face-to-face
Marianthi O’Dwyer Vice President, Licensing, The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland
Pre-school is a highly competitive sector; where do Disney’s brands fit into the mix? The content pipeline we have planned for pre- school will allow us to regain a leading position in this particular sector. We already enjoy a phenomenal success with the TV series Mickey M
and the N
Which properties will be the key drivers for Disney’s toy business in 2012? We’re very lucky to be working with a broad and rich portfolio of properties which have a timeless appeal across all different age segments. In 2012 we continue to work on the strength of our established evergreen franchises, such as Disney Princess, Disney/Pixar Cars and Toy Story, and we are also taking Minnie and Mickey Mouse to new levels with new style-guides and innovative products coming to market. On a different front, our Marvel properties take centre stage this year. The launch of Marvel’ A
s vengers Assemble and The Amazing S pider -
Man will provide us with a leading position in the older boys segment. We are very excited to bring endless hours of playtime to children’s homes and are confident our products will not disappoint.
You have a more varied portfolio of franchises than ever before – what opportunities does this present to your retail partners? The Walt Disney Company UK is combining its great legacy in quality entertainment content with groundbreaking innovation to remain relevant to the audiences across the world. Our portfolio is indeed stronger than ever: evergreen characters coupled with new film and TV releases and the virtual world. Disney and Marvel are trusted brands and now, like never before, we have the ability to connect with all key age and gender demographics, across multiple product segments. This is a great opportunity for our retail partners to leverage the strength of Disney and Marvel brands across our offering and share in the market share gains we aim to achieve. It is this confidence that retailers can place on Disney and Marvel that sets us apart from competition.
ouse Clubhouse and the recently launched J ever Land Pirates. This #1 rating series
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on Disney Junior UK is set to achieve new heights of success in 2012 with the launch of season 2 and a new product range. With the upcoming launches of Doc M
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and Sofia the First we will have a complete preschool property portfolio covering all key play patterns: role play, animal play, pirates and make- believe.
What impact has the acquisition of Marvel had on The Walt Disney Company’s long- term strategy for the boys’ toys sector? Just look at the impact that A
vengers Assemble
property has in store now, and the impact that Spider-Man will have in a couple of weeks and you have your answer! As mentioned earlier, with Avengers and Spiderman we expect to take a leading position in older boys in 2012. But most importantly, we plan to build these two properties as long-term sustainable franchises, which is what makes the Marvel acquisition so exciting. Both the movie and TV slate for the next few
years give us continuous content to engage, on an ongoing basis, with our core demographic of older boys. We will also continue to drive product innovation and create events at retail to further fuel the growth of these powerhouses.
Disney Princess has become one of the most enduring Girls’ properties in the market; how do you plan to maintain its evergreen status going forward? Disney Princess is the crown jewel of our property portfolio and thus our ongoing focus is on quality and innovation. We aim to bring newness every season through new product introductions and new creative directions. We also take the opportunity to leverage new content. Tangled was a brilliant example of how we can drive incremental growth to our
core Disney Princess product portfolio. This is a strategy we will continue with all relevant new content, such as Brave released theatrically in August and Cinderella’s Blu Ray release this autumn, introducing one of the most beloved Disney Princesses to a whole new generation of children.
How can Toy retailers maximise the opportunity represented by forthcoming movies such as Brave, The Amazing S Man and Weck-it Ralph?
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Firstly, retailers can list the great selection of product ranges planned for these movie releases, and ensure that there is continuity and presence on shelf for the DVD and Blu Ray releases. And of course, Spider-Man in particular will sustain its presence on shelf well beyond the movie release this year supported by a new TV series leading to yet another movie in a couple of years. We also work with key retail partners to offer their customers one in a life-time experiences taking advantage of all the entertainment and family experiences that The Walt Company offers and I’m sure there will be opportunities to link upcoming titles to exciting promotions at retail.
How has the integrated approach across the various Disney divisions benefitted licensees and retailers? The benefits of our integrated structure have become apparent in a very short amount of time. Our ‘One Voice’ approach at retail has greatly enhanced the way we work with our Retail partners and helped us better utilise the efforts of the entire company behind our franchises. We have also recently been able to conduct
promotions at retail that allow us to bring together licensees, retailers, promotional partners and even the Disney Parks ensuring we offer the best integrated campaign that will maximise our partners’ resources. And we are now also bringing to life properties
created from digital or games platforms, such as Where’s My Water and Club Penguin. We are just scratching the surface of what is possible when partnering with The Walt Disney Company, so watch this space!
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