Title: From Mickey Mouse to Max and Cheese: enhancing user experience for the family market

Authors: Sarah Taylor Agate, Joel E. Williams, Nate Barrett

Addresses: Clemson University, 263 Lehotksy Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA. ' Clemson University, 505 Edwards Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA. ' FamilySearch.org, 15 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150, USA

Abstract: Providing experiences for families have become increasingly important for many organisations in recent years. These increases may be due, in part, to the fact that more families are seeking opportunities together, and because many organisations are attempting to appeal to more customers and increase their revenue in economically challenging times. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework of family accessibility that can be used to meet families| needs and facilitate enjoyable experiences for all family members in a variety of settings. A collective case study was conducted that examined Disney, IKEA and Max and Cheese. Multiple sources of data were obtained from each organisation. Using the main themes and overall theme that emerged from the data, a family accessibility conceptual framework was developed. This framework has important implications for businesses that are looking for innovative ways to facilitate enjoyable family experiences and increase satisfaction of family customers.

Keywords: customer service; customer satisfaction; family accessibility; family needs; family programming; recreation; qualitative research; user experiences; families; Walt Disney Company; Disneyland; theme parks; leisure industry; Max and Cheese; Orem; Utah; California; USA; United States; restaurants; catering trade; child friendliness; Carlie Jones; Ingvar Kamprad; Sweden; IKEA; home furnishings; furniture; retail trade; retailers; family experiences; experience enhancement; customer appeal; increased revenues; conceptual frameworks; enjoyable experiences; business innovation; R&D; research and development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2011.041055

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2011 Vol.5 No.4, pp.338 - 358

Published online: 07 Mar 2015 *

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