Disney entertains press for maximum exposure

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

If all goes as planned, newspaper readers, magazine subscribers, radio listeners and television viewers will face waves of feature stories about Walt Disney World during the next few months. The attention will be a result of a carefully orchestrated media campaign in which several hundred writers, travel editors and TV producers from around the world were invited to Disney World for three days earlier this month. Disney World spent hundreds of thousands of dollars paying for the airfare and hotel rooms, and throwing lavish parties.

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Dare I say that's money well spent. If you can afford it, that's a brilliant way to get the word out.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
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What time does the water show start?

If Six Flags wants to learn about marketing, look no further than Disney. What is interesting is that prior to about 1984, Disney did little if any marketing at all.

Their first significant foray into the genre was the little-known "I'm Going to Disneyland" spots. Sarcastically speaking. Not a bad start, huh? That was so well known that a 90's alternative band called "da-da" penned the tune "Dizz-knee-land" which mocked the commercial with lines like, "I just flipped off President George...I'm going to Dizz-knee-land."

For all the criticism Eisner takes he was instrumental in rejuvenating the parks with these types of ideas (some stories attributed the campaign to Eisner's wife. Supposedly, she and Michael were dining with the winner of the America's Cup race when she asked the guy what he was doing next. His response? You guessed it.). Not coincidentally, the massive building boom at WDW occurred during the 90's and the Disney Decade.

As for this idea of comping travel reporters it too isn't new to Disney but I am surprised more companies aren't following suit.*** This post was edited by wahoo skipper 10/30/2003 9:12:23 AM ***

Sounds like the long-lead press shows that the auto manufacturers put on.

Fly 'em out to some exotic locale, feed 'em loads of food, put 'em up at a swanky hotel, and then let 'em play with your latest toys (sometimes even on closed race courses). How could you say no?

Later,
EV
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"Everybody has desperate days of quiet questioning.
Everybody has times when they feel like they don't fit in."
- Color Theory, So Many Ways, 2001

Thanks for the warning. Now I'll know not to believe anything I read about Disney.

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