Tech Giants Need Their Own Mickey Mouse
Moving forward, Tech Giants such as Facebook, Google and the rest of those aiming to restore user trust, should consider creating their own version of Mickey Mouse. Hey, it worked for Disney!
Just like everyone else across the world wide web, I too am super excited about the new Disney streaming service, Disney+. Nevertheless, I don’t quite understand how they managed to dodge any form of bad press thus far — but I do have a theory about it.
Following the $71 Billion deal with 21st Century Fox, the multinational mass entertainment conglomerate announced that they were going to release their own streaming service this coming November, for a small price of $6.99 (USD) a month or $69.99/year.
As wonderful as that may sound for long-time fans such as myself, seems to me Disney is getting away with a lot more than other corporations are able to get away with these days — And in particular, multinational tech corporations. I go into greater detail about this in an article titled: The Tech Prejudice , but, I think there might be something I haven’t considered yet.
It recently dawned on me that the reason were so lenient with Disney could actually be, Mickey Mouse.
Okay, maybe not Mickey Mouse, but definitely everything Mickey Mouse represents — Innocence, childhood memories, nostalgia and just about any other sensation that makes us feel all fuzzy and warm inside.
This then got me thinking, what if Facebook and all other tech giants did that? What if one day, we viewed them in the same manner we view Disney today? What if, they made us feel… Good? I’d say most of our problems would be solved.
As it stands today — and I think most people would agree — Alphabet (Google), Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft (to name a few) make us feel a little uneasy, to say the least. We still use their products and platforms everyday, but our immediate association of those companies isn’t exactly a positive one. Microsoft might be the exception here, but this too coincides well with my theory.
People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel — Maya Angelou
I don’t know about you, but I can only assume that when you think of Disney, your immediate association is a positive one. I’d even go as far as saying that the word in it self is often associated with a dreamlike-magical-fuzzy-blissful-joy, to some. Maybe there is some sort of a psychological theory I am unaware of here, but I definitely agree with Maya Angelou when she said:
People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
And that’s actually becoming quite true for Microsoft as well. Ever since Bill Gates started to invest in philanthropy, he might as well have been crowned America’s sweetheart. His corporation does some incredible work, but much of their focus tends to revolve around their philanthropic endevours, as opposed to their products, or the way they collect data. For example, Microsoft recently released an adaptive Xbox controller for people with special needs.
Check out this commercial if you haven’t already:
I mean, c’mon. If this doesn’t make your heart melt, I don’t know what will.
Here, Microsoft didn’t focus on their video games or product, but rather the fact that these kids can finally play at the “level that they know that they could”. They focused on the fact that thanks to this controller, these kids, would no longer feel like outsiders… They’re giving hope, and showing us how great their products are… Without having to give explanation on how Xbox user data is stored, how much they know about their users, etc.
Even if you did have something bad to say about video games in general, (I certainly don’t, but to be honest, I’m more of a Nintendo girl) you’d swallow it up and forget about it almost instantly… All because of how this commercial and everything about this product makes you feel.
This seems to be a winning strategy lately. And a long time strategy for Disney.
Suddenly, justice for the little guys isn’t exactly a cause worth fighting for; Suddenly, Monopoly is just a board game.
Think about it: We could just as easily associate Disney to the ridiculously expensive park entry fees/hotels/products; We could easily associate Disney with the long lines we need to endure while at the park; And more relevantly, we could just as easily think poorly of them considering they’ve practically destroyed smaller entertainment companies so that they could get to where they are today — But we don’t.
Suddenly, justice for the little guys isn’t exactly a cause worth fighting for; Suddenly, Monopoly is just a board game. While Disney has always made us feel great (excluding Mufassa and Bambi’s mom, of course), Tech Giants typically do the opposite: They make us feel anxious and nervous; They make us feel vulnerable. They make us feel angry; worried, and stressed. More so than not, from what I see.
With that, it’s easy to forget the good; It’s easy to forget they’ve brought the world closer together, or made knowledge available to us at a click of a button. It’s easy to forget the good when we’re so immersed with the bad — And it’s not only our fault.
Even governments across the globe are calling to restrict the newfound power of multinational tech corporations, and others even go as far as calling for their termination. It’s so easy to forget the good and focus on the bad. Who can blame us?
But it doesn’t have to be this way. As multinational tech corporations aim to restore user trust, they need to revise their strategy. There’s a lot of good to them and we shouldn’t give up just yet. Multinational tech corporation need to learn from Microsoft and Disney… And I think they should listen to Maya Angelou while they’re at it.
There are two ways of getting through to people: Through their pocket, or through their heart.
It is my opinion that the only way multinational tech corporation can continue to scale — and more importantly, survive — is if our immediate association of them is no longer the data and privacy breaches, or the tech scandals. Instead, they need to act as institutions who make up for whatever our authoritative establishments are unable to achieve. Needless to say, they need to give us a reason to trust.
I once took an intelligence course and was told there are two ways of getting through to people: Through their pocket, or through sentiments. Whether it is an adaptive controller, or Mickey Mouse, multinational tech corporations facing user trust challenges should not only practice what they preach and work hard to change our perception of them, but also, find a way to our hearts.
Now the only question is, how?
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