Last updated: How a mouse is winning at cross-channel engagement

How a mouse is winning at cross-channel engagement

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When you think of brands that are doing the best at bridging the online–offline divide and offering their customers true omnichannel capabilities, a few familiar names comes to mind. Yet, when it comes to the brand that is truly winning at delivering a seamless experience and wowing their customers, including this one-time skeptic, the clear leader in my mind is a seemingly unlikely suspect: Walt Disney Co.

There are no turnstiles at Walt Disney World. Consider that for a moment. There are literally no physical barriers to gain entry to any of the theme parks or attractions, or to access to any of the rides (aka “experiences”) within. This is more than an observation on how Disney manages crowd control; it’s a metaphor for what every brand seeking to delight their customers should strive to achieve.

A Walt Disney World experience is not confined to the actual park visit itself. It begins well before the trip ever starts and continues after returning home. This is no happy accident. It’s the result of a more than $1 billion investment they have made to integrate more than 100 separate systems that leverage cumulative and personal data and bring together native apps and web properties, wearable tech, and the physical space itself to eliminate visitor pain points and simplify commerce in all its forms. And the way they’ve done this, with a careful focus on the user experience at every step, makes it seem effortless.

Once a trip is booked, guests are prompted to begin planning their visit. This starts by associating everyone in the party under a primary account, using either a personalized website or their mobile app.

Guests can begin building an itinerary for their party, which includes everything from dining reservations to selecting pre-assigned times for specific attractions. Select an attraction and nearby attractions with availability are suggested. This keeps the distance between them manageable, so there is no rushing back and forth. Initially, this may seem like it would lead to a very rigid experience. In practice, the opposite is true. The ability to pre-plan a portion of the trip removes the pressure of having to get to, and wait for, specific things, and provides the flexibility to enjoy other aspects of the parks as opportunities arise.

When a trip begins, those staying at a Disney property can opt-in for their luggage service. With this, simply walk off the plane and onto a shuttle to the resort. Within a couple of hours, bags are reunited with guests at their rooms, without them having to give a thought to the amount of data crunching and logistics that go in to pulling this off. The goal of course is to get guests into the theme parks faster, so they can begin enjoying their vacation, and, let’s be honest, begin spending some of their disposable income sooner.

As guests transition from travel mode to park visitors, the mobile app offers new features, keeping track of the itinerary, serving as a location-aware map, and displaying up-to-the-minute wait times for every ride and attraction. But what truly ties the online-offline world together and takes the Walt Disney World experience to another level is the aptly named MagicBand, a device that was rolled out in 2014. The MagicBand is a purposefully simple RFID-enabled wristband.

There is no display, just a silhouette of everyone’s favorite mouse that serves as a visual cue to match the device to point-of-sale terminals, when interactions are required. And yet the device is exceptionally powerful and useful within the context of a Disney World visit. The MagicBand knows who you are. It knows where you are. It embodies what wearable tech can be and where it’s going. All that, and it’s waterproof.

The beauty of the MagicBand lies in its versatility and simplicity. The device acts as a hotel room key. It provides access to the parks—validated by a fingerprint scan, so the bands can’t be passed around. It permits access to shows, and attractions. And since the magic band is associated with a credit card, purchasing food, souvenirs, or services also only takes a tap. Transactions are confirmed with a preselected PIN that makes accidental or unauthorized purchases almost impossible.

The sheer usefulness of the device directly leads to other benefits. Without the need to get bogged down with low-level tasks like ticket-taking, associates (aka “cast members”) are able to provide more personalized attention to guests. This creates those above and beyond customer service moments that leave lasting memories and drive loyalty.

All the while, data is being collected and analyzed at every turn. With this, Disney is able to anticipate and react to guest needs, often before the guest is even aware that need. Subsequently, it’s rare that the next kiosk will be out of Mickey-shaped hot pretzels, or a shop will have an empty rack where the Frozen plush characters should be. This is just another way to minimize disappointment for guests and lost dollars for Disney. It’s all part of the win-win proposition that they have worked so hard to build with customers, and, given their growing revenue and attendance numbers, have succeeded in in accomplishing.

Two weeks after my family trip I received an email from Disney. It contained a watermarked proof of my children standing in front of Cinderella’s castle, with Tinkerbell superimposed on their outstretched hands. Of course we bought it. And the first question my daughter asked upon seeing the picture was “Daddy, when are we going back?” Now that’s customer engagement.

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