comic-con 2014

Comic-con was last week, and as usual, we saw some truly wild and amazing things. Freaks, geeks, and fanatics of all ages from around the world joined together to celebrate their beloved, fictional characters. Brands also can’t help but love Comic-con, though fighting for space and attention from the crowd is becoming harder and harder. Comic-con has increased in size and attendance every year, yet the convention center has remained the exact same size. What we see now is bigger brands grabbing prime spaces and implementing larger displays with their billions to capture the audience. However, if you are a smaller brand, you may be wondering how to survive in such an environment of spectacle.This year, there was an immense increase in the amount of activities and promotions taking place outside of the convention center itself. The idea is in order for these smaller fish to compete with lesser budgets, they must create branded experiences in nearby places. For example, some brands bought out total restaurants for the weekend, providing guests with free, themed food and menus. X-box set up a lounge at the nearby Manchester Grand Hyatt where fans could play over 25 Xbox games on over 85 gaming stations.By offering attendees something they need outside of the convention (food, place to charge your phone, or even a break from the convention), they are able to reach an audience that is more than happy to engage.So.. is it worth it for these smaller brands to continue attending? Absolutely. After all, comic-con was established for the comics, not necessarily the bigger brands who have jumped on this prime opportunity to promote. As more of these smaller guys keep coming and establishing outside of the convention center, audience attention will shift more and more from the inside of the convention center walls, to the outside. After all, a lot of the brands on the outside are the ones many attendees came to see anyway. If there is one thing we gathered from the experience overall, it’s this: licensing is alive and well.