Characters Count

There's no escaping the fact that there's a deluge of products competing for shelf space in retail aisles. To complicate matters even further, there's intense pressure to get buzz-worthy fast--or else. "It used to be that a hot property could have a two- or three-year run at retail," notes Felton. "Now you get one holiday season and you're out."

Want to manufacture a line of merchandise for a TV show? Prepare yourself for series cancellation if ratings don't click fast. Feature films are an even bigger gamble. "It's a quick hit," says Jim Silver, publisher of The Toy Book, a monthly trade publication.

Even a known quantity is no sure thing, as Babe: Pig In The City proved. According to Silver, the film was widely perceived as inappropriate for kids--ostensibly, its intended audience. "With the Babe sequel," says Silver, "[there were ] dark undertones." Likewise, "Small Soldiers was rated PG-13, which was the kiss of death."

And parents, a critical factor in the children's entertainment equation, took note. "You have to make children happy and get them engaged," sums up Viselman, "but you have to make the parents feel safe at the same time."

This article was originally published in the June 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Characters Count.