The lessons we can take from the big screen and imbed them in our brands.
Hidden Theme
Before you read this article, I'll let you know there is a hidden theme I'm eluding to.
See if you can catch on to the theme.
Current Climate
While fashion brands and luxury empires struggle to make ends meet. Collapsing under the pressures of a new conscious consumer.
Intellectual Property (IP) based entertainment, such as Pokemon, are reporting record growths.
Fashion group Kering are warning that first-quarter revenues are expected to decline 10% from last year’s $5.5 billion (€5.1 billion) and projecting its flagship brand Gucci to be off nearly 20%, down from $2.8 billion (€2.6 billion).
On the other side of the chart, IP based entertainment are reporting record growths.
The biggest entertainment franchise in the world, Pokemon, showing as much as 36.5% growth, recording $11.6 Billion in total revenue in 2022.
It is reasonable to assume as directors and brand owners that the simplicity found in branding has run its race.
Ensuring Longevity
In recent decades Intellectual property based media has had its monopoly on licensing products. While brands constantly find themselves fighting over market share. Forcing new ideas season to season, IP based media has continued to tell the same stories with the same characters for years on end.
In turn, selling the same product it did to your parents generation, as it now does to you.
IP Transcends generations.
One example we must look to the confirmation of the longevity of IP based media is in today's cinemas.
There is a trend spiking in recent years on the big screens.
IP is being continuously revived instead of new film ideas.
When was the last time you saw a truly original film in the movies?
Besides A24, international studios and a few smaller independent films, the big studios are bombarding the box offices with the 7th reboot of a classic.
One that we certainly didn't need.
If you are particularly interested in this topic there are a great few video essays online.
I want to take away one key idea from the film industries big studios.
They understand the power of IP.
Once they identify a strong idea, story or character that resonates with a community, they buy licensing rights.
This explains why you will see "Minions" everywhere you go at the moment.
Next year it will be another identifiable IP.
Are we running out of ideas?
No we are not. The thing is there is just no money in new ideas.
To create a new product and the find or builds its community, is too costly and time consuming.
Why create new ideas, when there are already pre-existing communities for these IP's that are willing to stake their money for a piece of their beloved world.
Part of the cinema problem is that in order to bring individuals back to the cinemas, studios are pulling on the nostalgia glands. This same thing happens with fashion brands.
Reviving old trends and eras of fashion. We fall victim to these revivals as we romanticize what it would be like living back in times those products were popular.
Catching on to the theme?
Hint: Try thinking of it in someone else's shoes.
What does a strong IP do?
We currently live in a time coming out of a pandemic, and economic hardship.
Added bonus, if you were to define our age it would be the “social media age”.
Free information, but too much of it.
Because of this, we are never really present.
Never where our feet are.
The power that I mentioned before, the one that big studios have identified in IP, is the ability to do just that.
To remove us from where our feet are.
To take us into a different world, where there are no wars.
Where you don't have to worry about money.
To take us back in time. Where people looked at each other, instead of fixing their eyes upon their phones.
I'm not one to say that we must get rid of all these technologies to get back to living.
I am just making directors, designers and brands aware of how the bigger companies are selling product.
I want to amplify the smaller designers and brands voices to create better stories and characters.
To take from their IP monopoly.
Did you get the theme?
If you identified the overarching theme in this article, let me know.
Once you understand the theme, through storytelling you can start selling it to your community.
I do employ you to only sell it in a healthy way in which helps your community.
Bringing joy, laughter, comfort and value to individuals.
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