Back in the spring, it was hard to avoid the onslaught of Spider-Man 3: It seemed that the superhero web slinger was everywhere—from billboards to TV to retail—and as the film's release date neared,
an excitement and anticipation had been created to rival that of any movie opening in history. And if you felt like the world
had been taken over by Spider-Man frenzy, you weren't far off: as part of Sony Pictures Entertainment's massive marketing
strategy, Spider-Man 3 would be opening in 105 countries simultaneously, with an accompanying licensing program hitting retail at the same time.
Spider-Man Merchandising LP (SMM) is the limited partnership was formed by Marvel Entertainment Inc. and Sony Pictures Consumer
Products Inc. to oversees the licensing and merchandising activities for Spider-Man feature films. To date, Spider-Man 3 has grossed more than $890 million globally—shattering box-office records —and now with the U.S. DVD due Oct. 30, consumers
can prepare themselves for another wave of Spider-Mania.
"It took a lot of planning," says Lisa Storms, vice president of international licensing, Sony Pictures Consumer Products.
"The implementation of these programs was challenging, but we had terrific collaboration between the retailers, licensees,
the local Sony theatrical offices and international agents." All told, there were more than 350 Spider-Man 3 licensees, with a significant number of retail promotional programs worldwide.
"Our goal was to be the first major film of the summer," says Storms. "Being first out of the gate gave us a tremendous advantage,
and consumers were ready for Spider-Man 3 merchandise." Internationally, adds Storms, SMM went after market leaders in key channels and formed partnerships where Spider-Man 3 licensed product was supported with advertising, media, dedicated feature areas, and so on. "We looked at each market and
decided how to approach it," she says. In Europe, for instance, sweepstakes and gift-with-purchase programs worked well, while
in Asia, the campaigns were often mall-based and character-appearance driven.
"We wanted each retailer to have their own distinguished and unique look," Storms added, noting that Toys 'R' Us signage
worldwide mostly utilized the villains in the film, while retailers in specific territories—such as Marks & Spencer and Woolworths
in the UK—had "customized programs and a consumer experience that made sense for the territory."
That market-by-market approach also applies to how SMM offered different, exclusive programs to various retailers in the United
States. "We had to look at each retailer and see what the best way was to work with them." says Cindy Elfenbein, executive
director of retail sales and promotions, Sony Pictures Consumer Products. "Our challenge was to develop a strong retail program
for individual retailers, and provide each of them with an individual, yet cohesive look."
Destination: Retail
Wal-Mart, Target, Toys 'R' Us, and Kmart were just some of the retail destinations Spider-Man 3 products could be found. "We carved out exclusive programs for each of our retail partners" says Elfenbein.
