Marketing and Merchandising a New Bond (Bond 26 and Beyond)
Solaris
Blackpool, UKPosts: 308MI6 Agent
I have been thinking about the future of the Bond franchise and needed to organise my thoughts.
From perusing the Next Bond Actor thread we, as fans, appear to be preferring a slightly younger Bond after Craig with many of us hoping that will lead to either more films or more frequent films from Encummbent Bond No. 7 and potentially reinvigorate the Bond brand with a younger audience. I believe this is an entirely valid assumption, and being in my late 20s, I would find it very interesting to see a Bond closer to my own age. But will this cause an issue with licensing and merchandising?
I am sure that others may be able to furnish actual figures, but a large amount of money is made for Bond and EON through the myriad of licensing deals they cultivate for products and clothing. With Craig having been the incumbent Bond from his late 30s to early 50s his Bond is representative of a comparative generation of consumers, Omega can pay substantial money for the newest Seamaster to be on Bond's wrist because it is going to have a direct effect upon their sales. If the next Bond is younger, it stands to reason that the target generation of consumers also becomes younger and are those consumers, now in their late 20s, to early 30s, as likely to spend substantial money on Omega diving watches, N Peal Sweaters or Tom Ford Suits? Or, if you change the Bond style, and therefore the licences, to be more representative of a millennial generation of consumers are you in danger of alienating the slightly older fans, who are more likely to have the disposable income to spend on these products, or change the Bond image so drastically to make it unrecognisable?
Now I understand that some people of the new target consumer base will have the disposable income to buy these products and I am sure others have a much better understanding of the numbers that underpin these licencing deals but what are peoples thoughts on the merchandising and marketing side of a new Bond and will a new Bond make you more or less likely to engage with the brands and products being integrated into future films?
NB. I apologise if this rambles somewhat, I needed an outlet for something that has been rattling around inside my head.
From perusing the Next Bond Actor thread we, as fans, appear to be preferring a slightly younger Bond after Craig with many of us hoping that will lead to either more films or more frequent films from Encummbent Bond No. 7 and potentially reinvigorate the Bond brand with a younger audience. I believe this is an entirely valid assumption, and being in my late 20s, I would find it very interesting to see a Bond closer to my own age. But will this cause an issue with licensing and merchandising?
I am sure that others may be able to furnish actual figures, but a large amount of money is made for Bond and EON through the myriad of licensing deals they cultivate for products and clothing. With Craig having been the incumbent Bond from his late 30s to early 50s his Bond is representative of a comparative generation of consumers, Omega can pay substantial money for the newest Seamaster to be on Bond's wrist because it is going to have a direct effect upon their sales. If the next Bond is younger, it stands to reason that the target generation of consumers also becomes younger and are those consumers, now in their late 20s, to early 30s, as likely to spend substantial money on Omega diving watches, N Peal Sweaters or Tom Ford Suits? Or, if you change the Bond style, and therefore the licences, to be more representative of a millennial generation of consumers are you in danger of alienating the slightly older fans, who are more likely to have the disposable income to spend on these products, or change the Bond image so drastically to make it unrecognisable?
Now I understand that some people of the new target consumer base will have the disposable income to buy these products and I am sure others have a much better understanding of the numbers that underpin these licencing deals but what are peoples thoughts on the merchandising and marketing side of a new Bond and will a new Bond make you more or less likely to engage with the brands and products being integrated into future films?
NB. I apologise if this rambles somewhat, I needed an outlet for something that has been rattling around inside my head.