A MAN, HIS MOUSE, AND AN EMPIRE: EXPLORING THE SUCCESS OF THE WALT DISNEY

CORPORATIONCayla Davis

Departments of Marketing and Finance, Carthage CollegeCelebration of Scholars 2017: Exposition of Student & Faculty Research, Scholarship &Creativity

The Importance of StorytellingDisney mastered the art of storytelling. They create a character, give thecharacter a distinct world, and bring the audience into that world. Will Gay,the creative director for Disney’s Yellow Shoes marketing and creativeservices department, believes characters who connect to the audience are themost important part of any story. The character acts as a bridge between theaudience and the brand. The audience forms a connection with the character;they feel happiness when the character succeeds and sadness when thecharacter experiences pain. They have relatable goals, struggles andpersonalities. The audience carries these characters with them through life.

Acknowledgements & ReferencesThis research was made possible by the work of ????. A special thanks goes to faculty advisors???.1.Dill, K. (n.d.). Disney Tops Global Ranking Of The Most Powerful Brands In 2016. Retrieved 2.Disney’s Consumer Products and Interactive Media Segment - Market Realist. (n.d.).3.Heller, S. (2013). Making Magic. Print, 67(5), 22-24.4.Leadership Lessons From Walt Disney: The Power of Storytelling | Talking Point | The Disney

Institute Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2016.5.Ng, V. (2013, March 18). How Disney Princesses Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Brand |.

Retrieved December 8, 20166.14 iconic milestones of Disney innovation. (2014, December 29).

AbstractAs the largest entertainment company in the world, Disney holds anunparalleled influence on movies, television, brands, and theme parks. Theyrevolutionized the family entertainment industry, effectively setting the bar forcompetitors. However, competitors fall short time and time again. This researchexplains the keys to Disney’s success: powerful brands, Disney merchandise, andthe Walt Disney Theme Parks.

Princesses’ Royal ReignDisney Princesses are one of the most iconic brands in the world. From Snow White and the SevenDwarfs to Frozen, each story features a clear message, engaging characters, and memorableadventures. To connect generations and stay relevant with the times, princesses transformed fromdamsels in distress to strong, independent young women. Beginning in the 1990s, princesses madepowerful decisions and bold moves that empowered women and girls to follow their own paths.Frozen, which broke records and has been called one of the greatest Disney movies of all time, wasa princess movie like no other because it was universally acceptable. Audiences connected withElsa, the main character, on a personal level. She made real mistakes and faced real consequencesthat can be interpreted in different ways and resonate on deep levels that deal with gender,depression, and repression.

Disney Consumer ProductsConsumer products allow audiences to interact with the characters they grew to love in themovies. That’s what makes Disney different: they create a story, then the product. If acompany makes a doll named Elsa, that’s all it is, a doll with a name. However, whenDisney creates a movie with a strong, relatable character named Elsa, then makes a doll ofthe character, audiences know her story. They know her struggles on a personal level andwant to interact with that character. The Elsa doll now represents many different things.Those things are different to everyone who owns the Elsa doll.In recent years, Disney has been collaborating with companies that produce high endproducts such as Kate Spade, Dooney and Bourke, Pandora, and Vans. Thesecollaborations are important because they allow adults to be more connected to the Disneybrands they love.

Theme Parks and ResortsWalt’s biggest accomplishment was the creation of Disneyland and Disney World. Walthad always dreamed of a place he could take his family for vacation, and they could enjoytime together. Walt envisioned a theme park in which parents could have fun with theirchildren. Because of this dream, Disneyland was born.A decade after Disneyland’s opening, Walt and Roy Disney announced their vision for avacation destination that would be more than just a theme park. It would incorporatehotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment. When guests visited the resort, they wouldn’tbe distracted the outside world. They’d be transported to a place never experienced. Thatplace is Walt Disney World. Throughout the years, new innovations in Disney parks, suchas audio animatronics, park layouts, and customer service, have set the bar for competitorsand continue the growth of Disney. Disney’s parks are so special because they complete theDisney Experience. Movies introduce the stories and characters, merchandise bring thestories to the audience, and theme parks to fully immerse guests in a whole differentworld.