Persuasive Message Design
Recommended Consumer Response Model for the Brand
For Disney, targeting parents effectively, the AKB (Affinity, Knowledge, Behavior) model offers a strategic framework.
Affinity Stage
Disney employs two main strategies to engage parents. The first leverages nostalgia with classic characters and stories, creating an instant connection. The second showcases Disney's family-friendly products and experiences, appealing to parents' desire for suitable family entertainment.
Knowledge Stage
Establishing trust and demonstrating value is key. Disney highlights educational content and practical skills through apps, emphasizing the brand as not only entertaining but also beneficial for children's learning. Assurance of a safe, inclusive environment in Disney media and theme parks further solidifies parents' trust and deepens their understanding of Disney's values.
Behavior Stage
To prompt purchase actions, Disney introduces appealing deals. Family packages and promotions for theme parks or products aim to entice parents, while community events and online forums foster a sense of belonging among Disney enthusiasts. These initiatives not only encourage engagement but also cultivate a loyal customer base.
This streamlined approach underscores the effectiveness of the AKB model for Disney, focusing on building emotional connections, trust, and ultimately, consumer actions among parents.
Central and Peripheral Cues
Central Processing Importance
Parents actively seek enriching content, making Disney's educational offerings and the safe, fun experiences at its theme parks highly relevant. By focusing on the educational value of their content—such as moral lessons and exposure to diverse cultures—and the safety and family-friendly environment of their theme parks, Disney directly addresses parents' concerns.
Educational Value
Marketing efforts should highlight the educational aspects of Disney content, including moral lessons and cultural exposure, appealing to parents looking for enriching experiences for their children.
Safety and Family Bonding
Promotions for Disney theme parks should emphasize safety and the opportunity for family bonding, showcasing how these experiences support a secure and enjoyable family time.
Peripheral Processing Role
Peripheral cues are essential for capturing parents' attention, focusing on emotional appeals that resonate with parents' nostalgia and utilizing visual and celebrity endorsements to create an immediate emotional connection with the brand, bypassing the need for detailed content analysis.
Celebrity Endorsement
Utilizing celebrities, especially those who are parents or have a strong Disney connection, to endorse the brand can pique interest among parents, leveraging celebrity influence to connect with the brand.
Visuals and Music
Leveraging iconic imagery and soundtracks from classic movies and content can evoke positive emotions and nostalgia, strengthening parents' emotional bond with Disney.
Types and Examples of Sources Used for the Campaign
For Disney, credibility and attractiveness stand as primary attributes.
Credibility is particularly vital as parents prioritize their children's welfare and safety. Disney should aim to weave its trustworthiness and expertise into compelling messages, reassuring parents of its reliability and educational value. This credibility gains traction through internalization; when audiences assimilate Disney's information, they regard it as trustworthy and beneficial, weaving it into their belief systems. This not only influences their attitudes but also directs their purchasing decisions.
To enhance its credibility further, Disney should highlight its use of advanced technology to ensure safety and improve the educational value of its offerings. When introducing new movies, theme parks, or product lines, Disney should seek innovative ways to communicate its values, such as collaborating with unbiased experts or leveraging cutting-edge technology. Additionally, engaging with respected parent influencers and building a community where parents can share experiences and insights offers a tangible, credible platform for Disney to connect with its audience. This multifaceted strategy not only reinforces Disney's credibility but also strengthens its appeal to families looking for trustworthy entertainment options.
Attractiveness is another crucial attribute for Disney, greatly influenced by factors such as similarity, familiarity, and likeability. The diversity of Disney's characters, who hail from various backgrounds and cultures, plays a significant role in creating a sense of similarity. This inclusivity allows Disney to connect with a broader audience by reflecting a wide range of cultural experiences. Familiarity is another key aspect, as many parents grew up with Disney stories and characters, allowing Disney to tap into a rich vein of nostalgia. Likeability is enhanced by the unique traits of Disney's characters, making them endearing to audiences.
The concept of identification significantly influences how attractiveness impacts audiences. When viewers find a character or a story appealing, they are more likely to feel a connection with it, motivating them to engage more deeply with the content. Disney excels in leveraging this by showcasing beloved characters from popular movies, such as Elsa from "Frozen" or Judy from "Zootopia," as well as celebrities whose qualities align with Disney's values and audience expectations. By identifying and promoting these attractive elements, Disney can forge stronger bonds with its viewers, enhancing their engagement and fostering a more profound connection with the brand.
Recommended Structure and Design of Campaign Message
The order of presentation in the message structure for Disney should vary based on whether it utilizes a rational or emotional message appeals strategy. For campaigns with a rational message, Disney should optimize the primacy effect and point out that it is an advertisement for Disney at the beginning, making the impression memorable. Then, it appears again at the end to enhance the brand identity with a recency effect. On the other hand, for the emotional message appeal strategy, Disney should not bluntly notify people that it is a Disney commercial but should patiently build the emotional experience for the audience during the campaign and display the brand logo at the end to let the audience connect that touched emotion with Disney.
Disney is familiar to the audience as a well-reputed and established company that has existed for decades. Even though an audience is not explicitly attracted to the brand, they are very likely heard or somewhat engaged with the brand before. Therefore, a close conclusion would be more suitable for Disney. Disney's mission is to entertain, inform, and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, which is a simple topic. Since those are all universal feelings, the audience only needs a low level of prior knowledge to understand the subject. As a mass media company, Disney's core asset is the storytelling content creation it delivers to the audience, so the audience attitude would be based on cognitive information processing, which is the high enrollment. Today, Disney has merchandise in several industries, such as movies, amusement parks, streaming services, toys, clothing, etc. Many people are already used to having Disney in many aspects of their lives. Thus, Disney's commercials no longer encourage people to make purchases but build long-term emotional attachments with its audience.
Disney has already built its reputation and brand image, making itself well-loved and known worldwide. Most people have positive or neutral feelings towards Disney, and joyness is a universal goal for everyone that does not require a high level of pure knowledge. Hence, the one-sided message would be more suitable for Disney's campaign.
Recommended Types of Message Appeals Use in Campaign
A rational message appeal strategy for Disney can straightforward outlining the benefits and service it could provide for its audience. For example, a commercial for Disney+ streaming service could list all the content the audience can watch on the channel, such as Disney movies, Pixar movies, Marvel movies, and etc. In the case of where Disney can fulfill the education needs for the target audience, parents and family, it could focus on highlighting the educational and developmental benefits of their content for children. Emphasizing the enriching and positive impact of Disney's stories on cognitive and emotional growth, as well as their commitment to family-friendly values and high-quality entertainment, would resonate with parents. For example, showcasing partnerships with educational experts, explaining why its content is beneficial to kids at a young age with scientific facts, emphasizing the safety and reliability of Disney's platforms and products can be rational appeals. Detailing collaborations with educational experts and showcasing content designed to support cognitive and emotional development presents a compelling case to parents. By stressing the safety, educational merit, and family-friendly nature of its content, Disney can appeal to the pragmatic concerns of parents seeking enriching experiences for their children. Rational appeals, grounded in the reliability and educational value of Disney's offerings, aim to foster trust and loyalty among parents, positioning Disney as a partner in their child's developmental journey.
On the other hand, an emotional message appeal strategy for Disney could tap into the nostalgia and magical experiences associated with their brand. Focusing on the joy, wonder, and bonding moments families can share while engaging with Disney content or visiting theme parks can evoke powerful emotions. Utilizing heartwarming stories of characters overcoming challenges, creating magical memories, and fostering a sense of belonging can resonate emotionally with parents. The use of vibrant and enchanting imagery, coupled with sentimental music and narratives, can evoke a strong emotional connection. Highlighting Disney's role in creating shared family experiences and moments of happiness could strike a chord with the emotional needs of the target market. Especially, advertising with classic characters/stories and presenting the evolution Disney had in the past decade can also agitate parents reflecting their own memory with Disney as they grow up, which would make them loyal consumers who want to provide the same happy experience to their kids. By portraying Disney as a creator of cherished family memories and a source of joy and belonging, these emotional appeals speak directly to the hearts of parents. Highlighting the evolution of Disney and the timeless nature of its stories encourages parents to share their own cherished Disney experiences with their children, fostering a cycle of loyalty and affection.
Eventually, an integrated approach, marrying rational and emotional appeals, is quintessential for Disney's messaging. While emotional appeal has a profound impact on those with existing affiliations to Disney, incorporating rational elements ensures the message also appeals to pragmatic considerations. This synergy allows Disney to not only deepen connections with existing fans but also attract new audiences by showcasing the multifaceted value of its content. For instance, juxtaposing the educational advantages of Disney's programming with the heartfelt, magical experiences it offers can craft a holistic message. This dual-strategy addresses both the practical needs and emotional aspirations of families, enhancing Disney's appeal as a brand that supports both educational development and the creation of unforgettable family memories.
Examples of Message Creative
Disney itself has created many memorable and moving campaigns throughout the year. For example, A Place Unlike Any Other | Feels Like Home presented by Disney+ tells a story of someone growing up, meeting their partner, building a family, and having fun with their kids all with the company of Star Wars, which is resonating for Star Wars fans. He met his wife because of their shared interest, and now together they enjoy “The Mandalorian” series on Disney+ with their kids. Audience commented that it brought tears to his eyes because it reminded him of how his dad introduced Star Wars to him when he was a little bit. The emotional message behind this ad is that Disney helps parents pass on love through generations in the family. This ad has over three million views and very positive comments, which prove the effectiveness of emotional message appealing.
Besides Disney’s own campaign, it can also adapt the strength of other successful ads. Mattel is a great example of how to use emotional appeals and proving to the parents that Barbie can teach their children love, kindness, and empathy. In the campaign Barbie-A Doll Can Help Change The world, Mattel presents how playing with diverse Barbie dolls taught kids responsibility, respect, caring, and so many other virtues. It shows the parents' possibilities and who they can help their children become. For Disney’s educational program, it can employ a similar storytelling. The production would present children watching Disney’s content, and then helping or caring for others like how they’ve seen the characters in the cartoons act. On the other hand, Rational message is effective when Disney wants to straightforwardly unveil how its program can help children learn. Khan Academy’s ad, Introduction to Khan Academy Kids, is a simple but effective example. Disney can also present through video or image display directly how kids can learn knowledge by learning with its educational program. Parents who may not have a strong emotional attachment with Disney would be willing to try its product, when they see directly how it can benefit their children and prepare them for school.
