Sideshow Marketing

[LordAzrael]

I'm currently doing an MBA and as part of the Marketing subject we have to pick a company and do a "marketing audit" on them - and I persuaded my company to do Sideshow Collectibles.

Its turning out pretty interesting - it appears that SSC became what it is right at the height of the dot com so I can only guess they decided to get some of that dotcom cash for themselves.

Anyway we're prohibited from contact the company directly - so I thought the Freaks board might be a good place to gather some information.

I'm really after info as to how SSC markets its products - basically just post here how you found out about SSC.

As far as I'm aware they market largely via word of mouth rather than advertising per se - but if you've seen a SSC banner on a site - post about it here.

I'll start and say I found Sideshow through a banner on www.darkhorizons.com. the banner isn't there anymore so I assume it was a paid ad rather than the affiliate program.

So tell me - where have you seen Sideshow advertised ?

 

[Darth Loki]

I first heard about them watching G4. They were at SDCC in '05 when they announced the SW PF figures. I thought they looked cool but it wasn't until SS was on the set and I saw the Maul bust and the X-Men VS Sentinel Exclusive that I was instantly hooked. Went to the sight, and I've been broke ever since.

 

[The ill Jedi]

I first discovered SSC on a trip to the Comic Shop a few years ago, I was looking around and I spotted their 12" figures. I immediately went online and bought a Nightmare on Elm St. Freddy (my first figure) and have been hooked ever since.

 

[Seaward]

I don't know if this helps, but I've seen the banners on Aint-it-Cool, Rebelscum, www.thegd.com, Toynewsi, action-figure.com. I first heard about Sideshow products through my local comic store. cool project idea!

 

[The Josh]

I found out about SS by googling statues for the LOTR Movies and it sent me to SS site. Found what I wanted and then started on my path to message board nuttiness. I have affiliate banners on my site leading to SS as do many others so that's how SS markets stuff as well.

 

[KrisSolo]

First heard of them when I bought The Fellowship Extended Edition boxset.

 

[Beren]

First heard of them when I bought The Fellowship Extended Edition boxset.

Fellowship or Two Towers? Myself, I first heard of them through the Gollum bonus disc on TTT EE.

Beren

 

[darthviper107]

Rebelscum, they were talking about the figures. But I first heard of them from Celebration 3 where they had General Grievous, I saw pictures of it on the Star Wars website.

 

[lcummins]

Try some of these sites for info...

https://www.business.ml.com/BCPublic/Retirement/Resources/CaseStudies/CaseStudy20050507SideshowCollectibles.htm

https://www.hoovers.com/sideshow/--ID__132469--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml

https://biz.yahoo.com/ic/132/132469.html

https://www.fs.ml.com/publish/enclosures/files/12-04/208202PM-1204.pdf

https://www.spinaltapfan.com/articles/matfalls.html

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Baby+boomers+driving+retro+renaissance+in+replicas-a0143523382

https://db2.networkssupport.com/21stcenturyradio/tree/guest.asp?ID=1157

https://db2.networkssupport.com/21stcenturyradio/tree/guest.asp?ID=1323

https://db2.networkssupport.com/21stcenturyradio/tree/guest.asp?ID=1413

https://www.blisshouse.com/Press_2003.htm

That should help get you started...

 

[Buttmunch]

I first found out about them when I found the first 12" Frankenstein at ToysRUs of all places. Been collecting ever since. They are obviously no longer at TRU though. Hope that helps.

Remember they sent out those catalogs and DVD either for us or for us to pass on to others.

 

[Kabukiman]

I read about the Jason X 12" figure at cinescape.com. I clicked the link from the article and was immediately sucked into Spooktacular '05. I placed some orders, won some stuff, got freebies with some of my orders, and now I'm hooked for life

 

[Fritz]

I found out about them via the Fellowship Boxed Set but didn't go crazy collecting until the Two Towers Gollum DVD was released.

 

[LOTRFan]

I first heard about SS through eBay. I was taken with the GtW bust, and well the rest is history!

 

[lcummins]

I stumbled across the Universal Monsters Little Big Heads at a huge collectibles show in Atlantic City, NJ in the late 90's.

 

[Darklord Dave]

The banners on all the sites are all affiliate banners - it's a program that they have administered very well and has, in turn, done well for them. An extremely cost efficient type of advertising.

 

[Ktjn]

First heard of them when I bought The Fellowship Extended Edition boxset.

Me too...

I love my

 

[Dusty]

This doesn't count as asking the company directly because I just pitched in of my own accord

I knew of Sideshow before I started working here due to 2 main things:

1) The items in the LOTR Extended DVD releases

2) The flaming-marshmallow contest for the original Balrog on Ain't It Cool News

Good luck with the project, LordAzrael - this is a very interesting thread!!

 

[Bannister]

I first heard of Sideshow from the Fellowship Extended Box Set. Didn't really look into it, just heard that the bookends were made by Sideshow Weta. Didn't really get into Sideshow until I got a link to this board from someone at the UC forums where I used to lurk. I will never forget my first reaction to the prices though. I bought the Two Towers box set and saw the offer for the Gollum companion piece and was like $80.00. **** that.