Ad campaigns, licensing key to toy firms' success<\/p>\n
By Lenah Susianty<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A banner at Si Kancil, a restaurant in southern
\nJakarta, reads, \"If your children know Mickey Mouse, why don't
\nthey don't know si kancil?\"<\/p>\n
Kancil (mouse deer) are often described in Indonesian fables
\nas the cleverest of all animals. There are songs and books on si
\nKancil, but even after being around for as long a Mickey Mouse,
\nsi Kancil is barely known. The imported Mickey Mouse and an
\near-less Japanese robot cat named Doraemon have won the hearts of
\nmany Indonesian children instead. Hundreds of items bear the face
\nand name of Mickey Mouse or Doraemon, but not si Kancil.<\/p>\n
The secret of Mickey's and Doraemon's success lies not only in
\nstrong advertising campaigns, but also in licensing.<\/p>\n
The Walt Disney Company, which is in charge of all products
\nrelated to the cartoon characters created by Walt Disney, granted
\nPT Gramedia the license to publish Disney comics 19 years ago.<\/p>\n
The comics made it easier for other Disney products to
\npenetrate the Indonesian market because children -- who are the
\nobvious target market -- as well adults have come to know the
\ncartoon characters.<\/p>\n
Doraemon went the opposite way. PT Elex Media Komputindo, a
\nsubsidiary of PT Gramedia, is a licensee of the Tokyo-based Shoga
\nKukan. It started publishing comic books and coloring books
\nfeaturing Doraemon only after the TV cartoon character became
\npopular on RCTI. The publication of Doraemon comic books then
\nstrengthened the position of the 22nd century cat in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We wanted the license to publish Doraemon comic books because
\nit is a famous cartoon character. Children know it, so the market
\nfor our books is obvious and guaranteed,\" said Retno Kristy
\nD.G.P., an editor at PT Elex Media Komputindo.<\/p>\n
PT Elex decided not to purchase licenses for other Doraemon
\nproducts because there is too much Doraemon stuff, like
\ninflatable toys, T-shirts and stationery, sold in Indonesia
\nwithout a license from Shoga Kukan.<\/p>\n
Walt Disney faces the same trouble. Every year about 40 cases
\nof piracy are brought to court by the Walt Disney Company.<\/p>\n
Piracy is listed as high in Indonesia and is one reason the
\nWalt Disney Company opened a branch here about a year ago. Being
\nin Indonesia enables the company to combat piracy and educate
\nIndonesians of the importance of licensing and copyrights.<\/p>\n
Disney's licensee<\/p>\n
There are 57 foreign and domestic companies licensed to
\nproduce and sell Disney apparel, accessories, toys, stationery
\nand food on the local market.<\/p>\n
Disney's cartoon characters are categorized in three groups,
\nthe classic ones like Snow White and Cinderella, the standard
\nones including Mickey Mouse and Goofy, and the movie characters
\nsuch as Aladdin, the Lion King and the Little Mermaid. There are
\n15,000 items produced worldwide based on these characters. In
\nIndonesia, only 200 to 300 types of products, mostly clothing,
\nhave been licensed.<\/p>\n
Licensing is clearly far from exhausted.<\/p>\n
\"There is still a big market for licensing, especially because
\nmany Indonesian companies want to grow quickly. Licensing could
\nbe the answer for them,\" said Hartojo Wignjowijoto, an economist
\nand president of Asia-Pacific Economic Consultancy Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"It is a pity because Indonesia has potential,\" added Iman
\nSolichin, marketing manager for Indonesia's Disney Consumer
\nProducts.<\/p>\n
\"Take melamite plates. They are plain, uninteresting single
\ncolor plates used mostly by children because they are
\nunbreakable,\" Solichin explained.<\/p>\n
\"Children aren't interested in them if they are decorated with
\nthe picture of a cat. To them, the cat is just a cat. If you put
\na picture of Mickey Mouse, the effect is different. Mickey is not
\nonly a mouse, but a personality. For children, these cartoon
\ncharacters are alive and the kid will want to use the plate,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Solichin added that cartoon characters are accepted by people
\nfrom any social class.<\/p>\n
\"If you wear a Mickey Mouse T-shirt, no one will say it's
\nexpensive. They will say it's funny. It's different if you wear
\nanother international brand-name T-shirt. There is no status
\nbehind it, every class can enjoy and appreciate these cartoon
\ncharacters,\" Solichin insisted.<\/p>\n
Licensing also facilitates producers in promoting and
\nmarketing their merchandise in and out of the country through
\ninternational networks. Some of Disney's licensees in Indonesia,
\nfor instance, manufacture their products here, export them abroad
\nand then re-import some of them.<\/p>\n
Retno said that advertising costs of licensed products are
\nlower because the image is already well-known.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have to finance big advertising campaigns because
\nthe Doraemon cartoon series has already made the character
\nfamiliar,\" Retno explained.<\/p>\n
\"Producers who buy licenses don't waste energy thinking up
\ndesigns because there are creative guidance books. You can
\nproduce almost anything,\" Solichin said.<\/p>\n
Short cut<\/p>\n
Hartojo believes companies looking for a short cut with few
\nrisks and a fixed market purchase licenses..<\/p>\n
\"Introducing and developing your own product takes time. Its
\nhard in the beginning and is a long process before consumers want
\nthe product,\" he said, adding that establishing products and not
\nrelying on licensing is more suitable for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"In the long-run, establishing our own products is better than
\ngetting a license, because we have many resources, including
\nlabor,\" Hartojo explained.<\/p>\n
Licensees are also heavily controlled in both management and
\nproduction systems by the original company.<\/p>\n
Disney's guide books provide producers with rules on choosing
\nthe right color for the dress of a cartoon character, its proper
\nsize, its proper facial expression and which products can be made
\nfor each character. For its 33rd animation film about an Indian
\ngirl, Pocahontas, to be distributed this year, Disney issued a
\nguide book telling producers which colors can be used for
\nPocahontas' dresses, face and lips. All the major characters in
\nthe movie are covered by the books. Designs for T-shirts, bed
\ncovers, towels and watches are also provided.<\/p>\n
Disney is very strict in maintaining the quality and image of
\nits products. One guide book states that all the characters must
\nbe properly depicted on all merchandise to maintain the proper
\nimage of the character. Bromides of all the characters have
\ntherefore been prepared by Disney's artists. Licensees are not
\nallowed to paint the pictures or faces of Disney's characters by
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
\"The licensee is very dependent. Once the contract is stopped,
\nthere's nothing they can do. If everyone preferred getting a
\nlicense, Indonesia will be weak because we would be dependent on
\ninternational companies,\" Hartojo asserted.<\/p>\n
This seems to be the trend in Indonesia though. Si kancil has
\nbecome more and more distant from the lives of Indonesians. Ask a
\nchild what si kancil looks like and be prepared to hear him say,
\n\"Who is si Kancil?\"<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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