DC's MARKETING SHUFFLE CONTINUES

[MattBrady]

Their comics are seeing huge upswings in sales, and October was an especially good month for them, yet at DC, the Sales & Marketing Department continues to see changes and – some stability in one case.

Newsarama has learned that Nellie Kurtzman, who was announced in early September as having been hired as Director - Marketing has resigned from the company, shy of her four month anniversary with the company. Kurtzman is, of course, the daughter of the late Harvey Kurtzman. Upon speaking to Newsarama, Kurtzman said that she is taking a position with Hyperion Books for Children. Wednesday, November 23rd is her last day with DC.

DC began a reinvigoration of its Sales and Marketing departments in January, with the hiring of Stephanie Fierman as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing.

This seeming shuffle in DC’s Marketing office date back to June, when Bill Rosemann was named as Manager, Marketing Communications, who apparently replaced Patty Jeres, Director – Sales & Marketing Communications. Rosemann’s tenure as Manager lasted all of two weeks, as he returned to Creative Services at the company, leaving an opening in the Marketing side of things.

Since October 25th, DC has had a listing for a Publicity Manager posted at www.wbjobs.com . Additionally, Newsarama has learned that the position of Director of Marketing Communications, which DC was seeking to fill in late summer, was closed without a new hire, despite applicants being interviewed.

Adam Philips, Manager - Marketing Services remains in his position with the company, as does John Cunningham, whose hiring as VP – Marketing was announced at the same time as Kurtzman’s.

In a move showing some stability, Bob Wayne, VP – Sales, shared with retailers at last weekend’s RRP meeting that he agreed to an extension of his contract with the company, ensuring his presence in the Sales department for the foreseeable future. Well-respected by retailers, Wayne has been the driving force behind many of DC’s sales initiatives, including the overship program and DC's recently announced final order cutoff program, which will be similiar to the program in place by Marvel.

[Nathan Jewell]

Bill Rosemann.

Isn't he at DC somewhere already?

[Johnny Smith]

Originally posted by Nathan Jewell
Bill Rosemann.

Isn't he at DC somewhere already?

Yes, in Creative Services.

[GeorgeG]

The article says he's in Creative Services.

[Kolimar]

Good luck, guys.

[Nathan Jewell]

I cant believe I missted his name in the article. He was the first name I thought of for the position though. It wouldnt surprise me to find him as an EIC level position some years down the road.

[lex luthor]

Is it me, or is it everyone Stephanie Fierman hires either steps down or is fired a few months after their appointments? Looks like the classic scenario of the "old guard" vs the "new guard".

With the way things seems to be going at DC Fierman probably won't be there much longer.

[Trachman]

Oh, the fickle world of business. All I can say is I'm glad I'm not a part of it.

[brett]

Forget marketing the things, can't someone create a department that SHIPS these books on time?

You can't market the unreliable and DC is quickly losing credibility. I don't mind a book that's late a week or two here and there but when the span between issues has been so long that a reader can't even REMEMBER the story, there's no point in buying that new issue which is over 2 months late. As such, I've stopped buying the following titles:

Superman / Batman
Green Lantern
Supergirl


Sad because those books were good for a while but as stated before, if I such a long time has passed that I can't even remember what happened from one issue to the new, the book goes on my canned list.

For those who claim Marvel is no different, I wouldn't know. I don't buy Marvel Comics.

Anyone remember the days when DC actually printed ship dates in their next issue blurbs and not only met the date but said, 'It's a date!' Ah, the good old days, when comics were crafted by people working on two and three monthlies at a time and STILL met deadlines.

Sales were higher then, price was lower and if I recall, the marketing department was almost nonexistent, if at all.

So my question is... if sales were higher without the red tape of a 'corporate brand' marketing department, why bother?

Marketing Comics = Unnecessary

Get the dang things out on time and they'll sell themselves.

[Storminator]

Originally posted by brett
Anyone remember the days when DC actually printed ship dates in their next issue blurbs and not only met the date but said, 'It's a date!' Ah, the good old days, when comics were crafted by people working on two and three monthlies at a time and STILL met deadlines.

Sales were higher then, price was lower and if I recall, the marketing department was almost nonexistent, if at all.

So my question is... if sales were higher without the red tape of a 'corporate brand' marketing department, why bother?

Marketing Comics = Unnecessary

Get the dang things out on time and they'll sell themselves.

I don't think it's a big part of the problem. The main problem is circulation. I rather see a 1 or 2 month old book in newstands and in convience stores just to see them "sell themselves". This direct market only approach is what was hurting comics. Trends seems to say that it is finally working.

Then again, it's mostly my opinion.

[MHag]

...

[astronato]

Not to bust balls or anything but what is involved in marketing comics? Marketing to whom exactly? to people outside of the comic book shop? How do you market to new readers outside of the comic book store?

Today in the NY Post they gave away a free DC Kids Scooby Doo book. They did the same with a Batman comic when Batman Begins came out. Great Idea. Besides that I don't think I've seen one other example of marketing to anyone who doesn't already shop in a comic store or visit websites like Newsarama.

I'm not trying to be a dick. I'd really just like to know. It amazes me that DC and Marvel aren't better represented at newstands or why the books aren't sold in toy stores or given away with video games or even advertised in commercials on the Cartoon Network.

Please someone enlighten me. I want to see comics make a mainstream comeback.

[TRaik]

Originally posted by astronato
I'd really just like to know. It amazes me that DC and Marvel aren't better represented at newstands...

For one thing, the newsstand market has itself been shrinking over the past few decades; it's just a less significant venue nowadays, and that has to do as much with demographics and consumer purchasing preferences as anything else.

For another thing, comic books have developed so as to not be terribly profitable for a newsstand, so increasingly, newsstands have opted to sell other, more profitable items, be those traditional magazines or candy bars or bottled juices or whatever else.

...or why the books aren't sold in toy stores or given away with video games...

These are fair questions. To some extent, I suspect that one reason comic books per se aren't sold in toy stores more heavily is basically the same as above: comic books aren't in themselves terribly profitable items, so those stores opt to sell other things.

That doesn't mean that the comic book package might be tweaked to make something more attractive to these retailers, but that's a (slightly) different question.

...or even advertised in commercials on the Cartoon Network...

TV advertising costs money, and on an anything larger than a local ad buy level, costs lots of money. So much so that it's generally considered unlikely that TV advertising will sell enough extra three-dollar comic books to be worth the expense.

Which doesn't mean TV ads might not have a place in marketing, or that TV ads done on a local level (by a local comics store, for example) might be more feasible.

I want to see comics make a mainstream comeback.

Here's a counter-question for you. What's mainstream nowadays anyway? Lots of people have lots of different options for their entertainment and information. Some folks watch TV, some folks read books, some folks download audio (and video), some folks go to the theatre, some folks play videogames, etc., etc. But (probably) most folks don't do any single one of these things. So what's mainstream mean anyway, in these days of a well-fragmented, highly-individualized marketplace anyway?

Anyway, for those industry watchers who are looking at the comings and goings at DC's marketing department, stuff might be afoot again: the Time Warner website just listed an opening for a Marketing Director position. Dust off those resumes, guys and gals!

[AdamStrange3]

Originally posted by lex luthor
Is it me, or is it everyone Stephanie Fierman hires either steps down or is fired a few months after their appointments? Looks like the classic scenario of the "old guard" vs the "new guard".

With the way things seems to be going at DC Fierman probably won't be there much longer.

Is it me, or are you high? Fierman hasn't fired anyone, one person went crying back to book publishing ("comics are too haaaaaard!") and she ok'ed Wayne signing a new contract. Stop talking to Patty Jeres in your free time and expect Fierman to be around for years, according to folks inside DC.

[lex luthor]

Originally posted by AdamStrange3
Is it me, or are you high?

Why do you ask - - you holdin' ?

[TRaik]

Originally posted by lex luthor
Is it me, or is it everyone Stephanie Fierman hires either steps down or is fired a few months after their appointments? Looks like the classic scenario of the "old guard" vs the "new guard".

Well, at the same time that DC announced hiring Nellie Kurtzman, they also announced hiring John Cunningham as VP of Marketing (Kurtzman was to report to Cunningham,) who hasn't stepped down or been fired, so there's that.

Whatever Fierman's trying to accomplish, it pretty clear that she's trying to build a structure substantially different from what DC's had in the past. Whether or not that'll be ultimately successful (or ultimately prove to be a good idea) is something only time will tell, but until then, it's not really that surprising that there'll be some growing pains, of the staffing kind and probably others.

[MHag]

!

[MattBrady]

Folks...

If you're going to register to post, and then come in and passionately do so with a smidge too much insight, at least have the sense to leave the office and do it at a Starbucks, okay?

I'm not the only one who can see IPs here, knowwhutImean?

MattB

[Comic-Reader]

Originally posted by astronato
Not to bust balls or anything but what is involved in marketing comics? Marketing to whom exactly? to people outside of the comic book shop? How do you market to new readers outside of the comic book store?

Today in the NY Post they gave away a free DC Kids Scooby Doo book. They did the same with a Batman comic when Batman Begins came out. Great Idea. Besides that I don't think I've seen one other example of marketing to anyone who doesn't already shop in a comic store or visit websites like Newsarama.

I'm not trying to be a dick. I'd really just like to know. It amazes me that DC and Marvel aren't better represented at newstands or why the books aren't sold in toy stores or given away with video games or even advertised in commercials on the Cartoon Network.

Please someone enlighten me. I want to see comics make a mainstream comeback.

I don't work in comics, but in general, the Marketing department of a company takes on several different roles in a company. It's not just "advertising campaigns," as you might think.

They do create promotional material that you see in Previews as well as other material that is geared toward Diamond and the retailers.

However, they also get heavily involved with the pricing of comics. It's their decision how much, say, "52" will cost, not Dan DiDio's.

They also get involved with creating new formats such as the Prestige format and decide which comics will get published in what format.

Most likely, Marketing spearheaded the project of creating DC's new logo.

They also heavily affect storylines and the placing of comics on the schedule. It wasn't for nothing that Marvel Comics referred to "House of M" in their quarterly statements as their "Fall marketing push."

Hate all those foil/prismatic/variant covers of the 90s (and today)? Blame Marketing, not Quesada or DiDio.

Basically, a lot of the creation and packaging of the comic book as a "product" versus a "creative endeavor" falls to the Marketing department.