Marketing internacional, cultura e Soft power: lições do caso EuroDisney

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between international marketing, culture, and soft power through the case study of EuroDisney, a venture of the Walt Disney Company in France. The objective is to understand how these three elements are articulated in the process of brand internationalization, especially in the face of distinct cultural contexts. It is assumed that the initial failure of EuroDisney - which faced strong local rejection and was widely criticized for its excessively Americanized approach - was the result of a standardized international marketing strategy that was insensitive to the local culture, compromising not only the brand's commercial success but also its ability to exert symbolic influence — that is, its soft power. The methodology adopted is qualitative, based on bibliographic review, document analysis, and case study. The EuroDisney experience highlights the risks of ethnocentric strategies and emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive approaches, offering relevant contributions to the debate on brand internationalization and its insertion in diverse sociocultural contexts, integrating marketing, culture, and soft power in a cohesive and adaptive way.