{"id":29555,"date":"2009-09-02T16:17:55","date_gmt":"2009-09-02T15:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.corporate-eye.com\/blog\/?p=29555"},"modified":"2009-09-02T16:17:55","modified_gmt":"2009-09-02T15:17:55","slug":"will-marvel-get-a-disney-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.corporate-eye.com\/main\/will-marvel-get-a-disney-makeover\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Marvel Get a Disney Makeover?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"spider-man-ride-universal\"This week, it was announced that Disney<\/a> is acquiring Marvel<\/a>.\u00a0 There are several reasons why Disney made a move to takeover Marvel when theme park attendance is down and incurring additional debt through an acquisition is viewed as risky.\u00a0 The most plausible reason has to do with capturing the male audience.<\/p>\n

While Disney has no problem capturing girls with its Princesses, Hannah Montana and High School Musical properties, boys have proven to be harder for the Disney brand to connect with.\u00a0 Pirates of the Caribbean and Cars helped, but getting a stronger hold on the male audience would certainly help Disney in the long run.\u00a0 At least where the Disney entertainment and merchandising executives are concerned.<\/p>\n

However, that’s not enough for Disney.\u00a0 The online buzz is also filled with speculation that Disney wants to add more female elements to the Marvel properties to broaden the existing audiences for those brands and products.\u00a0 I wonder how that will fly with the die-hard Marvel brand loyalists.<\/p>\n

As a branding professional, I’m more interested in this story with regard to how it will affect the long-standing Marvel brand.\u00a0 Disney has a way of purchasing business and brands and as AdWeek<\/a> describes it, “Disneyfying” them.\u00a0 I think that term is very accurate.\u00a0 Many brands that had freedom and flexibility to stay current, evolve, and change on the fly to meet consumer demand have found themselves ensconced in the bureaucracy of Disney after acquisition.\u00a0 Think of ESPN.<\/p>\n

So how can Marvel retain its cult brand, it’s cool to be a comic book geek, persona after Disney takes control?\u00a0 There is no doubt that Marvel will get a Disney makeover, so it will appeal more to the masses than a sub-culture.\u00a0 That’s the Disney way, and Disney executives have made no secret of the Disney brand extension strategy in past interviews — they flood the market with a hot brand or property until it’s saturated and then move onto the next one with nary a backward glance.<\/p>\n

What do you think?\u00a0 What will become of Marvel?<\/p>\n

And by the way, I wonder what this acquisition will mean for Walt Disney World’s local competitor — Universal Studios Orlando — and the various Marvel-themed attractions there, including Universal’s Spider-Man ride pictured above.\u00a0 We’ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n

Image: Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week, it was announced that Disney is acquiring Marvel.\u00a0 There are several reasons why Disney made a move to takeover Marvel when theme park attendance is down and incurring additional debt through an acquisition is viewed as risky.\u00a0 The most plausible reason has to do with capturing the male audience. While Disney has no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[2171,110,106,5885,5886,5887],"class_list":{"0":"post-29555","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-brand","7":"tag-brand-expansion","8":"tag-corporate-branding","9":"tag-disney","10":"tag-disney-marvel","11":"tag-marvel","12":"tag-marvel-brand","13":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nWill Marvel Get a Disney Makeover?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Disney acquires Marvel -- will Marvel be Disneyfied?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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