Disney/Marvel: Last of the Independent IP
Disney/Marvel Hybrids: When IP Worlds Collide
Bob (Iger) the Brand Builder, indeed. Who doesn’t love the new Mouse House under Bob Iger? With Pixar as the premium family + crossover adult animation brand acquisition to start (and building direct access to Apple which makes iTunes Video/Apps/Music more lucrative for its properties), followed by Marvel, a brand known originally for its comic books, which is now creating merchandising gold with Iron Man – not to mention the recent Guillermo Del Toro “Disney Double Dare You” line of films/merch, and ImageMovers … and Disneynature – Disney is “crossing genres” while building enormous brand reach in the entertainment marketplace.
Forget the licensing deals that Disney has to earn/work out with competing studios, the real driver is that Iger can start turning on merchandising for upcoming Marvel IP (intellectual property, e.g., the original characters) while cashing in on the current crop of merchandise.
And growing it – meaning every studio salivates at Disney’s ability to merchandise product (and not just Disney DVDs) and grow brand share.
So if Disney can extend the Spider-Man or Iron Man or X-Men brand merchandise, it’s a win-win for all parties until Marvel’s external deals terminate and the Mouse House can own it outright.
The lesson learned many decades ago with George Lucas and a little property called Star Wars is that merchandise rights are extremely valuable, especially as they help build continuity between film and franchise (e.g., sequel) releases.
In Marvel’s case, pre-Disney, they also move you away from a pure for-hire production company. Think of it as entertainment windowing being improved on by actually branding your properties to draw revenue year-round.
Now that Disney is on its acquisitions’ run again, expect the other studios to start trying to create value quickly on both internal IP catalog (Warner Bros’ Robinov taking more control of D.C. Comics) and looking for bargain basement IP acquisitions. We’ll list a few of the more interesting IP catalogs or filmmaker relationships that New Medici would scout after the jump… Read more >>