Disney – The World's Happiest Brand
Disney – the 8th best brand in the world reported by Business Week – owns and operates the happiest places on earth. Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland and the original Disneyland in southern California brings joy to children and adults on a global scale. Disney’s most famous brand, Mickey Mouse, is recognized far and wide. On one memorable day at Tokyo Disneyland, more Mickey ears were sold than people in the park. Mickey Mouse is a symbol, a mark, that people young and old across nations and cultures adore and love. Disney truly proves: “It’s a small world after all.”
The magic of Disney that has touched millions of people, started with one person. Walt Disney, full of dreams and determination, but no resources, arrived in southern California in 1923 with an idea to produce short animations called: “Alice’s Wonderland.” Soon thereafter, Disney created a new character he originally wanted to name “Mortimer,” but his wife Lilly preferred “Mickey.” And with that, a star was born. Mickey Mouse was an immediate sensation around the world.
In forthcoming years, often with troubled finances due to the economics of the time, Walt Disney continued to push the visual bounds on animation. One evening he pulled his team of animators together and explained they were going to create the first animated feature film – a radical concept as most people believed a cartoon could not hold an audience’s attention that long. Three years of development brought Snow White to the theaters, which became the highest grossing film of all time in 1937. Then came Pinocchio, Dumbo, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, a hit television series called: The Mickey Mouse Club and Walt Disney’s crowning achievement Mary Poppins, which combined live action with animation.
But Walt Disney had another vision – an idea to bring children and parents together. And the result was Disneyland. The new amusement park opened an era of fun on July 17, 1955 and brought a totally new kind of entertainment to families. You could fly with Peter Pan, explore the Wild West with Davy Crockett and have a tea party with the Mad Hatter. Each ride told a story and gave an experience. It was this type of ingenuity and creativity that brought and continues to bring hundreds of millions of visitors from around the world to Disney parks each year. Walt Disney himself said Disneyland would “never be completed… as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
Disney today is a massive company dominating the entertainment business from movies like Toy Story and The Incredibles to multi-billion dollar buyouts. But the foundation for all its success remains from humble beginnings of one visionary person who created a mouse – the most famous mouse on the planet.
The Top Ten Global Brands
- Coca-Cola
- Microsoft
- IBM
- GE
- Intel
- Nokia
- Toyota
- Disney
- McDonald’s
- Mercedes-Benz
Business School for Moms
Mickey Mouse has become an icon for the Walt Disney Company. The cute little guy wearing red pants and oversized shoes, was originally voiced by Walt Disney himself. Today you can find Mickey branded merchandise in just about everything. From telephones to lamps, pajamas to slippers, you can find Mickey memorabilia and collectables of all sorts. But Mickey Mouse is more than an image – It’s what this mouse represents: He reminds us of fun times we’ve had and opportunities yet to come. It’s the feeling after the Super Bowl victory when a sweaty quarterback yells: “I’m going to Disneyland!”
What family brands are you developing that brings the feeling of victory home? What messages are you sending your children? It may not be about a mouse, but your family brand can change the world too. Your children will one day grow up recalling what you have taught them. Perhaps you are raising the next “Walt” with vision and ability to make a difference. Remember, the greatness of Disney started with one person who believed they could create something extraordinary. You are that person in your family.
