Emerging Industry Overview: Mass Merchandising
Industry Snapshot
Mass merchandising, or tie-ins, which may have begun as a technique to bolster sales on occasion, has become a veritable industry in its own right. With advertising costs increasing, competition heating up, and markets peaking, companies turn to tie-ins--movie, television show, video game, recording artist, or sports star--to revitalize aging products and brands and to propel new ones. Going into the second decade of the new century, Disney and Warner Brothers were among the top tie-in campaign companies, releasing several blockbuster movies coupled with cross-promotions in the fast food, toy, apparel, and other...