Buy tickets OR ELSE!

[Another Voice]

First it was carpet bombing marketing, then it was kids-get-in-free, then it was free tickets in the mail, and now it appears that veiled threats are the latest way Disney has of bolstering attendance.

The Los Angeles Times’ Business Section offered a front page story about a letter that was just mailed to all of the vendors that sell to the Disneyland Resort. While attendance at California Adventure remains at disastrous levels, attendance at Disney’s local sports teams – the Anaheim Angels and the Mighty Ducks – has also fallen tremendously as well.

From the article –

The one-page solicitation, touting the "importance professional sports has to the community," warned businesses last week that unless attendance pucks up, "the long-term impact will reach far beyond the Mighty Ducks and have negative consequences for all of us."

Accompanying the letter was an order form for season tickets and an offer for a free ad in the game day program with the purchase of four or more seats.

“What exactly are they trying to say? Are they trying to scare us?” Colleary said [he’s the owner of a 40-employee bakery that supplied cakes to Disneyland]. “Here’s a billion-dollar company that can’t get people to watch their sorry hockey team, so they’re bullying everybody into buying tickets. It stinks.”


The entire article, which includes comments and apologies from a Disney spokesperson, can be found at http://www.latimes.com/business/la-000061090jul27.story?coll=la-headlines-business.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Yeah,
It sure sounds like a threat to me:

You can have a free ad in the program if you buy tickets.

And:
Long term impact is negative for all of us.

It hurts the entire community if a professional sports team decides to move. Local shops and restaurants suffer, employees suffer and the true fans of that team suffer.

Its not like Disney has not put money into the ducks look at some of the players they have signed in the last few years.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

From the article:

Walt Disney Co. officials downplayed the letter Thursday, and Disney's Anaheim Sports spokesman, Tim Mead, said such "preferred vendor" offers are routinely made to the Ducks' own suppliers. He also apologized for the tone of the letter, saying Disney regretted any misinterpretations.

Sounds to me that even Disney didn't like the covert message. Being from a city that built it's reputation on this sort of thing, I immediately picked up on the message between the lines.

But at the same time I thought it was funny. Even in Chicago, politicians are brought up on charges for this type of behavior (when they're 'caught' that is ). It's nothing more than a loosely veiled threat (and not so loose in this case)! This just happened to a local elected official here, a couple months ago. Yet, when Disney does it, they are excused, justified and defended. I don't get it!!