Why the Hero of Your Brand Story is Your Customer (Not You)

A Note from Your Host of Bippity Boppity Business: Rita Richa

When Walt Disney was designing the first Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, he thought of everything. He wanted everything to be perfect and so he painstakingly researched every detail. Nothing escaped his attention, not even the trash cans.?

You see, Walt wanted his theme parks to be cleaner than any place he had ever visited before. The story goes that Walt eventually figured out that the average person would walk 30 feet away from food stalls before throwing what was left of it away. And so even today, you will always find trash cans 30 feet away from each other in Disneyland theme parks.?

Impressive? Well, Walt didn’t stop there. He also didn’t want the smell of garbage to be a problem in his parks, so he ended up designing his own trash bins that came with the swinging lids. He was the first to use this idea at Disneyland, but other people told him it wasn't useful and so he didn't patent it.?

Now, these bins are used in many places, and he rarely gets credit for his invention. But if you’ve been to any of the Disney theme parks, you’ll know they take cleanliness seriously.?

My takeaway from this is that small details matter, especially when it comes to brand building. They say content is always king, and I agree. But making sure that your branding cuts through everything you post will decide whether people engage with your content or scroll them down like the rest.?

So as this new year continues to ease in, take the time to breathe,? and slow down. Look at everything you’ve done, every single piece of content that you’ve put out there, and try to point out details that you think stood out in terms of establishing your brand. Look for things you can improve, as well as details that you can continue using.?

With the new year almost upon us, it’s also a good idea to consider if your brand needs some work. After all, the new year is the perfect time for reinvention.?

Don’t be afraid to try new things. 2023 will be an exciting year!

Love,?

Rita

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Former Cast Member Tips: Two Ways Leadership Can Improve Customer Experience with Cassie Tucker?

• Make sure your brand aligns with your personal values and make the experience consistent.

• Always lead with empathy. Stand your ground, but make your customer feel seen, heard, and taken care of.?

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Listener Spotlight : Noel Wurst ?

Noel Wurst, Senior Manager of Communications at SmartBear

What areas of business does Disney excel in, that you believe other organizations should take note of?

Geez, there are a million things that Disney excels in. I’m a huge fan, and always have been. Something that’s maybe less obvious, and which I’ve always just been so heart-warmed by, is the relatively “small” act of getting an “It’s my birthday!” or “First visit!” button.?

As an adult who doesn’t typically make that big of a deal about my birthday, it didn’t feel that necessary for me to wear a button telling everyone about “my” special day, but my kids really wanted me to wear it, so I did. I can honestly say that by the end of the day, I’d been told “Happy Birthday!” at least 40 times by various cast members, each with a huge smile on their face, and it felt amazing.

?Likewise, my kids have worn “First visit!” buttons, and to see the cast members say, “Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here!” and, “What’s been your favorite ride so far?” is just awesome.?

When your guests or customers have been generous enough to give you their time and money, what are you giving back to them? Simply what’s on the agenda? I think that more times than not, there are opportunities to surprise them with something more. They will always notice that you’ve done that and will remember you for doing that. Small efforts can have big impacts.

What do you think makes a successful immersive experience??

Hmm…great question. It reeeaaally bothers me when opportunities for guests to truly get the most out of an experience (whether it’s with an electronic device, an event, an amusement park, anything, really) are not made obvious to all. I see so many fellow marketers saying, “Well, we put it in the email,” or, “All it takes is 19 clicks in the mobile app,” or, “I don’t know how they didn’t see the sign.”?

If the buyer, visitor, or customer didn’t know something, and their experience with you, or your “thing,” or your place wasn’t magical,? you should look into that and see what you can do to fix it!

?My favorite immersive experiences are when you don’t feel lost, out of place, or unwelcome, or that it’s on you to figure things out on your own. There will always still be times that you or your guests or customers can’t figure something out, and that’s okay as long as there are people who are friendly, eager, and visible(!) who cannot wait to help get them on that path to wonder that you’ve promised them.

Favorite Disney Park: Is it boring to “just” say Magic Kingdom? I’ve had so many great experiences in so many of the other parks, but that’s the first park I ever went to, it’s the first park my kids ever went to, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an almost-religious experience…but it can also be completely overwhelming! Disneyland in California is probably a close second due to its equal level of magic, less daunting size, and fewer dangerously hot days.

Favorite Ride at Disney: So tough. I think I have to say Seven Dwarves Mine Train. We had season passes when that ride opened, and so we got to ride it in its early days, but we’d been watching it slowly grow and grow while it was under construction for what felt like forever. It was so worth the wait, and I remember the whole family just grinning ear to ear the entire time during that first experience, and then again during so many future rides.

What's something valuable you have learned from a BBB Episode?

I loved when you asked? Saul Blinkoff, “When did you first experience wonder?” and then I loved when he said, “That’s the best interview question I’ve ever been asked,” even more. That was amazing. I’ve always thought I did a pretty good job of not just lobbing guests boring, cookie-cutter, tired questions during my own interviews, but that question really took it to another level and set the stage for what we, as listeners, were in store for.

Have a book or podcast recommendation about life or business? Let us know!

Story or Die by Lisa Cron is my favorite business-related book of all time—particularly because of the fact it’s full of great advice for improving your storytelling skills in a professional setting and in your personal life. Cover to cover, it’s just fantastic.

What a Character!

Workplace Strengths:?

• Creative thinker; outside the box is his comfort zone
• Very friendly and easy to get along with?
• Doesn’t take himself too seriously?

Workplace Weaknesses:?

• Fond of daydreaming every now and then?
• Might take one too many breaks?
• Doesn’t take leadership or their feedback seriously

We all have strengths and weaknesses, how you utilize them to your benefit is what makes the difference!

Hope you have a magical day. :)