Elie Dekel

Twentieth Century Fox produces a constant flow of hit movies and TV series: The Simpsons, Family Guy, 24, Prison Break, Ice Age and Aliens, just to name a few. Elie Dekel recognizes that fans young and old form a strong connection with these properties and it is his job to extend the viewing experience across a vast array of consumer products, including interactive gaming, TV promotions, themed entertainment and publishing.

WS: The Simpsons is a huge brand. What is the licensing strategy for a property that has been around for more than 20 years?
DEKEL: There’s always been a need to ensure that if we’re doing a Simpsons product, first of all it has to be uniquely Simpsons. That forces a lot of our licensees to think beyond their traditional approach. The
other key differentiator here is that we co-develop our licensing business hand in hand with Gracie Films and with Matt Groening. The creators and producers of the show are intimately involved to a degree that I have never experienced in my career.
The end result of that collaboration is that we get content and product that is absolutely authentic to the voice of the property. The Simpsons is very much driven by its writing, and we work very hard to make sure that every product projects the attitude and fun of The Simpsons.
Last year we released an amazing Simpsons video game with Electronic Arts that created an interactive gaming experience of 18 different episodes. More recently, we did a promotional deal with Renault to sell cars, and we also opened up The Simpsons Ride at Universal’s theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood. We’ve been able to break records every time we’ve gone into one of these new areas because we’ve been patient, we’ve been methodical, and we have strived for that authenticity at every step.

WS: Family Guy is an edgier show. What have been some of the challenges licensing that?
DEKEL: Initially, the property was perceived as so edgy it was a potentially limiting factor. I’ll never forget a phone call I had about a year and a half ago with a buyer from Wal-Mart who had heard that
Family Guy T-shirts were selling well at a particular retailer and he wanted to carry some at Wal-Mart. Now that’s the most perfect call that I would ever want to get! A buyer from Wal-Mart saying, “We want your property!” But I said to him, “Have you ever seen the show, and has your management seen the show?” We then sent three episodes and said, “Make sure that you and your bosses have seen this show and are comfortable having these products in your stores because I don’t want a problem down the road.” Sure enough, they looked at it. They called me back and said, “We loved it; we laughed; we’ll take it.” So that’s been encouraging.
Although we initially perceived Family Guy as edgy, two things then happened that were really watershed moments. It became the number one show on college campuses, and the show went into syndication last fall in the U.S. and it became the absolute number one comedy in all of syndication. It beat Seinfeld, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond—iconic shows in the U.S. Then Coca-Cola did a major commercial that premiered during the Super Bowl. And around that same time, Subway did a promotion with us. That confluence of activity showed that brands are willing to be on the edge with us, and it’s [reduced] a lot of the concerns that we faced initially.

WS: How important is merchandising to maintaining the strength and awareness of a brand?
DEKEL: I would say it’s an essential part of keeping our fans engaged and one of the things that is interesting is the broad demographic that our properties serve. They are not just for kids and family, with titles like Ice Age or The Simpsons, but they include broader properties like Family Guy, which is decidedly older, Aliens vs. Predator, Prison Break and 24. 24 is a strong property for us in many markets, from a licensing perspective.
Our targets tend to hit many different age groups and segments of the market. So when we have a fan that is willing to commit to a purchase, it’s not just a child buying a toy and playing with it, it’s often times a teenager or college student buying a T-shirt that he is wearing as part of his lifestyle. We put great value on things like apparel, as they are walking brand ambassadors for our properties.
When we have the opportunity to get the properties integrated into people’s lifestyles and starting conversations amongst their peers, which they often do, it further enhances the connection of the property to a fan base. Merchandising is essential for
the fan base.