Cartoon Network - The Indian Experience

Details

Themes: Brand Management
Period : 1999-2002
Organization : Cartoon Network
Pub Date : 2002
Countries : India
Industry : Media and Entertainment

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Case Code : BSTR035
Case Length : 10 Pages
Price: Rs. 300;

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Cartoon Crazy Kids (and Parents) Contd...

What was remarkable about this response to the event was the fact that the channel had built a huge viewership and brand loyalty in a short span of 5 years in the Indian satellite TV market Considering that most TV programs in India were based on family dramas, movies, and sports, the success of a niche channel such as Cartoon Network was indeed remarkable.

Background Note

A cartoon literally means a drawing/sketch of a humorous situation, often accompanied by a caption. In the late 19^th century, cartoons portrayed political situations in a satirical manner. During the late 1890s, cartoons took the shape of 'comics,' which were essentially cartoons with a storyline. The first comic series that came in the form of a book was 'The Funnies' in 1929. During the mid 1900s, comic book characters such as 'Superman,' 'Mickey Mouse,' 'Little Orphan Annie,' 'Dick Tracy,' 'Bizzaro,' 'Popeye,' 'Aquaman,' and 'Flash Gordon' gained popularity around the world.

Animated cartoons evolved during the early 1900s (Refer Exhibit I for a note on animated cartoons). 'Sinking of the Lusitania,' released in 1918, is considered by many to be the world's first animated feature film. By 1920, many animation studios were established across the US and France. The most influential animation studio in the world, Walt Disney¹ (Disney), entered the market in 1928.

Disney's first venture was 'Streamboat Willie,' starring Mickey Mouse. Other leading animation providers during the mid-1900s were Warner Bros. and MGM. Some of the popular animation feature films of those times were 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' 'Pinocchio,' and 'The Jungle Book.'

Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, Eric Larson, Vladimir Tytla, Jay Ward, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera are some of the people who made noteworthy contribution to the evolution, advancement and popularity of cartoon/animation characters across the world. Cartoons were introduced for the first time on TV in 1950 with Jay Ward's 'Crusader Rabbit' in the US.

However, the development of cartoons specifically for TV did not begin till the 1960s as animated feature films ruled the market till then. However, with audiences preferring TV to cinema houses, many cartoon studios had to close shop.² This gave momentum to the production of animated cartoons for TV.

Some of the best-known cartoon series were developed during the next two decades: 'Scooby Doo,' 'The Flintstones,' 'The Jetsons,' 'The Speed Buggy,' and 'The Snorks.' The leading producers were Hanna Barbara, Filmation and DIC. Meanwhile, TV extended its reach to all corners of the world with the advent of satellite broadcasting technology during the mid-1970s.

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1] Disney dominated the global cartoon/animation market even in the early 21st century.
2] Mid-1980s onwards, many US movie studios had again started making animation films. Many of these films – Aladdin, The Lion King – were very successful. Moreover, movies based on cartoon characters proved to be huge money-spinners. Batman, Spiderman, X-Men, and Scooby Doo movies did phenomenally well across the globe.