Jeff Gomez, CEO Starlight Runner Entertainment
Chasing the Story
By introducing story to Hot Wheels on various platforms, Starlight Runner helped Mattel’s Matchbox gross an additional $600 million. The imaginative comic books and trading cards added to their campaign created multiple ways for kids to participate in the excitement of racing. The brand persona grew over each of the various activities.
Now the collision of digital media and its consumption is further changing the way stories are told. “A rising tide of millennials, all consider themselves co-creators.” They're rejecting broadcasting and re-asserting 2-way dialog. Digital's increasingly participatory narrative adds to the story canon. Gaming audiences are accustomed to being in the brand experience and expect it.
“Keir Etsu, Drop Rivalries+Win-Japan's Ethos Post WWII”
Concurrently, valuation models where “the idea is guarded", rooted in scarcity thinking, conflicts with the open source culture of the social web. “Now, I show you what I do, how I do it AND give it to you for free. As an expert, I am a thought leader and I want you to be an expert too. I have a secret sauce in how I do it which is my point-of-difference, my way of doing it.”
At times, you may hold back to grow the story. Understanding the compelling power of story, Lucas held back rights to Star Wars. Starlight Runner held back in negotiation with Mattel to include girls. The right thing to do, yes, but it also ensured the widest possible audience when front-page female racers were coming up. Mattel figured it out, signed and got the added $600 million with new extensions.
Collision of Media - Translation to Multiple Platforms
When asked about the art of translating correctly to different platforms, Jeff said “It is the most difficult thing. Text for example is the most intimate message to a kid, if you do it wrong, you risk loosing them on all the other channels.” As in any other medium, story weakens when executed without regard to differences, i.e. Game, Facebook, Twitter, I-Pod, Text. Execution must play appropriately throughout. “When something cares about us, we care back.”
Around the table (right to left - not all pictured):
Gilbert Hammer, iptvevangelist.com
Jeff Gomez, starlightrunner.com
NeilGrossman, WhizBangPowWow.com
Bobby Manuel, MixedLabs.com
John Mathews, comscientgroup.com
Georgette Asherman, directeffects.net
Andy Sharpe, songdivision.com
LesGoldberg, bedandbreakfastnetny.com
Owen Brunette, SwarmPoint LLC,
Nathan L. Gallow, nlgallow@gmail
Linda Matljan, lamella@mac.com
Starlight Runner Entertainment, founded by Jeff Gomez and Mark Pensavalle, has packaged books, comics and graphic novels. They've developed videogames and alternate reality experiences for Disney, Hasbro and Fox while working on “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Tron Legacy,” “Transformers” and “Avatar,” as well as Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Factory”.
