Glad this is finally happening. The approach in the past was always “let’s see if it’s a big hit and then think about merch.” There were a few obvious issues with that:
(A) Lead time. If you don’t start thinking about merch until after season 1 has dropped, you’ll be fortunate to have decent merch available for season 2 (and, depending on the product, it may be longer);
(B) Brand Building. You’re denying the IP the brand building and marketing value of having merch available at launch. This goes to a bigger issue that the streamers have had: “trust the algorithm” is not a strategy, and arguably constitutes an abdication of accountability. You can create hits - or certainly make them bigger - by strategically investing in IP and placing bets in advance, rather than solely being reactive; and
(C) You’re depriving fans. Fandom is identity. Merch is how fans express identity. That in turn becomes culture. If I have to explain this, you need to spend more time around fandom. And as the article points out, if official products aren’t available, fans will buy unofficial.
Much of the article will seem obvious to anyone familiar with fandom and entertainment IP building, and it’s amusing that it’s presented as deep insight. However, we can’t forget that Netflix was a tech company - and it doesn’t matter when you learn the lesson, as long as you learn it.
So overall, great news for everyone - including rightsholders and talent if they have negotiated for separate pot merchandising participations. There are some coordination challenges if the rightsholder has reserved “classic merch rights” (particularly important for comics and video games), but usually addressable in most instances.
Some highlight excerpts (and shoutout to Russell Binder who is quoted!):
“Netflix began working on those products 18 months ago instead of waiting for “One Piece” to become popular, as it has with past shows.
Moving forward earlier requires the streamer, which typically keeps data and details close to the vest, to share information about upcoming content pipelines with partners such as how many seasons have been approved. It also must invest in new product lines without knowing whether fans will like the series.”
“Netflix has learned—through fits and starts—what it takes to fully seize the cultural moments it creates. When Jenna Ortega’s deadpan dance to The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” in “Wednesday” went viral, fans of the show bought unofficial T-shirts, toys and bags styled after the Addams family character’s knapsack in spades because Netflix didn’t have comparable products available for sale.
Netflix doesn’t have merchandising rights to the show, according to a person familiar with the matter. It has since partnered with MGM, the studio that controls the franchise’s intellectual property, on goods.”
Via Christian Grece
https://lnkd.in/g8VTnrtB
Senior Creator at The Sasha Group
4moY’all just scored BIG with Macy!!! Excited to see what you’ll produce!!!