Disney's True Magic

For all of our economy's challenges, you'd have never known there was a recession going on where I was this past week...

After going on a 4-day Disney Cruise, followed by 3 days at Disney World with my wife, three kids and my parents, I have a new found respect for Disney in terms of bringing their brand's equity to bear at literally every touch point.

Disney wants to infuse magic whenever you interact with their brand...whether it's being blown away by special effects while watching a Disney/Pixar movie at a local theater, a young girl putting on a Cinderella costume for Halloween or three year-old getting a new Mickey Mouse plush toy.

What happens, though, when you get within the confines of a captive Disney-themed venue is astounding. If ever there were a case study validating the philosophy of fully leveraging a brand's essence where the brand's customer interaction is the most intimate, Disney is it. My kids' fantasies were brought to life...from the cruise and park quality, to the customer service to the way movies and characters (old and new) interacted with park guests.

The obligation Disney employees showed towards delivering on the brand promise sets a standard for all others to live up to. I can't imagine the resources they direct towards employee training, but it's more than that. It's about creating a culture that people innately desire to become a part of...think about how much easier it is to train the enthusiastic employee than one who's taking a job just for the pay. It makes companies like Zappos that much more admirable for the focus they put into creating a culture others crave to join.

While Disney has the gravitas few could even dream of, we as agency and team leaders can absolutely use their example of creating a culture talented people seek to be a part of. By commiting time and resources to ensure your agency's unique, marketable values permeate everything you do, other like-minded candidates (and clients) will gravitate towards you.

Creating a company and culture that has people climbing over each other to join or do business with is a magical pedestal we'd all like to stand on.