How Disney Parks leveraged the art of storytelling to engage the Gen Z audience
When Disney Parks set out to capture Gen Z, it turned to TikTok to showcase the magic by sharing its uniquely Disney stories in an unexpected, authentic way.
The Disney Parks team created more than 500 TikToks, which spotlighted heartfelt stories from cast members. The platform was also used to share exclusive behind-the-scenes content; information on new food, beverage, and product offerings; and special events such as park re-openings and celebrations. New park attractions/lands and relevant platform trends were also featured.
The team used eight Live Events to generate buzz. It included attraction ride-throughs with behind-the-scenes details from Walt Disney Imagineering, after-hours exclusive tours and holiday and celebration events such as parades, fireworks displays and performances.
By year end, @disneyparks’ TikTok growth made it the fastest growing, most engaged @disneyparks handle in 2021. Significant moments were highlighted through 123 TikToks, which went viral with organic video views in the 1-25 million range. Engagement rates were 3 to 6 times higher than other social media. TikTok was also quick to celebrate Disney’s magic. It included Disney in its “Year on TikTok 2021” recap and named it a “Brand that Acts like Creators.”
Disney Parks’ social media captured the interest of a new generation of people. It used live events and video to address this audience who spends a lot of time browsing TikTok and garnered more than 541 million video views, 4 million followers, and over 86.7 million likes. For its efforts, it was named winner of the Tik Tok category of PR Daily’s Social Media & Digital Awards. Congratulations!
