WDW Social 'Media' and Conspiracy

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

<<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?>>

Because that is EXACTLY what the people reading those blogs want. They don't really want an OPINION… they want information. They just want to know what is new and what is happening with as little editorial input as possible.

So it may have a consistently positive, non-critical approach. That is what they want... that is why they go there. They want to read stuff that emphasizes the good and the MAGICal because that is how they feel. They are unabashed Disney Parks fans and that is what they are looking for.

And that is not all that unusual. Most blogs, bulletin boards, etc. have a certain point of view, make that view well known and are not terribly receptive to opposing points of view. LP is like that. A conservative is going to take a HUGE amount of heat here. Eight years ago liberals did. But in either instance, everyone clearly KNEW what they were going to get.

As was made obvious in the recent LP drama, many here DON'T WANT TO KNOW people personally. They don't want personality. They want information... just the facts ma'am. And there is nothing wrong with them wanting that. LP may not be the best place for them, but there is nothing "wrong" with what they want to see.

At times I have been heavily criticized here for sharing too much. That I should know if I put something personal out there it is fair game for people to rip on it. They don't understand that at times people just want to share the events of their lives and ARE NOT looking for any type of judgment or input from others. They see their post as being like a Facebook "Status Post", which clearly is NOT going to be the case with LP. I have been very badly hurt here at times, and unfortunately those times were some of the most difficult times of my life. But I did learn the rules. I learned what to post here and what not to post here. I learned to be a good LP'er. I share far less information about my feelings and my personal life than I used to. Because that is what one should do at LP.

So when that is what occurs at LP, can you really fault a pro-Disney blog for doing something similar? For making it clear that there are certain expectations there and if you vary from them you should know you are doing so at your own risk? So how is it that those blogs are Social Media and LP is not?

So that is my very long-winded way of saying that those sites are giving people exactly what they want. The readers DON'T WANT personalities. They want to go to a place where they know that most people will agree with them most of the time.

Is that REALLY so different than what happens at LP?

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>Is that REALLY so different than what happens at LP?<<<<

Of course it is. A "different" opinion can flourish here. There, it'll be shot down.

 

Originally Posted By MousDad

>>Because that is EXACTLY what the people reading those blogs want. They don't really want an OPINION… they want information. They just want to know what is new and what is happening with as little editorial input as possible.<<

I have to disagree. I don't think DPB'ers, or D23'ers for that matter, want information. They want a voice. It's how this whole movement was billed, or at least anticipated.

But Disney is not interested in giving their fans a voice. They are interested in bamboozling people into thinking they have a voice, all the while being in control of the message (voices).

It is the fundamental operating principal of the company though - namely, fooling people into thinking they are getting, when it is really the Mouse taking. It's seen top to bottom. So it's no surprise social media works this way.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<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?>>

<<Because that is EXACTLY what the people reading those blogs want. They don't really want an OPINION… they want information. They just want to know what is new and what is happening with as little editorial input as possible.>>

Ok, I will admit it: I am a regular reader of the Disney Park Blog. I don't read every article there, but it is one of the websites which I check on a regular basis (let's say about at least once a week). There are several reasons: I like the bits of "news" it presents. I enjoy pictures and video of the parks (some more than others, but I still absolutely adore the tilt-shift ones). I am interested in finding out what the Disney Company thinks about the parks and how they represent themselves. What do they feature, what not? I even have a brief look at the comment section now and then because I am curious what others have to say, and yes I have left a few comments there myself where I did exactly what I mentioned a few posts back: I started spinning my own comment to make sure it would be posted. I stopped when finally one of my comments did not make it (I mentioned that caramel is something not authentic to Germany). This experience did actually put me off for quite some time. So, I guess I am qualified to speak about what the readers of the official Disney Parks Blog want.

At some point during the discussion here I was starting to be curious about what social media actually is and how and why it was being used in marketing. I did some very basic research into that topic and the general consensus was exactly what the Spirit said: social media in marketing is about getting in touch with your customers and entering into a dialog. Putting out information can be done on any normal website.

And the Disney Parks Blog is trying to do just that. Look at the posts. Nearly everyone ends with a question and an invitation to leave a comment. But just as the Spirit says, there nearly never are any replies back from the official Disney blogger which is more than a basic answer of facts.

I was actually a bit excited when I saw a post by Tom Staggs a few weeks ago - about the opening of Little Mermaid and Star Tours. I don't expect him to be a regular blogger or anything like that, but I was interested in reading his thoughts. We discuss these guys regularly and if I have a chance to read something which is published under their name I am interested. I am not expecting that he would write it himself, but I expected it to still be a bit personal on some level. But it just read like a press release. My excitement quickly turned into a big disappointment.

And just a tiny side note: If you go to the official WDW website, at least I haven't found a way to get from there to the Disney Parks Blog. It nearly seems like they don't want the casual WDW visitor to check out the blog. There is a direct link to Golden Oaks though.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Can I just add that Jeffery on the D23 weekly thing gives me the creeps and embodies almost everything I hate about modern Disney???!!!!

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<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 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. >>

My comment was actually referring back to someone early on mentioning that a neighbour had a fake Facebook account with a second identity.

And it was making just the same point as what you said about your own online personality:

<<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.>>

That's what I tried to say, even though much less eloquently and not generalised.

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>I was actually a bit excited when I saw a post by Tom Staggs a few weeks ago - about the opening of Little Mermaid and Star Tours. I don't expect him to be a regular blogger or anything like that, but I was interested in reading his thoughts. We discuss these guys regularly and if I have a chance to read something which is published under their name I am interested. I am not expecting that he would write it himself, but I expected it to still be a bit personal on some level. But it just read like a press release. My excitement quickly turned into a big disappointment.<<<<


I doubt he even wrote it.

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> I stopped when finally one of my comments did not make it (I mentioned that caramel is something not authentic to Germany). <<

But hasn't Werther's been crafting caramel in Germany for over 100 years Bolna?

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Lol. In the UK, Werther's is marketted as if they were a British brand (even though German). And the caramel werthers are new to the European market - saw "new" on the bags in the UK, France, Belgium and Germany earlier this year.

But the Rose and Crown isn't that authentic either, so why would this be a surprise?

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<I doubt he even wrote it.>>

Of course not, but I have known people in high positions who did add a touch of personality to the stuff that was written for them (or even if they have a good writer, the writer would be able to add exactly that). But I guess other people here might have more experience in that?

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<But hasn't Werther's been crafting caramel in Germany for over 100 years Bolna?>>

MPierce, you are not going to bait me into more derailing of this thread! I will happily discuss Germany's caramel issues in an appropriate thread though! And btw you have some riddles to solve on another thread.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Lol, I used to write minister and PM briefings, though often as you say, they would add their own flourish.

 

Originally Posted By Bolna

<<Lol, I used to write minister and PM briefings, though often as you say, they would add their own flourish.>>

Yes, because they wanted to connect with their audience - they need the audience because they are supposed to elect them again.

 

Originally Posted By MPierce

>> MPierce, you are not going to bait me into more derailing of this thread! I will happily discuss Germany's caramel issues in an appropriate thread though! <<

I always snack on Werther's caramels while listening to Tristan und Isolde.

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

>>>Of course not, but I have known people in high positions who did add a touch of personality to the stuff that was written for them (or even if they have a good writer, the writer would be able to add exactly that). But I guess other people here might have more experience in that?<<<

Says a lot about Staggs that he didn't now that you mention it.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

>>Because that is EXACTLY what the people reading those blogs want. They don't really want an OPINION… they want information. They just want to know what is new and what is happening with as little editorial input as possible.<<

<<I have to disagree. I don't think DPB'ers, or D23'ers for that matter, want information. They want a voice. It's how this whole movement was billed, or at least anticipated.

But Disney is not interested in giving their fans a voice. They are interested in bamboozling people into thinking they have a voice, all the while being in control of the message (voices).

It is the fundamental operating principal of the company though - namely, fooling people into thinking they are getting, when it is really the Mouse taking. It's seen top to bottom. So it's no surprise social media works this way.>>

I wish I could post as succinctly (well, I really can, but I always believe MORE of the Spirit is better).

But you nailed it. There are no voices being heard. There are no exchanges of viewpoints and opinions ... well, let me cut to the chase. There is NO social element in their social media effort. It is all about control.

I disagree with Trippy (on many things) here in the point you responded to because when people want simple information, they go to WDW.com and get it. The entire social media movement in corporate America has been about companies being able to connect with their top consumers (in this case, reach out and touch someone you want to control). By eliminating the dialogue component, and thereby the illusion that fan feedback matters, TWDC has cast aside a key part of the equation.

If there's no social aspect in their social media, then you don't have a relationship, you don't have trust, you don't have much of anything ... just a really bloated budget for something that exists largely to justify its existence.

Disney Social Media really reminds me not of a theme park attraction, but an old fashioned carnival staple: The House of Mirrors. All D23 and The Disney Parks Blog do is reflect, regurgitate and regenerate the SAME PR over and over and ....

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<At some point during the discussion here I was starting to be curious about what social media actually is and how and why it was being used in marketing. I did some very basic research into that topic and the general consensus was exactly what the Spirit said: social media in marketing is about getting in touch with your customers and entering into a dialog. Putting out information can be done on any normal website.

And the Disney Parks Blog is trying to do just that. Look at the posts. Nearly everyone ends with a question and an invitation to leave a comment. But just as the Spirit says, there nearly never are any replies back from the official Disney blogger which is more than a basic answer of facts.>>

I don't want this to sound like The Disney Parks Blog ... although I almost feel like some folks are just reading here, biting tongues when I know they have so much to say! ;-), but that's the situation.

I just agree with what Bolna has stated.

You almost feel like Disney Legal vets posts by some of the bloggers (talking in the comments section) because corporate doesn't want one of them to misstate something that costs the company $$$. They are basic, bland and drier than SoFla these days (so dry in these parts I saw a water moccasin crossing the road in my development tonight, which really made this Spirit almost cry like a little girl ;-) )

There's just no sense of talking to a real person. For better or worse, whenever I post here (or have elsewhere in the past) I always think I'm dealing with people. Real people.

<<I was actually a bit excited when I saw a post by Tom Staggs a few weeks ago - about the opening of Little Mermaid and Star Tours. I don't expect him to be a regular blogger or anything like that, but I was interested in reading his thoughts. We discuss these guys regularly and if I have a chance to read something which is published under their name I am interested. I am not expecting that he would write it himself, but I expected it to still be a bit personal on some level. But it just read like a press release. My excitement quickly turned into a big disappointment.>>

Not sure who wrote it. Not even sure whether any of the views ascribed to Tom are actually his. And you knew there was no way he was gonna take comments and talk to the fans.

But I can tell you for a fact that Michael Eisner used to regularly compose his LONG (you think I'm longwinded?) annual letter to shareholders that opened the annual earnings report. He may not have written every word, but he largely came up with what was inside and usually tied it to what was happening in his family and the Disney family that year. It came off as sincere and real because it was. And it also cultivated a personal relationship long before social media was even a term. I still recall him taking pride when the Giants won the Super Bowl in 1987 ... or talking about his kids hockey games or college plans ... or meeting guests and cast while roaming DL or WDW.

Today, well, if you saw Bob Iger in a park he'd have a load of handlers and you'd probably not get near him. And his annual letters read like paeans to Goldman Sachs. Cold and detached. Just like Staggs PR post. Just like the hands-off approach with the fans on the official site.

These people are so fake and so unable to express real emotion in their jobs that if Walt rose from the dead tomorrow, no one would know how to handle an old, foul-mouthed, chain-smoking drinker who, while not a racist or homophobe etc, had a penchant for off-color humor. It would be like having Carrie Fisher back at Star Wars weekends uttering a very un-Disney word while publicists lost control of their bodily functions! (the latter actually happened, the former, not yet unless that's Walt standing in the mist-covered dock at the WL right now! ;-) )

<<And just a tiny side note: If you go to the official WDW website, at least I haven't found a way to get from there to the Disney Parks Blog. It nearly seems like they don't want the casual WDW visitor to check out the blog. There is a direct link to Golden Oaks though.>>

I'm sure they don't.

The Blog exists to poach as many visitors from sites like this as possible. But it's there for park fans. It isn't for first-timers or even returnees who enjoy a WDW visit every 3-4 years, but aren't Disney nuts.

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

<<I disagree with Trippy (on many things)>>

Yea, but wouldn't your life be boring without me? If I didn't exist on LP you'd have to invent me! LOL

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

^^I don't think I could be THAT creative.


But I am (usually) glad you are around!

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

Looking for a word ... OK, got one: disingenuous.

That's the word that comes to mind when I think of The Disney Parks Blog. To social media, that is toxic.

To a company like TWDC, where there exists a very real emotional bond between the consumer and the product, this can have disastrous consequences. Disney's most passionate fans go to a site that is, at least by definition, supposed to serve as an outlet and conduit for communicating with those fans only to find yet another overtly corporate channel to 'broadcast' PR.

No need to preach in that church. This is your congregation, after all. A place to listen, a place to hear. Not a place to posture. And yet, that's all you get there.

Now, to me (out here in the Spirited real world), it's kind of like being invited to a party at the hippest place in town (and I DO get those kind of invites, thank you very much) with your closest, best friends and family only to show up and find the club owner hired a bunch of extras to fill the scene. Pretty insincere, no?

Fake?

Add that personal, emotional component and ... well, just take a look at the thread on Disney's fan base that was brought over from that pixie-dusted and crusted MAGICal site. The most ardent fans of WDW are recruiting others to join in creating a website to show just how wrong WDW Co. is getting it. A site to air grievances, to push Disney to 'do the right thing' (something I am VERY proud of them for doing, I might add, even if it took them a decade to notice!)

Isn't that something social media would normally speak to? Wouldn't a company's blog serve that role? Be a place to sound-off and be heard? And answered (even if done so in an very corporate way)?

To me, this movement by those MAGICal fans speaks to the colossal failure of WDW Co.'s Social Media Dept. This movement is A CRY FOR HELP from the fans TO CORPORATE. You know, there was a time not so long ago that other companies wanted to emulate the success of the Disney BRAND. These days, even the most pixie dust-infused fans of all that is Disney, seem to grade the company on a curve.

Is it possible that TWDC's insincerity ... fakeness ... is, in the context of social media, a violation of that deep emotional bond and the bridge of trust built by the Disney brand? ...