Entertainment Licensing & Branding Blog

More Brand development information:

Stage 14

With the first issue’s preproduction completed, mock-ups approved by Diamond Comics (Distributor of Marvel, Image, Darkhorse, DC Comics and others), the next step was to find a reasonably priced printer.  The search began on the internet and through word of mouth.

Trying to get printers from around the world to quote on apples and not oranges became a chore.  Faxes and emails were fired back and forth so that we could truly ensure the quote details were what we were after. When we finally received a solid good quote with full printing details, it was copied and this master quote was sent out to many other printers.  After receiving misquotes and clarification on newly submitted quotes we decided to use Quebecor World out of Montreal for two reasons.

1) They printed comic books for the major comic book publishers so quality would not be an issue with our distributors and retail stores.

2) Diamond already had delivery trucks picking up other comic titles and shipped them into the USA for their distribution centers.

So the only thing remaining to do was decide on how many issues to print of Galactic Gladiators issue number one.  We all realized that a first print run would be of interest to collectors and could be sold forever if enough were printed. The more units produced would make the per unit price much lower.

Of course we also knew that the number of units would be limited to the amount of money we could raise.  So it was time to raise funds.

The next post will go over the Raising Funds stage:

Next Report will be #9.

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FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKET - Pre-Order this ebook by sending an email to info@Playdigm.com (put ‘Book Order’ in the subject line).  This ebook is expected to be available in late 2009.  Reserve an issue with no money down. Payment to be required later.

(c) Sandford Tuey All Rights Reserved.

The Licensing Merchandising Association (LIMA) conducted their annual International Licensing Survey and announced from Las Vegas June 3, 2009 that Brand owners received  $5.7 billion in licensing royalty revenue in 2008, a reduction of 5.6 percent less than collected the previous year,

This decline was in eight of nine categories of licenses tracked. The one exception - royalties collected by schools and affiliated organizations jumped 3.5 percent to $208 million.

Of course this could be connected to the economic recession but will this trend continue?  I believe a good solid brand or young upcoming viable project like District 9 or some yet to be launched brand that the public will get behind should have no problem generating income. The key will be diversification into as many markets as possible without thining the subject material so that the consumer is not strained or perceives the brand owners are just milking the franchise/core business.  I’ve explained this before in a previous post, that you don’t want to allow your brand or characters from your brand onto products that don’t fit in with the kind of brand you have created or put them onto poor quality products. This will reflect badly.

In 2008, the largest sement of licensing royalty revenues were generated from the Character sector within the entire entertainment industry, accounting for 46 %, while major segments like Corporate Trademarks & Brands held onto 17 %, Fashion at 14 % and Sports only came in at 1 percent of the entire industry.

The Survey seems to indicate that retail distribution for licensed merchandise may be changing. Brand owners are exploring retail opportunities beyond regular channels. Mass merchandisers still remain important but some brand owners report they are seeking relationships with smaller, independent retailers, viewed as better able to quickly respond to market trends, changes and seem willing to take new, untested properties and products.

So how do you get your brand and associated products into these markets earning multiple royalty streams? Keep returning to read future posts and you will find out.

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FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKE - Pre-Order this ebook by sending an email to info@Playdigm.com (put title of book in the subject line).  This ebook is expected to be available in late 2009 or early 2010.  Reserve an issue with no money down.

(c) Sandford Tuey All Rights Reserved.

It’s one thing to be a dreamer of words but another to be a doer of action.

So don’t just write a spec screenplay and send it out with the hopes of it getting optioned and produced.  Do that for the big budget projects you find your soul must write but in your spare time, write a very tiny budget script for the internet and broadcast it yourself.

Sure you will need a camera (iphone/cell phone or HD videocam recorder will do), a copy of adobe moviemaker or similar editing software and garageband or protools for embedding the audio and soundtrack. You become your own global studio.  Then upload to one of the many distribution networks out there.

Why?  Because quite a few writer/producer types are being discovered by this method of self-production.  That is why I am now writing a pilot webisode that could be expanded into many more (just in case the public likes the concept).

A fellow screenwriter wrote a script but was unable to locate enough actors to participate in the project, so instead of giving up, she made puppets and had them recite her dialogue.  Very creative AND she owns the name and likeness for each puppet/character.  Inexpensive and yet brilliant idea.

It may sound sacrilegious but movies are 90 minute commercials for the merchandise and toys (if they have a mass merchandising story capability).   All the ancillary products are the reason comics are doing so well as movies.  It takes the same amount of time to write a toy commercial movie like Transformers or Ironman, as it does to write a non-merchandisable love story or drama.

If you produce your short film let me know as I really look forward to seeing it.  So don’t wait for producers to make your movie, make it yourself. Take control of your destiny and just do it for fun!  Maybe profits will follow!

Good luck with your endeavours!

Sandford Tuey

Hackers can break into webmail accounts and spam from your computer. Several people I know have had their computers hijacked and mass spam has been sent not only to their entire email contact list but also to hundreds of thousands of email addresses throughout the world.

I recommend you change your login password often, that way if hackers manage to get past your security, they will not maintain control of your computer and use it in repeated botnet attacks.  You could even go further and change your IP address once in  awhile because then they need to hack your password and locate your new address.  A bit of extra work but a great way to improve security.

If you have a simple password like a name or word or combination of numbers, it’s easy to crack your code. Most webmail programs don’t block you if there are repeated attempts to log in so hackers can try thousands of times until they get through.

Some email sites will tell you when the last login or download of email took place. Look at the bottom of your email page for  “last account activity”. There should be a link that that will show recent connections and the IP address. This could indicate if someone else is using your account.

Good security starts with a strong password. If it is an ordinary word or set of numbers those can be programmed or a random generator can cycle through these sequences until yours comes up. Your password should be something you can remember that’s random and contains some letters, numbers, and symbols - word-like but not a real word.

This site will provide you with ideas of how good your password is.
http://www.passwordmeter.com/

This site will suggest passwords.
http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/

Of course it is safer to come up with your own password and memorize it or write your passwords on a piece of paper and never show it to anyone (don’t recommend the latter).  A weak password is a break in your security and cracks like these need to be prevented.

With new brand information, new intellectual property, online banking, email, file and folder protection - security is a priority.  Don’t let someone into your computer unless you want them in.

Always think about security and protect your creative assets!

Respectfully,

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

The hockey club representative William Traurig stated, “We look at our name and our trademarks as our most valuable assets, and they need to be protected,”

The Hurricanes issued Banks a cease-and-desist notice in February 2009 which he responded by removing the term “official” from his website and added disclaimers. But that seems to not be enough, so the Hurricanes want Banks to stop wearing one of their jerseys in his promotional material and claim their franchise has been damaged by the unauthorized use of their Trademarks. Standard procedure for most legal court matters regarding Trademarks.

Even though there is probably minimal damage to the Hurricane’s image or Trademark, I expect them to win.  This is an example that if you can’t convince someone to stop using your Trademark or pay you a license fee to use it, then a lawsuit is the only other method to protect these assets.

This means you should keep a contingency fund available for future legal matters of this nature. Expect the unexpected and be prepared!

May you never have to seek legal means to protect your brand…

Sandford Tuey

Two days ago my computer became infected with an evil Maleware Trojan Horse Virus that would not allow me to open up any thing.  No email, no internet, no word processing files - nothing.  This caused me great concern and had me immediately contact my professional tech guy.

After almost two whole days of being talked over the phone on how to contain the attack and kill it, I now have my computer working properly again.

All my data was at risk, my contact lists, my screenplays and other entertainment brand materials, my family information and word files/folders.  All could have been lost and because of that, I wanted to remind all of you to ensure you back-up everything of importance you have in your computer.

Just a friendly reminder that a little effort today can preserve your information for tomorrow!

Careful what you click on or open on the internet.

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

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A recent report by Penny Schneck, who is the Internet sales manager for the Retail Division of Reed Business Information, parent company to Home Accents Today, was brought to my attention via Playthings magazine (the trusted publication for the Toy Industry).

Her report indicates that the best marketing tactic to give you the best return on investment (ROI) is e-mail. It is the most efficient direct response method you can employ. She states the following in the report:

E-mail’s ROI index is 70% higher than any other direct-response marketing vehicle” — Direct Marketing Association, 2006

55% of survey respondents expect ROI from e-mail to be higher than any other channel” — Datran Media, 2008

E-mail marketing is traditional direct mail on steroids — it is fast, effective and inexpensive. Unlike traditional direct mail, there are no printing and postage costs. E-mail costs are literally pennies per address.

You can develop an e-mail campaign and get it out the door in virtually the same day. This makes it ideal when you want to take advantage of market opportunities, move product quickly or even test a campaign before implementing it across print and broadcast channels. With e-mail, you know in a matter of a few days how effective your campaign is vs. waiting weeks to evaluate a print mail campaign.

So to summurize, the key is to gather e-mail addresses by offering incentives to prospects that make it worthwhile for them to provide you with their contact information. Consider giving free information like a report on something you know will interest people, hold contests, provide coupons, or other special offers.

Advertising online at other Web sites and via electronic newsletters will help drive traffic to your webiste’s registration page. Make it clear that your privacy policy will not allow customers’ contact information to be revealed to anyone outside your company or group.

Ensure you communicate with your contacts and customers with new e-mail, offers and phase out non-responders vs. responders. This will keep your list current and generate sales and interest.

By customizing messages you will optimize response and interactivity with your clients and followers. The more impressions the better but do not overdue it to the point where the receiver feels they are being spammed.

The key is communication. It should drive the recipient to take action, to click to your web site or desired page. Design each message to resolve any objections, request and repeat actions and create a sense of urgency to do the action desired.

Never Spam as the Can-Spam Act is designed to ensure the you do not use false or misleading information, be it in your header, subject line or message text. Always give the recipient a way to opt out of receiving future e-mail and honor their request within 10 business days. Your message must include a valid mailing address for your company and identify the e-mail as an advertisement (if it so).

E-mail, when done right, can grow your customer database, build repeat business and increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. Make sure it is part of your marketing strategy.

Ever wonder which of the corporate brands utilize and leverage social media the best?  A study by Charlene Li of the Altimeter Group and Wetpaint rank the top 100 brands by social media engagement.  I have only indicated the top ten companies.

The study revealed the level of each of the top 100 brands across more than ten social media, including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, wikis, and discussion forums. Starbucks scored the highest:

1. Starbucks (SBUX)
2. Dell (DELL)
3. eBay (EBAY)
4. Google (GOOG)
5. Microsoft (MSFT)
6. Thomson Reuters (TRI)
7. Nike (NKE)
8. Amazon (AMZN)
9. SAP
10. Tie – Yahoo!/Intel (YHOO) (INTC)

The report put brands into one of four kinds of categories, dependent on the number of social media channels they participate with.  The study suggests there is a correlation between social media engagement and revenue growth. Those using social media well, saw revenue increase an average of 18 percent over the past year.

As we all in the know realize, that with constant branding via the internet and other media, awareness increases proportionally.  So get your message out there and reap the rewards.

Stay tuned to future posts on how to make social media work for you and your brand!

Cheers!

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

Project management is a state of mind with extra details and deadlines.

Now that I am back from my working vacation, I have a few days to evaluate the objectives I wanted to obtain during my journey,  document the information and results, update my daytimer and follow up on meetings and commitments that I would like to get done by the end of 2009.

Having a written schedule ensures that you are on time to complete your agenda.  A To Do list is a wise addition to your management skills as you can see everything laid out in black and white and cross off those items that you have done, as you do them.  No need to keep going over a virtual list in your head causing stress, especially if you forget to do something.  Eliminating mistakes is the reason I keep a To Do List.

The key to a good To Do list is to prioritize the list.  Put the items that are urgent at the top and the things that can wait at the bottom.  As your week goes on, some items will move to the top of the list or end up being deleted from the list entirely because a meeting gets canceled or you become ill, etc.

Your To Do List is unique from everyone else’s and will help you focus on the future.  Keep it close by and check it at the beginning of each day and at the end to see what you need to move around and add to tomorrow’s list.  This way you will get more done and more out of life!

In the end, enjoying life is what it is all about.

Cheers!

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com