WEBVTT - Ep3 - The Heroine Behind Marvel's Marketing Super Powers 0:00:06.000 --> 0:00:10.000 Avengers Infinity War is the latest movie from Marvel Entertainment. 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:14.880 Marvel's uncanny ability to crank out one multibillion dollar box 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:18.400 office behemoth after another is a testament to so many 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:23.960 things iconic, character, terrific casting, great, creative. But there's another 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:28.160 piece of this puzzle that gets overlooked marketing. Marvel has 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:30.720 mastered the fine art of promoting its films, and not 0:00:30.920 --> 0:00:34.519 just through the usual billboards and travelers. Marvel gets the 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.320 word out through what it calls partnerships, which is a 0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:40.519 kind of alliance between a piece of intellectual property and 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:43.480 a consumer brand. I think, for instance of the quid 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:46.840 pro quo promotion it might have spotted when Lexis showed 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:49.600 up in Black Panther. There's a fine art to this 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:52.320 little understood aspect of the industry. So we're going to 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:56.280 talk to one of its master practitioners, Marvel's Mindy Hamilton's 0:00:56.480 --> 0:01:02.200 senior VP and Global Partnerships. So let's just start with 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:06.160 defining partnerships, what kind of deals you strike with brands. 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:09.160 And I know it's not a cookie cutter thing. It 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.520 is not, although sadly so many people do approach approach 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:14.200 it that way, and I think hopefully by the end 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:17.720 of this conversation, I will give some folks out there 0:01:17.760 --> 0:01:20.080 some tips on how to break through that. UM. I 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:22.960 would say the dry definition of what I do is 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:28.120 UM I developed third party partnerships, brands relationships UM in 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:32.440 order to UM amplify our our efforts. And what is 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:36.679 entailed in partnerships can be the anything from product placement 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:40.959 to sourcing to um CO branded marketing campaigns on the 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:43.240 back end in the theatrical or in the home entertainment 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:46.120 window for films, or to help launch a TV show, 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:49.600 video game, UM or in the case of our digital content, 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.200 ramping up our new studio and content engine. So can 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:55.440 you give a specific example. I know you guys just 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:58.560 have this little movie out there called Black Panther and 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:00.880 a little car company called Like So that came together 0:02:00.920 --> 0:02:03.600 in some interesting ways. Yeah, we did, UM I would say, 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:05.840 that's the exciting part. I gave you the dry definition. 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.200 The the exciting part of what we do is really 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:12.240 it's all about adventizing our releases. It's about amplifying that 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.280 emotional connection. So we get to play in a space 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:19.440 where UM, you know, people expect to see television spots, 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:23.240 Outdoor magazine covers all of those things that um Our 0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:25.639 Genius marketing team has to get to. Those are the 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:27.519 nuts and bolts of the campaign. Where I get to 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.480 come in and play is I get to develop a 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:33.800 campaign with a brand to pop up in an unexpected place, 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:36.639 in an unexpected way. It allows me to go deeper 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:38.960 not only in a storyline or end in a character, 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:41.800 but it also allows me to go deeper into target 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.640 audiences and really funnel focus, so I can deal with 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:47.760 the brand per se like a general Mills and target 0:02:48.000 --> 0:02:51.240 parents and kids, right, and then go over here and 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.040 I want to hit millennials and above with say such 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:57.440 a Lexus UM. I think the genesis of Lexus was 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:01.160 that was one of those beautiful things like this represented 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.400 not just performance and luxury as far as in their 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:07.280 DNA UM, but in addition to that, they were already 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:10.800 speaking to multicultural audiences, right. It was just a part 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:14.520 of their daily conversation UM and so it wasn't something 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:16.720 that it was they needed to grow or needed to 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:19.040 focus on, or something that was a new lever. So 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:21.840 that was really important. And the reason it's important is 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:25.320 when you're doing partnerships authenticity, there has to be some 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:29.240 authenticity to it. So UM, those conversations started a year 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:32.120 and a half, two years out. UM. We had no 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:34.000 idea the placement was going to be with The placement 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:37.080 ended up being Ryan Coogler did, but he didn't tell us, 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:39.720 which was great, Well, how do you navigate that part 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:42.560 of it? Because I can imagine a Ryan Coogler saying, oh, Brands, 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:45.240 that's this is a piece of art. So there's no 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.360 room for that. I will say that Ryan Coogler, who 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:54.240 is a massive, massive Marvel fan, UM happily UM wanted 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:57.000 to meet with Alexis folks Um when I came to 0:03:57.080 --> 0:03:59.160 him and he said, you know, I said, listen, there's 0:03:59.160 --> 0:04:01.800 certain placements are going to happen in this film. Auto 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:03.840 is one of them. I didn't have all the details, 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:06.880 and I said, I believe in this brand, Um, And 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:08.400 he said, you know what, bring him in. I want 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:10.160 to talk to them. I want to see the vehicle. 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:12.760 I want to see if it fits UM. And it was. 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:14.720 It was literally lightning in a bottle from the very 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:16.960 first moment he jumped on top of a million dollar 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:20.000 prototype car and took the position that we now know 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:22.760 and we see in film. Um. We had no idea 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.120 what he was doing, and he went, Yep, this feels right, 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:27.000 this is the one. And after talking to them and 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:29.880 getting a sense of their DNA and what they wanted 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:32.080 to do. UM, I think it was really impressed that 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:35.240 they wanted to start early out and build credibility and 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:39.000 a mythology with the character long before the film got here, 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:42.680 so that there was UM synergy and a built in audience. UM. 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:44.240 So he was he was on board right from the 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:46.760 get go. Well, I hear that, and it sounds like 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:50.440 what we call product integration is a big piece of 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:54.960 what partnerships is uh candidate is it more than that? 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:58.359 And Canada exist without that element? Do you have do 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:01.200 do deals where the product doesn't necessarily end up in 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:03.880 the movie. I would say we do more deals that 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:06.839 have no product placement. And I would say probably the 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:11.239 single biggest mistake that brands, unfortunately will make is thinking 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:14.680 that they have to be in the film. UM. And 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:19.920 and I get the attraction and when it's right, it's amazing. UM. 0:05:19.920 --> 0:05:23.080 When it's not, brands can be disappointed. I find it's 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:25.680 usually checking a box with some executives to say, hey, 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:28.240 I got us in the film, um, but really you 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:30.280 have to understand like, what is this, what is the purpose? 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:32.880 What is it serving? Right? Does it serve the storyline? 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:35.480 Is it part of the character's DNA to have this 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:38.400 product or to use or interact with this product? Then 0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:41.680 it makes sense. UM. But when we're looking at partnerships, 0:05:41.720 --> 0:05:44.400 we're going even beyond that. So I would say beyond 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:47.480 auto and tech categories, which you tend to find UM 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.560 integrated into films more more than not. UM. But there 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:52.240 are a lot of examples that aren't. One of the 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:55.280 biggest UM examples I have of of a campaign where 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.040 they just took controls to rid Us and Guardians of 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:02.760 the Galaxy. Um, they knew that music huge piece of 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:05.039 that movie, right was it knew the soundtrack was going 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:07.960 to be amazing UM, and they came up with a 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:12.280 creative way to put the soundtrack on the bag of doritos, 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:14.680 so literally, you could play the soundtrack off your bag 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:16.800 of Doritos. They put it on sale, It's sold out 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:19.839 in less than ten minutes on Amazon and was a 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:23.120 huge darling of the overall Guardians of the Galaxy campaign. 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:27.400 No placement. It's it's about creativity, It's about what is 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:29.719 making the property the I p. Why am I tying 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:31.800 into it? Is it because it's music? Isn't because of 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:34.760 the character, the storyline, what it represents. And I think 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.680 that's another beautiful thing with Marvel and the ways you 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:41.680 can play. When people come into deal with a Marvel 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:44.520 partnership or coming to deal with a Marvel film, there 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:47.240 are so many lovers. They come in because it's action adventure. 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:49.159 They come in because of the humor, They come in 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:51.839 because of the heartfelt story. They come in because they've 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:54.120 been a fan of the comic or the character for 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.120 you know, decades and they want to now see it 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:59.360 on the screen. So there are multiple entry points for 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:01.960 brands to be able to play, and that's that's great 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:04.839 for us, you know, to be able to carry that 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:08.000 storyline and to be able to market those things outside 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:10.840 of what maybe traditionally we need to do from a 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:14.120 film traditional film marketing perspective with TV spots and outdoor 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:16.080 and things like that. Well, that's the thing. There was 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:18.600 a day where you just as a marketer in the 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:22.480 studio system worried about your billboards and your thirty second spots. 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:27.200 I understand what partnership, what brands get out of partnerships 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.520 is what you as a studio get out of it 0:07:30.080 --> 0:07:34.600 or a content company is Lexis for instance, or some 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:38.000 other product allows you to reach an audience in a 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:42.640 way that the traditional marketing mix does not. And and 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:46.640 it's it's twofold. I mean brands, I mean Lexus got 0:07:46.640 --> 0:07:51.000 a heck of a lot out of that. Undoubtedly, Um, 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:54.320 we also got a lot from that partnership. So what 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.160 are the things that we get. We're able to reach 0:07:57.240 --> 0:08:00.440 audiences and fans in an unexpected way or in an 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:04.120 unexpected place, which adds to the tidal wave the aventization 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.600 of things. Um, I think that's the first. I can't 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:11.160 go buy a Cereal box, right, can't go buy media 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:14.920 in an Alexis dealership. So when we're when we're in 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:18.400 those places and we're popping up, it becomes a part 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:21.960 of fans daily's lives. That's incredibly valuable, not just for 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:24.840 the film, but it's incredibly valuable for the overall franchise. 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:27.320 The other thing that they bring to the table, every 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.480 every partner is different, you know. Um, they bring a 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:33.160 lot of media support, co branded media support, which is 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:36.959 extremely valuable. Um. They may support our premiers, they may 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:43.040 do experiential events, PR every single partner campaign. This high 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:45.920 level macro way to think of it is a mini 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:49.360 marketing plan. So you've got your traditional film marketing plan 0:08:49.880 --> 0:08:53.000 of all the traditional disciplines that are film marketing. And 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:59.040 then from a partnership perspective, every brand is doing media PR, digital, 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:03.440 the whole, the whole suitet um creative and so you've 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:06.720 got little amplifications and if you do it right, and 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.439 you're doing it to specific target audiences or to give 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:13.439 the campaign, help round out the campaign, Like the studio 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.440 may want to focus on humor and we're like, great, 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.800 we've got a Geico over here. Geico does the most 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:22.240 amazing creative humor spots. It'll round it out and like 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:26.120 seeded into pop culture and just help elevate everything. So 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.920 it's a very multifaceted mix. And from what I can 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:34.079 see also is it's not just about something that appears 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:37.320 in the movie or something that's immediately before the movie. 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:39.520 You kind of have to take a longer term view. Yep, 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:41.320 you do have to take a longer term view. And 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:44.520 I would say um in partnerships too, because you know, 0:09:45.920 --> 0:09:48.200 we want to make sure we hit those traditional windows, 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:51.040 the theatrical window, which partnerships tend to happen anywhere from 0:09:51.080 --> 0:09:53.800 six to eight weeks within that theatrical release, and then 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:56.480 again you replicate that same time frame in a home 0:09:56.600 --> 0:10:00.560 entertainment release. I think the art of partnership and helping 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:04.920 build and supporting franchises and those film windows is operating 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:06.880 in between. So what do I mean by that? It 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:09.600 could be doing a partnership with a video game UM 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.680 that has similar characters or digital content, but it also 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.560 may mean using that film I p out of window. 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:18.600 Good example of that was a partnership that we did 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:20.240 with Cope. They came and they wanted to do a 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:23.880 Super Bowl campaign that was long before we were launching 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:30.239 Captain America Civil War, And happily filmmakers and marketing executives 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:32.360 allowed me to take a risk, and I said, I 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:34.560 think this is going to help not just from a 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:37.960 franchise perspective, but it's actually gonna help seed some of 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:40.240 that excitement for what they're going to see in the 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:43.880 film later on UM And and it was a lightning 0:10:43.960 --> 0:10:46.400 rod and I it was huge for Coca Cola, was 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:50.080 huge for us. It electrified the fans because Hulk and 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:53.000 ant Man met for the first time. So that was 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:56.000 a huge conversation piece. So when when you're able to 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:59.200 remain authentic, add something new and do it out of window, 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:02.720 it's actually really really interesting um and and can help 0:11:03.000 --> 0:11:07.040 sort of lift not just those tentpole moments but overall franchise. 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:11.959 So as you pursue these partnership deals, what is the dynamic? 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:16.280 Are you outside the door of Doritos or Lexus or 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:19.040 the brands I would imagine Marvel must have a long 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:22.360 line of brands waiting outside wanting to get into these 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:25.920 movies and do other things. How do you sift? So? 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:30.880 I think, um, there are usual suspects brands that play 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:34.679 in this space um and and they are constantly they 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:38.640 see the value in in film entertainment partnerships. And so 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:40.600 there will be the usual suspects that you either go 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:42.240 to or that will be coming to you. That that 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:46.000 just you know, the regular you know meetings, annual meetings. 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:51.200 What I try to pride um ourselves on is you know, 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:52.920 and I'm gonna say it, we we we like to 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:58.240 do cool ships and sometimes that means unexpected brands um 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:01.959 things that have never done a film partnership before. That's 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:04.679 more important to me than going to the usual suspects, 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:06.520 even if they are knocking on my door or even 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:09.200 if I'm knocking on their door for other things. Um 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:13.280 it really I find that the things that the unexpected, 0:12:13.440 --> 0:12:15.520 like a Geico where you round it out, it's like 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:18.360 you didn't see that coming. Um, I think those things 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.560 are interesting. Going to a Google and and where they 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:24.000 want to create in world content and they want to 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:27.600 do it without any branding. That's cool, right, And the 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:31.040 fans are trying to decipher my god, is this what 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:33.160 is going on here? And who is putting this out 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.720 and how is this happening? Um? That creates a cultural 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:41.560 conversation and undertow that just slapping my logo on something 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:45.640 doesn't doesn't do any good. Um, package good partner that 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:49.600 has been in this space doing something unexpected. Right, So 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:51.520 they may be in this space, they may be usual suspect. 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:54.319 How do I push them into doing something different? Um? 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:56.240 This was they wanted to do. They wanted to be 0:12:56.320 --> 0:12:59.000 more immersive, and they said, we want to we want 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:01.319 people to be able to step into a character's world. 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:05.359 So they created VR mask for Black Panther Captain America. 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:08.880 Their sales went up fift Black Panther was off the 0:13:08.920 --> 0:13:11.520 shelves of walmartin less than a week. It was huge 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:15.600 because fans wanted a way to immerse themselves. More so, 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:18.679 for me, it's how do I get that immersion? How 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:21.160 do I get that How do I electrify the fan base? 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:24.040 And sometimes that means not dealing, um with some of 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:28.280 the usual suspects. How do you electrify within Marvel all 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:30.720 the way up to it, Kevin Fight, I'm curious, like 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:33.960 do they all think about partnerships or they're like, well, 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:38.199 that's Mendy's things, She'll come to us. It is a 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:41.480 collaborative effort. Um. You know, it will start with my 0:13:41.559 --> 0:13:45.240 team because that's what I'm tasked with doing at the company, 0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:48.120 and I will come to them with here's the way 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:51.560 I'm thinking about this movie. And it's critical for me 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:54.679 to be a partner with Kevin and Lewis Um and 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:58.920 whoever the executive producers, because I have to understand what 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:02.080 is their vision, what is happening with this character, what's 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.400 happening in the storyline, how are they feeling about it, 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:07.520 how's it going to come to life on screen? Um? 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:09.760 Are there things that they need support from from a 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:12.719 product placement or is there a story that they want 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:14.720 to tell, you know, and that I can do that 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:20.080 with brand so um collaborative from from that perspective, and 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:24.720 once I've had that genius brain dump from them um 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:27.560 and and know where they are intending to take it, 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:29.800 then I sit down and start to construct what that 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:32.240 looks like. Who can we go after? And it could 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:34.600 be specific brands, it could be categories, and it could 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.400 be target audiences um. And then I let it breathe, right, 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:39.080 I work with my team, We let it breathe, and 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:41.920 we come in and there's always the conversation like, who 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:45.040 haven't we thought of swing to the fences, what's the unexpected, 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:47.200 what's the oh my god, I didn't see that coming. 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:49.080 And then I go back to Kevin and Lewis and 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:52.080 Assad and Ricky and and talk to them collectively and 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:54.360 say here's what I'm thinking. They're like, go for it. Um. 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:56.480 And then from there, you know, once we have the 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:59.840 partners on board, some real work begins. And that's the 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.880 creative that that is the part that takes off. You know, UM. 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:05.960 When when you know we did the deal with Alexis, 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:08.240 when we did the deal with Torito's for guardians. They 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:09.440 didn't come to me and say, hey, I want to 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:10.920 do a partnership with you and I'm gonna put a 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:13.880 soundtrack on the music back. That stuff evolves, that stuff 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:16.160 comes out. That's when the magic happens. Is once you 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:20.120 get on board and out of way, filmmakers start to 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.280 weigh in. They can you know, hey, if we thought 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:24.880 about this, Um, it's real magic. It's it's a nice 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:29.520 collaborative effort. Is there a way that being inside the 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:33.760 Disney machinery helps what you do? You're able to perhaps 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.880 take the brand to more places because Disney has all 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:40.520 these touch points. Absolutely. Um. I think that's one of 0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:44.160 the things that we, you know, we've tried to accomplish. 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.760 I think we've done it well. Is one stop shopping. 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:51.080 So I'm your brand ambassador as you navigate on all 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:54.520 the Marvel touch points and and having um, you know, 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.960 the Walt Disney Company, um, you know in support of 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:00.920 Marvel and all the amazing things they're doing ing um 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.800 just makes it that much more um, you know, attractive 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:07.280 for brands because brands don't want to always just come 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:09.440 in in one moment. They're like, how can I have 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:12.080 a longer term relationship, how can I operate in between 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:15.920 those tentpole moments? And you know, having the support of 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:22.240 the Walt Disney Company, i e. Parks, Live Entertainment, television networks, 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.560 all of those things are able to were able to 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.000 amplify how a partner is able to come in the 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:29.960 door and and in the back end. That helps not 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.840 just the tentpole release, but it also helps the franchise overall. 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:35.840 So it's it's an amazing thing to have. I know, 0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:39.080 film is really the lions share of what you're doing, 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:42.840 But there's other kinds of Marvel. There's TV, there's digital. 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.240 Talk a bit about how that works in terms of 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:49.600 partnerships because I tend to think more of just movies, 0:16:49.640 --> 0:16:52.520 but it really isn't that simple. So when it comes 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.600 to two television shows, it depends on obviously where the 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:59.200 show is on network. Um, if it's if it's you know, 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:02.680 Agency SID, you know, I'll work very closely. Or if 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:05.679 it's Cloaken Dagger, I'll work very closely with my friends 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.400 over at the ABC, UM and free Form networks occasionally 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.640 you know, listen, they do what they do best. Um. 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:14.879 But knowing that from a Marvel perspective, we may have 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:17.160 a different lens, or we may have a different relationship. 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:20.080 You know, we have those big relationships with partnerships on 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.520 the film tip poles. They may come to me and say, hey, 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:25.680 how can we how can we work collectively together? UM. 0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:28.119 Usually it's for Verse Engineered actually on the on the 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:31.400 film side, we'll we'll try to add that UM level 0:17:31.480 --> 0:17:34.239 of synergy where we'll work across the aisles with all 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.280 those different teams. UM. But I would say if it's ABC, 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:41.280 that's how it works. Netflix. My friends at Netflix, I've 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:44.480 been working with them for two and a half years now, 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:48.280 UM to get them to to believe in the power 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:51.760 of partnerships. You know, they have come from UM. What 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:54.200 they've been doing has been amazing UM. And now I'm 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:58.400 happy to report that they're opening up UM their their 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:03.320 you know breath and their vision on partnership. So I'm 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:06.520 actually really excited to see where this will go. UM 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:11.200 remains TBD, but that's interesting. And those shows are a 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:15.320 different side of Marvel, right. It's very monomamano, very UM 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.680 vigilante Street based, a lot of grit, very adult UM. 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:21.679 So it's an interesting area to explore and there are 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:24.480 a lot of brands out there who need that, who 0:18:24.800 --> 0:18:27.879 need that type of content UM to be able to 0:18:27.920 --> 0:18:29.879 get whether it's a millennial or the gen z s 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:33.240 or what have you. So so Netflix change your heart 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:38.080 with partnerships is interesting because it prompts me to ask, 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:41.959 as you look at the growth of partnerships in the 0:18:42.080 --> 0:18:48.320 entertainment industry, beyond Marvel, beyond film, are we seeing more 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:54.280 acceptance from whether it's streaming services brands. Do partnerships become 0:18:54.600 --> 0:18:57.720 a more important part of just about any marketing mix 0:18:57.800 --> 0:19:02.399 out there? I think they have to be because they again, 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:06.360 you're reaching places that you can't go by, and you 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:12.240 are amplifying media right all the support levers that a 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:15.479 brand can bring UM, So it gets your get your 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:18.960 message out there in deeper ways and then the interaction 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:22.879 and the adventization that happens with fans. So yeah, I 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:26.000 think I think people are seeing that. I believe that 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:28.479 Netflix is starting to see the power of it. But 0:19:29.400 --> 0:19:32.160 compliments to them, and it's similar to our strategy has 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:33.840 to be right again, it has to go back to 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:36.200 it is it fit for the story or the character? 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:40.760 Is it authentic? Um, it's being judicious about it. Surely 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:44.679 you've had some moments in your otherwife Stellar career where 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:48.800 despite the best analysis in the world, this brand, this movie, 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:51.480 they're gonna be together, like where it just doesn't work. 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:53.840 I mean, have you had those? How do you deal? 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:58.240 How do you deal? Um? I'd love to say you duck, 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:03.000 tuck and roll, but that doesn't work. Um. I'm trying 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:05.639 to think of you know, listen, I think there's some 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:10.359 things where Um, I would use an example when I 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:15.360 was working on teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles, everybody expects what pizza, right, 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:17.880 so I had to go get a pizza partner. Uh. 0:20:17.880 --> 0:20:19.399 And I think there were a lot of things that 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:23.600 did work, and then there were a lot of missus right. Um, 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:25.600 And I think some of it was the things that 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:28.520 worked were when we stuck to what was authentic to 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:33.000 the Turtles. One of the biggest pieces of success within 0:20:33.200 --> 0:20:37.280 that that particular promotion was actually they recreated an actual 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:40.440 tank that throw pizza and it was amazing and you 0:20:40.520 --> 0:20:43.960 got to launch pizzas you know, at your at your villains. 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:47.119 That took off like lightning. It was just you know, 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:50.560 ground swell. Um. You know, I would say the TV 0:20:50.680 --> 0:20:53.040 spot was a bit of a miss right and so 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:55.600 I think, you know, there is always a delicate balance, 0:20:55.680 --> 0:20:58.600 you know, So that might be one that I would say, 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:01.719 But so far at Marvel, Come Wood, We've we've done. Okay, 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:05.320 that's great. Do you do you get a sense though 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:09.119 that in this day and age, particularly with regard to 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:13.280 Marvel's Bread and Butter, these movies, do you get the 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:16.080 sense that each of them has to come with, say, 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:21.879 multiple partnerships from different categories, And is there any issues 0:21:21.920 --> 0:21:25.920 there in terms of getting brands to coexist within say 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:29.960 one property. I would say, yeah, brands actually are getting 0:21:30.040 --> 0:21:32.880 very savvy about this space and what they don't want 0:21:32.880 --> 0:21:36.080 to do. And again, what we avoid at Marvel is 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:38.679