Disney works their magic with Cross Channel promotion

My wife and I are planning a trip to Disney World with our three children. My wife, Judy, is a Disney fanatic who can’t pass up the bargains now being offered by the Mickey and the gang.

This is the third trip to Orlando for our family in five years, so unlike their father, who was twenty before making his first trip to the Magic Kingdom, my children are becoming experts in what they want to see and visit.

Navigating the park has been a big issue of mine ever since our first trip to the Magic Kingdom in 2000. Our first Disney experience with a child was a disaster so I was happy to see when Disney marketing created a program that encourages you to schedule your Disney itinerary in advance.

The promotion was first brought to my attention when my wife received a postcard in the mail announcing, “Get your FREE Walt Disney World Park Maps!” After showing me (the guy who has the issues with navigating the parks) the postcard, she immediately placed the direct mail piece into the “get to it” file hoping to get to it later. Later never came. It wasn’t until she received the second notice, an email promoting the same offer, that she logged on to the website and chose the attractions that our family was interested in attending. A few weeks later, we received a customized map in the mail highlighted our customized Disney itinerary.

Disney is continuously pushing the envelope with new technology. The company recognizes the power of integrated marketing and my wife is a perfect example of how effective the technique is. Although she was interested in mapping our vacation and was excited about the promotion it wasn’t until the email announcement that she acted upon the offer. I liken her experience to the experience of our clients. Today, it takes more than just direct advertising, direct mail, email messaging, or telephone calls to reach your audience. It takes a constant reinforcement using multiple marketing channels. When I mentioned to my wife that we do similar promotions for our clients, her comment (spoken like a true Disney fanatic) was, “Wow, does mean you can get Disney as a client?” My response was, “I certainly hope so.” My comment to you is how could you use the Disney approach to market your business?

To see the Disney promotion, log on to Disneyworld.com/freemaps.