Marketing Movies to Minors
But I’m more convinced than ever that some movies get made just because they offer terrific opportunities for studios to sell licensing rights. Now that studios are selling the marketing rights before the movies are even released, they don’t even have to worry if the movie flops. They already have the cash in hand from the rights. It’s the companies that purchased the licensing rights that get stuck with merchandise they can’t move.
Which makes me wonder why those same companies are willing to take such a big gamble on an unknown entity. In the case of “Superman Returns,” surely every company figured it to be a no-brainer. After all, everyone in the world already knows who Superman is and there is already a huge market for all things Superman. And kids can convince their parents to buy almost anything if they really fall in love with a movie. The problem with that theory, however, is that the same kids that all of those toys are marketed for aren’t old enough to see the movie! So, for example, Hallmark has purchased the rights to use Superman on a line of party products – plates, napkins, stickers. But no little kid is going to deman a Superman themed birthday if he hasn’t even seen the movie. So there sits the product and it will probably still be there in a few weeks in a clearance bin, along with action figures, t-shirts, and slippers.
So why, then, do companies routinely agree to buy licensing rights and start putting out merchandise before a movie even comes out? Because if they don’t, they might miss the boat entirely. By the time companies realize that something has become ripe for merchandising, puts together a plan, manufactures the product, markets it and gets it into stores, the popularity of a movie or television show may already have waned. These kids have a short attention span; they are always looking for something new to pique their interest.
Since everyone is always looking to get in on the latest licensing bandwagen, studios have no shortage of companies wanting to buy licenses and market all sort of products. So you may see a huge selection of toys come in for a particular movie, along with clothing, fast-food tie-ins, and even packaged food items. You can buy right now “Pirates of the Carribean” cereal and gummy snacks. Again, though, small children are the most likely to be lured in by cereal and gummy snacks featuring a movie theme – but they are old enough to see “Pirates of the Carribean.” And there is only so much a parent is willing to buy related to a particular trend, no matter how much of a fit little Joey throws. Theodor Giesl’s (aka Dr. Suess) widow wisely limited marketing of merchandise using characters from the books. Winnie-the-Pooh and even Mickey Mouse also had limited licensing rights sold. When more and more merchandise because available with these characters, it became less interesting.
The payoff is clearly worth the risk or companies wouldn’t be willing to do it. You’d just think they’d be a little more thoughtful about paying for rights to market a product that doesn’t fit the demographic the movie or television program is aimed at or for rights to an image that is clearly being overmarketed.
