Posted 27 November 2017 - 06:42 PM
Is Star Trek really like other franchises with extensive toy lines that make more money than the movies? Was it ever that and should it ever be that?
Even if it were brought back under one licence, theres still the small matter of making people WANT to fall in love with Star Trek enough for them to start collecting the merchandise.
Its not that I dont agree with you, I think the sooner Star Trek is whole again, the better. However, Id question whether or not its merchandising power can match that of Marvel, Star Wars, DC, TMNT, Transformers and other BIG tentpole franchises.
Star Trek isnt a franchise like any of the big brand names, its a TV franchise that has had moderate to down right awful success on the big screen compared to Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Transformers...
Merchandise for Star Trek, whether a complete franchise or segmented into CBS and Paramount, is not the driving force behind Star Treks success and has never been. This is perhaps why Discovery is doing so well and why streaming was the best place for it. Streaming is very popular among teens, young adults and people in their 30s plus and while more and more kids are watching shows like Voltron on Netflix, parents are still the ones subscribing and controlling their kids access to services like Netflix. Star Trek isnt a brand kids under the age of 17/18 really know anymore, those just turning 17, live in a world where Star Trek was never a big deal, barely on TV and only in the cinemas as something that only loosely resembled Star Treks driving message and cerebral tone. Since Enterprise and even before, Star Trek appealed to the older audience, today that hasnt changed, its just that now Star Trek, like Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, is now a show that is modern, contemporary and well written rather than spun off from a successful formula from the 80s/90s. Star Trek along with Stranger Things and GoT are all shows that dont have masses of merchandise to their name, why? Because no Mattel or Hasbro or Playmates will ever touch a licence that is fundamentally against their key demographic of kids aged between 2 - 12.
Star Trek, like James Bond, is a billion dollar franchise but not due to the success of merchandise. The fan base is made up of an older audience, the merchandise that seems to sell is collectible items such as the QMx items and the avanos replicas, the part works subscription from Eaglemoss... everything an adult collector would be interested in rather than a kid just looking for a cool toy.
Thats not to say kids dont like Star Trek and wouldnt buy Star Trek Toys, but its clear to me that Star Trek has more in common with James Bond than it does with Star Wars in terms of its business model.
Could Star Trek appeal to the younger market and become a real competitor in the toy aisles? Could there be a bigger Star Trek presence in mass market retail chains across the world? Absolutely, but that has to come from either Paramount or CBS in terms of the kind of production kids would find appealing; an animated TV series is perhaps an ideal way to introduce Star Trek to a new young generation. A family show, something Mum and Dad dont mind watching with their son or daughter. That though, does not rely on Viacom bringing the franchise back together again, that relies on either Bad Robot/Paramount making a decision to do an animated series set in the Kelvin Timeline or CBS deciding to partner with IDW or another animation studio and doing an animated show based on something more family friendly than Discovery.
Trek is in a good place right now. In an ideal place for a company like DST right now because Star Trek: Discoverys success plays into their wheel house by being a hit with an older audience. They are not in the toy game to sell toys to kids, they are in it to sell to older teens, nerds and geeks between 20 - 35 if not older like us, with Star Trek theyre perhaps working on things that theyll release at Toy Fair but I think where all this has gone wrong is with the 2009 movie, going back to Playmates and Hasbro rather than staying with Diamond Select for toys based on the Abrams 2009 movie. It also has a lot to do with the fact that Paramount seemed to feel very timid and cautious with Star Trek. I dont think for a moment, they had any idea how positive the reception to Star Trek Would be and so without a proper plan in place to enable Star Treks appeal with a younger audience to develop, they did... nothing.
Paramount Pictures perhaps should of been far quicker, far more ballsy with their Star Trek licence and really put pressure on CBS to agree with Abrams and them on a plan to make Trek a multi-platform franchise, ok not as radical a plan as Abrams had initially, but I think Paramount and CBS should of hammered out some kind of deal that would of then seen Star Trek become a franchise that could of held its own in the toy aisle with the likes of Marvel and Star Wars and WWE, and TMNT, Power Rangers and Transformers.
As I say; Star Trek though just isnt that franchise, it isnt like a Marvel or a Star Wars, it in general does not appeal to those who frequent toys r us; its James Bond in terms of its appeal and merchandising. At the very height of its popularity in the 90s, it was perhaps comparable to the success the Doctor Who brand has had over a number of years since that show was relaunched in terms of its merchandising and brand power among kids and adults but no, Trek isnt a franchise that relies on toy sales, at least not anymore and unless theres a new kids show coming out that appeals to both a brand new generation of younger people as well as keeps the fans entertained or at least something they feel they can watch with their kids, then like Game of Thrones, James Bond, Stranger Things and those kinds of properties, Star Trek will continue to be a successful franchise for the quality of its TV series rather than its merchandise.