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From funny pages to web pages: world-famous cartoon strip finds new fans online and builds market power along the way. |
The comic strip Mutts has been a favorite in newspapers all over the world since 1994. In 2003, Publishing Resources helped to create an Internet home for the Mutts characters and their illustrator Patrick McDonnell. Muttscomics.com is notable for impressive growth in readership, market impact, and its support of an animal-friendly ethos.
Notables:
- Continuous 30%-plus growth in traffic and revenue since 2003
- 50,000-plus registered fans in 37 months
- 25,000-plus visitors each day to website
- 12,000 unique customers to the online store
- $30,000-plus donated to not-for-profit organizations for humane treatment of animals, and environmental protection.
Overview: Publishing Resources worked with client to create a friendly, interactive website to capture the spirit of a world famous comic strip while building a self-sustaining commercial outlet. In three years the comic-strip audience has extended to a community of fans who are moving increasingly to Internet-based modes of publication.
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Organization: Mutts has continuously published since 1994 through King Features Syndicate, a division of Hearst Corporation, and currently appears in more than 600 newspapers in more than 20 countries. Artist Patrick McDonnell is a winner of the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award for “Cartoonist of the Year” (a lifetime achievement), Germany’s prestigious “Max and Moritz” Best International Comic Strip Cartoonist Award, and multiple Genesis Awards, now presented by The Humane Society of the United States, for ongoing commitment and outstanding work on behalf of animal welfare issues. Fifteen Mutts books have been published in the United States, including McDonnell’s first children’s book “The Gift of Nothing.”
Challenge: The challenge for Publishing Resources was to create an online presence for Mutts — a name-brand entertainment property with merchandising potential — that not only embodies the essence of the comic strip, but also adds dimensions not available to “one-way” media like newspapers. The growth of the brand is also contingent on word-of-mouth success, extending the fan base to readers who previously could not access the strip.
Building community, educating fans about Mutts and the history of comics, promoting animal welfare, and attitudes of healthy living are part of the vitality and humor in a website that is a daily destination for thousands of regular visitors.
Solution: Develop a highly interactive website that builds community and promotes a message of respect for all living things among Mutts fans all over the world. At the same time, support brand promotion and website development through the sale of branded merchandise on the website.
Mutts official Newshletter »View |
Result: Muttscomics.com has been online since January 2003. The site welcomes more than 25,000 visitors each day, reaches 50,000 registered users, and maintains a growing revenue stream that supports not-for-profit agencies; maintenance of a popular website, and a small but growing profit. Online success supports print syndication, that further magnifies the appeal.
Visitors to Muttscomics.com actively correspond with other fans, purchase Mutts merchandise, explore insider background on the strip, and stay up to date on current events in the Mutts world.
Since its launch in January 2003, Muttscomics.com has proved a vivid example of how commerce and Internet communication can extend a brand and convert reservoirs of brand loyalty into market power. Mutts comic-strip fans of all ages congregate on the Muttscomics.com website, communicate with each other and purchase a variety of merchandise that fall within the spirit and good humor of an animal-friendly world defined by the Mutts cartoon characters.
The power of the Muttscomics.com website is conveyed in graphic images and user-friendly navigation. Fans may visit a comic strip archive, title panel artwork, timeline of events, watercolor features and information about Mutts “around the world.” Web visitors clamor for news articles and events. And the site is quick to respond.
Details — Working with Publishing Resources
The Publishing Resources team are fans too. We collaborated with McDonnell and translated his livelihood into an interactive website that builds a community of participants who share a love of his work, and ethos that focuses on respect for all life. The Muttscomics.com business model has three main objectives built upon a mission to grow readership through added exposure, even as the national print media suffers a declining readership.
The Muttscomics.com Business Model
Promotion and leveraging print.
The Mutts comic strip enjoys international newspaper distribution by the King Features Syndicate in more than 600 newspapers. This successful syndication helps expose the website just as the website helps to expose the strip to more readers.
The Mutts ethos.
Promotion of the values and the not-for-profit organizations that support the protection and humane treatment of animals and the environment, and,
Profitable and self-sustaining.
Profitable online merchandising of Mutts characters, and the work of Mutts originator, Patrick McDonnell.
Each of these three activity-streams overlap each other, and is supported by profit-generating merchandising, introducing the Mutts characters to an ever-growing pool of fans.
Effective marketing originates with good research. Publishing Resources developed a pre-launch survey of readers, and an annual readership follow-up to track the demographic, their reading preferences, with whom they communicate and their purchasing decisions. As the website grows, it has enabled King Features Syndicate to maintain Mutts’ broad appeal in newspapers. The interactive website has given King Features Syndicate the data it needs resulting in additional placement — and increased revenue. In return, this added print exposure provides an even greater reach of the website, and its magnetic appeal. Finally, Mutts licensing with manufacturing partners is broadening to figurines, apparel, and other collectibles.
The Muttscomics.com model, exemplifies how a close business relationship becomes an intangible success factor that leads to a commercially viable venue, one that remains true to the intentions of its creator.