Memo2 disney (autosaved)

To: Bob Iger, CEO Disneyland From: Justin Benedict, Director PR Disneyland Re: Case Status Memo: Future PR Initiatives Date: 2/12/17 Status Memo: The Safest Happy Place on Earth As you know, we have faced an uphill battle in recent years in preserving the company culture and brand image that help make Disneyland the “Happiest Place on Earth.” It wasn’t until 1998 that Disneyland would face extreme media backlash following the fatality of a park guest. In this instance, our company responded in an inappropriate manner, isolating the police and media from the site of the accident, deferring blame and responsibility, and hiding details and evidence.

Moreover, failing to take any initiative to inform the public, and refusing to speak with journalists, or issue any public statement on the incident. When our executives did finally speak publically on the incident, they deferred blame to a park employee who lacked training due to budget cuts. The negative attention our brand received following this accident snowballed following the Roger Rabbit accident, in which the carelessness of a park employee resulted in the death of a young park guest. We have finally seen appropriate action taken by our brand following the Columbia Ship Accident, but there is still action that must be taken, and changes that need to be made to restore our brand image and correct issues at the core of our company culture.

The business problem we are now experiencing is a complicated one, stemming from a fundamental problem in our company culture. Our brand prides itself on being the “Happiest Place on Earth”, yet is willing to deceive the public, hide information, and blame park guests for its own mistakes. The truth is, we are held to a higher ethical standard than other brands due to our size and global influence. With this influence comes responsibility, and if we want to solidify ourselves as a role-model for the world’s leading corporations, we must act with sincerity, transparency, responsibility, accountability, and transparency.

The climatic event that set-in motion the media backlash, litigation, and damages experienced by Disneyland was the 1998 Columbia Ship accident. This was the first major accident at a Disneyland park resulting in the fatality of a park guest. The effects of this accident snowballed through the subsequent Roger Rabbit and Big Thunder Mountain accidents and only began to be minimized after Disneyland’s response to the latter accident. The true root of the problem, however, is the company culture cultivated over decades of pressure from the top down to prevent anything negative from transpiring in our parks. This company culture stressed that there are no accidents at Disneyland, but only incidents. This fallacy is deeply ingrained in the brand’s culture and must be changed if Disneyland want to move forward in a progressive, positive manner.

When considering corrective efforts, we must also consider the impact that these efforts will have on all internal and external stakeholders. Notable internal stakeholders being employees from the top down, including HR, training staff, cast members, upper management, and executives. External stakeholders being park guests, community leaders, governmental agencies focused on public safety, shareholders, and the millions of consumers around the world that

enjoy our brand’s products and services. Perhaps the most important of these audiences, is the park guests, who’s safety is paramount to our brand. All options and recommendations for actions will consider the interests of all stakeholders, while holding the interests of the parks guests first.

The PR and Public Safety Campaign following the Columbia Ship accident were effective in communicating the steps the brand was taking to all the publics which it serves and interacts with. While these efforts provide a necessary framework for subsequent efforts, they will not be enough. One option for action is to fire any employee found responsible, to any degree, for any of the past accidents resulting in the injury of a park guest. Another option is to continue the Public Safety Campaign with annual reports, internal memos, public statements, and making a continuous media series about safety based off the “Wild About Safety” initiative. Another option is to restructure the hiring and training process with a focus on park safety and employee responsibility. Regardless of the chosen course of action, we must act in ordinance with the PRSA code of ethics, as well as the Page Principles and stay committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with journalists, media outlets, and the publics which we serve.

If we want to make a lasting change to our company culture and build a brand image based around the safety of our guests, I recommend that we implement a three-phased PR and safety initiative. First, we should release a new safety campaign centered around an adapted slogan, “The Safest Happy Place of Earth”. We should continue the initiatives and commitments administered following the Roger Rabbit accident: annual safety reports, public awareness efforts, and the “Wild About Safety” video series. We should also use the response to the Big Thunder Mountain accident as a standard for future accidents in our parks. In addition, Disneyland executives should shut down the park for the day, refunding all guests and opening the park only for police investigation. Public statements disclosing and information gained from investigation should be made and should in no way minimize the severity of such accidents or defer any blame away from the park.

Second, we should implement an in-depth safety training programs for all employees, including cast members, maintenance and ride operators. The HR department should be retrained on employment and training protocol, with an emphasis on prospective employees’ value of safety in the workplace. Managers should also be trained to help cast members understand that they can and will make mistakes, but that they will not be punished for these mistakes if they are handled with efficiency, honesty and sincerity. All rides at all Disney locations should also undergo extensive maintenance with governmental oversight. Any rides that do not meet these strict safety standards will either be renovated or closed permanently.

Finally, Disney should dedicate $100,000 to research initiatives designed to assist in developing safer rides, including safety belts, harnesses, and seats. Such efforts will seek to design seats that are not only safer, but seats that fit any body type with comfort. Disney should also lead an annual amusement park safety summit, where major amusement park brands and ride engineers will meet to discuss how to make safety an integral part of that future. Disneyland should also seek partnerships with organizations dedicated to public safety whenever possible. If all aspects of this three-phase plan should be publicized internally and externally, I believe that this initiative will further restore our reputation and build a positive relationship with the media.