4 THE MOUSE AND THE
CAR PARK ATTENDANT

Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse but it was his wife who actually christened him. Walt went on to create: “A place for people to find happiness and knowledge”. On 23 September 1955, the 30th wedding anniversary of Walt and Lillian Disney, Disneyland California opened its doors.

This wonderful world succeeds without any consumers; it doesn’t even have any customers. It has succeeded without employees. It has no staff.

This land only has “guests” and they are served by “cast members”, each performing their own role.

But it isn’t this special Hollywood-style labelling of visitors and workers that makes Disney the huge success it is. Rather, it is the attention to detail that was instilled in it by its creator and that has been maintained ever since. It is a company that believes each and every cast member is crucial in ensuring that guests have a truly unforgettable, magical experience.

In an interview, Michael Eisner, then Chief Executive Officer, stressed the importance, not of the mouse and the cast member who portrays him, but the role of the car park attendants. Where others might view these attendants as having junior, unimportant and uncreative roles, Eisner said:

“They are the first people our guests usually meet when they arrive, so they are probably our most important cast members. They have to be ready to answer questions on everything that may be happening that day in the parks, such as times of the parades or the good value places to eat lunch.”

And the moral is that everyone in service brands is in marketing. Are your employees delivering your brand in their interactions with the public?