"In saloons, in graduate seminars, in barber shops across the land, whenever particular people ask, who truly, are the giants of the twentieth century who defied reality as we know it three names loom: Freud, Einstein, Walt Disney" (Borland cited on Johnson; 1993). It seems crazy to compare the influence of the world’s most instantly recognised psychologist and scientist to a filmmaker. However, through film and television Walt Disney and the Disney Corporation has shaped popular culture and exerted influence over millions of children, teenagers and adults worldwide since the 1930s. Prior to 1993 over “two hundred-forty million people had seen a Disney movie, and 800 million people had read a Disney comic book or magazine” (Johnson;1993), imagine what that figure is now, post the huge box office hits of the late 90s and early 2000s. It is hard to believe that Disney would actively seek out a larger portion of the pie; but, that is exactly what they have done through clever cross-licensing deals with other corporations and organisations.
Disney made headlines world wide when they signed a cross-licensing deal with Major League Baseball in 2010 (Lefton, T; 2010). With global retail sales already exceeding 30 billion (US) per year, you are left wondering why Disney needs Major League Baseball (Lefton, T; 2010). The deal enables Disney to be promoted on sporting channels and their products to be sold in MLB parks and stores – once again increasing their reach. Cross – licensing deals are not a new and Disney has numerous cross-licensing arrangements; however, they are not the only organization to utalise this form of marketing. These deals enable Disney to reach larger audiences and further influence popular culture. Children are already saturated with images from Walt Disney. What is the effect of children seeing these popular characters and logos in different contexts? Does it reinforce messages from the movies?
Lefton, T. (March, 2010). Disney steps to the plate with MLB. Sports Business Journal Daily. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2010/03/20100329/This-Weeks-News/Disney-Steps-To-The-Plate-With-MLB.aspx
Johnson, P. (1993). Walt Disney and His Influence on the Mass Media. http://www.lib.niu.edu/1993/ihy930354.html
Additional articles related to cross-licensing:
Picking a powerhouse – choosing the best licensed merchandise for apparel stores.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n12_v34/ai_17206086/
Sporting good and entertainment – Cross-licensing for an effective retail strategy.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n11_v37/ai_n27536849/
Disney, MLB will mix marks under new cross-licensing deal
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