. So what does Disney do about this? Disney offers a multilingual translation service on its official website. The sense of place created by electronic translation has been likened to a tool for sustainable tourism marketing. This strategy, which respects the needs of diverse consumers, has excellent face validity. It is therefore a digital strategy that exploits Disney’s opportunities.
The explosion of the video game market is an undeniable opportunity, reaching a market value of $130 billion at a compound growth rate of 13%. Disney’s gaming site offers all kinds of IP-derived games at the click of a button! Video games are a penetration strategy, diving into any consumer’s leisure time. This strategy is well supported for Disney to maintain an interactive relationship with consumers over time. This view neglects to consider that video games may exacerbate the energy expenditure of children during long periods of sedentary time. In the conflict between convenience entertainment and health, Disney’s gaming products may be abandoned by parents. The next step of improvement and reflection is necessary!
The popularity of the US film and entertainment industry is another opportunity for Disney. The market is expected to be worth US$27,366.5 million by 2023. Covid-19 since accelerated VR technology has become a marketing through-put. Disney as a fantasy park is certainly keeping up with the trend. apps such as Disney Movie VR offer VR movies and detailed tutorials and are compatible with Samsung Gear VR controllers. VR technology invites consumers in an interactive and gamified way, with a 360 degree experience that will increase their immersion and engagement. This format has been criticised as being ethically questionable due to the depth of behavioural manipulation. Disney needs to find a sustainable strategy…
The leisure industry is in a good position to transform digitally. After the pandemic 79% of consumers prefer smartphone and Bookin.com bookings. The My Disney Experience app offers booking services at all stages of the purchase process. According to the 7Ps Marketing mix strategy, a streamlined booking process is an effective means of removing potential process barriers from the customer’s purchase process. This theory proves that it is effective for Disney to optimise the consumption process to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, it has been criticised here for the existence of a technological gap for older consumers. Disney needs to maintain more than just younger travellers, and how to do this with different groups is the next step for Disney.
The challenge is on! Disney faces fierce competition within the market. NBC Universal is the strongest competitor with a market share of 16.8%. Social media has become more recognized as a powerful tool to expand the brand’s will after the pandemic. Disney used the YouTube platform to launch the “#DreamBigPrincess”, “Andy Night” ,as well as the “Anniversary Celebration” campaign on Facebook. The digital marketing strategy uses fun interactions to increase brand awareness. Digital marketing strategy is defined as using fun interactions to increase brand traffic, engage potential customers and raise brand awareness. This idea is the rationale behind Disney’s use of digital media to increase its competitiveness. Further expansion of the position is imperative!
Changing consumer preferences are also a threat to Disney’s revenue. Disney launched the MyMagic+ programme as the main project to collect data and combines the FastPass+ online tool, MagicBand and the My Disney Experience app. You can pay for any item with a MagicBand touch and you become part of the sample for big data analysis. Big Data technology calculates visitor trajectories and purchase preferences to gauge trends in consumer preferences. This technology supports Disney’s keen market insight and is definitely a powerful tool to overcome challenges and maintain customer loyalty! Big data analysis has also been criticised as a breach of personal privacy. Disney’s tools need to be further improved!
Here are some feasible suggestions! Disney’s video game sites could set online time limits or reminders to prevent child indulgence and parental dissatisfaction. A similar case is the Chinese version of TikTok’s teen mode limiting use to 40 minutes a day. This has effectively counteracted popular criticism of entertainment as a threat to children’s physical health. With Disney following suit, the risk of diminished parental loyalty should be drastically reduced.
To combat the information leakage drawbacks of big data analytics, two-factor authentication logins can be set up in the FastPass+ online tool and My Disney Experience application. Access control is an effective technique to prevent hackers from stealing information. In addition, Disney should use this technique to restrict authorised persons to sensitive data. Rationalising and ethicalising big data analysis is good for users’ peace of mind with Disney!
Reading this you should see that the opportunities and challenges facing Disney can be carried forward or overcome with digital media! Social media, websites, apps, video games and VR technology are all key tools for Disney to grow, build and maintain its customer base. What is it about digital media that is so magical? The web and technology can be used as a bridge between businesses and consumers. A link between the success of Disney World and your happiness!
