Brand Bits Friday. Where’s your chocolate Mickey? – SCN Encourager

It’s a strange question, isn’t it?

Some might even call it goofy.

(Call it “goofy”… get it?!?)

But spotlighting the importance of always having “a chocolate Mickey” within easy reach is a perfect way to wrap up Brand Bits Week. 

In fact, when you consider the four previous Brand Bits, it’s the only one that makes implementing a “behavior based” approach to your branding do-able over the long haul.

It’s the only one that’ll help you stay on course when “life happens.”

• Monday’s Brand Bit promoted the importance of asking questions even if they cause discomfort.
• Tuesday’s Brand Bit made it clear that your organization’s “brand” is whatever people say about it when you’re not in the room.
• The HR department was given center stage on Wednesday in order to emphasize how critical it is to have a razor thin (minnie-mal) gap between the commitment of your staff and the preferred culture you have set forth for your organization.
• And yesterday’s Brand Bit reminded us that our branding efforts will always be subpar unless all hands are on deck.

Now when the previous Brand Bits are presented in list form, they seem fairly straightforward, don’t they?

But you and I know things don’t always go as planned.

There are unanticipated mishaps and wrinkles that arise, and this is where having a “chocolate Mickey” nearby comes in handy.

Not only is a chocolate Mickey a yummy reach-out tool, it serves as your acknowledgement that you’re ready to keep your branding effort on track… just in case something bad pops up.

Disney – one of the world’s leading brands –  invests heavily in its “chocolate Mickey” preparation and training,

Their leaders understand that not every situation will be positive for their guests and they want each one of their team members (regardless of their place on the organizational chart) to immediately step in and make things right.

For example, let’s say a guest family is experiencing an unusual delay in checking into their hotel room.

If a desk clerk notices this – or perhaps it’s another employee who actually does – Disney encourages (expects) the staff member to take the initiative to send the family a gift basket (which includes a chocolate Mickey), extend a meal on the house, and make a significant reduction on that night’s bill.

There’s no need for anyone to seek authorizations from higher ups.

Just act in a manner consistent with Disney’s brand promise and resolve the problem quickly.

You can see why brand champion Disney believes having a “chocolate Mickey” ready to go is critical.

You’ve always got to be ready when “life happens.”

They understand that how quickly and empathetically you recover is the real-world, word-of-mouth barometer of your brand.

The concept of having “a chocolate Mickey” always within reach intrigues me.

Aren’t we similarly able to guess at the parent and student tough points where things could go wrong in our schools?

So why not review a few of those scenarios we know so well and figure out ways we can improve our responses ahead of time.

I’m no Disney expert but I’m pretty sure part of their corporate training must involve showing where and how to hide their chocolate Mickeys when they’re not in use.

When I think about sneaky bites I’ve taken out of my daughters’ Easter bunnies over the years, I don’t think it would be good for me to know where any of the chocolate is stashed!

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