Angry Birds has pigs as enemies, but is a total cash cow for developer Rovio. The Finnish company is pushing the brand beyond the mobile realm, planning a cookbook and educational books using the iconic bird and pigs.
“Right now it’s up to us, with basic brand management, to keep the brand alive, keep it cool and delight our fans with new things,” says Wibe Wagemans, a Rovio branding executive.
Rovio also recently hired David Maisel, the former chairman of Marvel Studios, to advise them on a potential film, and is currently talking to potential writers, directors and financing partners on the project. With 120 million active monthly users, the potential for other entertainment offerings is significant.
“The vast numbers, diversity and global reach of the installed base of people playing the games are bigger than anything I’ve seen in terms of branded intellectual property for a film,” said Maisel.
Other mobile companies are getting in on the act, with Outfit7 recently signing a deal with the William Morris Endeavor Entertainment talent agency to expand the Talking Friends series into film, television and books. They also signed an agreement with Beanstalk Group to handle licensing for toys, clothing and books for later this year.
Rovio has the advantage of tapping into its mobile client base to promote its other ventures. They’re currently running ads for the cookbook and will likely do something similar if a film ever gets made. “We can talk to customers, something I could never do in film, said Maisel.
Source: WSJ.com
