Integration

[Joe Moore]

Here are the things I am referring to that WB simply dropped the ball on. Please keep in mind, WB has a fantastic repertoire of subsidiaries at their disposal. Cartoon Network and DC Comics are both owned by Warner Bros. So please keep that info in mind when reading below.

1. Where's the promotion?
From the get go, Warner Bros. has taken the absolute bare bones promotion route for Thundercats. They had fairly small Con presences prior to the show airing and nearly non-existent ones after the show aired.

2. Allowed Cartoon Network to kill the show momentum
As stated above, Cartoon Network is owned by WB. So there's no excuses to allow them to dictate how the show airs. WB, if they so choose, has all the power there. Also, how could they allow two very extended hiatuses for a show that's still finding it's footing in the modern market?

3. Where are the licensees?
WB owns DC Comics. Let that sink in...They own one of the top 2 comic publishing companies in the world. Where in the hell is a Thundercats tie-in and/or classic comic? also, why have they not sought out the plethora of other licensees out there? Both modern and classic clothing should be in every major retailer. Where are the school supplies? Where the hell are the console video games and mobile apps?

4. Bandai
Bandai has proven to be the worst possible company to get this toy license. They've dicked around with the collectors style figures, put out some rather questionable sizes for the smaller modern era figures and have dropped the QC ball on more than 1 item. That is not even getting into them screwing up getting the toys into all the major retailers and the massive distribution problems they seem to be having right now.

5. Web Presence
The official WB Thundercats Facebook Page has a ton of fans. They have well over 1 million "likes". Yet the place is a barren waste land when it comes to WB using it. They have very little interaction with the fans there. They only spit out the same PR crap that I get in my emails (which have becomes much less frequent). Also, getting things in a timely manner is a joke from their PR department. They don't send out the clips and pics to everyone at once. They had different people sending them to different sites. Now they send the clips out like 14 hours before the episode airs...If at all. Since the show has come back, they have had clips for only 2 of the four episodes.

6. Advertising
Why are there no commercials for the toys during the airing of the episode? Why am I not seeing cartoons for the show during all their other shows that share a crossover audience? Why am I not seeing commercials at all on other networks? For comparison, I see Transformers: Prime cartoon commercials while watching Comedy Central, FX, etc.

7. Failed at getting the 80's fans
Thundercats is most recognizable by people who are currently in their 30's and 40's. The hardcore fans already where following the shows progress, looking for the toys and chatting it up daily. These are you guys (and you guys freakin' rock). However, the casual 80's fan. The ones who simply just remember that Thundercats existed, what they were and that they were awesome. These guys were never catered to. They never went out of their way to catch the attention of these guys. This ties into all of the things above such as Licensing, promotion, web presence, advertising, toys. They don't know or don't care because there is no comic, there is little to no apparel, no cool non-toy items (like school supplies, mouse pads, coffee mugs, etc.) and they aren't seeing the brand being pushed in any way.

Those are my issues with how WB has handled this. Some of these things can be fixed quickly, but building up a new head of steam is going to take a concerted effort on their part. You'll notice I didn't say anythign about the show itself. That's because, even though it has a few bumps here and there, the show is great. The hand drawn animation on display is some of the best on TV. It has fantastic voice acting and a diverse set of interesting characters. If given a few seasons to develop, the show has the potential to become something pretty special.