Disney’s Magic in Family Decisions

Kids may not carry the wallet, but they often decide where the money goes. According to YouGov (2022),Links to an external site. children influence 61% of family vacation decisions and 54% of streaming service choices. That’s more than half of household decisions in two major categories. For brands, this is a clear reminder: if kids are your buyer persona, your strategy has to capture their imagination and emotions through storytelling and engagement, while also reassuring parents about safety, value, and quality.

Disney is a great example of how to create strategies that engage and connect with both audiences. Growing up in Gen Z meant living through Disney’s digital transformation, and Disney holds a big place in my childhood memories. Disney’s stories were more than entertainment, the company crafted them so well that audiences could truly feel the characters’ emotions and immerse themselves in the movie settings.

What makes Disney stand out is how it has kept evolving without losing that magic. The same feelings I had as a child are now being reimagined for new audiences through live-action films and digital platforms. This ability to stay relevant across generations is the result of carefully designed strategies. Disney knows its primary buyer persona is kids, but it also knows that parents are the ones making the final decisions. The brilliance lies in how they manage to win both audiences at the same time.

On one hand, the magic of its stories, characters, and immersive experiences in parks or theaters makes Disney a “must” choice for kids’ vacations and home streaming. These experiences create lifelong memories, I still remember watching Brandy & Mr. Whiskers during breakfast before school, something that remains nostalgic today.

On the other hand, parents want their children to live the best childhood possible and to see their dreams come true. This is the essence of Disney’s magic: encouraging imagination, sparking curiosity, teaching life lessons through stories, and uniting families. In doing so, Disney creates shared spaces, whether in movies, parks, or events, where children and parents experience the art of magic together, building bonds and memories that last a lifetime.

In the end, this is why Disney remains so powerful. It is one of the most recognized brands by both kids and parents, with enormous brand equity and positioning. Disney’s ability to integrate marketing strategies that cohesively serve both audiences is what sustains its greatness today. By deeply understanding what Millennial parents want for their children and what Gen Alpha kids desire, growing up with AI and technology as their “toys”, Disney shows how brands can adapt and stay relevant. Moreover, Forbes (2022),Links to an external site. citing Common Sense Media, reports that children influence up to $500 billion per year in parental spending, underscoring the massive market opportunity that exists for kids’ products and services. Companies targeting children must take the same approach: to succeed in the kids’ market, you must design strategies that bridge both worlds, delighting children while giving parents a reason to say yes.