The Walt Disney Company is an American mass media and entertainment conglomerate best known for its film studio and theme parks. It has four main divisions: film studio, parks and resorts, media networks, and consumer products. Disney aims to be a leading producer and provider of entertainment and information. While children are the main target, parents are also targeted as they decide what content is suitable. Disney competes with companies like Warner Bros and uses strategies like product differentiation, international expansion, and leveraging its media networks for promotion. Expanding into new areas like video games and superheroes presents risks of overshadowing the Disney brand but also opportunities in ready markets if quality and recognition standards are maintained.

1. Mini Case Study

2. Introduction
TheWaltDisneyCompany,commonlyknownas
Disney,isanAmericandiversifiedmultinational
massmediaandentertainmentconglomerate

3. The Background
• The company is best known for its film
studio, Walt Disney Studios.
• Disney's other three main divisions are
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney
Media Networks, and Disney Consumer
Products and Interactive Media.
• Disney also owns and operates the ABC
broadcast television network

4. Mission
• The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to
be one of the world’s leading producers and
providers of entertainment and information.

5. Target Group
Children are the Base Group
targeted but however, Parents
are the group targeted as they
decide what is suitable for their
children.
Hence, the average age of the
Target Group is 44 years.
And products are positioned
generally for Females.

6. Competitors
• Warner inc. is the Chief Competitor of Disney. It not only
challenges Disney’s television interests but also is a competitor
in merchandising.
• CBS Viacom has promising new late night lineups for every age
group which gives cut throat competition to ABC’s hit television
shows.
• Fox Network is a serious competition to Disney’s entertainment
interests as it constantly stays in news and has rights to
worldwide events such as National Football league telecast
rights. This cuts deep into the company’s dominance.

7. Disney’s Strategies
• The Walt Disney company involves various
product and advertising strategies which helps
it stay dynamic against it’s competitors.

8. Product Differentiation
• Disney offers a wide variety of heterogeneous products.
It has movies, theme parks, shows, music radios and
merchandise offer a range for all tastes, cultures and
ages. This makes all products really differentiated within
it’s company and from the products other its
competitors.

9. Target Market Strategies
• To Demonstrate its leadership, and market
itself to families, it launched the first Wireless
Mobile SM which used GPS Capabilities.
• Disney also continues to appeal to teens and
their parents by staying current with digital
gaming and social media opportunities.

10. International Outreach Strategies
• Disney recognizes that not all people can travel to
the U.S to Visit Disneyland. So, Disney Developed
theme parks around the globe to reach and adapt to
local cultures. Today there are 14 theme parks across
the world.

11. Advertising and promotional
Strategies
• Disney’s ownership of media networks such as
ABC, Disney Channel and ESPN is a strategy which
has been employed by the company to market
itself.
• Along with these, commercials, print ads,
campaigns, mobile initiatives, promotional
discounts for families on resorts are also involved
to gather a greater market share.
• Disney also launched Adver-gaming, which shows
ads on online or streaming games to target teens.

12. Innovation as a Marketing Strategy
• Disney Believes in innovation to stay ahead of
its competition and build its business by rapid
advances in technology.
• Disney knows that Internet is a major game
changer . To tap this, Disney will launch its
storytelling technology to connect to kids via
Internet.

14. What does Disney do best
to connect with its core
customers?

15. Disney does:
• The core values of Disney are to stay true to it's heritage and
legacy and create family entertainment
• It leveraged on its ability to touch people effectively and
efficiently. With the creation of teen targeted television shows
like Hanna Montana and moved it across various creative
division to create a franchise for the company with
Merchandise, CD Sales, Video Games, Movies, concerts etc.
• It also uses innovative technologies to connect with its
consumers.
• It was the first company to release podcast with interviews of
employees, park officials etc.
• The Disney website provides insights into trailers and other
trivia along with exploring ways to make the Disney
Characters more exciting.

16. What are the risks and benefits
of expanding the Disney Brand in
new ways, such as video games or
superheroes?

17. The Risks Associated are:
• The risks associated with expansion into Video Games
or Superheroes can be the difficulty with market
penetration as the games market is very competitive
with companies solely focused on making Video games.
• On the other hand, two comic giants DC and Marvel
have created Superheroes and are actively involved in
developing Games, merchandise, books, animated
series etc. These characters are very well recognized
and have a fan following.
• To position Disney in such a market would pose threats
of failure as these characters, games, series etc may
overshadow Disney's Product.

18. The Benefits are:
• The core values of Disney : to stay true to it's heritage
and legacy and create family entertainment helps it to
connect to its core consumers
• Disney focused on a value creation dynamic based on
high standards of quality and recognition which had
made Disney different from its competitors.
• It leveraged on its ability to touch people effectively
and efficiently.
• However, a big advantage is that the market is ready-
made and the target audience well defined, so it will
easier to analyze and make necessary marketing
strategies for them..

19. SWOT Analysis
• High sunk costs
• Excessive R&D
• Constant up-gradation
• High investment
• High risk
• Global
Standardization
• Creative process
• Popular
• Diversification
• Merchandise
• Cheaper Alternatives to soft toys
• Music
• Localization of brand
• Slow
economic
recovery
• Competitors
• Employee
retention
• Brand
consistency

20. Bibliography
• https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/
• https://www.slideshare.net/AMortellier/disney-case-study-
esc-clermont
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company
• https://www.google.co.in/search?q=walt+disney+company
&biw=1242&bih=585&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=
0ahUKEwiEk_3Sn4bUAhVIMo8KHWq1C9gQ_AUIBygC#tbm
=isch&q=disneyland+case+study&imgrc=3Zj70E3odUQf5M:

21. DISCLAIMER
• CREATED BY AKANKSHA MALVIYA, MICA
Ahmedabad, DURING A MARKETING
INTERNSHIP BY Prof. SAMEER MATHUR, IIM
Lucknow