Every year it seems there is an “it” toy for the holiday season, but, this year, Ronn Torossian says a brand beat out any particular toy. That brand? No surprise…it’s been a very Frozen Christmas. Disney’s megahit movie brand proved to be the big winner this Christmas.

Consumers purchased Frozen costumes, dolls, videos, watches, music, underwear, and even household supplies emblazoned with Elsa and Olaf. Disney, of course, is no stranger to effective mass marketing of its various brands, but with Frozen, Torossian said the company has done better than ever.

First, the return to epic musical storytelling was appreciated, and the target audience of young girls connected with the message of hope and empowerment with unprecedented fervor. Sure, kids loved Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo, but this was something much, much bigger. A culture-impacting phenomenon that spanned demographics and offered something for everyone.

When it came time for fans to unwrap something they could use to connect with the film they loved, Disney gave them ample opportunity. How ample? Well, among other things, there’s Frozen duct tape.

How did Disney do it? Well, remember, they began with a certified megahit movie. The song was right, the characters connected, and the marketplace loved the story. None of this marketing would have happened if the initial product was not an absolute home run. So they invested, heavily, in giving the consumer market something they would love, something that would connect with them and keep them singing and dreaming and giggling for months after they first interacted with the story.

And, that, folks, should not be lost on anyone. Sure, it seems obvious, but how much crass and substandard crap is there floating around, begging people to connect with it? How much stuff attached to mediocre brands that skimmed over the most important part of the message. And that’s the lesson here, for anyone who wants to successfully connect with their market. Make it about the customer first … and, later, they will buy anything you sell them. Even duct tape.