4 Marketing Tips We Learned from Classic Disney Movies

A blog post by Brian Price, MarCom Coordinator, AHRedChair

Disney was known for their artistic and story-driven cartoon movies in the 20^th century. But early in the 2000s, Disney switched from studio animators to computer generated graphics. This change meant no more cartoon movies, turning those into timeless classics. These movies told amazing stories of love, triumph and following your heart. If you read even more between the lines, you learn that they also give great advice on marketing.

Despite many of these movies being created before marketing became mainstream, we can find lessons in them that apply to marketing strategies. Here’s four marketing tips from Disney movie classics:

1. Cinderella – Be Timely

A hard-working woman, Cinderella, has a chance to meet her Prince Charming at a fancy ball, but must return home before the clock strikes midnight. Cinderella is stuck doing chores for her evil stepmother and wicked step sisters, consuming much of her time. When she gets the chance to attend an important event, she needs to make the most of the opportunity during the time she’s allotted.

How does this apply to marketing?

Timing is everything in marketing. You want to get information to your customers and prospects at the right time. Don’t start promoting an event the week before. Create a timeline, this way you know when and what messages you’re sending to your target audiences without overwhelming them.

2. Aladdin –Image is Everything

As a homeless “street rat,” Aladdin is hunted by the Sultan’s guards and is given no respect by anyone. Although homeless, he shows his true character when he gives away his only food to a young starving child. The only problem? No one notices how great of a prince he could be because he’s not noticed among the thousands of peasants in his city. When the Genie comes and transforms him into Prince Ali, he gets the attention of his love interest and demonstrates his heroic and princely qualities.

How does this apply to marketing?

Aladdin’s makeover into Prince Ali is a rebrand. Aladdin has the skills and tools to be a great prince, but he continues to go unnoticed. When he changes things up, while keeping his core values, he gains the affection of the princess and the city. A rebrand isn’t always necessary, but it can enhance your brand to new levels when done correctly. Take a step back and see what your brand is doing right and where you can improve and maybe you too can win the hearts of your target audiences.

3. Pinocchio – Be Honest

Pinocchio, a wooden puppet who came to life, has dreams to become a real boy. During his quest, he must prove himself brave, truthful and unselfish. He faces a unique problem, though: whenever he tells a lie, his nose grows.

How does this apply to marketing?

Be honest and transparent. Customers and prospects know when you’re being truthful as well as when you’re not. By not being honest, upfront and transparent, you can damage your brand. This can lead to a major image problem that could take years to fix – or in some cases, never recover. The more honest and transparent you are, the more customers will appreciate and trust your brand.

4. The Jungle Book – Change and Adapt

In this tale, a young man cub, Mowgli, is raised by wolves in the jungle. An evil tiger hears of a human living in the jungle and wants to hunt and eliminate Mowgli. This forces him to venture through the jungle to his true home, a human village. Along the way, Mowgli learns to leave behind childish things and that where he really belongs is in the village, despite his familiarity to the jungle.

How does this apply to marketing?

Early in the decade, social media for business was unheard of. Now, it’s an integral part of the business marketing model. The marketing landscape is always changing. In order for your brand to grow and change, you may have to adapt to new marketing strategies and ideas and leave familiar ones in the past. Change can be scary, but it’s necessary. Trends change and so should your strategies. Don’t be left alone in the jungle.

There’s plenty of other marketing lessons in Disney movies. What comes to your mind?

---

About the Author:

Brian graduated from Rowan University in New Jersey in 2012 with a B.A. in public relations. Brian is a MarCom Coordinator in the Communications Division of AH, located in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Brian has secured coverage in The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, CNBC and Fox Business. In his spare time, he attends midnight superhero movie premieres and spends time with his slightly overweight Beagle, Snoopy.