News
Disney: ‘Treat us differently at retail’
Neil Long Mar 11 2008, 1:54pm
Comments (3)
Stores are missing out if they don't make the most of cross-franchise opportunities, publisher claims
Retail must plan around Disney product differently to maximise revenue, the publisher’s sales boss has told MCV.
Matt Castle believes that the High Street needs to better embrace the cross-franchise opportunities Disney titles represent – or risk missing out.
“We are unique with our and brand and our offering,” Castle told MCV. “But it does have challenges as well because when we talk about our products there is activity across other lines of our business – there is a lot of planning that goes on a lot earlier than is traditionally accepted within games.
“So the challenge for retail is to get it planned in early and we’ve found that the companies that really reap the benefits such as the supermarkets and the generalists have more of an idea what’s going on across the franchises.
“The thing I’m looking for at retail is to get Disney space so we can merchandise that product together. Under the strength of that brand, we’ve run some trials with some retailers and the sales have gone really well.”
Castle spoke out in the week that Disney revealed its plans for a spring promotion of its Disney on the Go range – boasting a wide range of retail, marketing and trade marketing activities. The campaign will include tagged national press, a three-week TV campaign and a PR push targeting key national and regional press.
Comments
“Re: 'Treat us differently at retail'”
Posted by: coxy - Mar 11, 5:26pm
Merchandising is all well-and-good and I'm sure more retail space will help boost sales; but I'd much prefer it if they invested some of that revenue into making good games that we can all enjoy - then they'd earn the extra retail space.
“Re: 'Treat us differently at retail'”
Posted by: HST - Mar 12, 10:59am
With there onlybeing a finite amount of shelf space and an increasing number of titles being relased by an increasing number of publishers of course this is going to be an issue. There are always going to be titles that will comandeer shelf sspace from others and unfortunatley Disney do not have many of those.
“Re: 'Treat us differently at retail'”
Posted: Mar 12, 11:10am
I think what Matt says makes total sense. Their product range has now been accepted internally as an important string to the Disney bow and I am sure its a corporate objective to work together!
However that is much easier said than done. Retailers struggle when it comes to incorporating new ideas that are outside of the norm. I think its a great idea and a very obvious strategy but getting the toy buyer, the video games buyer and the music buyer to co-ordinate something would be virtually impossible.