The Next Market
Postscript from New York Comic Con and, a Baby Boom
When you look at this recent edition of New York Comic Con, you would have to agree that it was a considerable success. Ticket sales were increased to 77 thousand over last year which clocked in at 60k. The amount of exhibit space was expanded for a fourth consecutive year and the amount of great programming was also increased. That’s quite a surprise to anyone who works outside the comics and graphic novels industry. Why then, when other conventions and conferences are struggling to bring vendors and an audience through the doors, did NYCC succeed? For Reed Exhibitions, it’s a business.
Lance Fensterman and his team at Reed have learned great lessons from each successive Comic Con and they have also studied other shows in the Comic Con universe to find which things work. It also doesn’t hurt that they do enjoy the world of pop culture and have managed to develop a business model that incorporates a crazy amount of work in an enjoyable atmosphere. With the success of NYCC breeds more opportunity and that has led to the announcement of an additional show on the schedule: Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. There must be something in this industry generating enough ticket sales for Reed to consider expanding the program.
The Next Market: What are you doing about it?
The day before NYCC opens its doors to the consumers (fans) there is a day of industry programming hosted by Milton Griepp of ICV2.Com. As you would assume there are discussion panels on various subjects which focus on current market conditions, sales and the great question: “Where do you see things in five years?” This generated some of the standard, predictable answers: “Consumers will get more content on the web” “Kids will be watching tv on line” “No one will be reading books”. No one really seemed to have seriously considered the thought.
At the end of the first two panels I volunteered to ask: “Where do you see your next market and what are you doing to reach them?” This was met with the same kind of market spin about “our current delivery and online products” or some such deal. There was a spark though and it came from Dave Roman at Nickelodeon who spoke about the way their fans are using avatars online to create new stories. He knows, and Nickelodeon does too, that allowing the creators to flourish also helps to build a future audience….and talent.
The Next Wave is on the way
A week or so back, my colleague, Janna Morishima asked me if I had heard anything about the baby boom we should be watching out for? “What boom?” I asked. In 2007 there were 4,315,000 births-the most in one year since 1957. According to an article from USA Today, this is the greatest increase in generations and emphasizes a steady increase in the average annual births since 2003. Look at the numbers closely and you will see some interesting trends which follow the Baby Boom years.
So this next market on the way now, what are you doing about it? It's a new generation of kids with new ideas of what this world will look like. As a publisher, how do you deliver the kind of books these kids will want to read? Yes, they will read books. As long as a parent or grandparent cares enough to read to these kids, there will be a need for books. Surely, there will be a wide variety of technology available, but when the batteries die or the computer crashes, the book will still deliver a story. The key is you will have to tell better stories. If you are in the comic book industry, you will have to remember what it was like to read comics as a kid and then, find stories that appeal to this next generation…and sell stories not collectible comic books.
How do you reach this next generation reader?
Personally, I think if you are over the age of 40 you probably don’t have as keen a direction as you think. This is especially true if you are surrounded by a staff who are your age or older. Go find that kid who is sketching away at her, or his, desk. They are in their early 20’s or younger and they haven’t been absorbed by the group mentality of your company, yet. Go younger if you have to and watch what kids are doing with their avatars in the online universe. If you don’t step outside your office and watch for the signs of things to come you will fade away as your core audience disappears.
Those kids from the birth class of 07 will be reaching elementary school soon: do you have anything ready yet?
John Shableski works for Diamond Book Distributors as a sales manager with a focus on the independent bookstore market, public and school libraries. He's been a moderator and panelist at Book Expo, Comic Con International, a moderator and symposium coordinator for library panels at the New York Comic Con, a guest speaker and panel moderator at events for the New York City Dept of Education and Fordham University. He has also been selected as a judge for the 2009 Eisner Awards. He is currently collaborating on several graphic novel symposiums across the country. He can be reached via email at shjohn@diamondbookdistributors.com
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