The Most Powerful Mouse in the World: The Globalization of the Disney Brand

A companyu2019s brand may be one of the most important marketing tools in order to have a successfulnproduct. Research and academic interest in branding has greatly increased due to the impact branding can have on a product (Hudson & Hudson, 2006). As defined by Wood (2000), brand equity is the u201cmeasure of the strength of consumersu2019 attachment to a brand and the description of the association and beliefs the consumer has about the brandu201d. A brand can elicit emotions, memories, and a connection between the product and the consumer (Hudson & Hudson, 2006). Brands should be regarded as valuable, long-term corporate assets due to their importance in promoting oneu2019s product (Wood, 2000). Global brands have an even larger impact worldwide. Globalization andnbranding are both a growing and expanding part of business ventures. As globalization has accelerated, the importance of positive branding has become crucial to having a competitive product globally (Hsieh, 2002). The Disney Company is at the forefront of globalized entertainment branding. In order to understand the process and importance behind globalization and branding, this study will explore the development of the Disney Company and its brand. The purpose of this study is to examine the history behind the Disney Company to better understand what has enabled them to create such positive brand equity on a global scale. To accomplish this purpose, this paper willninvestigate important research as it relates to branding, marketing, and globalization. Historical, descriptive, and narrative facets were employed in conjunction with discussion of the literature reviews. Also, this project will explore important facets of the Disney Company in order to better elucidate and understand what has enabled their corporation to develop such a strong positive global brand. Most of the information in this paper will come from refereed journal articles and the Disney website. Through an interesting study on the Disney Company, this research illuminates the growing importance of positive branding and globalization in an ever-changing global economy.