MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
Executive Summary
The objective of this plan is to create a new area of service (or expand upon a current area) that will
include a number of restaurants, nightclubs, and stores targeted at adults, especially young adults. This
new service will cater to those visiting WDW who want to continue their fun after park hours. The
marketing mix will include heavy advertising inside the parks and online, making sure it stays in areas
mainly targeting adults. Another key part of the marketing mix will include press kits, special events,
and speaking engagements that assure families that the Disney image will stay true and family friendly.
This plan has plenty of potential. There are people of all ages visiting Disney and making sure that adults
get recognized as important customers just as families are.
Analysis of the Situation:
Customers, Competitors, & Environmental Factors
Summary of Learning
a. 3 Things Learned about the Industry
Implication for
Marketing
Learned
Source
The Legoland company has found ways to go
green in their theme parks, by using
recycled water, environmentally-friendly
pest control, and encouraging employees to
recycle.
Disney has found ways to be more
environmentally friendly in their theme
parks, but also stress that they do not want
to do anything that will take away from the
guests’ enjoyment.
Busch Gardens Tampa is making the change
to go green by using biodegradable
dinnerware, recycled water for their rides,
and reusing animal waste for composts.
“New trend in theme
parks: going green?” David
Wilkening. Edge Dallas,
TX.
Price
“Disney tests the limits of
going green” Jane Wells.
MSNBC.
Price and Target Market
“Trends: Theme Parks Go
Green” Unknown. First
Coast News.
Price
b. 3 Things Learned about Strengths and Weaknesses of the Client
Learned
Disney has many strengths, including the
very own company name, their characters,
and an ability to innovate and invent.
Disney has expanded their parks to other
countries, they are always advertising, and
regularly provide improvements to their
Whitney Stutes, 2010
Source
“10 Reasons Why DCA is a
Bad Idea” Alex Stroup.
Mouse Planet.
“5 Secrets to Walt Disney
World’s Success” Abbie
Drew. DEMC.com.
Implication for
Marketing
Target Market, Promotion,
and Product
Target Market, Promotion,
and Product
MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
theme parks.
Even though Disney is the largest media and
entertainment company in the world, it does
have weaknesses with high operating costs,
high investment with high risk, and the
pressure of continuous innovative ideas to
retain the attention of customers.making
the change to go green by using
biodegradable dinnerware, recycled water
for their rides, and reusing animal waste for
composts.
“Walt Disney SWOT
Analysis” Adam. MBA
Tutorials.
Product, Price, and
Promotion
c. 3 Things Learned about the Customers
Learned
Walt Disney World theme parks and hotels
have a variety of entertainment that will
appeal to many age groups.
Walt Disney World has many
accommodations available for guests with
physical and hearing disabilities.
Walt Disney World is not just for families,
but for singles and couples too. They make
sure to offer a variety of hotels, parks, rides,
restaurants, and more.
Source
“Walt Disney World:
Imagination Has No Age
Requirement” Melanie
Theresa. Associated
Content.
“Disney Offers Wide
Welcome For Guests With
Disabilities” Joan Leotta.
Solutions Marketing Group.
“Disney World Not Just For
Kids Anymore” Kingston
Amandan. Buzzle.com.
Implication for
Marketing
Product and Target Market
Product and Target Market
Target Market, Product,
and Distribution
d. 3 Things Learned about the Competition
Implication for
Marketing
Learned
Source
Disney is a larger theme park than
Universal Studios, with a variety of rides
for all ages and also has an animal theme
park, with Universal does not.
Disney has many incentives for their
customers to stay with Disney for the
whole of their vacation by offering cheaper
ticket prices for the more days you visit
and the Disney Magical Express, shuttling
customers to and from hotels to theme
parks.
Universal has a load of pressure on them
to get the “park right” due to the loads of
Harry Potter fans who can be very critical if
“Walt Disney World versus
Universal Studios, what
one?” Unknown. Orlando
Inside.
“When Worlds Collide: How
will Walt Disney World
compete with “The
Wizarding World of Harry
Potter” in 2010?” Werner
Weiss. Yesterland.com.
Target Market and Product
“Wizarding World of Harry
Potter” Theresa Plowright.
About.com
Target Market and Product
Whitney Stutes, 2010
Product, Price, Promotion,
and Distribution
MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
they feel Universal cheapened the
“wizarding world”.
References (attached as Appendix A)
#
Citation
Key Learning
Industry Trends
1 “New trend in theme parks: going green?” David
Wilkening. Edge Dallas, TX.
2 “Disney tests the limits of going green” Jane Wells.
MSNBC.
3 “Trends: Theme Parks Go Green” Unknown. First
Coast News.
The Legoland company has found ways to go
green in their theme parks, by using recycled
water, environmentally-friendly pest control,
and encouraging employees to recycle.
Disney has found ways to be more
environmentally friendly in their theme parks,
but also stress that they do not want to do
anything that will take away from the guests’
enjoyment.
Busch Gardens Tampa is making the change
to go green by using biodegradable
dinnerware, recycled water for their rides,
and reusing animal waste for composts.
Company Strengths and Weaknesses
1 “10 Reasons Why DCA is a Bad Idea” Alex Stroup.
Mouse Planet.
2 “5 Secrets to Walt Disney World’s Success” Abbie
Drew. DEMC.com.
3 “Walt Disney SWOT Analysis” Adam. MBA
Tutorials.
Customers
1 “Walt Disney World: Imagination Has No Age
2
3
Requirement” Melanie Theresa. Associated
Content.
“Disney Offers Wide Welcome For Guests With
Disabilities” Joan Leotta. Solutions Marketing
Group.
“Disney World Not Just For Kids Anymore” Kingston
Amandan. Buzzle.com.
Competitors
Whitney Stutes, 2010
Disney has many strengths, including the very
own company name, their characters, and an
ability to innovate and invent.
Disney has expanded their parks to other
countries, they are always advertising, and
regularly provide improvements to their
theme parks.
Even though Disney is the largest media and
entertainment company in the world, it does
have weaknesses with high operating costs,
high investment with high risk, and the
pressure of continuous innovative ideas to
retain the attention of customers.
Walt Disney World theme parks and hotels
have a variety of entertainment that will
appeal to many age groups.
Walt Disney World has many
accommodations available for guests with
physical and hearing disabilities.
Walt Disney World is not just for families, but
for singles and couples too. They make sure
to offer a variety of hotels, parks, rides,
restaurants, and more.
MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
1 “Walt Disney World versus Universal Studios, what
one?” Unknown. Orlando Inside.
2 “When Worlds Collide: How will Walt Disney World
compete with “The Wizarding World of Harry
Potter” in 2010?” Werner Weiss. Yesterland.com.
3 “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” Theresa
Plowright. About.com
Disney is a larger theme park than Universal
Studios, with a variety of rides for all ages and
also has an animal theme park, with Universal
does not.
Disney has many incentives for their
customers to stay with Disney for the whole
of their vacation by offering cheaper ticket
prices for the more days you visit and the
Disney Magical Express, shuttling customers
to and from hotels to theme parks.
Universal has a load of pressure on them to
get the “park right” due to the loads of Harry
Potter fans who can be very critical if they
feel Universal cheapened the “wizarding
world”.
The Target/Product Decision:
The Target Market (Customers) and Product Offering
I.
Segmentation/Targeting/Positioning
a. As stated through my research, Disneyworld is for all ages. Many think Disney is just for
families with children but it is so much more. Disney appeals to children, adults, singles,
young couples, couples without children, and even older adults. What is so great about
Disney is that it offers activities for everyone to enjoy. The theme park has rides
suitable for young kids and more thrilling/scarier rides for an older segment. So for
segmenting the market, I had to approach it many ways.
b. I have chosen to target young adult singles (ages 20 – 28) as the target market. The size
of this group is quite large. Many of these young adults have grown up watching Disney
on TV and therefore can relate it to childhood memories. Also, many of these young
adults may have families of their own, where they can come back to Disneyworld to
create new memories with their children and families. But now being older, they want
to do more adult things than just ride rides. This gives Disney the opportunity to open
new clubs and restaurants geared towards this age group that will bring in profits.
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MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
c. Perceptual map
Kid-friendly,
family-oriented
Kid-friendly, family-oriented
Walt Disney World
Sea World
Universal Studios Orlando
Affordable
Expensive
Young adult related
Thorough Description of the Target Market
d. Profile
i. Demographically
1. Sex
a. Both male and females frequently attend Disneyworld. I would
say this is about even on both ends.
2. Age
a. All ages attend Disneyworld, due to the fact that young children
attend but need to be accompanied by an adult/guardian. So
this ranges the ages from infants to adults.
3. Race
a. All races attend Disneyworld. Many are Caucasian but it is not a
huge difference in the races in attendance.
4. Income
a. People attending Disneyworld usually have a higher income to
spend. This is not always the case but many have the money to
splurge on this luxury vacation.
ii. Psychographically
1. Those visiting Disneyworld have many different attitudes, beliefs, and
opinions. But they do have one thing in common, they want to
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MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
experience the magic and fun that Disneyworld has to offer. People
visit Disneyworld to get away and put themselves in a world different
from everyday life.
iii. Behaviorally
1. Tourists/Vacationers/Visitors
a. Those visiting Disneyworld at a one time basis and buy tickets
by a day-to-day basis or weekly packages are going to
Disneyworld to get away. Many of these purchasers do not live
in the Orlando area and are just visiting. They will chose a
package that is best for them, whether it be to visit just one
park, or buy a 5-day park-hopper pass allowing them to visit the
multiple parks over a number of days. They realize they will not
need an annual pass and only want to visit a certain amount of
days.
2. Annual Pass
a. Those purchasing an annual pass obviously frequent
Disneyworld. The price of the annual pass is not cheap ($431 $489 depending on age) so it is an investment piece. Those
who visit Disney frequently realize they will save money with
the annual pass, which is a one time investment. Obviously
they live close enough or frequent the area to make this
purchase a good consumer decision.
e. Persona
i. The average 21-year-old that visit Disney goes with either family/friends. Many
of them do not visit alone. They visit Disney during the day, riding the rides they
loved as kids (or for the first time ever) and most likely enjoy the more thrilling
rides (such as Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster). They usually stray
from the kiddie areas (such as Toon Town) which many young children frequent
as an opportunity to visit Disney characters. They may take a picture with a
character or two, but don’t find the hours of standing in a line for a photo
something they feel they want to do. After a fun day at Disney, unlike young
children and their parents who have to watch them, they are not ready for the
fun to end. Disney parks (depend on which one) close as early at 6 p.m. or as
late at 11 p.m. (depending on the month, day, etc.) By now, they are still ready
to continue their fun. Disney’s Pleasure Island (which unfortunately closed in
2008 to make room for more “family friendly experiences”) was a place adults
could visit. It stayed open later for the “night crowd” and included shopping,
restaurants, comedy clubs, and night clubs. Unfortunately there does not seem
to be anything Disney club related for young adults to frequent anymore since
the closing of Pleasure Island. Disneyworld should open Pleasure Island back up
or open a new type of place similar to it. It should have the clubs, shopping, and
restaurants like Pleasure Island. This allows young adults to have fun, still
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MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
continuing their Disney experience, but just on a different level than the
younger children do.
II.
Thorough Description of the Product Offering
a. Description of the “Total Product”
CORE A fun experience for young-adults to continue their
day at Disney, with a twist more suitable to them and what
they are interested in.
IMAGERY
SECONDARY – Features would include clubs, restaurants,
and shopping that stayed open later to suit the target
markets needs. It would be placed away from the parks, but
SECONDARY
still close enough they would be able to take the Disney
ECONDARY
Express transportation (if visiting and staying at a Disney
hotel) to and from the parks/hotel. It would be a more adult
CORE
environment, featuring drinks, clubs, and more adult themes
than the regular offerings in the Disneyworld parks.
IMAGERY – This place would offer incentive for young adults
to frequent the parks more. An offering for those who buy
park tickets may allow them to get special rates at the latenight place. This would give incentive to visit the parks and
then visit the late-night place. Disney does a great job for
kids but tends to overlook their older audiences and what
they would enjoy.
Marketing Strategy Document:
Parts III, IV, & V
III.
Pricing Strategy
a. The pricing strategy for my service (a strip of restaurants, clubs, and stores – name to be
announced) would be price skimming.
b. The customers that we are targeting (young adult singles) that are visiting Disney (either
with an annual pass or on a vacation) are expecting to spend money. While many young
adults may not have a lot of money, many will splurge for a fun night out. The
advantage of having a group of clubs, stores, and restaurants on Disney property will
make the cost understandable. The competition is slight, owning that there are not
many other clubs, stores, and restaurants open late, all conveniently located in one area
that is on Disney property. Those seeking places like that will have to venture off Disney
property and go further into Orlando. For those who are staying on Disney property,
this might be problematic, especially if they did not rent cars. The cost structure would
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MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
include the costs for land and building the area. Disney will own it and can allow stores
and restaurants to be on the property.
c. The demographics for those who visit Disneyworld are vast. They vary in age, race, and
gender. While many may think Disneyworld is for children and their parents, they really
have fun for everyone, no matter the age. But since Pleasure Island was closed in 2008,
they have no opened a new place similar to it, targeting the young adult age. Universal
Studios and Sea World offer places to eat, drink, and socialize, but only inside the parks
where admission would be charged for entrance.
d. The product that young adults will be receiving by visiting this service (a strip of
restaurants, clubs, and stores – name to be announced) would be entertainment and
fun after hours. Continuing your fun from a great day at the parks, young adults can
mingle together, away from kids and strollers, and basically “eat, drink, and be merry”.
The place is the one of the most important aspects of this service. Instead of driving
into Orlando (especially for those who are only vacationing and don’t have a rental car)
for a night of fun, visitors can go to one specific place for all that entertainment. One
great promotion idea for this service would be to offer an incentive program for visitors.
For example, proof of their ticket and visit in the park could get them a discount on
admission to clubs, drinks, food, or things bought in stores. This will give visitors extra
reason to visit and have fun.
IV.
Distribution Strategy
a. The distribution strategy for my service will be 2-tier. It really does depend on the
restaurant/store/club though. But many of these will be 2-tier. The food, merchandise,
and drinks will start at the manufacturer; go through a wholesaler, before making it to
the retailer (the specific restaurant, store, or club) that sells to the consumers. The
intensity strategy will be selective. There will be this one area for visitors to come to; it
will not be widely available.
b. Those visiting Disneyworld are putting themselves into a whole different “world”. The
magic of Disney is that you can literally spend days there, surrounded only by Disney
themes. Allowing those who are looking to go out late at night and have a bit of fun,
they can continue their Disney experience by not having to go off the property to find
these restaurants, stores, and clubs.
c. The product we are selling, the fun of continuing the Disney experience in a more adult
way, is not something you can get everywhere. So by making this product selective,
they can only get this experience at one place in the world. They have to visit a certain
place to have this fun. The price may be a little higher, but most will be willing to pay
for this experience that cannot be found anywhere else.
V.
Promotion Strategy
a. Create a table to outline the highlights of the Promotion Mix Strategy for your proposed
product or service.
Whitney Stutes, 2010
MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
Element of
Promotion Mix
Advertising
Public Relations
Objective for Element
Strategy for Element
Advertise throughout the Disney parks and
online about the new area for adults to
continue their Disney fun late into the night.
Press kit discussing the launch of the new area
along with information about the company
and its history. Also put together special
events and speaking engagements.
Growing awareness of this
new area, especially to the
target market.
Get the public aware that
this will be a positive
change and not take away
from Disney’s “family
friendly” image and assure
it will be a positive to the
surrounding area.
Keeping advertising mainly
to young adults and up
since the area will include
adult themes.
Allows the area to be
specific to what is allowed
in. Disney will have the say
in what restaurants, clubs,
and stores are allowed into
this area.
Sales Promotion
Good amount of promotion for this new area
opening, but making sure it stays true to the
target market.
Personal Selling
Personal selling will mainly involve only selling
to franchises to be allowed in this area.
b. These strategies of my promotional mix allow for a variety of advertising for this area,
but also keeping an eye on the fact that many visitors to Disneyworld are young children
and their parents. Keeping this in their mind, they are making sure they don’t lose their
loyal visitors by opening up this new area that includes adult themes and areas.
c. Develop a hypothetical print ad for your product or service. Annotate the ad by calling
out rationale for execution style and appeal. The following ad has a fantasy type
execution and mysterious appeal. It obviously has a Disney theme, but does not give a
lot of information away as to exactly what is coming, drawing the reader in to visit
online what is to come. Using the iconic Cinderella’s castle, the reader knows it will
relate to Disney. But intrigues the reader since it is darker than most Disney ads,
focusing on the night life aspect the new area will bring. I think this is a good
advertisement to run to gain interest but not give too much away too early.
Whitney Stutes, 2010
MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
Whitney Stutes, 2010
MARKETING STRATEGY PROJECT
d. The focus of our PR efforts will be to the general public and specifically those who are
against drinking at Disneyworld. PR efforts need to be nationwide, if not worldwide,
because it will not just be Orlando residents visiting Disneyworld. PR efforts will include
making people aware of a new area that includes restaurants, stores, and clubs that will
be targeted at adults. And making sure that PR efforts heavily include those who are
against such drinking and places at Disneyworld and surrounding property, which will
most likely be unhappy about the new area. The PR efforts will heavily rely on making
sure that this new area will not take away from Disney having a “family friendly” image.
The new area is not targeted to families and will NOT be heavily advertised in childfriendly areas. And it will not be advertised on the children’s Disney channel. Making
sure that the PR team assures that this new area will allow adults to have more fun after
a day at Disney and not take away from any family’s vacation fun.
Whitney Stutes, 2010