Disney and the power of omnichannel 9/6/23, 10:55 AM

Disney and the power of omnichannel

At the start of February, Brand Finance 500 revealed that Disney has
become the world’s most powerful brand, overtaking last year’s winner,
Lego.

While the latest Star Wars film has played a significant role in helping Disney
take the top spot, so too has the brand’s use of Big Data to deliver incredible
customer service. And, with 100 million holidaymakers visiting its theme
parks every year, that gives Disney a lot of data work with.

You’ve probably been reading a lot about omnichannel marketing recently. At

its core, an omnichannel strategy is about forming seamless connections
between every stage of a customer journey. Achieving this requires making
the best use of Big Data, and Disney is regularly held up as the poster
example of a ‘magical’ omnichannel customer experience.

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In 2013, Disney implemented MyMagic+, a $1bn platform that the company

claims “gives you unprecedented control of your vacation and makes it
easier than ever to enjoy time with the people who you care about the most”.

Currently only available at Walt Disney World in Orlando (although there have
long been plans to roll it out to resorts worldwide), MyMagic+ centres mainly
on a device it calls the MagicBand.

These colourful wristbands – personalised for every member of your family

and sent out to visitors before their holiday – have been created to
streamline your Disney World experience.

Once inside the resort, these bands – that visitors have pre-loaded with their
data – do many things: unlock the door to your Disney Resort hotel room,
allows admission to the park, check in at ride entrances with FastPass, and
purchase gifts and food. As the bands contain RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) technology, waiters will even know exactly where you’re sat in
a restaurant after you’ve ordered.

For the Disney World visitor, this brings huge convenience: no need to carry
a wallet, keys or tickets. It can be used to dodge queues on pre-booked rides
and even send any pictures you have taken within the resort sent directly to
your online account. It simply removes as much of the 'friction' that could
hinder your enjoyment as possible.

In return, Disney gets to collect huge amounts of data and insight. It knows
what rides you’ve visited, at what time and what route you took. It can see
which rides or shows are most popular with a particular age or gender. It
knows what meals or souvenirs you’ve purchased.

No doubt some will balk at just how much information is perhaps

unintentionally giving up (few will appreciate Disney knowing how often they

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visited the loo), but you cannot deny how useful this data can be to help
Disney optimise the customer experience, tailor its marketing messages and
make even more money.

Would you be prepared to volunteer so much personal data for the sake of a
more convenient holiday, or do you think that MyMagic+ crosses the line of
personal privacy? I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

Author Bio

Steve Klin is CEO of Blue Group, Blue Sheep and BlueVenn. Having been in
the marketing technology industry for many years Steve has overseen some
of the largest SCV and marketing automation projects in the world and
implemented solutions for over 400 organisations. For more info about Steve
and Blue Group visit www.bluegroupinc.com

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