Disney in China, Wang in China.

Questions:

1. From a resource based view perspective, what explains the success of Disney in China? Discuss your answer in terms of what aspects of Disney’s resources and capabilities are difficult to imitate.

Disney is a brand that many people are familiar with, giving it a story and a background when people visit the parks. Disney, in China, uses its targeted audience towards children to their advantage because that is where most of the sales revenue from the shops come from. Disney introduces characters to young children that most are familiar with. In the case, it spoke of how the young girl wanted a Minnie souvenir because she loved Minnie. Many theme park goers spend most of their money on food and souvenirs. The familiarity to the characters and the story line gives Disney an edge above competitors.

2. From a resource based view perspective, what explains the travails of Wang in China? In other words, why have the resources and capabilities of Wang failed to produce a successful theme park in China?

As mentioned in the article, Disney has the advantage of promoting popular characters in movies and TV shows that reach a large population of kids. Dalian Wanda group isn’t able to do this because they do not possess the long history of content that Disney does. Furthermore, everything at Disney has a specific theme depending on the area and is directly related to different movies and shows. At theme parks owned by Wang, there is not a distinct theme among their rides. Though Wang tried to focus the theme on Chinese history, it does not have the same attraction and impact that Disney has at their parks.

3. For Wang, why have friendly relations with the government not been much of a resource?

The Chinese government wants their parks to be a storytelling experience like Disney, however, Wang focuses more on thrill rides instead of developing a relationship between the ride and characters and the audience that visits the park. China doesn’t have the resources needed to find companies with the talent and skills that Disney has to create such stories and characters. The government is able to assist Wanda group with the land and property needed for the parks, however it’s not feasible to just come up with someone who had the skills and talents needed to create such a storyline and wonderland comparable to Disney.