While most businesses start with a product, Disney does the opposite. They first start with a story and build an entire experience and line of products around it.

They sell you on an idea or ideal, shaping narratives around who you want to be or places you want to experience, real and imagined. And in Disneyland, they make you feel like you are in the story itself. A story that you’ve likely created an emotional connection to long before you stepped foot into the park.

This is the power of a story. And if a brand is simply the perception your customer’s have of your business (which you can’t control), stories can help you shape them.

Walt Disney described Disneyland as being in a constant state of becoming; and that it would never be complete.

The same is true for a brand.

Brands, like the people that build them and buy from them, will and should change. A lot of people think that a logo or brand is one and done. I also see business-owners get so tied to their logo, brand or way of doing things that they fear or avoid change. But brands need constant care, curation and crafting to stay relevant, real and endure the test of time.

Deeply understanding guests needs, wants and expectations is what has set the Disney experience apart for decades.

And exceeding those expectations down the to tiniest of details is how they have created brand trust, loyalty and a 70% return rate for first-time Disney visitors.

This doesn’t always mean creating the perfect experience for your customers every time. We had a bad experience with a broken ride and less-than-perfect cast member and Disney handled the mishap by giving our family free passes for any ride in the park which quickly turned our bad experience into a better one.

The more attention and intention that you give your customers and their experience (good and bad), the more likely you are to find opportunities to build trust, loyalty and repeat business.

I read that Disney uses a scent-emitting machine to create different aromas throughout the park. As the article from Fast Company states, “even the wafts of popcorn along Main Street U.S.A. are by design.”

Your brand isn't just what you see. It's also what you hear, read, smell, taste, feel and believe.

From the creative food experiences and menus to the music and sound effects that you hear throughout the park at the perfect range and decibel levels, Disney has mastered the art of storytelling and immersive design that activates all your senses.

Disney employees are taught that their purpose, regardless of position, is to create happiness.

Bruce Jones, Senior Director, Disney Institute, said “When our Cast Members know that their primary goal is to create happiness, they are empowered to create what we like to call magical moments.”

Knowing your purpose and thinking about your brand through the lens of how it makes people feel is critical to creating brand magic.

Where many people think about their brand in relation to how it looks, what mostly moves people and inspires them to action is how it makes them feel.

And of course, when a brand can master both…now that’s magic.