Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

TalkingHead

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
Check out how the letter opens:

"For 90 years, Disney has been synonymous with high-quality entertainment for families and children of all ages. We use creativity, innovation and technology to create memorable moments and experiences for our hundreds of millions of customers and guests. And, as you well know, Disney’s record and commitment to children’s safety and security and the protection of their privacy is exemplary. People around the world trust Disney and its products. That trust is the cornerstone of our company, and we take it very seriously."

The thing that jumps out at me is how much Iger is cashing in on Disney's family-friendly, kid-friendly reputation. In other words, you can trust Disney because they're the Disney brand. Trust is the cornerstone of their company. Remember that the next time you witness the price-gouging at WDW. You're not actually paying through the nose for a stale, underwhelming experience. No way! The company you trust -- the company that takes your trust very seriously -- would never do that. The brand is your best friend, Bob believes. A stable entity that is cool and trustworthy.

Strange opening to the letter since he goes Defcon 5 a few lines later.

One could argue it's just more misdirection, since the company's reputation from 90 years ago has little to do with the potential for this technology to be abused by the modern-day WDC.

Rhetorically savvy, but I can't say it diminishes any of the concern.
 
M

MattM

Well-Known Member
Well he just kept the story in the news cycle for at least another 24 hours. This will be in the NY Times, and probably the Journal tomorrow, but if it gets legs, it may find itself on local news. I don't know which member of his PR team suggested this (or maybe he is getting an Eisner-esque ego and only listens to himself now). Sometimes, I tell clients the best way to get a certain situation to go away is to not acknowledge it, and it will naturally die. (I'm not saying that the MM+ concerns aren't a problem, strictly speaking from a PR & news/crisis mgmt POV.)
 
M

MattM

Well-Known Member
Rodan75 said:
The CEO of a successful company rips into a congressman of an insanely unpopular House. Sounds like business as usual. Guess who isn't gonna get any Disney Lobbying dollars next election.
Click to expand...

Probably just that congressman. Disney is one of the top spending corporations on lobbying/government relations. Take a look at what they spend on the Florida legislature alone.
 
Virtual Toad

Virtual Toad

Well-Known Member
Methinks Mr. Weatherman is sounding mighty defensive. Must be the stress :)

Seriously, this whole episode is now officially beyond bizarre. Why can't DisCo just get back to providing superior family entertainment instead of behaving like some Facebook wannabe?

Don't they remember what happened with Go.com?

Disney, you were already the coolest kid on the block and you blew it. Stop trying to be what you are not before it's too late.
 
RandomPrincess

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
briandoc said:
I wonder if they are going to allow you to "link" Disney gift cards and the Disney Redemption card to your MagicBand... I usually have a fistful of GCs that we buy throughout the year as $$ allows and because of our local grocery store FuelPerk-type programs. We also usually have a good bit on the Redemption card as well so we rarely use credit cards during our visits. But other than the "convenience" of not having to manage the GCs, I'm not sure it would be worth it to link them. There's no real benefit to the user. It would only help Disney get a more complete picture I guess... I think I just talked myself out of caring if they would let you link them. Meh.
Click to expand...

Jumping in not sure if it was answered I'm several pages behind. I know you can already link Disney gift cards to your KTTW card at the resort desk and guest services in the park. Not sure on the Redemption card. You can also just add cash instead of linking a bank or credit card.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
It simply amazes me that all you folks are totally versed on the way that politics work. That you all know more then a building full of lawyers whose only job is to deal with stuff like this. It's a simple posturing on Disney's part, nothing more. I don't know yet if it's the proper direction to take or not and neither do any of you. Someone from Washington is flexing his muscles like he has some type of omnipotent power to interfere with the workings of a company that he neither understands or knows even less and understands less about what this is all about. He is from Massachusetts (or some other frozen area) and somebody with a large wallet has pressured him to investigate Disney with some McCarthy like accusations. Then to simply decide via the wording, that they smell something rotten in this whole thing is an insult, because it is yet to be proven that there is anything illegal happening other then spending 1.5 Billion on this instead of a thrill ride for the parks.

If you were in the same position, would you want to enter this discussion with your head bowed down in a show of unlimited guilt or would you set the scene to at least give yourself half a chance to be heard without some self serving person holding all the strings? Even though Disney isn't always right and their motivations are sometimes questionable, they are not an evil empire and this constant insistence that they are is getting really tiresome. If you have facts show them, otherwise you know nothing more then the rest of us, but some are staying up nights thinking up doomsday scenario's.

I'm not saying that Disney is right in all this, I just don't know. If it is proven that they indeed have done something illegal then by all means, hang them from the rafters. Until then I don't find it very ethical to assume guilt based on so little information. This is getting closer to mob mentality then reasonable thinking.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
And from Politco ...(I don't know why, but I enjoy it when Iger is unhappy!)

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/...k-at-markey-privacy-concerns-86828.html?hp=f3
Click to expand...

I do like how Politico refers to Markey as "the Senate hopeful" in this article, since most of us can tell this is a PR ploy by Markey to puff up his name in advance of the special election for the John Kerry Senate seat that is suddenly empty. All politics are local, after all.

That said, the Iger response made me chuckle too. The part where Iger points out all of the answers to his questions were already available on Disney's website was my favorite... "Had you or your staff made the slightest effort..." -Bob Iger, to Representative Ed Markey.

While I admire a CEO who can be brazen and plain-spoken in this otherwise wimpy PC age, as this letter was, there's also a line in the sand where it becomes more of "The CEO doth protest too much, methinks". I think Iger stepped over that line, unfortunately. I like to think Iger's first draft of this letter was concocted in his den over a good glass of Scotch on Friday night, and then his communications team toned it down and took out the profanities and by Monday morning it became what was released. :cool:

The ball is Markey's court. Let's see if he backs off, or pushes more.
 
L

LPMcQuack1

Member
Rodan75 said:
The CEO of a successful company rips into a congressman of an insanely unpopular House. Sounds like business as usual. Guess who isn't gonna get any Disney Lobbying dollars next election.
Click to expand...

The CEO said what pretty much everyone wanted him to say. I am glad he ripped into the congressman. Maybe now the congressman can actually try to do his job and help the country instead of wasting money on something that if he bothered to research he would of had the answers.

The congressman showed no respect to Disney and to the country so he got no respect in return. Thank God someone spoke out against him and echoed the opinion of all americans.
 
L

LPMcQuack1

Member
TP2000 said:
I do like how Politico refers to Markey as "the Senate hopeful" in this article, since most of us can tell this is a PR ploy by Markey to puff up his name in advance of the special election for the John Kerry Senate seat that is suddenly empty. All politics are local, after all.

That said, the Iger response made me chuckle too. The part where Iger points out all of the answers to his questions were already available on Disney's website was my favorite... "Had you or your staff made the slightest effort..." -Bob Iger, to Representative Ed Markey.

While I admire a CEO who can be brazen and plain-spoken in this otherwise wimpy PC age, as this letter was, there's also a line in the sand where it becomes more of "The CEO doth protest too much, methinks". I think Iger stepped over that line. I like to think Iger's first draft of this letter was concocted in his den over a good glass of Scotch on Friday night, and then his communications team toned it down and took out the profanities and by Monday morning it became what was released. :cool:

The ball is Markey's court. Let's see if he backs off, or pushes more.
Click to expand...

I agree, it is nice to see someone be blunt with a man who is only trying to worm his way into a Senate seat.
 
Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
It simply amazes me that all you folks are totally versed on the way that politics work. That you all know more then a building full of lawyers whose only job is to deal with stuff like this. It's a simple posturing on Disney's part, nothing more. I don't know yet if it's the proper direction to take or not and neither do any of you. Someone from Washington is flexing his muscles like he has some type of omnipotent power to interfere with the workings of a company that he neither understands or knows even less and understands less about what this is all about. He is from Massachusetts (or some other frozen area) and somebody with a large wallet has pressured him to investigate Disney with some McCarthy like accusations. Then to simply decide via the wording, that they smell something rotten in this whole thing is an insult, because it is yet to be proven that there is anything illegal happening other then spending 1.5 Billion on this instead of a thrill ride for the parks.

If you were in the same position, would you want to enter this discussion with your head bowed down in a show of unlimited guilt or would you set the scene to at least give yourself half a chance to be heard without some self serving person holding all the strings? Even though Disney isn't always right and their motivations are sometimes questionable, they are not an evil empire and this constant insistence that they are is getting really tiresome. If you have facts show them, otherwise you know nothing more then the rest of us, but some are staying up nights thinking up doomsday scenario's.

I'm not saying that Disney is right in all this, I just don't know. If it is proven that they indeed have done something illegal then by all means, hang them from the rafters. Until then I don't find it very ethical to assume guilt based on so little information. This is getting closer to mob mentality then reasonable thinking.
Click to expand...
I would have answered the questions asked without coming off as disrespectful and defensive... if you have nothing to hide, then answer... if you get called out and are hiding something, you respond like a little whiny , just like Iger did...
 
TalkingHead

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
LPMcQuack1 said:
The CEO said what pretty much everyone wanted him to say. I am glad he ripped into the congressman. Maybe now the congressman can actually try to do his job and help the country instead of wasting money on something that if he bothered to research he would of had the answers.

The congressman showed no respect to Disney and to the country so he got no respect in return. Thank God someone spoke out against him and echoed the opinion of all americans.
Click to expand...

Joined today, first post, defends what appears to be a dubious company decision...

Yeah, not suspicious at all.
 
Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
LPMcQuack1 said:
The CEO said what pretty much everyone wanted him to say. I am glad he ripped into the congressman. Maybe now the congressman can actually try to do his job and help the country instead of wasting money on something that if he bothered to research he would of had the answers.

The congressman showed no respect to Disney and to the country so he got no respect in return. Thank God someone spoke out against him and echoed the opinion of all americans.
Click to expand...
He didn't answer any questions... He only acted like a spoiled child.. And we wonder why WDW is aimed for 5 year olds?
 
Mr Bill

Mr Bill

Well-Known Member
LPMcQuack1 said:
The CEO said what pretty much everyone wanted him to say. I am glad he ripped into the congressman. Maybe now the congressman can actually try to do his job and help the country instead of wasting money on something that if he bothered to research he would of had the answers.

The congressman showed no respect to Disney and to the country so he got no respect in return. Thank God someone spoke out against him and echoed the opinion of all americans.
Click to expand...
Please step out of whatever echo chamber has convinced you that there's such a thing as "the opinion of all americans." This message board alone is pretty split and you want to pretend 300 million+ people all agree with you? :rolleyes:
 

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