SUPERBRANDS ANNUAL 2014
DISNEY
Promotion
Disney respects the power and impact its
brand can have on people and takes this
responsibility very seriously. In 2013, it
supported Comic Relief’s 25th anniversary
of Red Nose Day by creating and selling
Red Nose Day Disney products and
encouraging the great British public to do
something funny for money through their
Comedy Magic campaign. Now in its 5th
year, Disney’s annual ‘Share in the Magic’
Christmas charity campaign invites families
across the UK and Ireland to post their
own Letter to Santa at their local Disney
Store or online. For every letter posted,
Disney Store donates a soft toy to a range
of charities throughout the UK.
disney.co.uk
For more than nine decades,
the name Walt Disney has
been pre-eminent in the field
of family entertainment.
From its beginnings as a
cartoon studio in the 1920s
to today’s global corporation,
Disney continues to represent
and proudly provide quality
entertainment for every
member of the family, around
the world.
Market
Disney is the centrepiece of a portfolio of
brands within The Walt Disney Company,
including Disney•Pixar, Marvel, ABC, ESPN
and Lucasfilm.
Disney offers a trusted brand and highquality family entertainment with a great
set of values in everything that it delivers;
from movies to theme parks, from stage
shows to TV, and from consumer products
to digital experiences.
No other entertainment company has the
ability to connect with kids and families
across so many platforms and in so many
countries around the world.
Product
Disney focuses on the art of magical
story-telling driven by a deep passion for
creativity and innovation.
Together with a brand promise of high
quality, fun entertainment experiences,
and the unique connection that kids and
families have with its stories and characters,
Disney is the go-to brand for entertainment
that families can enjoy together.
superbrands.uk.com
in the UK. The soundtrack
hit the number one spot
on the US Billboard 200
album chart, only the
fourth animated film
soundtrack to do so in
the history of the chart.
Because of this, Disney creates memories
that stay with people from childhood
that they want to share later in life with
their families. That resonance is incredibly
powerful from a brand perspective and
central to the success of the company.
Achievements
In 2013, Disney was named the World’s
Most Admired Entertainment Company by
Fortune Magazine – an accolade that takes
the company further in its goal to be the
most admired company in the world.
DISNEY CHANNEL HAS BEEN THE
NO.1 KIDS PAY TV
CHANNEL IN THE UK
FOR SEVEN
CONSECUTIVE YEARS
WITH KIDS AGED 4-15.
Disney’s Frozen won the 2014 Golden
Globe for Best Animated Film and has
surpassed the original release of The
Lion King to become the Walt Disney
Animation Studios’ highest grossing film
In a step towards this, Disney partnered
with the National Obesity Forum
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The acclaimed London
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stage production of
Disney’s The Lion King
continues its phenomenal reign
at the Lyceum Theatre and has now been
seen by 11 million people, remaining the
best selling stage production in the West
End, having had its most successful year
ever in 2013.
Recent Developments
Disney recognises that it can play an
important role in using its brand and
characters, its media reach and unique
storytelling to help inspire children and
their families to lead healthier lifestyles and
has made a global commitment to do so.
Disney continues to grow its offering
of exciting experiences in both its
Disney Store and other retailers across
the country. Most recently, Disney and
Harrods launched a Cinderella-inspired
‘Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique’ at the famous
department store, marking the first time
that a Disney Parks and Resorts offering
has been recreated in the UK. The
experience forms the centrepiece of Disney
at Harrods, a new partnership venture
including a bespoke Disney Store and
new-look Disney Café all designed to bring
Disney magic to an iconic British store in a
completely unique way.
Disney prides itself on making a difference
and offering magical opportunities for
young people through programmes such
as Disney’s Aim High – a scheme that
helps children to reach for their dreams by
offering a one-on-one mentoring session
with some of the most talented individuals
in their chosen field around the UK
and internationally.
Brand History
1923
1937
1940
1955
1995
2006
2007
2010
2012
2013
Disney creates the first ‘fullysynchronized’ sound cartoon: Steamboat
Willie featuring Mickey Mouse.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
Disney’s first feature-length animated
film, premieres.
Disney releases Fantasia – the first film
recorded in digital sound.
Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California,
creating the concept of the theme park.
Disney•Pixar releases Toy Story, the
first full-length computer-generated
animated feature.
High School Musical becomes the first
full-length movie sold via digital download,
on Apple’s iTunes Music Store.
Disney becomes the first media
company to offer full TV show episodes,
on-demand on a mobile platform.
Revolutionary family cruise ships Disney
Dream and Disney Fantasy launch.
Disneyland Paris celebrates its 20th
anniversary with a record 16 million
visits in the year.
Disney’s The Lion King musical has been
seen by more than 70 million people and is
the highest-grossing Broadway show ever.
Brand Values
Through the stories and characters that have been created over the last 90 years, the
Disney brand has been imbued with its core values; unparalleled storytelling, high
quality, dedicated to innovation, decency, building strong communities, optimism
and always fun – these have been in Disney’s DNA since the beginning. It is this
differentiation that gives the brand its competitive advantage and positions it extremely
well today and for tomorrow’s world.