To combat falling domestic merchandise sales and increase Mickey Mouse’s relevance amongst children, Disney has undertaken a quiet, albeit full-blown revitalization of the character.

As people increasingly move online for their news and entertainment, media providers and advertisers alike are seeking new ways to design these environments to maximize audience share, while successfully monetizing the (mostly free) content. In this evolving space, media companies are faced with the constant dilemma of maintaining the proper balance between content and ads; place too many flashy banners and risk losing your viewers, but not enough and your revenue streams suffer.
Until recently, achieving the right mix appeared to be more of a guessing game than anything based on scientific rigor, but all that might be changing as major [...]

In light of rising childhood obesity rates and the general confidence in supermarket sales, Disney, the world’s top licensor, is steadily making the push to realign its brand with a healthier image, targeting kids with fruits and vegetables instead. The savvy marketing move appears to be working too, as sales of the Disney Garden line were up 70 percent in 2008, a trend that can at least partially be attributed to consumer attitudes about the products. At the end of the day, a kid clamoring for an apple emblazoned with the cherubic faces of characters from The Suite Life of [...]

Located in northeast China, Harbin is host to arguably the world’s most famous ice festival.  First held in 1963, the Harbin Ice Lantern Festival is an annual tradition for locals and visitors who are drawn to the enormous, colorfully lit-up ice sculptures displayed each winter.
This year, instead of Qing dynasty palaces and dragons, visitors were greeted by Snow White, Mickey Mouse and Aladdin’s Castle.  The New York Times reports that a Disney licensing company has bought the rights to operate the festival, while Disney looks over the sculpture designs to make sure they fit with the Disney brand.
Ticket costs have [...]