Lesson #1: Stretch Your Brand

“It’s something that will never be finished,” Walt Disney once said of Disneyland. “Something that I can keep developing and adding to.” Disney was a management mastermind, a pioneer in the field of branding and merchandising. Constantly thinking of how far he could stretch the Disney brand, Disney set new industry standards for his ability to capitalize on his name.

From his promotional techniques to his merchandising campaigns, Disney broke new ground and used his imagination to open up his way to the top. He frequently made use of a wide array of advertising strategies to keep his message in front of audiences: print ads, television commercials, direct mail campaigns, and even grocery store coupon cut-outs. He saturated the market so that people found it next to impossible to forget who he was.

Disneyland first opened its doors on July 17, 1955 with an invitation-only gala hosted by celebrity guests, including Ronald Reagan. But, Disney was determined to share this experience with as many Americans as he could in order to generate interest. He invited 11,000 people, most of whom were celebrities and other dignitaries. In fact, almost 30,000 people showed up. He then decided to have it broadcast live from coast-to-coast on television. With 29 cameras and 63 technicians, the 90-minute program cost Disney over $11 million. But, it was worth it. An estimated 90 million people tuned in to watch the event – that is, 90 million more people who were now aware of whom Disney was and who were interested in seeing Disneyland firsthand.

“When we consider a project, we really study it – not just the surface idea, but everything about it,” Disney said. He was a merchandising machine whose genius lied in his ability to capitalize on the potential for cross-market promotion. For instance, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was not only the first full-length animated feature film, but it was also the first ever film to have a complete merchandising campaign in place upon its release. Since that time, over 25% of the company’s revenues have come from selling merchandise to consumers.

Disney used his films as leverage: not only did they allow for the creation of additional products, such as dolls, toys, and games related to the movies but they would also attract visitors to his theme parks. Disneyland quickly became an ideal venue for cross-promotion and Disney was clever in exploiting all the opportunities. He even made the centerpiece of his park the Sleeping Beauty Castle, named after a Disney animated film that was still four years away from being released.

And Disney’s vision never ceased; he never stopped looking for opportunities to expand his operations. After the success of Disneyland in California, Disney had the foresight and business savvy to realize that not only could he take this venture national, but also global. Although construction of Walt Disney World began one year after Disney’s death, he was nonetheless the driving force behind the project and it continues to be a success; today, the Disney theme parks and resorts bring in billions in revenues each year for the Walt Disney Company.

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