Introduction
The Walt Disney Co., an American company, is among the leaders in the entertainment industry. With its first theme park launched more than 60 years ago in California, the Walt Disney Co. is the largest theme park operator in the world with parks opened in Florida, California, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai (Sylt, 2015). The company actively implements segmentation marketing strategies. For example, the establishment of Disney theme parks at other continents was probably motivated by demographic market segmentation. It aimed to target customers not only in the United States but in other countries as well. Disney characters are famous all over the world, but not all people have an opportunity to travel to the United States to visit a theme park. Consequently, the decision to establish parks in other countries was beneficial not only for the company due to the increased revenue but Disney’s fans as well. Thus, it can be concluded that Disney’s had a dual motivation for the extension of its theme parks’ network. On the one hand, its goal was to satisfy customers making Disney parks more available. On the other hand, it was an investment in the further income of the company.
International Business Assessment
The choice of locations for Disney theme parks was not accidental. Tokyo Disneyland Resort opened in 1983, was the first Disney theme park outside the United States. It was a challenging step for the Walt Disney Co., so the company does not have a share in Tokyo’s park. However, it was an entrance to the Asian market which did not have a well-developed entertainment industry at that time. The choice of the country can be probably explained by the close cooperation of Japan and the United States, which was established in the 1980s. Moreover, the period between the early 70s and early 90s of the 20th century comprised the third stage of the Japanese Economic Miracle and was characterized by the steady increase in economics, which made Japan a favorable location for the development of the entertainment and service industry. Disneyland in Paris became the first and the only Disney theme park in Europe. This location was selected among hundreds of possible sites due to its central position, proximity to Paris, and a favorable transport junction, which allowed millions of people to reach the park by car or by plane. The Disney theme park in Hong Kong was expected to be a success as it was the first park in China, the most populated country in the world. Hong Kong was probably selected because of the favorable economic situation in the region.
Conclusion
At present, there are Disney theme parks in the United States, France, Japan, and China. Considering the current global economic situation, it is not a suitable time for the new time- and cost-consuming interventions for the Walt Disney Co. Still, a possible location for a new Disney theme park is in Latin America. According to the analysis of the Latin American entertainment industry, theme parks are experiencing an increase in revenue (Pouliagkos, 2017). The major countries where the industry is popular are Mexico and Brazil. In case this growth tendency does not change, it is possible to establish an additional theme park in Brazil. It can be a better location than Mexico due to its central position. The park can be opened not earlier than in five years. This time will be necessary to find the resources, decide on the location, and complete the construction itself. The project can be probably funded by Brazilian companies involved in the entertainment and service industries.
References
Pouliagkos, V. (2017). Analysis of the global amusement park industry. Web.
Sylt, C. (2015). The secrets behind the international expansion of Disneyland. Forbes. Web.