Character Merchandising

INTRODUCTION

Character merchandising is a clever marketing method through which goods and services similar to well-known imaginary or even real characters are made for appealing customers. In other words, it is a profitable manipulation of a renowned personality using their well-recognized national/international appeal.
Overtime, the possibilities of character merchandising have amplified in such diverse forms that what perceived as an ancillary source of commercial abuse by the entertainment industry has become the sign in terms of revenue.
From the initial days of character merchandising when Walt Disney Studios began licensing their famous characters in 1930s, to the present day film product placements such as Toy Story where movies are produced around the characters to serve as a medium of promotion of toy characters, character merchandising has evolved as in such versatile forms that their classification in an organized manner is essential to comprehend the true