US collectors get more coupons from Hasbro... again

[kup]

I agree with everything that has been said. However (and I could be wrong) but didn't the movie licensing right earn them more money than what the toys did for all 3 TF movies?

(I was only going to rant this on my blog, but Hasbro are more likely to see it here)

Are you sure that they would see it? Why not a direct approach and modify this post into a formal letter to them?

[griffin]

However (and I could be wrong) but didn't the movie licensing right earn them more money than what the toys did for all 3 TF movies?

I wouldn't know figures, but I can't imagine it. I do know that they were selling about $20million a year in Australia on TF toys during the Movie years... so to beat that in licensing fees, they'd need to have over 2,000 different licensed companies (each license of about $10,000 allows for a range of items, not just per item). We'd be lucky to have 30 or 40 merchandise licenses out here in Australia. The main ones I can think of include JayJays (several items under one license), Popbox (about a hundred items, probably for a couple of licenses), Icehouse Press (one license), Funtastic I think (a couple licenses for costumes and stationary). I could look at the Merchandise sightings topic for other random items we've had in the last year, but that's the majority of non-toy stuff in this country for about 10 licenses.
Each one would be looking at a million dollar license, per year, to beat Hasbro's sales in recent years.

The movie made $37 million at the box office last year for DotM in Australia, compared to an estimated $20 million in toy sales... and I'd imagine licensing would be making up a distant third in this country, with the scarcity of items here.
But that was the point though - licensing shouldn't be an element of revenue for Toyline Brands... it should be an element of marketing and advertising. For a greater success of the Toy brand itself.

[5FDP]

It's because of this attitude that Hasbro AUS has towards the dedicated fans here in this country that I have cut-back spending on collecting new product almost to a point where I have stopped.

[Hursticon]

I agree with you entirely guys but do you see now Griffin why I've felt for quite sometime that Hasbro AU is purely a soulless distribution arm?

It has been clear for years that our local branch doesn't give two shakes of crap, it hasn't since the G1 days and that is almost 2 decades ago! ; you and the members of local fansites have done more to promote this brand than they have for many years and (No slight against you dude or any other owner/operator of an AU fansite) that is just pathetic on Hasbro's part.

It is very clear that the vast majority of Hasbro AU employees do not care at all about or take pride in their employer or their brands, they're hired to merely fill positions so that someone is at the warehouse to accept and distribute merchandise & pander to AU Retail who cares even less than they do ; Hasbro Corporate really needs to take a long hard look at the efforts and track record of the upper management of Hasbro AU and IMO seriously consider purging it or closing down the branch entirely.

IMO we'd get more of an effort and better distribution from Hasbro HK than this current mob, and this isn't just some silly diatribe rant from an Adult Child - The brand and company as a whole suffers majorly in this country (Possibly NZ too if one of our Kiwi mates would like to shed some light on their situation too maybe?) and it will not see any sort of growth or loyalty from customers into future if it is going to purely rely on the current batch of Major Retailers to promote it's wares -

"@HASBRO AU: Pull your bloody finger out!"

[GoktimusPrime]

You do get some employees at Hasbro AU who care, but then they're thwarted by the corporate structure and those from above.

It's like Hasbro punishes you (or at least provides massive disincentives) for trying to work with them as fans... there's greater incentive to just do things without their express knowledge or consent because then you don't have to go through all their obstacles.

Times like this I feel really mad... we've been loyal and avid collectors of Hasbro's Transformers brand for 28 years now. And how do they reward us for our unyielding loyalty? Well... they don't. This is NOT how you should be treating your long-term loyal customer base! We've stuck through Transformers through its best times and its worst times... and sometimes I feel like Hasbro just kicks us in the guts for all our trouble.

[kup]

Times like this I feel really mad... we've been loyal and avid collectors of Hasbro's Transformers brand for 28 years now. And how do they reward us for our unyielding loyalty? Well... they don't. This is NOT how you should be treating your long-term loyal customer base! We've stuck through Transformers through its best times and its worst times... and sometimes I feel like Hasbro just kicks us in the guts for all our trouble.

I have always been a believer that loyalty is a two way road. If only one side is loyal while the other is not then it falls more within the realm of exploitation. I don't want to be the fan version of an abused wife, constantly getting a slap in the face as a reward for my ever present care and support.

That is why I have no loyalty towards Hasbro - Why should I? They don't have any loyalty towards me as a customer, fan and unofficial promoter of their products.

I say that for any future convention/event/booth, we should borrow a page from 3rd party company practices and just create our own 'robots that transform' theme. As Hasbro said, don't ask, don't tell.