What is a Mega Entertainment Franchise? Part II
In the last post I shared the first 5 foundational elements of Mega Entertainment Franchises, and today we will discuss the remaining 5 that make up the top ten elements of today’s most successful entertainment franchises.
#6 Embrace the Fans. Consumers need to be able to connect with each other and discuss their experiences to build the connective tissue for the intellectual property. I also like the concept of giving some ownership over to the fans so they feel as though they are a part of the world.
I will never forget my days at Star Trek conventions, that was next level for me and incredibly eye opening into the world of fandom. From meeting Buzz Aldrin to trying to converse with a fan in Klingon (I failed miserably), you can’t help but walk away from the experience appreciating why so many fans think the Star Trek world is real, is our future. That experience taught me about the important role fans play in intellectual property development, which became central to all my work from that point forward. Successful franchises recognize their fans and play into their knowledge of the IP with subtle content nods, easter eggs, that only the most avid fans would understand. This inclusion is essential to fan appreciation, and global property growth and true to the belief that fans build franchises. Embracing, listening and including fans is part of the magic to building a long-term evergreen franchise. Ideally you want to intrigue and pull fans into an intellectual property versus push your property on them.
(By the way this is not me in the photo to the left!)
#7 Have a cohesive intellectual property architecture. It is vital to map all aspects of the IP, such as the storylines, character backstories and the world evolution, to ensure the property’s universe holds true from all angles. I truly bow down to the Star Wars and Marvel teams who keep everything sorted, because it's vital to fandom.
Make it stand out
When I was at Netflix we did a deep dive into the Stranger Things fan phenomenon, and it was enlightening to understand that the open endedness of Matt & Ross Duffer’s storytelling is one of the biggest focuses for fans. Speculating the why or the who or the conspiracy theories about certain events in a season … open ended mysteries, not giving all the answers, is simply a wonderful part of Stranger Things DNA.
Whether you gradually unveil all the details or intentionally withhold them, it takes diligence to plot and track all the story, world and character developments across all mediums and ensure all divisions work cohesively so fans can believe.
#8 Billions in Revenue - It is safe to say revenue of these evergreen IPs is in the billions, while other long-term properties have revenue in the 100s of millions. Yes, I think it's fair to say that evergreens are more of a unicorn but having collaborated on a few unicorns there are lessons to be learnt, especially in today’s ultra connected world where you can lean into fan engagement and digital experiences to accelerate growth, and ultimately revenue to create a new unicorn.
#9 Innovation Propels Franchises. There are several intellectual properties that created seismic shifts in the entertainment landscape to create cultural phenomenons. These evolutions created an experience that made an emotional and lasting impression on fans. Here are a few examples. Star Wars was the first film to use surround sound to truly create an immersive sensorial experience, along with lightsabers and other incredibly imaginative VFX. Star Trek captured the hearts of fans because of Gene Rodenberry’s desire to craft a story about a hopeful multicultural future filled with space travel and new worlds. Jurassic Park pioneered computer generated (CG) world and creatures so we felt the intensity, the threat of the dinosaurs and the island.
Spiderman pushed the boundaries with the first all digital human (face & costume), that you didn’t even realize was actually CG, along with insane VFX.
And, also the heartwarming Toy Story that was equally impactful being the first film entirely computer-generated. All these properties offered new ideology and enhanced experiences that blew our minds to create an indelible mark on the entertainment world and their fans.
#10 Lightning in a Bottle. Beyond technological advancements that help us suspend disbelief there is something to be said for the “right time & right content.” Signature to every property is their message to the world, and sometimes the stars align in such a manner that a property becomes exactly what our culture needs at a specific time in our world, generationally defining entertainment. A few very different but equally indelible examples are Mickey Mouse’s optimism and happiness in a post-war era, and Black Panther, the first black superhero on screen, at a time when the lack of representation was beyond overdue for all citizens of the world. Sometimes it can be as simple as a confluence of events that strikes a chord so strong that the IP becomes part of our very fabric, as if the entertainment answered our cultural call.
Our goal is to explore and discuss the DNA of iconic intellectual properties that truly strike an emotional chord with consumers in such a profound way that they become part of their life, and their affinity for the IP lasts throughout all their life stages … or as we like to say birth to grave!
These are my thoughts on the top ten facets of these crown jewels. I’m not saying all mega entertainment franchises have all ten but they are probably working towards mastering the majority of them. I’d love to know what you think is vital to an evergreen entertainment franchise?
Join us on our journey as we discuss and learn from some of the greatest intellectual properties of our time.
Suzie Domnick is a dynamic and well-respected entertainment executive who has held leadership positions at Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and most recently Netflix, where she led Global Franchise Development for the streamer.
She has been a key player in launching and developing some of today's most globally successful entertainment franchises, including Harry Potter, Stranger Things, Star Trek and Super Girl.
In 2020 Suzie opened her production and intellectual property development company, Very Big World Entertainment, to focus on family co-viewing content development, especially for the underserved demographic of girls 10-15 years old.
Suzie is exceptionally skilled at identifying entertainment with franchise potential at the script, comic or book stage, articulating how those properties uniquely connect with consumers, and leading the strategic and creative development to transform those ideas into global franchises that resonate with fans over the long term.
