Updated: Aug 10, 2022

By Marinette Dalbard, Client Servicing Director

Mickey Mouse is one of the most well-known entertainment brands in the world. It also achieves an excellent level of ownership of multiple products with the brand on them, validating its consumer appeal. However, the brand consideration is limited in light of such performances and does not convey the Mickey Mouse footprint. Why is this such an anti-performance?

Around the world, 91 percent of children aged 3 to 9 are familiar with Mickey Mouse, which is an exceptional level of awareness. The target is also open to brand products: nearly three out of five children already own the brand.

However, the attitudes towards the brand, e.g. the emotional connection kids can form with it, are just right, with 43 percent of children who know the brand just love it. Of course, Mickey Mouse is one of their favorite characters.

This, however, also implies a lack of proximity to customers. Don’t get me wrong: the brand has a lot of equity. A large percentage of children are familiar with, understand, and connect with the brand. However, brand perceptions are lower than the market average.

So, how can the brand maintain such a high level of ownership?

In fact, some can see from the brand’s sales funnel that consumer demand remains high due to the high degree of awareness and a long existing history.

It comes down to the brand’s licensing attractiveness. BrandTrends recently conducted a research on the power of licensing. According to the findings, 58 percent of those who bought licensed products “because of the license” were true enthusiasts, and 42 percent prefer licensed products over regular ones.

This is where Mickey Mouse and his widespread popularity come into play. Transversality (for everyone – 50%), followed by heritage (I’ve known for a long time – 36%), determines brand preference. This increased consumer confidence and helped the brand expand.

Mickey Mouse maximizes potential for the brand to encourage purchase among consumers by being very active in the market. This also helps to keep the brand in mind across many touchpoints and establishes it as part of a legacy.