Marvel or DC comics ain't work without brand anatomy!

What about having a look at Marvel and DC Comics’ brand anatomy?
A little homemade metaphor to being cannot hurt anyone isn’t it? A brand anatomy is like a human being anatomy, without its core parts, it can’t work. But if we get into further explanations, Jobber model constitutes the basis.
And if I told you what is behind Marvel and DC Comics’ current successes, i.e. lots of unobvious but determinant elements? Tempting right, so shall we go?

Brand domain: the brand’s target market, i.e. where it competes in the marketplace.


Marvel’s target market according to business segment:

• Publishing/Comics: 13-23 year olds (male teenagers and young adults) 
• Licensing/Consumer products: 4-12 year olds (boys) and collectors 
• Studios: young boys, teenagers and older generations were comics belong to their everyday life

DC Comics’ target market according to business segment:

• Publishing/Comics: 18-34 year olds (young adults to men) / Teenaged boys from 13 year olds and 25 to 35 year olds (men) 
• Licensing/Consumer products: kids and collectors 
• Entertainment: 18-34 (young adults to men) 

Brand heritage: the background to the brand and its culture. How it has achieved success (and failure) over its life.

Marvel: committed brand toward common and/or sensitive causes (as a reminder, it developed during WWII, characters are all together a sort of family (holistic approach), strong licensing business
DC Comics: superheroes representing hope (it also developed during WWII), early presence on multi-media supports: first actor to introduce a storytelling of a superhero in a comics’ magazine (Superman) and on TV (Batman) 

Brand values: the core values and characteristics of the brand.

Marvel 

• Core values - Entertainment, quality and family-friendly 
• Characteristics - Accomplishment, discovery and growth 

DC Comics

• Core values – Empowerment of boys and girls as well as men and women 
• Characteristics – Cross generational, boundless storytelling 

Brand assets: what makes the brand distinctive from other competing brands such as symbols, features, images and relationships?


Photo credit: comicsbeat.com

Photo credit: marvel.wikia.com

Marvel: Logo, brand reputation thanks to Disney aura, iconic characters Photo credit: comicsbeat.com
DC Comics: Logo, brand reputation thanks Warner Bros. aura, iconic characters

Photo credit: fr.wikipedia.org

Photo credit: cinetrafic.fr

Brand personality: the character of the brand described in terms of other entities such as people, animals or objects.

For both, characters are expressed through superheroes of all kind. Behind all characters, there is a familial history with its conflicts that contributes to shaping their future. Some of them come from another planet or environment and accomplish their mission on Earth (Superman, Aquaman, Thor), others belong to Earth and get super powers from unexpected circumstances (Spiderman, Dardevil, Flash).
The major different between Marvel and DC Comics lies in the fact Marvel’s characters are more down-to-earth than DC Comics’ ones. In fact, Batman lives in Gotham City which is pure fiction same for Superman in Metropolis. On the contrary, superheroes like Superman to which it is easier to relate to (Spiderman leaving in New-York and being a regular photographer).

Brand reflection: how the brand relates to self-identity; how the customer perceives him/herself as a result of buying/using the brand.

Marvel: 
“True believers” – believe in heroes and in spectacular action
Performing
Belonging to a community
Feeling understood in case of non-conformists

DC Comics: 
Surpassing oneself
Charismatic
Brave
Self-confidence

By Wonder Elsa

Sources: 
http://prezi.com/oxpkvjqfh4qq/marvel-presentation/ http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.missouri.edu%2F~xdz54%2Fcar%2FMarvel%2520Enterprises.doc&ei=YPVRVMfOIc3aaKTrgaAI&usg=AFQjCNFdGMJ95XoebGozDJXepgMjeDeH9w&sig2=TgFy5O0qM2CoUMKp1884hw http://prezi.com/d1bhg17pcgn1/marvel-studios/ http://prezi.com/oxpkvjqfh4qq/marvel-presentation/ http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/01/peter-cuneo-marvel-leadership-managing-turnaround.html http://prezi.com/d1bhg17pcgn1/marvel-studios/ http://marvel.com/news/tv/17929/disney_xd_to_launch_marvel_universe http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/31/marvel-superheroes-true-believers http://www.france24.com/fr/20131107-islam-super-heros-miss-marvel-kamala-khan-bande-dessinee-comics-culture-populaire/ http://www.themarysue.com/dc-nielsen-survey-results/ http://comicsworthreading.com/2011/06/23/dcs-new-target-audience-is-younger-still-male/ http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/news/warner-bros-consumer-products-names-mattel-master-toy-licensee-dc-comics http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2013/10/29/why-marvel-is-defining-the-modern-superhero-film-genre/ http://www.le-toaster.fr/99-euros/bd-marvel-et-dc-comics-entre-heritage-culturel-et-guerre-des-licences/ http://www.inaglobal.fr/edition/article/de-quel-acier-sont-faits-les-succes-de-dc-comics http://www.vox.com/2014/10/1/6879859/dc-comics-sexist-tshirts-wonder-woman-batman-wife http://landor.com/#!/work/case-studies/dc-entertainment/ http://www.futura-sciences.com/magazines/sante/infos/actu/d/medecine-science-decalee-fans-superheros-sont-mieux-leur-peau-41395/ http://www.maxisciences.com/super-h%E9ros/psychologie-les-super-heros-aident-reellement-leurs-fans-a-se-sentir-mieux_art26728.html