What does this have to do with you? It actually provides an excellent marketing lesson. Clearly, Disney has done a tremendous job of creating buzz for HSM2 — but they did so without engaging in viral, Internet marketing.
At first glance, that may seem counterintuitive. The target market clearly spends a lot of time online. So why didn’t Disney utilize Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and other Internet campaigns?
Because Disney marketers understood the importance of appropriate channel marketing. They selected the channels most suitable for their brand, most fitting for their audience, and most effective for achieving their objectives. Yes, Facebook and YouTube are all the rage right now — but Disney’s marketers saw the brand risks that come with using that channel. Claude Brodesser-Akner articulated it best in “Disney Hit Proves YouTube Isn’t Only Way To Target Teens”, an article in the August 6, 2007 Advertising Age: “Any official High School Musical 2 material can’t risk being seen within a thousand clicks of, say, a Brazilian supermodel having sex on a public beach.”
In the same article, Gary Marsh, President — Entertainment at Disney Channel, emphasized that “nothing is more important than the trust parents have in the Disney brand.”
Therefore, Disney relied on safer, more traditional marketing channels to reach the target audience. Three thousand libraries across the country provided HSM2 bookmarks with every children’s book. Fifteen hundred HSM2 pool parties were scheduled throughout the nation. Playing up the athletic characters in the musical, Disney distributed HSM2 promotional items at Little League tournaments.
When it comes to your marketing, take Disney’s lead. Make sure that you are selecting the appropriate marketing channels for your brand and target audience. Opting for marketing channels just because they’re hot or trendy might in the end tarnish your brand and hurt revenues.
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