The Magic of Marketing
When I was in high school, my family decided to go on a vacation to Disney World, and with any trip like that, you think the draw would be the castle or the rides. Not around here, partner; there is this lovely little place called Epcot where you can see firsthand a little snapshot of cultures around the world. I remember my grandpa going into this little bakery in the Norway Pavilion, and to my utter disbelief, this small man came out of this hole-in-the-wall shop with 15 orders of school bread. To this day, I do not know how he didn't drop a single one. He passed them out to all his grandchildren, sneaked a couple into his bag, and we went about our merry way.
So some time passes during our trip, and a couple of days later we end up mozing back to the Norway Pavilion at Epcot, where, once again, my grandpa waltzes into this tiny bakery to order an obscene amount of school bread. He walks up to the lovely little cast member, and they strike up a conversation. They start talking, and the cast member mentions a guest they had the other day who ordered so many pastries that she wasn't sure if they would have fit through the door with them all. My grandpa just keeps nodding his head and going along with it, repeating the quiet pleasantries of conversation that would help keep him under the radar. To this day, I do not know if the cast member was aware that the man in front of her was the “school bread bandit”; however, her kindness didn't go unnoticed.
Many of us have had the chance to see the Disney difference firsthand, through the magic of Walt Disney World itself, but it gets me thinking: what do they do differently? What makes these theme parks so magical in the first place?
First things first,
The people at Disney are masters at delivering a consistent product. They ensure that every photo, every Mickey bar, every princess is the same every time. They ensure that every photo taken with the princesses is perfect. The guests may be as rough as they please, but Disney designs its infrastructure to ensure that, no matter what happens, every one of its princesses is picture-perfect every time.
At JamboJon, we believe a website is your audition for your client. For example, a good website performs well on all devices, ensuring that everyone who sees it gets the same impression. But it doesn't have to just end at your website; it can extend to your practices. Little ways you can refine your process and product so your customers know they can count on you when they need a job well done.
Next,
the designers at Disney firmly understand what they sell. For many of us, we assume they sell just a ride or the occasional snack. However, in the grand design, the artisans who create the framework understand all too well the true intention of these places. They sell escapism; they understand that the world is a crazy place and the people yearn for a little magic.
But what does this mean to you and your business? I encourage you to step back to the larger picture, take in all that you offer, and find the broader themes of why someone would come to you for something—getting out of the weeds and nailing down what you sell on the large, grand scale. For many of us at JamboJon, this means we sell the art of being seen, but for many other places, it may not be so easy. I imagine that many places that sell hiking shoes don't just sell a hefty hunk of rubber; they sell the idea, the dream that the outdoors offers. So get creative; see what you can discover.
Lastly,
no time should be wasted. The Imagineers at Disney understand that their guests' time is valuable. If people are making the effort and taking time out of their busy lives to interact with your service or visit your space, you should honor their time as much as possible. But what does that truly mean? At least for the Disney designers, this means that every area should have a story to tell—everything from the magic castle to the concrete work under your feet in a long, sweaty line. Your guests should feel like every detail of theirs was taken into account.
However, it may look a little different as a business owner; it may mean hiring more people to handle the workload, or maybe it's optimizing a website so it loads even a second faster. It's easy to see people as numbers and data, but I encourage you to keep in mind the humans you work with and for.
All that to say, there's always room for a little magic when it comes to marketing. There is definitely a lot to be learned from looking at the big cats play their game.