June 22, 2005

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Things that scare mice

Hong Kong Disney is still receiving plenty of criticism over its decision to serve shark fin soup. Doug Cret's article has this interesting paragraph:

Ko Wang, a professor of business at California State University, Fullerton, who studies Disney's corporate strategies, told The Standard that Hong Kong shouldn't expect too much from Disney at first, since the company had also flubbed its entrance into Paris and Tokyo, largely through cultural mistakes.

"As a shareholder, there is not much that a government can do,'' said Wang.

More proof of the value of Hong Kong's investment in the park. You would have thought Disney would have learnt some lessons from its previously experiences. But apparently it's not elephants we are dealing with here.

Moreover a company as PR aware as Disney has scored another resounding shot in the foot. From today's SCMP letters page:

Here's to you Mr Robinson, Disney loves you more than we all do...

Tell me why, Mr Robinson [Disneyland Hong Kong group managing director Don Robinson], you and your public relations team refuse any contact with a polite, environmentally aware group of Year Nine students from West Island School, who wish to hand in a petition expressing concern over the inclusion of shark's fin soup on the menu.

I wish to voice my horror at your company's discourtesy, unhelpfulness and lack of sensitivity. Is it really necessary to block phone calls from a 13-year-old, who wants to make an appointment to hand in a petition?

Are you really that afraid of a group of secondary school students?

JULIA BLOIS-BROOKE, Discovery Bay

Now you know what mice are scared of. Disney's head-in-the-sand approach to this issue has been a PR disaster...except with the market they care about the most: the Mainland tourism market.

Part of the Hong Kong Disneyland series.

posted by Simon on 06.22.05 at 09:24 AM in the Hong Kong Disneyland category.




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A Mouse Out of its Depth
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Weblog: Imagethief
Tracked: June 22, 2005 10:01 AM


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