Disney restricts marketing to protect brand

DISNEY has cracked down on
how online travel agencies
and tour operators use the
Disney trademark in an
attempt to protect its brand.
“With online marketing
practices continuing to
evolve, we feel the time is
right to take this necessary
step to protect the Disney
brand,” the company said in
a statement.
Disney issued a new online
marketing policy, which will
come into effect in January.
It stipulates that travel
professionals will no longer
be able to bid on or buy
keywords that contain Disney
trademarks or trade names.
The policy also restricts
travel professionals from
using Disney trademarks,
trade names and service
marks in domains as
either the destination URL
or display URL, or as a
subdomain.
Although the new policy
could impact on travel
agencies’ websites, Facebook
pages, Twitter accounts,
Instagram and other social
media outlets, Hennie Olivier,
marketing services executive
of Thompsons Holidays, says
the new policy is not meant
to police preferred travel
agencies or tour operators.
“This is merely to protect
their brands, hence their
policing advertising and
marketing with non-preferred
operators.”
Hennie says as a preferred
Disney partner, Thompsons
Holidays receives templates
and guidelines from Disney
to speed up the approval
processes. “All marketing
collateral is forwarded to
Disney for approval prior to
its going live in case of any
interim changes on specific
templates.” Hennie adds
that Thompsons works
closely with the travel trade
who advertise Thompsons
Disney packages to ensure
that they meet the Disney
guidelines.