It seems Wall Street Journal writers Kate Kelly and Brian Steinberg share some of the same thoughts I do on media brands.
Yesterday, they wrote a piece [pg B2, sub. needed] on the upcoming break-up of Miramax Films and Disney. They think that Miramax has developed a recognizable brand and that moviegoers went to theatres to see Miramax films. They called out Pixar and Dreamworks as other brands people are starting to recognize in the media realm.
I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago directly in reference to Pixar. I don’t think Dreamworks fits the bill, because I am not sure what to expect from them. They make all different types of movies. The Speilberg connection definitely helps though.
Miramax might be a better example. I personally don’t go running to see their films, but I do know they take more risks with their films. Here is a list of current and recent films from the studio:
Disney must think there is something to it. They are paying the Weinstein brothers $140 million to keep the name.