Not everyone in The Grocer office this morning shared my enthusiasm for the news that Disney was expanding its empire with the $4bn acquisition of Lucasfilms.
What interest, they said, would this be to the typical reader of The Grocer who is surely more interested in Britvic and AG Barr getting back round the table, or AB InBev’s quarterly results.
Both very worthy stories and the bread of butter of what The Grocer does so well - but, I said, have a think about Disney’s presence in Britain’s supermarkets and then tell me what happens in the air-conditioned offices of Burbank, California, doesn’t matter to a shopkeeper in Cleethorpes.
In Britain’s supermarkets you’ll find Disney cakes produced by Finsbury Foods, Disney Chewy Bars (no pun intended) from Annabel Karmel and earlier this year Scotty Brand spuds linking up with Disney movie Brave - to name but a few products. And don’t even get me started on the toy or entertainment aisles - or the Disney store-within-a-store appearing in Asda.
This deal was big news for Britain’s grocers and food suppliers: it will bring with it many licensing opportunities, not least the start of a new trilogy of Star Wars movies in 2015. Any fmcg marketing department not considering the possibilities this deal will bring isn’t doing its job properly.
Disney is brilliant at unlocking the commercial potential of its brands and may well bring that to the other franchises it has acquired in the deal. Surely Indiana Jones can find a place on supermarket shelves in some form (How about a world foods brand for the really adventurous - microwaveable monkey brains, anyone?).
Some Lucasfilm movies might pose more of a challenge. If anyone can come up with a mainstream licensing opportunity around fantasy film Willow we’d love to hear it. And if you really want to push yourselves, find a place in the food and drink aisle for Tucker: The Man and his Dream.
No comments yet