Tag Archives: retailers

Marvel Announces Retailer Support For The Point One Program

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Official Press Release

Marvel Announces Retailer Support For The Point One Program

The Point One program is a tremendous opportunity for both retailers and Marvel, and Marvel is proud to work with retailers to promote this unprecedented initiative. The Point One program offers readers the perfect starting point for new storylines spinning out of the new year. Self-contained and featuring some of Marvel’s greatest talent and characters, these Point One books will lay the groundwork for a whole year’s worth of storytelling.

Marvel is pleased to announce the rollout of retailer support items for the Point One Program starting in February. In an effort to maximize consumer awareness and sales, retailers will be able to order an assortment of free promotional items tied directly into the Point One program.

These items include:

  • Marvel Point One Bookmark – in stores 12/15/10
  • Marvel Point One Postcards – in stores 1/5/11
  • Marvel Point One Shelf talkers – in stores 2/2/11

Retailers: For more information on ordering additional items or how to qualify for the free promo items, please refer to the Marvel Mailer.  As a reminder, these are the upcoming Point One titles on sale Feb through April 2011:

FEBRUARY 2011
• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #654.1
• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #500.1
• WOLVERINE #5.1

MARCH 2011
• CAPTAIN AMERICA #615.1
• DEADPOOL #32.1
• HULK #30.1
• THOR #620.1
• UNCANNY X-FORCE #5.1

APRIL 2011
• AVENGERS #12.1
• SECRET AVENGERS #11.1
• UNCANNY X-MEN #534.1

Marvel Retail Resource Center

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In November we brought you news about you news about Marvel’s Retail Resource Center.  The service allows retailers to create websites advertising their business with some help and content provided by Marvel comics.  On Monday, Marvel announced the initial list of retailers to take advantage of the program.

As the site continues to grow, with new ways to communicate directly with Marvel on their way, retailers continue to rave about Marvel’s groundbreaking new service which includes web sites, First Looks at comics before they arrive in stores, marketing materials, updated ordering information and more!

You can go to the Marvel website to see the full list of retailers taking advantage of the program.

Marvel Lays Siege to Blackest Night

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To promote Blackest Night, DC offered Lantern rings with various comic books.  Stores could choose if they wanted to do a “buy a book get a ring” promotion or give away the rings separately.

Many retailers were left with a glut of unsold Blackest Night tie-in books sitting on their shelves.  Marvel has decided to take advantage of this glut of books by offering Deadpool Variants of March’s Siege #3 in exchange for the stripped covers of unsold Blackest Night tie-in issues from DC.

MARVEL OFFERS RETAILERS COMICS FOR COMICS

In an effort to provide assistance to comic retailers in 2010, Marvel is offering retailers an opportunity to turn unsold comics into an extremely rare Siege #3 Deadpool Variant!

Retailers – for every 50 stripped covers of the following comics sent to Marvel, you will qualify to receive one FREE Siege #3 Deadpool Variant.  The 50 stripped covers can be any combination of the comics listed below and all submissions need to be received at the Marvel office at the address below by Tuesday 2/16/2010.   Also included with the stripped covers must be your store contact information including Diamond Account # and email address.

Stripped Covers To Be Sent:
Adventure Comics #4
Booster Gold #26
Doom Patrol #4
Justice League Of America #39
Outsiders #24.
R.E.B.E.L.S #10

Address To Send Submission:
James Nausedas
Marvel Entertainment, LLC
417 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Information To Be Included With Submission:
Store Name
Store Address
Contact Person
Email Address
Phone Number
Diamond Account #
List of stripped covers being returned and their quantities

All the directions above must be adhered to in order to receive the free Siege #3 Deadpool Variants and the submissions must be received by Tuesday 2/16/2010 in order to qualify.

Please note that this is not a Diamond-affiliated promotion and Diamond should not be contacted. Retailers will be contacted via email once Marvel receives the submissions.  Retailer with further questions should contact helpme@marvel.com.

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics).  Marvel’s strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online.  For more information visit http://www.marvel.com.

It’s a great offer for retailers, as they can make a good amount of change on limited edition variants.  We’re left scratching out heads though as to what Marvel gets out of this, other than a hefty recycling bill.

Marvel Online as a Platform

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Marvel comics has been a leader when it comes to new media and having an online presence.  In December we’ll be giving a full breakdown grading each publisher in their online operations, a new yearly tradition.  However, we’ve decided to spotlight something a little early, Marvel Comics’ Retailer Resource Center.

Marvel is pleased to announce that retailers are now able to participate in the MARVEL RETAILER RESOURCE CENTER- an invaluable tool to help retailers make use of all of the information, artwork, and previews that is at their disposal. This innovative tool offers tremendous benefits to local retailers and fans. The MARVEL RETAILER RESOURCE CENTER enables retailers to create websites for their stores with up-to-the-minute news, artwork, catalog listings and changes, as well as maps and local happenings. Ask your retailer if they have signed up for the MARVEL RETAILER RESOURCE CENTER and tell them Marvel sent you!

The service is a pay service that allows comic book retailers create websites with some content provided by Marvel.  These websites include features of the store’s choosing, creating a platform for an easy web presence.

These websites are equipped with Google Maps, store images, events calendars, complete Marvel product listings (updating by Marvel, not the retailer, saving hours of labor each week) product listings for all other companies,” David Gabriel said. “Plus, we provide printable on-sale lists of all our comics and collections, so a store’s customers can click a button and print out a checklist of all the books on sale that week.”

The resource center helps stores with early previews to help better manage their orders, promotional tools such as flyers and early art, and an easier way to interact with Marvel staff.  Will retailers pay Marvel for a website, when there are much cheaper and more flex able options available?

Most retailers we’ve spoken to do not want to pay the monthly fee,” Gabriel explained. “However, when we did the individual math and consider the cost to maintain and create a website, add in the First Looks program that most retailers were a part of and then throw in the slew of free books, exclusive variants and special members only sales, the retailers that participate are definitely coming out ahead. I liken this to paying your monthly basic cable bill and then being reimbursed for watching certain programs each month.

Retailers can check out the service and a video tutorial at http://www.marvelretailers.com/.  While we here at Graphic Policy applaud Marvel for providing this platform we have to wonder why Diamond Distributors hasn’t ventured into this territory?  Stay tuned for a further article about the platform Diamond should provide to their clients and the comic book industry.

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