Re: Absence of supporting castpics...

From: chance <chance_at_unix.infoserve.net>
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1996 08:04:45 -0700

>This is really about that much-maligned "Disney synergy", wherein
>the entertainment helps to sell the toys, and the toys help to sell
>the entertainment. Disney is derided for this, but it's likely a lot
>of jealousy, as they're _consistently_ good with it, and it pays off
>in profits for them.

Eyaaah...Disney has its problems too. "Tale Spin" was one of the
best DA programs ever to hit the airwaves, yet the marketing up
here was a non-starter. Friends I know eagerly anticipated the
TS comic, and Disney halted production after only a handful of
issues due to organizational problems at their end (read "corporate
blunders"). They may've restarted since. I haven't kept up.

>TedCo, OTOH, is a case study in how not to do it. They dropped the
>ball with a superior propery, SK, and have grossly overcompensated
>by literally lavishing promo money on the inferior JQ.

Heh. Friends just saw two of the first JQ eps - both the Lawrencian version
of the Universe - and commented:

"Well...there's room for improvement. Like an entire football field."

Davis and Lance and the gang obviously thought so too, as they've tried
to do a complete about-face from the Lawrence equation, but Tedco has
decided to air the Lawrence stuff intermixed with the Doi/Falk efforts
anyway. I wonder if they realize how much their little broadcast roulette-game
will cost them if first time viewers land on "Peter Lawrence" rather than "Davis Doi"?

I wish they'd hunt down these clueless execs and find them a nice quiet
pasture somewhere out of harm's way. Or a glue factory.


>Methinks I will visit H-B at Licensing 96 next week, and see if SK
>is still considered a viable property.

Heh. The report from that affair I would be *most* interested to hear.
I usually find "polite but pointy" to be the best way to Bangalore Torpedo
PR-speak at such affairs. The more folks mentioning SK at such events,
the more often difficult questions will be asked in awkward places.

>This is a thought. I have gotten some rather interesting E-mail in
>the past, including some from within the Company :)

Yeah, there are a few individuals that work for said company more than
willing to help out the fans just short of glaring "conflict of interest" - and for
some, not even that's a barrier. I personally have a real problem with
fans profiteering from something like a "Style Guide" that they likely obtained
from someone who was impressed with how much they resonated with a
particular property. Make copies for friends similarly interested, sure, but flogging
photocopies at Cons? *That's* the only time I have much use for copyright
law. The fans don't need to milk each other for money in pursuit of a common
interest - that's what we have the marketing entities for.

(My rant-du-jour. The Pro-Sports world is full of such individuals...)
_____________________________________________________
"Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed
 antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters,
 through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in
 the winter of 1925. Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence." -- "Balto"
_____________________________________________________

Received on Sat Jun 22 1996 - 11:27:47 PDT