prberk
Well-Known Member
Let's face it: sponsorships for Disney attractions really started when Disney was well-respected as much for innovation as for money-making and entertainment. At that time, such as with the 1964 World's Fair exhibits, companies (such as Pepsi for Small World and GE for COP) saw Walt Disney Imagineering (then WED Enterprises) as a partner, and saw Walt's work as a fine vehicle to help them shine in an exciting and positive way. It was a partnership built on good will.
The Walt Disney Company still has some marketability, especially among kids, but the company has really not nourished its older and more important image of true goodwill and technical innovation. EPCOT's attendance woes over the last few years demonstrate that.
There was a time when people really looked at the Walt Disney Company as an innovator, not just a show. They have put too much emphasis on the show lately. All is not lost, thought. In the 2001 (or 2000, I am not sure which) annual report, Michael Eisner wrote that he was surprised to see a survey that said that people saw the company as a "technology company."
The problem is that he should not have been surprised. Even so, I hope he learned. His company is more than an entertainment company. Sponsorships (and other revenues) will come back when the management restores the good will AND appearance of technical excitement in the eyes of the public. Go back to the blend of entertainment AND truly educational/inspirational experiences.
People will visit once or twice, but more people will truly "invest" in something if it offers them more than a trinket and a theme.
I've said it before: look again at what Walt really built. It may have "started with a mouse," but it was built on good will and innovation. It was never built on trends in Hollywood or on Madison Avenue alone.
The Walt Disney Company still has some marketability, especially among kids, but the company has really not nourished its older and more important image of true goodwill and technical innovation. EPCOT's attendance woes over the last few years demonstrate that.
There was a time when people really looked at the Walt Disney Company as an innovator, not just a show. They have put too much emphasis on the show lately. All is not lost, thought. In the 2001 (or 2000, I am not sure which) annual report, Michael Eisner wrote that he was surprised to see a survey that said that people saw the company as a "technology company."
The problem is that he should not have been surprised. Even so, I hope he learned. His company is more than an entertainment company. Sponsorships (and other revenues) will come back when the management restores the good will AND appearance of technical excitement in the eyes of the public. Go back to the blend of entertainment AND truly educational/inspirational experiences.
People will visit once or twice, but more people will truly "invest" in something if it offers them more than a trinket and a theme.
I've said it before: look again at what Walt really built. It may have "started with a mouse," but it was built on good will and innovation. It was never built on trends in Hollywood or on Madison Avenue alone.
