Brands: "A Marker of Quality"

(Taken by AD 2010)

"It all started with a mouse,"- Walt Disney

This mouse is known as one of the most memorable brands in the history of entertainment: Disney. Disney is a great example of smart and intelligent branding for many reasons. When we think of brands, we consider that brands are a “marker of quality.” Everyone is their own brand; we're a product of what’s been exposed in our lives. With the  rise of social networking, and a diverse selection of products; distributors and producers have to consider who they are, who their selling their brand to, and what defines their brand.

It’s easy to say, “My brand is separate from others, because point A and point B;” it’s harder to let the brand speak for itself. Disney is one of the most identified brands because it has two things. It has an adorable talking mouse, and a little bit of "pixie dust." These two pieces/mascots, somehow convince people anything is possible. A small studio in Burbank proved so, now that studio is world famous.

Disney evolved from award winning films, to theme parks that have over fifteen million in attendance. Walt Disney started the company in a little studio in Burbank, California in 1923. He and several animators produced short films like Steamboat Willie and Alice's Wonderland. Eventually, he came out with the financial and award winning success, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937. After that, Disney went on a roller coaster of big successes and financial flops. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, the company got caught in an unlucky period until the sudden success of 1989's Little Mermaid. And from 1980-2000, Disney continued to flourish with a variety of TV stations, theme parks, and any form of entertainment value the company could get hold of. It's because of this long, and thriving history, people sympathized with the company. Having a 90-year span of growing and evolving, Disney created a name and brand for themselves. They even joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the 90s.

Now when people think of Disney as a brand, we tend to associate it with several key terms, some of which the company uses. These words are "magic," "family," "animation," and "legacy." These key terms define the company's brand, which we all know helped define American pop culture, and entertainment;  huge export in the U.S.'s economy. Overall, Disney as a brand has two things going for it, a positive and a negative. The positive outlook for this brand is that it is defined, it has a talking mouse ( if that's not definition, I don't know what is!). Everyone knows it as something, but because of this, the brand also becomes limited. This is Disney's weakness, and it has been since its flops with films like John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger. These flops happened because of the restrictions Disney has as a brand. Disney can't move too far from its comfort zone, or else they'll lose their audience. Although the company knows this, time will tell if they'll adapt to it correctly. And knowing this particular company, they will continue to thrive.

In conclusion, brands help define the product and familiarize it with it's audience. Disney is a brand because it knows it's audience, and the company is willing to conform into their audience's preferences. However, that also means it can't venture too far from it's brand without losing some followers. Because of this, I like to think of brands as a double edged sword. Using a brand correctly and to it's full potential can be beneficial. Misuse the brand and misunderstand it, well the brand is screwed. It all comes back to brands being "markers of quality," brands help identify the product, the company, and the owner. What makes Disney a good brand is that it understands the kind of quality it can deliver. It also informs the audience what it wants to know and see. And that is what makes a great brand.