Experts differ on how Disney should handle tragedy of child's death
By Christopher Boyd | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted June 16, 2005
As Walt Disney World deals with the death of a 4-year-old boy on its Mission: Space ride, marketing experts were divided on what message the theme park should send its customers concerning the tragedy.
Walt Disney Co. has said little about Daudi Bamuwamye's unexplained death at Epcot on Monday. The company expressed concern for the child's family while continuing to operate the popular ride during what for Disney World is the busiest time of the year.
Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said the company hasn't been actively promoting the ride, so it doesn't have to decide whether to alter its advertising campaign. She said the theme park's current promotional campaign, the Happiest Celebration on Earth, centers on other rides.
"With an incident of this nature, we would pull our advertising," Prunty said, "but we are focused on the Happiest Celebration on Earth and newer attractions associated with it. There isn't a lot of advertising in the market associated with Mission: Space."
Adam Hanft, chief executive of the Hanft Unlimited marketing firm in New York, was critical of Disney's public reaction.
"The company's traditional position is probably to withhold judgment until the facts are in," said Hanft, who specializes in issues related to corporate brands. "I think they should do just the opposite. I would shut the ride down."
Hanft said that, if an autopsy finds the ride had nothing to do with the child's death, Disney could reopen it. But he said continuing to operate now sends the wrong message.
"Consumers want transparency from the companies they deal with," he said. "They want a company to react like a parent would. People want compassion and good common sense."
Disney shut down Mission: Space late afternoon Monday, inspected the ride and reopened it Tuesday morning.
The entertainment giant also issued a two-paragraph statement expressing sympathy for the boy's family and stating that nearly 9 million people have taken the Mission: Space ride without incident.
Barbara Kahn, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, said a strong sign of concern from Disney is crucial.
"Disney means safety and fun," Kahn said. "Of course the company is concerned for this child. If something happened to a child at your house, you wouldn't say that the house caused whatever it is. But you would immediately express your concern."
Kahn said the classic case of corporate concern came in 1982 when someone put cyanide in Tylenol containers, killing eight customers. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson pulled 22 million bottles from store shelves, costing the company $100 million.
She said the Disney ride and the Tylenol case are dramatically different. But she said Johnson & Johnson showed its concern with its response, setting a tone for other companies faced with traumatic events. She said they need to show compassion for their customers.
Abe Pizam, dean of the University of Central Florida College of Hospitality Management, said Disney did the correct thing in issuing a statement of concern for the family.
"Most experts in this area would say that, after the initial apologies, if it wasn't an issue of safety, you leave it alone," he said. "You hope that people forget. The frequency of incidents like this is very, very low."
Pizam said that, if the ride were the problem, the response should be direct.
"If there was something that didn't work properly, then the response is different," he said. "If there wasn't a malfunction, however, why close the ride?"
Christopher Boyd can be reached at cboyd@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5723.
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