The force is strong in this firm

An intricate flow chart drawn in 1957 (pictured) elegantly lays out the company’s strategy, with films at the centre surrounded by theme parks, merchandise, music, publishing and television. Each piece of the business provides content and leads to sales for the others. Putting films back at the heart of the business is a reboot of the Disney family’s original scheme to dominate the entertainment industry by using content to appeal to a bigger, global audience. 

None is anywhere near Disney when it comes to selling spin-off products. It is the world’s number-one licenser of merchandise by far, with $45 billion in sales in 2014, more than seven times as much as its closest competitor in Hollywood, Warner Bros.

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21684138-disney-making-fortune-and-safeguarding-its-future-buying-childhood-piece-piece