Steve Jobs brought his magic to Disney
When Walt Disney Co. looked to revamp its troubled retail stores in 2008, Chief Executive Robert A. Iger sought advice from the company’s largest shareholder, a foremost expert on the consumer experience.
Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs had lured theme-park-size crowds to his company’s stores with daring architecture, no-pressure sales staffs and displays that enticed customers to come in and play with the tech world’s sexiest toys.
Though Disney sold its chain four years earlier, its name was still on the stores. Jobs told Iger that Disney needed to control those properties, arguing that a third party would never be as meticulous or creative a steward of the brand. After Disney bought back the chain, it was Jobs who urged the field testing of a fully stocked prototype before unveiling a new retail look to shoppers.
RELATED:
Full coverage: Steve Jobs 1955-2011
-- Dawn C. Chmielewski, Los Angeles Times
Image: The Incredibles. Credit: Pixar