Disney Case -Technology's Role in the Digital Client World

The November ISM eNewsletter 2008 gave this great case studie.

During a recent presentation by Tom Boyles, SVP for Global Customer Managed Relations for Disney Parks and Resorts, Tom explained that whereas Disney used to define CRM (which they call Creating Relationship Magic) as “know me + be relevant to me”, in today’s Digital Client world this definition has evolved to “know me well enough at any point in time or place, and be relevant everywhere in every transaction for every guest.” Executing against this definition allows Disney to drive a unique and customized experience at each customer touch point. How does Disney pull this off?

They start out with enormous knowledge – demographic, transactional and lifestyle – of each existing and potential customer. It’s amazing the effort that they spend, for example, to know that December 6-13 2008 is in fact the best week to promote a family vacation to the Goldenberg family in Bethesda, Maryland! Next Disney triggers their comprehensive Guest Engagement process (consisting of aggregate, coordinate, influence, manage, own) aimed at securing the Goldenberg family’s December business. This starts out with a customized email to us that highlights our past trips to Disney, our preferences, and the new Disney attractions that they feel are relevant to us (this is why their emails cost $.60 a piece). Once my family has shown an interest in their email by going onto their web site to learn more, Disney begins a series of increasingly relevant communications initially to help secure the sale and then to ready us through to our arrival at Disney World. Once at Disney World, Disney knows to welcome us back. Upon completion of our vacation, Disney stores all our recent transactions and stated preferences, and they thank us for our business.

Let’s sum up the Disney example. Disney has put into place an impressive process to manage each customer experience with excellence, but this process could not happen if their employees & Digital Clients did not buy into this process and if Disney did not utilize multi-channel technologies to address their ‘always-on, always-connected’ Digital Clients needs and ‘business in an instant’ expectations.

So what exactly is technology’s role in the Digital Client world? Has the 50-30-20% PPT mix changed? I’d argue that the role of technology is the same as it has always been – namely the tools that allow Disney to ‘be relevant everywhere in every interaction with every guest’ – but with a twist. Being ‘relevant everywhere in every transaction’ now requires a new level of technical sophistication that incorporates Web 2.0 tools (e.g., wikis, social networks, blogs, podcasts, etc.) and a multitude of wonderful mobility options/devices. The challenge is how to select and apply these new tools in a meaningful way to our evolving day-to-day Digital Client businesses.