You have permission to publish this article electronically with a link or in print, free of charge, as long as
bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.Walt Disney Knew How To Get The Word Out By Stephen Schochet orgofhlly@aol.com COPYRIGHT: ©2004 by Hollywood Stories. All rights reserved
You need to get word out about your products but your economic resources are limited. That was often dilemma that faced Walt Disney. Often burdened with heavy debt, he found many creative ways to let public in on what he was doing. His innovative marketing ideas could be used by businesses seeking publicity today.
1) Capitalize on current events: In 1930 Walt felt that Mickey Mouse who was constantly surrounded by barnyard animals should get a dog. He vividly described to his artists a funny mutt that his family kept on their farm when he grew up in Marceline Missouri, to point of getting down on all fours, sniffing around and making barking noises. Animator Norman Ferguson transformed Walt's great acting performance into a cartoon canine named Rover . . . for five months. Then Disney read that an amateur astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh had discovered a ninth planet in our solar system called Pluto and Walt cashed in on resulting publicity by giving Mickey's pet a new name.
2) Get your employees behind your product: Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) took three long years to complete and Walt suffered through many doubts about film's marketing direction. He worried when press called it "Disney's Folly" , then realized it was good to have people talk about it. He rejected a salesman's idea that he should eliminate dwarfs from advertising, pushing love story between Snow White and Prince instead. But throughout stressful production his cartoonists stayed loyal and enthusiastic, often using their free time to run around Los Angeles to tack up advertising posters. Snow White was a world wide success but perhaps artists got a little too excited. After money rolled in Walt threw his animators a party in gratitude. He later regretted it when his some of more bohemian members of his staff chose occasion to let their hair down, and family event turned into a wild orgy. Any rift that outrageous behavior caused with boss was forgotten by 1953 when many of his employees came to Walt's aid to financially back Disneyland.
3) Embrace new technology: In 1927 Walt made two Mickey Mouse cartoons that were rejected by distributors. Then sound was ushered into movie business with Warner Bros. The Jazz Singer. Fearful silent film stars began consulting astrologists to predict future, but most movie moguls shrugged off actors talking as a fad. Movies without dialogue sold throughout world, who wanted to rock boat? The unknown Walt Disney seized opportunity, and with great difficulty added synchronized sound to third Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928) which resulted in rodent becoming a national craze. Later history repeated itself in early 50's when most of moguls rejected idea of television. Walt embraced new medium as a way to keep public informed about what his studio was doing.
