Back in the day DisneyParks, was marketed and geared to all ages…attractions, resorts,and especially shops…shops were the most obvious with a balance of merchandise for all ages.
However all that changed, as we saw with the DisneyStores, the second generation, of the stores we saw a complete over haul and marketing push to preschool age groups which arose out of the preschool boom of the early 2000,s (shows like the Wiggles, MickeyMouseClubhouse, etc…and competitors too like Barney, YoGabbaGabba) with Playhouse Disney then changed to Disney Junior…then the marketing divided from preschool to junior high school age, evident with the programming on the Disney Channel starting with Hannah Montanna, Lizzy Maguire, etc….
For years these became the main focus groups of the company.
When that market settled, then a marketing surge became the new trend for Disney Adults, as the company being a business, saw that the adults are the ones with the $$$$, more over, even though adults who have kids were spending in their children, but not as much as could be. This gave way to the rework of the Market Place into now the Springs with high end / price boutiques…rises in park admission/resort costs per night stays….and take a look at ShopDisney now, you notice a very heavy product base and high price geared toward the Disney Adults.
This did not happen over night. The onset of this the Disney adults is rooted in obsessive fandom, prior to coining the term Disney Adults…one root cause of this rise of this was Pin Trading, then Vinylmation, the D23 conventions, so through fads of popular trends of the times, gave rise to the adult collector. Prior to this Disney adults were considered collectors /fans as Disneyana. How about the residential development Golden Oaks marketed to adult Disney fans of the super wealthy.
Take a look at the Disney Parks dining, just the meal offerings (overthought, too fancy for the main stream, over priced, minimally themed) are reflective of marketing toward Disney adults.
Its not just Disney…other comapnies, because its the trend, are marketing products with almost 100% focus to adults. Lego (AFOLS Adult Fans of Lego) market sets in black box geared for 18+ adult fan base with sets averaging $100-200 up to $800 at times…this is not meant for kids….Half of the Lego stores and evwn Target now the Lego aisle is geared toward adults.
So in comparison, it really is no different, different times yield different marketing to different age groups, trends result in what is, what isnt in terms of products, price, and profitability.
The error here is going all in in marketing toward one demogrphaic group…..this is how it became unbalanced….Disney should go back to the early 1990s and back further tand re market it as all.inclusive, something for everyone type of strategy.
As with trends they never last, the slowly rise, then become the latest thing, hit its peak, and then level off becoming some sort of the norm, and then slowly trend downwards, at which time, a new demographic by companies is identified and focused on.
Disney fads…Pin Trading still is, but not as it was, Vinylmation had a shorter run, then practically vanished, TsumTsum had thwir run, now Nuimos are the the trend, just like demographics, it changes from time to time.
However a complete all.in focus matketing on one demogrpahic (Disney Adults or preschoolers) is an error, focus on a diverse range inclusive of all ages so no one feels like they are left out.
So yes a tactic change needs to be put in place. Go back to yesteryear Disney.
Comments for Op-Ed: Disney Needs to Change Tactics with Disney Adults
Royz
Tactics were changed (in the past)….
Back in the day DisneyParks, was marketed and geared to all ages…attractions, resorts,and especially shops…shops were the most obvious with a balance of merchandise for all ages.
However all that changed, as we saw with the DisneyStores, the second generation, of the stores we saw a complete over haul and marketing push to preschool age groups which arose out of the preschool boom of the early 2000,s (shows like the Wiggles, MickeyMouseClubhouse, etc…and competitors too like Barney, YoGabbaGabba) with Playhouse Disney then changed to Disney Junior…then the marketing divided from preschool to junior high school age, evident with the programming on the Disney Channel starting with Hannah Montanna, Lizzy Maguire, etc….
For years these became the main focus groups of the company.
When that market settled, then a marketing surge became the new trend for Disney Adults, as the company being a business, saw that the adults are the ones with the $$$$, more over, even though adults who have kids were spending in their children, but not as much as could be. This gave way to the rework of the Market Place into now the Springs with high end / price boutiques…rises in park admission/resort costs per night stays….and take a look at ShopDisney now, you notice a very heavy product base and high price geared toward the Disney Adults.
This did not happen over night. The onset of this the Disney adults is rooted in obsessive fandom, prior to coining the term Disney Adults…one root cause of this rise of this was Pin Trading, then Vinylmation, the D23 conventions, so through fads of popular trends of the times, gave rise to the adult collector. Prior to this Disney adults were considered collectors /fans as Disneyana. How about the residential development Golden Oaks marketed to adult Disney fans of the super wealthy.
Take a look at the Disney Parks dining, just the meal offerings (overthought, too fancy for the main stream, over priced, minimally themed) are reflective of marketing toward Disney adults.
Its not just Disney…other comapnies, because its the trend, are marketing products with almost 100% focus to adults. Lego (AFOLS Adult Fans of Lego) market sets in black box geared for 18+ adult fan base with sets averaging $100-200 up to $800 at times…this is not meant for kids….Half of the Lego stores and evwn Target now the Lego aisle is geared toward adults.
So in comparison, it really is no different, different times yield different marketing to different age groups, trends result in what is, what isnt in terms of products, price, and profitability.
The error here is going all in in marketing toward one demogrphaic group…..this is how it became unbalanced….Disney should go back to the early 1990s and back further tand re market it as all.inclusive, something for everyone type of strategy.
As with trends they never last, the slowly rise, then become the latest thing, hit its peak, and then level off becoming some sort of the norm, and then slowly trend downwards, at which time, a new demographic by companies is identified and focused on.
Disney fads…Pin Trading still is, but not as it was, Vinylmation had a shorter run, then practically vanished, TsumTsum had thwir run, now Nuimos are the the trend, just like demographics, it changes from time to time.
However a complete all.in focus matketing on one demogrpahic (Disney Adults or preschoolers) is an error, focus on a diverse range inclusive of all ages so no one feels like they are left out.
So yes a tactic change needs to be put in place. Go back to yesteryear Disney.
noymyprob
It’s not marketing. Its making crappy movies.
Matt207
You are so right!
Cary
Luca is 100 x better than Lightyear, or Elemental.
Let Luca have a theater run it deserves
Matt207
The galactic star cruiser was geared towards Disney adults and how did that work out for Disney?
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