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From License
Source: http://www.licensemag.com/licensemag/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=333535&pageID=1Jun 1, 2006
By: Joyceann Cooney
License!
Now here's a web to envy: From bankruptcy to entertainment behemoth, Marvel Entertainment's worldwide retail sales of licensed merchandise topped $5 billion in 2005, up significantly from just five years ago.
Spider-Man wasn't the only liberator of the Marvel Entertainment Universe. There were more heroes in that Marvel Universe vault, and two consumer product superheroesTim Rothwell and Bruno Maglionerevealed their strength.
"When we joined Marvel, the company was very Spider-Man-centric and in the middle of ramping up efforts for Spider-Man 2. What we quickly noticed was that Marvel was sitting on a gem of 5,000 characters that weren't being exploited," says Rothwell, who joined Marvel in August 2003 as president of worldwide consumer products and media group, Marvel Entertainment. So amazed by "what could be" at Marvel, Rothwell enticed Maglione to enter the universe. Certainly not strangers, the duo also worked side by side at Universal Consumer Products. With Maglione as president, Marvel Entertainment and International, they are counterparts once again. "Our relationship is a partnership as we have complementary skill sets and a trusting relationship," they say, finishing each other's sentences.
Complementary is much needed at Marvel as the consumer products division is "lean and mean," a mere 20 dedicated employees from California to New York to London. But maybe that's just the fire in the belly needed to expand company horizons.
Tim Rothwell
HERO WORSHIP
"What was most interesting about the 5,000 characters," reveals Maglione, "was that they all exist in a common, fictional universe and that's another brand in itselfthe Marvel brand." That common thread was partially the impetus for the creation of umbrella brand Marvel Heroes, a mass-market companion brand to Spider-Man, according to Rothwell. Whether Spider-Man or any other Marvel character, international business for the company was virtually non-existent. That soon was to change. "In addition to being very Spider-Man-centric, the business was very U.S.-centric," admits Rothwell.
Bruno Maglione
First, the duo opened offices in London and Japan (with Rothwell saying the latter is the second largest consumer market in the world). Second, they restructured existing agreements with licensing agents outside the U.S., taking direct control of selected categories and relationships. They focused initially on Europe, then Latin America. The result: International business went from zero to hero. Today, two years later (with international business growing more than six-fold, according to Rothwell), the international Marvel business is 30 percent Latin America and 45 percent Europe, with the rest accounting for rest of world, according to Maglione. Now, the duo has set their sights on Asia and establishing partnerships in China, Korea, and India.
Both insist it was brand development that was needed when they joined the company two years ago. "We already had a successful movie business, and so we also focused on creating additional categories of media exposure," says Maglione. What types of media? Book publishing and expansion of international comics were key initiatives, with new partnerships, reinforcement of existing partnerships (an international Panini deal recently was renegotiated and extended), and newly created kids' magazines (Maglione reveals that Marvel handles publishing licenses worldwide directly rather than through agents). Today, Marvel works with companies from Dorling Kindersley to Simon & Schuster, Meredith Books, HarperCollins, Reader's Digest, Publications International, and Chronicle Books, among others, on publishing formats that range from basic coloring books and activity books to high-end coffee-table books.
With the interactive category a hot spot for many companies, Rothwell and Maglione paid great attention to relationships within the wireless, console, and online video game businesses. "In the interactive category, we've had three of the top 10 best-selling video games," boasts Rothwell. To further develop the interactive business, Ames Kirshen was hired to head up the initiative worldwide, and for online video games and wireless, Matt Primack works in London and reports to Maglione. A worldwide partnership with mobile games publisher Mforma has resulted in the creation of Marvel Mobilea Marvel-dedicated wireless portal now featured on more than 50 telecom operators around the world.
Next was animation, as Maglione relates that Marvel hadn't done new animation in many years, and "nowadays you need to be on more than one type of screen to compete." Now, there are three animated series in the works: Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and X-Men. "Animation was something we really set out to do, to add to the film exposure," says Maglione. Fantastic Four is first out of the gate, headed to Cartoon Network worldwide this fall. "Last summer, Fantastic Four exceeded our expectations at the box office and in merchandise," says Maglione. "The animated series is a perfect media bridge with the July 2007 Fantastic Four 2 movie release." The series was produced by French animation company Moonscoop (which acquired Mike Young Productions). Marvel Studios sold the program in the U.S. with Moonscoop selling internationally. Come fall 2007, X-Men Wolverine will hit the TV screen, as will Iron Man in spring 2008, each via co-financing and co-production deals. "This is textbook franchise development," says Rothwell.
Rothwell reveals that some of the other major changes made to execute the Marvel vision include the promotion of Paul Gitter to senior vice president and head of domestic licensing. "Paul has the unique ability to maximize relationships and was integral to our building a solid foundation with the right strategic focus," says Rothwell. In addition, Jill Cook and Jamie Kampel were recruited for category management positions in the hardlines and softlines areas. Former Mattel exec Mark Rhodes was hired to focus on retail development. And, Julian Day was hired for international softlines, and Daniela Tose was recruited to lead and manage Marvel's relationships with international agents.
SUPER DEALS
With a Marvel brand strategy in place, international way up and running, and two years under their belts, some other transformations were about to hit the Marvel Universe. In a five-year deal, global toy player Hasbro took the license for all Marvel properties worldwide with the exception of Asia. The interesting aspect of the story: Toy Biz, the company that bailed Marvel out of bankruptcy some eight years ago, now became the "creative force behind Marvel, as it has tremendous expertise in understanding the characters," says Rothwell. "Hasbro allows us to greatly increase global distribution and marketing support while retaining the design excellence of Toy Biz." Before making the decision to appoint Hasbro, Rothwell and Maglione say that every conceivable deal was considered, but "Hasbro is the No. 1 boys' company in the world, and it gets franchise development."
Beginning in fourth quarter this year, Hasbro will roll out a line entitled "Origins," which reintroduces Spider-Man by returning to the deep, rich legacy and origins of the superhero, explains Rothwell. By first quarter 2007, Hasbro will be working on the Marvel characters 100 percent. In addition to the Hasbro deal, the duo negotiated a long-term renewal of Marvel's interactive deal with Activision for Spider-Man and X-Men, "a nine-figure deala very significant deal," says Maglione. Similar to that of the Hasbro deal, it excludes Asia "so that we can develop that region with the right local powerhouse players," he continues.
ENTERTAINMENT BEHEMOTH
From bankruptcy to more than $5 billion in worldwide retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2005, Marvel Entertainment is clearly on the move. And its moves in the world of entertainment now will become more explosive. Thanks to financial investment company Merrill Lynch, come 2008, Marvel truly will release its own slate of blockbusters, to complement current projects underway with other major studios. "This is a huge transition for our company," says Rothwell. "Marvel has worked with a number of different studios, but with that you give up some control. Now, we will retain all revenues and merchandising rights."
Asked what will be the first out of the gate in 2008, Maglione replies, "There is active development with great production talent already on board." (See sidebar, on movie titles in the works.)
Marvel Movies
