WDW Social 'Media' and Conspiracy

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> They ALWAYS worry about their image. This IS Disney. And the NY Times, a shell of what it was 20 years ago, is still the NY Times. People read it. Especially powerbrokers. <<

I'm trying to get away from this. You know as well as I do that most of the subscribers are in name only. The one's that do read usually skim over a few sections. Very similar to what happens with the Wall Street Journal.

It looks good to say you read the Times. I do, and I bet some people wish they had said they do. That's all I have to say.

>> Oh, and not that they're powerbrokers, but apparently (as it was conveyed to me today) the story was actually posted to the DISBOARDS (more pixie dust than even MAGIC by a great deal) almost immediately with people calling for arrests and bannings (not talking about Lou Mongello's tours here). And that site is most definitely not filled with Times regular readers. <<

I'll join with them. I can't believe this was posted at Dis. That's like going into The Prime Time Cafe, and asking what time the pole dancing starts.

>> It's all about losing control of the message. That's what makes the messenger so important, something not lost on all these podcasters and bloggers as they constantly tweak and Tweet their online images. <<

I don't see where a article like this would have any effect on Disney at all. The complete stupidity of it negates what ever message is hidden in the ramblings of a self admitted drug user. The average family planning on going to Disney would not bother to read very much of the piece before they blew the rest of it off as idiotic poppycock.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<Sgt. Joe Friday of the TV series Dragnet, played by Jack Web. I still remember the hand, and hammer pounding out the name of his production company at the end of the show.>>

Thanks! I just looked it up - interesting that it was first a radio series before it came to the TV.

<<That's to be expected. Unless you are an expert on American TV from the 50s and 60s!>>

Sorry, no, I am not. Even though I would have liked to say I am, might have made me even more intriguing. I think I am more of an "expert" on American TV from the 80s - a time when they still showed a lot of American TV series on German TV instead of the low-quality German stuff they show today.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<That's why I asked. But not many folks have answered thus far.>>

It has been pretty quiet here in general recently, but I also think that an analysis of the Disney Parks Blog is worth its own thread - this one so far has been more about the relations between unofficial websites and Disney. While the blog certainly is one of the main features of the overall strategy, it has a special role as it communicates directly with the customers - and tries to cut out the unofficial websites.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<You can't even imagine the restraint I've used to keep from going on a tangent on some of these post.>>

I think I know what you mean Even though I guess it is a more innocent subject than what you had in mind, I refrained from taking your bait to talk about German opera because I did not want to be told off for derailing this thread. I am actually on the waiting list (since 2004 now) for tickets to the Wagner festival in Bayreuth.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<Um ... ah ... yeah ... uhh ... call me (yet) again, a conspiracy theory guy, but those comments culled for a very controversial move were largely of a highly suspect nature. That's not the fan in me, or the theorist. That's the industry guy. I've been involved in similar exercises for major media companies, and ... boy oh boy, Pluto, do many of the 'comments' read like the sample ones an in-house exercise like I have described would deliver. Take a negative and restate in the positive (remember, it's never 'unfortunately' rather it's 'as it turns out'). >>

One of the reasons why I don't really believe in stuff that sounds too much like a conspiracy theory is because I have worked for different entities about which people have conspiracy theories (not any big ones like that the moon landing never happened, but on a small level). From the inside knowledge I had I knew that the level of purpose, organization and determination which normally is necessary to pull off the conspiracy would never be invested for matters so small.

Now, public relations is something I don't know much about, but I believe you when you say that you do (however, all the talk about the fake identities on facebook made me way more sceptical, but after weighing all the evidence, I still decide to believe what you say). I am still baffled about why they would spend money on this, but if that is not uncommon in the industry, then it may well be happening. It might be one of the reasons why they have to raise ticket prices though.

However, knowing what you say about those in-house exercises coming up with negative feedback, I am not sure it should still be called a "conspiracy" theory. It rather is a valid theory about the workings of the Disney Parks Blog.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<I just assumed Winky had been using the computer for fetish towel animal sites!>>

I have really tried to not do this, but my curiosity finally got me: WHO is Winky???

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<I can only say I've been in corporate sessions (non-Disney) as I stated and companies role play to 'act' like they believe their consumers will react to whatever they are about to do. The post above nails many of what Social Media would consider fan talking points.

1.) The I'm not Disney, but since I love the company so much and want to help my fellow fan ... I'll answer;
2.) Can't afford it, don't come ='s less of a wait for my favorite attraction;
3.) Only small rise in one-day tickets, which the vast majority of people don't buy because they are the WORST value, so just go for a day. You get your pixie dust and Disney makes a bundle off your family;
4.) Drop a few grammar mistakes/typos in for good measure (although this may also be plain old bad writing, no matter whether it came from a PR pro);
5.) Drop in a completely harmless error (in this case DL having 30 attractions when it has closer to 60) that if ever called on, makes Disney look even better;
6.) Position an attack on the competition (in this case, UNI-Hollywood) while not mentioning ALSO that it is a far less pricey option;
7.) Final (and most important) point: If anyone else BUT Disney raises prices, then you might have a point. But Disney is so special, so MAGICal that they don't exist in the real world. Besides, they ARE simply the best.

That is EXACTLY the type of post that would be planted on a site. It hits and nails all the points needed.>>

Thanks for the great analysis, and that's exactly why I thought the post sounded fishy.

It sets out to establish trust, first by stating the independence of the poster and then by making the point that she would enjoy it if the parks are less crowded. That sounds like something Disney could have no interest in.

On the other hand, I think the fact that comments are filtered and the people are aware of it, also has an influence on what normal people submit as comments. I think especially the fact that they include something positive with the negative is in order to get their comment to show up at all.

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> Thanks! I just looked it up - interesting that it was first a radio series before it came to the TV. <<

A lot of the early TV shows from the 50's were originally radio programs or were inspired by radio programs.

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> I think I know what you mean Even though I guess it is a more innocent subject than what you had in mind, I refrained from taking your bait to talk about German opera because I did not want to be told off for derailing this thread. I am actually on the waiting list (since 2004 now) for tickets to the Wagner festival in Bayreuth. <<

Spirit might sound gruff when his threads get derailed, but he's really a sweetheart with a soft heart. Besides you can always get them right back on track again with your next post.

Germans do love Wagner. Good luck on getting a ticket. How much does one cost?

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> I have really tried to not do this, but my curiosity finally got me: WHO is Winky? <<

He's my towel bunny that John made for me at the Wilderness Lodge in 2005. I take him everywhere with me.

You know how Spirit loves to rant about things. In one of his post he was carrying on about fat people as usual, and lazy ECV riders, and people that gauged the quality of their resort by how many towel animals they got. He said these folks even went so far as to carry their towel animals to the parks with them. The temptation was just to great for me to resist. So I turned Winky into a Japanese Duffy like experience.

Now aren't you sorry that you asked?

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<Spirit might sound gruff when his threads get derailed, but he's really a sweetheart with a soft heart.>>

I think a few people in the Disney Social Media department would not call him a sweetheart. But thanks for vouching for his character, I think I am going to be a bit less scared of him in the future... ;-)

<<Besides you can always get them right back on track again with your next post.>>

Like you just did... ;-)

<<Germans do love Wagner. Good luck on getting a ticket. How much does one cost?>>

Well, I think the wast majority of the German population does not want to sit through 5-hour opera. So, I am not sure whether his music is universally loved here... But perhaps more so than in other countries?

I think it will still be a few years until I get a ticket (usually wait time is around 10 years). They are rather pricey for opera tickets here in Germany, between $60 and $400. At my local opera house they are between $20 and $75.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<Now aren't you sorry that you asked?>>

Not at all! Great story.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

Had an interesting lunch today with an old friend and media industry wunderkind. He is well aware of my online Spirited persona (and as that evil twin WDW1974 on various others sites over the years) and enjoys reading my rantings and ramblings and observations (most of the time, anyway).

He had a very interesting take on the subject at hand.

Social Media is supposed to be all about getting closer to your core. Reaching out and touching them and (oops, about to go all Neil Diamond here) and adding more customers by making a connection.

Folks have criticized me here for calling out folks at WDW Social Media like Thomas Smith and Gary Buchanan for failing to come over here and play (actually, discuss the whole very serious subject in an intellectual fashion) saying they would never do that and it could open them up to legal issues and blah, blah, blah.

The whole point (and what my friend was getting at today, and I felt for a very rare occasion like an intellectual inferior for not thinking of this, or articulating it) is that folks like Thomas and Gary and all the faces you see blogging on The Disney Parks Blog are supposed to be making connections with the fan community. And yet ... they have no online personality. Nobody knows what they're like ... or what they're favorite WDW attractions are and why (since we have a thread going). Perhaps, that's because they love every park and attraction equally, which of course isn't true but would be what the company would like to spin. Because everything's MAGICal and they couldn't possibly have faves because it would also mean there are things they don't like (imagine if Gary Buchanan can't stand MuppetVision or Thomas Smith hates DAK).

Don't want to go off on a tangent too much, but I do feel like a stallion ready for a run ;-)

There are no faces, no personalities, no back and forth with the fans, even on the official site, there's never any dialogue (answering a basic question doesn't qualify). How is this Social Media exactly?

As my friend, who has been advisor to some of the biggest names in media pointed out over burritos, YOU (meaning ME) have an online presence, a personality that transcends one Disney site (his words, not mine). People may loathe me or love me, but they read me, and they know what they're going to get: integrity and honesty. In essence, as my friend pointed out, I am ''engaging in social media in its purest form'' through my posts and the discussions that follow.

Again, where is that in Disney's approach? Where is Thomas Smith? Actually, WHO is Thomas Smith? Let's go higher. Don't want to be accused of picking the low hanging fruit.

Where's Duncan Wardle? (As an aside, my friend likened Duncan's grasp of BRANDING to a tenured-college professor that has no knowledge outside of academia of the real-world application of what he speaks of in a core requirement for your degree).

What does Duncan think? About anything related to TWDC and the parks and the BRAND?

What about Zenia Mucha? She's the head of all corporate communications for the company, writes PR for Bob Iger himself and somehow is listed as the Publisher of D23. Where are her interactions with the fans and the fan community? Make that, with the consumer base?

How is publishing your press releases to the Disney Parks Blog somehow social media?

I dunno, neither does my friend (you don't want to know his IQ), but it seems like The Spirit has more of an online legit social media presence than the talking heads (that say little that the fans don't already know, and they don't bother to acknowledge or engage them) of Disney Social Media.

I really need to get my Spirited tees made ... and those tour guide caps too! ;-)

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

One other note before I see what folks have been saying about interesting developments as the Disney world turns, but I came upon this story over the weekend and what I found interesting were the comments.

The story is on theme park costs as an industry for summer 2011, not focused entirely on WDW, Orlando or Disney. (I believe they reviewed 72 parks across the nation.)

But I couldn't help but think back to Bolna's great research and analysis of the reactions to Disney's increases on its official blog where it was about 80% pro-Disney and 20% against (although many comments were watered down criticism to an extent they barely qualified as negative at all).

Take these comments and you'll see the VAST majority are very negative and a few of the positives come from so-called Disney fans and a DVC owner.

Again, makes you wonder how honest Disney is being about what they allow out in their comments section.

<a href="http://www.walletpop.com/2011/06/17/are-theme-park-admission-fees-going-up/" target="_blank">http://www.walletpop.com/2011/...oing-up/</a>

 

Originally Posted By ChiMike

>> (As an aside, my friend likened Duncan's grasp of BRANDING to a tenured-college professor that has no knowledge outside of academia of the real-world application of what he speaks of in a core requirement for your degree).<<

A great analogy

 

Originally Posted By ReelJustice

<<What about Zenia Mucha? She's the head of all corporate communications for the company, writes PR for Bob Iger himself and somehow is listed as the Publisher of D23. Where are her interactions with the fans and the fan community? Make that, with the consumer base?>>

I just friend requested her on FB (per your request), I'll keep you updated.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<That's why I asked. But not many folks have answered thus far.>>

<<It has been pretty quiet here in general recently, but I also think that an analysis of the Disney Parks Blog is worth its own thread - this one so far has been more about the relations between unofficial websites and Disney. While the blog certainly is one of the main features of the overall strategy, it has a special role as it communicates directly with the customers - and tries to cut out the unofficial websites.>>

Perhaps, I'l start a thread about the official blog and how it presents PR and how it filters customer feedback on its forums ... but I have the feeling folks here wouldn't be that interested.

I wonder how many even look at that site on a regular basis? They know it's PR. They come here for REAL Disney info/discussion/perspective.

Of course I also wonder how Georgie K is feeling with Matt now in charge of Cedar Fair's parks, including that little pie shop/chicken kitchen in the hicks of Buena Park ... but I'm not about to start a thread about that ... yet.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<One of the reasons why I don't really believe in stuff that sounds too much like a conspiracy theory is because I have worked for different entities about which people have conspiracy theories (not any big ones like that the moon landing never happened, but on a small level). From the inside knowledge I had I knew that the level of purpose, organization and determination which normally is necessary to pull off the conspiracy would never be invested for matters so small.>>

Well, I really wish I hadn't put conspiracy in the thread subject. But I also didn't envision the thread going on for 76 pages and going into so many different (most interesting, some not) directions.

I don't believe there is some giant Disney conspiracy going on concerning Social Media ... it's just PR spin in a new form, taking advantage of fans by 'buying' coverage from what should be independent voices. I believe that's where you were headed below:

<<Now, public relations is something I don't know much about, but I believe you when you say that you do (however, all the talk about the fake identities on facebook made me way more sceptical, but after weighing all the evidence, I still decide to believe what you say). I am still baffled about why they would spend money on this, but if that is not uncommon in the industry, then it may well be happening. It might be one of the reasons why they have to raise ticket prices though.

However, knowing what you say about those in-house exercises coming up with negative feedback, I am not sure it should still be called a "conspiracy" theory. It rather is a valid theory about the workings of the Disney Parks Blog.>>

I may not have been clear about my FB point. It was largely the fact many people use it to put out life lies about themselves ... if that sounds too strong, think of FB as personal PR campaigns by people who want to be viewed a certain way.

Disney isn't doing anything other companies wouldn't do or like to ... Disney just has a unique relationship (cue the sappy music and the pixie dust with a little girl in a princess costume running up an empty Castle walkway into Cinderella's waiting outstretched arms) with its fans that makes doing so much easier thanks to the proliferation of so many Disney sites.

But again, conspiracy is a BAD term in the context here but the thread topic isn't changing so we go on ...

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74


<<On the other hand, I think the fact that comments are filtered and the people are aware of it, also has an influence on what normal people submit as comments. I think especially the fact that they include something positive with the negative is in order to get their comment to show up at all. >>

Great point.

If you know negative won't likely appear, then how likely are you to temper the negativity and do some spinning of your own just to get your voice heard (or in this case, seen)?

I absolutely believe that is happening here as well.

But ... I do still think they make things up as well. No way to check this or verify or anything. So there's nothing at all to stop it. Why wouldn't you do so (if you were Disney)? Where's the downside?

No one can ever prove it unless they leave the company and spout off, which they know will have Legal down on them as fast as an ECVer on a turkey leg (this was put in just for Pierce, no one else needs to acknowledge it! ;-) )

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<What about Zenia Mucha? She's the head of all corporate communications for the company, writes PR for Bob Iger himself and somehow is listed as the Publisher of D23. Where are her interactions with the fans and the fan community? Make that, with the consumer base?>>

<<I just friend requested her on FB (per your request), I'll keep you updated.>>

Now, now, RJ ... I never requested you or anyone to FB dear Zenia, I merely suggested it to anyone who wanted to become friends with the head of D23.

She scares the hell out of me.

And very little scares this Spirit. VERY little!


I do hope you hope you make a new friend though. After all, isn't that what social networking is all about? Maybe she can help land you an internship with Disney Legal