Cartoon Network banks on nostalgia to drive merchandise operations

CN was the first dedicated kids' animation channel in the country, entering the market in 1995

Turner International’s flagship kids’ brand Cartoon Network (CN) is ramping up its licensing and merchandising (L&M) segment in India this year. The network plans to expand the basket of cartoon brands in its merchandise portfolio and increase its presence in tier-II and III towns by leveraging the growing clout of online marketplaces. 

CN already has a presence in the country’s L&M market with characters from Looney Toons (Bugs Bunny etc), The Yogi Bear Show, Scooby Doo and The Flintstones. Now it plans to bring its old shows, popular during the 1990s, into play turning characters from Powerpuff Girls, Flintstones, Johnny Bravo and others into a range of licensed merchandise. The network has already tied up with various partners online and for physical retail. 

Cartoon Network was the first dedicated kids’ animation channel in the country, entering the market in 1995 and these shows were among its initial big hits. The network has since revamped its programming line-up, introducing local content like Roll No 21 and new international shows like Ben 10 and Dragon Ball Z. However, market research conducted by the network showed that the old programming still has high recall among young adults. 

Anand Singh, senior director , Cartoon Network Enterprises, South Asia, Turner International India says, “When we went out and asked young adults, college students, business school attendees and young employees, we realised that the nostalgia factor attached to these characters is immense. They grew up on these characters.” Research showed that many adults, who were at the start of their careers or a few years into it and hence had the purchasing power, were more open to cartoon merchandise. “It’s a throwback to their childhood. More importantly, they don’t mind wearing graphic T-shirts. We are calling this the Cartoon Network Retro line,” Singh adds.

The merchandise will include products across categories and price points, starting at Rs 49 for badges which are a popular accessory among college students. The other categories include clothes, stationery, mobile covers and bags. Through its association with online shopping portal The Souled Store, merchandised tee-shirts and mobile covers are already available but a more extensive portfolio will be launched soon.

The network is looking at creating a special line of apparel for women. “Until now, the female audience has been very under-served in the licensed merchandising segment. We plan to have exclusive products for the female TG in this line. We’ll be using the Powerpuff Girls property for this. From T-shirts to dresses to even designer wear, we plan to make more stuff available to the female audience. We have tied up with Myntra for an exclusive range of clothing for women and are in talks with some designers for more premium options,” Singh adds. 

The network clearly understands that the spending capacity of young adult women is on the rise, and wants to capitalise on the same. Singh adds that while the Cartoon Network Retro range will have the Powepuff Girls anchoring women’s wear, Turner will be using the Wonder Woman property (from its sister studio Warner Bros.) as well. 

The emergence of e-commerce has given Turner the confidence to go aggressive. Singh reveals that in the past five years, the contribution of e-commerce to the total sales on L&M for Turner has grown immensely, with this calendar year expected to touch 35 per cent. “E-commerce opened up the market for licensed merchandise from the top 10 to 15 cities to tier-II and even III cities. We’re seeing tremendous growth from that segment,” Singh says. 

While ease of shopping and reach are among the big attractions of e-commerce, the online medium also offers brands better retail display avenues. Singh elaborates: “In the west, licensed merchandise display is character led. So when you enter the store, all the Batman stuff will be together. This helps the consumer by putting everything from a character in one place. What it also does, is increases the chance of impulse buying. However, in India, the display is category led, and so, you’ll have all bags in one corner. Different characters and it creates a clutter. On e-commerce however, customised pages makes shopping for merchandise easier.” 

The network has also tied up with The Souled Store, Teestory and Myntra, among others for retailing its merchandise.  With an online and offline thrust, Turner is hoping to give its old toons a new life.