Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognizable brand icons ever created, and at one time had a 98% awareness rate among children between the ages of 3 to 11. Mickey Mouse is a symbol of global pop culture that rose to incredible heights due to a masterclass in branding and marketing. Since his creation by Walt Disney in 1928, Mickey has remained a timeless icon. So what made his marketing so effective, and what lessons can businesses and creators learn from it?
One thing that Disney capitalized on very early after the creation of Mickey Mouse, was their ability to connect a variety of consumer elements and lead the audience on a journey that ended with an increase in revenue and engagement. Disney also capitalized on not only marketing consumer products but also licensing to external parties that pushed products through a variety of channels, ultimately growing the Mickey Mouse brand.
Another marketing strategy that separated Disney from the pack, was their ability to expand Mickey Mouse, beyond cartoons and merchandising. Disney created theme parks, comic strips, and the Mickey Mouse Club, all of which worked hand in hand with each other to generate revenue and promote original Mickey Mouse content. Disney has always excelled in generating positive emotion from the audience when they engage with some of their iconic characters, like Mickey Mouse. These emotions, usually consisting of joy, comfort, and nostalgia all are important elements that have helped the character remain so beloved among audiences of all ages.
Disney continues to find new innovative ways to advertise their most beloved mascot to audiences worldwide. Recently, Disney started upping the social media presence of Mickey by implementing campaigns that tracks and documents the mouse’s travel across the world. In 2016, for Mickey’s 88th birthday, Disney created the “happy birthday” campaign, which had Mickey traveling across the world and making surprise appearances at a number of iconic locations. At the time of that campaign, Mickey Mouse had accrued 167,000 followers on Instagram, and nearly 14 million likes on Facebook. When asking what can marketers learn from Disney’s marketing strategy, the answer is simple. Get creative, and utilize a variety of channels whether through merchandising or tailored content for specific platforms, when all these strategies can work in unison together, you can create something truly magical.