Danny Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 OK my "open plea" thread has gone off on a very interesting tangent. It's all very well me, "Keeper of the Minimate Flame" , saying to you hardcore guys to keep buying Marvel. Of course you will. You're all as mad about the line as I am. I'm preaching to the converted. But what ideas do we have to intice the mass market? How would we package/market Minimates to sell in target, or TRU, or Walmart? How would we make people interested and aware of Minimates? Put your ideas up here, should make for an absorbing discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazing.JL Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Not sure, but they have been lacking TV commercials. Variety has also been lacking in mass market lines or too many of the same repackaged minimates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fujis Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I'm stumped that these things don't sell themselves! This was suggested by someone else on the AA forum but I think a build-a-figure concept like the Marvel Legends line would help. Imagine if buying a whole set would get you a 3" Giant Man or a 3" Apocalypse? It would encourage people to buy entire waves at a time which would increase the companies profits and should therefore help the line to continue. Or help Digger, Adam, and Donna buy bigger houses and retire... I know that DST has said that they weren't interested in this but isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Also, a more diverse array of characters might bring in some more casual buyers which could lead to more fanatics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke314pi Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I think they should focus more on the fact that minimates split into little parts. They could have a wolverine minimate (sorry, I know.. I know...) with two different heads, and three different costumes all in one package. Kids love toys with parts they can switch around. Also, on the AA board, I remember someone mentioning each face having two faces, one on each side that you could flip around. That would also be a big draw at mass market, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fujis Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I think they should focus more on the fact that minimates split into little parts. They could have a wolverine minimate (sorry, I know.. I know...) with two different heads, and three different costumes all in one package. Kids love toys with parts they can switch around. That is a great idea, Luke! Can you imagine getting a set with Spider-Man and all of his costume variations? That would be sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted June 16, 2006 Author Share Posted June 16, 2006 So basically Luke's idea is to stop Minimates and just sell Palz!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fujis Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 And I guess mine is to stop selling Minmiates and focus on Legends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I don't think there have been enough Spider-Man and Wolverine. I mean 11 waves out so far and only 8 or 9 different versions Spider-Man (not counting Silver, Gold, or Santa) and 7 Wolverines (this was a quick count off the top of my head, the numbers may be off by 1 or 2). Come on, we all know that they are the only Marvel characters that sell anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBT! Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I actually think it's about HOW they are sold as much as what is selling, I think the reasons they have failed so far are more to do with a lack of brand recognition, not so 'big store display' friendly packaging and poor product placement in store. I've already said that I think the they dhould go back to peg type packaging, when I've seen minimates in Target or TRU there is one or two little cases on the shelf the boxes are just not eye catching. T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanester Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 my 2 cents.. Blister packaging so the consumer sees what they are getting. Seriously, this is a sales killer. I see it on the faces of the kids I give these things too all the time. Accessories, vehicles. I know contract specifications forbid certain items, but it would help build the line. More mass market exposure. Also, get them in as premiums for stuff and watch them take off. Could you imagine getting the free by mail with 2 proofs of purchase off the box of Fruit Loops! Long shot, but an idea none-the-less. Package them with a comic maybe? Lastly, don't take so long before introducing a new wave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fujis Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Also, get them in as premiums for stuff and watch them take off. Could you imagine getting the free by mail with 2 proofs of purchase off the box of Fruit Loops! Long shot, but an idea none-the-less. I remember asking about cross promotions in the AskDSTChuck feature and he said they weren't interested in that. I think that would be a fantastic move myself... I see it on the faces of the kids I give these things too all the time. Hopefully not while dressed as a clown inside a van with no windows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenian Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I'm new to the whole Minimate collecting thing. Currently I only have 4 packs, 2 of which were purchased on eBay and 2 from the mass market. But that still means I have 1 Thing, 3 Cyclops and 3 Wolverine figures. What would help the most seeling them in the mass market would be actually HAVING them in stores. I've been to a walmart, a Kmart, 2 TRUs and 2 targets. Only the targets actually had any minimates. One had 2 copies of Darktide the ohter had Darktide and 3 2 packs (1 Ultimate Wolverine/Ultimate Cyclops and 2 Hulk/Thing). I really think packaging more than 2 in a set would be nice. Maybe 4 packs, maybe with the transparent window. Accessories of some sort would be cool. Alternate hands, heads, costume parts, weapons etc would be nice. As long as they don't go too exterme (BBQ Iron Man with Weber Grill!). Vehicles as I understand it are out, but what about playsets? Spiderman with a section of wall he climbs (could make it out of C3 style blocks). Tony Stark/Iron Man with a lab table/armor repair bay. Or even larger sets like a danger room with some Xmen (hey everyone needs more Logan and Cyclops mates). An armored car witha villian robbing it and a hero to fight them would be cool. Oh well I'm a newbie so take it for what it's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickyroma Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I think they should focus more on the fact that minimates split into little parts. They could have a wolverine minimate (sorry, I know.. I know...) with two different heads, and three different costumes all in one package. Kids love toys with parts they can switch around. That is a great idea, Luke! Can you imagine getting a set with Spider-Man and all of his costume variations? That would be sweet! That would work except for the fact that recent Minimate parts become loose once you exchange them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyc Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I offer two conflicting suggestions, blister packs vs. blind packs Blister packs as Shanester pointed out allow people to see the toy. It's one thing to see a picture of toy, but does the Big Mac you get look like the one on the signs really? Blind packs would be an artifical way to bump up sales and hopefully inspire "gota catch'em all" collector mentality, even if collectors like us would bleed from our ears in reaction. But main stumbling block is that DST isn't really a mass-market toy producer, at least not in the way Hasbro or Toybiz are, so even for non-limited/exclusive items like Minimates production runs are dwarfed by mass-market like Marvel Legends. Minimates will never be mass-market if there aren't produced in mass-market numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBT! Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Hey Tenian, Welcome to the board We actually value our newbie posts and suggestions as we tend to get settled in our ways and like to hear fresh opinions I'd say you're pretty accurate with the store thing, I am always dissapointed when I see mates in 'the big chains' as the always seem swamped by everything else and never stand out. Maybe larger packs are the way to go, maybe they need to look at blind boxed single figures with the candy at the checkouts.. as impulse buys to get the kids hooked. The whole thing is a bit of a mystery for us, we love and support the line but are a small minority when it comes to mass market, we tow the line and buy at least one (sometimes cases) of everything but somehow we need to get people who have no idea they exist on board. I think they need to talk to some kids, I know it sounds kinda daft but ask their target age group what they would want.... It's all well a bunch of grownups making what they want and assuming as they are toys that kids will but into it but maybe we're missing some spark that makes them 'cool' to kids. Just some more of my thoughts, i'm a 2 week here newbie T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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