By: P.Z.
In the past Disney has marketed towards the girls with their “Princess Marketing.” Where through their movies, books, clothing, games, and a variety of other merchandise have created this magical world where girls can go to be princesses. Now Disney is realizing they have been missing out on cashing in with the young boys. This year Disney is going to release Cars 2 and have plans, like always, to drive those sales. Disney realized after the release of Cars when the purchasing of that movie’s merchandise didn’t drop off like they expected.
In the past Disney has marketed towards the girls with their “Princess Marketing.” Where through their movies, books, clothing, games, and a variety of other merchandise have created this magical world where girls can go to be princesses. Now Disney is realizing they have been missing out on cashing in with the young boys. This year Disney is going to release Cars 2 and have plans, like always, to drive those sales. Disney realized after the release of Cars when the purchasing of that movie’s merchandise didn’t drop off like they expected.
Aside from shifting their marketing towards boys they are also changing up how they sell their merchandise within their stores. They are going to group all of one movie’s products into one area. This way you don’t have to travel around the store to pick up your Cars t-shirt and book, it’ll all be in one spot. This is kind of counter intuitive to what I’ve been thought about marketing. You want to have your customer walk around the whole store so they can find that one thing they didn’t know they “needed.” If all the products are grouped together there is no needing to search the whole store to find that one themed item which will probably make the consumer happier.
Repetition has helped drive sales for Disney. “DCP research had found that Disney DVDs, which young children commonly watch about 40 times” are influencing the child’s mind and their purchasing power. Disney has the numbers to prove it as well, as of 2009 Walt Disney Company’s revenue was $36.1 billion. This is due to Disney’s ability to study their target audience, kids, and directly market towards them. According to Media Awareness Network, companies have hired psychologist to help them understand the mind of a child in order to market to them more effectively.
Once the kids are hooked the parents are prone to apply to the kids wants so they don’t have to hear them “nag” about it. Not being a parent I would think that you could tell your kid no to all the toys but it wasn’t until I was looking for a board game in Target where I witnessed the nag factor. A mom and her little boy were walking down the aisle towards the board games when the kid saw a Transformer toy and “had to have it.” The mom initially said no on the bases that he hadn’t done anything to earn the toy. This made him upset and he started to persist about wanting the toy and eventually the mom gave in and got the toy for him. This is what Disney is relying on when selling their products.
Disney wants to help you create a magical whenever you are using their product or watching their movies. Even though Disney has been criticized by some for their marketing towards kids this is not stopping them from kicking off their new line of “Disney Cuddly Bodysuit.” These bodysuits are being given to new mothers as a part of a gift package you receive from the hospital. How can Disney get into the hospital? The company Our365, a photography business that pays hospitals for this excess and other company’s piggy back off of them to get their product in the door and in the hands of new mothers. Disney rolled out this new line starting last month in hospitals and will be available for purchase starting the 15th of this month. This new marketing plan gives a new meaning to “cradle to grave” and Disney is betting on the “magical” feeling they give you to pass on to you’re kids.
"Disney Looks to Cradle to Expand." The New York Times. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/business/media/07disney.html>.
"How Marketers Target Kids." Media Awareness Network | Réseau éducation Médias. Web. <http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/marketers_target_kids.cfm>.
MacDonald, G. Jeffrey. "A Simple Formula." Retail Merchandiser 50.3 (2010): 36-38. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
"Ownership Charts the Big Hits." Free Press: Reform Media. Transform Democracy. Web. <http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main>.
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