LicensingSource catches up with a number of brand owners to find out how 2021 has been so far, their views on the retail environment and the challenges and positives as we move through the second half of the year.
Today: Paul Gitter, svp third party commercialisation for Marvel 20CS & ESPN, consumer products, The Walt Disney Company.
“Our Marvel franchises have had a really positive first half of 2021,” Paul Gitter, svp third party commercialisation for Marvel 20CS & ESPN, consumer products, The Walt Disney Company, tells us. “A great example is our recent content on Disney+, which has fuelled tremendous opportunity and significantly broadened our audience reach to fans, families and beyond.
“WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki have all amassed incredible buzz and new, dedicated fan bases have driven demand for inspired product lines across toys, collectables, softlines and home décor. It is so exciting to see how consumers are really gravitating towards, and celebrating our product lines.”
The company has also been busy targeting the next generation of Marvel fans, with Spidey and his Amazing Friends launching in August on Disney Junior and later on Disney+, marking the first full-length Marvel series for preschoolers.
“From a Marvel perspective, the appeal of our characters for licensees continues to grow,” Paul continues. “It has been a challenging 18 months for many, and our brand, with its legacy of creating amazing content that brings fans and families closer together brings inspiration and resilience. Our characters are known for often triumphing against the odds, leading to millions of highly engaged fans who seek out our products around the world. Their stories seem more pertinent today, than ever before.”
Paul also sees more positivity when it comes to the health of the retail environment. “Covid definitely had an impact on retail due to widespread enforced closures of physical stores and the resulting focus and acceleration of ecommerce,” he says.
“With a return to normal, we see retailers coming out stronger, and gravitating to established evergreen brands like Disney and Marvel with exciting and innovative retail marketing to welcome back shoppers. For Marvel in particular, we’re already seeing consumers purchasing our lines at a healthy rate at their favourite ecommerce sites and brick and mortar shopping destinations.”
Paul is confident the positive momentum will continue into 2022 and beyond. “Our strategy for Marvel is all about character equity: who they are, what they stand for and how they connect with audiences. We want our licensing partners to connect their brand with the core attributes of Marvel’s characters, such as performance, strength and durability, as a way to differentiate their products on retail shelves.
“Over the coming months, we plan to continue to add to our roster of partners in hardlines, softlines and consumables, as well as celebrate our upcoming theatrical releases including Black Widow, Shang-Chi, The Eternals and new Disney+ content in a big way across all of our retail and product collaborations. We are expecting the remainder of 2021 to be fairly strong, setting the stage for positive momentum into 2022 and beyond,” he concludes.
This feature originally appeared in the summer 2021 edition of Licensing Source Book. To read the full publication, click on this link.
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