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Suggestion Three: Beware the Connection
Michael Eisner has made it well known that he wants people to think of The Lion King when they think Brother Bear. Rumors have circulated that Eisner generated the original concept for the film in an attempt to create a film similar to The Lion King, and in a recent conference, Eisner made this connection very clear.

This could go either way for the studio. People do love The Lion King. And for all practical purposes, thanks to talented artists at the studio, the film seems to have little connection to The Lion King except for talking animals in a beautiful nature setting. However, too much of an emphasis of any similarities will likely draw negative attention. Just as Dead Poets Society was a hit and Danny DeVito’s Renaissance Man and Kevin Kline’s The Emperor’s Club both appeared to be rip-offs and failed at the box office, the same could happen to Brother Bear. Audiences can tell when they are being sold something they’ve already bought, and with Disney’s current dilemma of audiences waiting for the video, they can’t afford a “been there/done that�? attitude.

Unfortunately, it is likely that nearly every single review and Hollywood analyst’s report will pick up on Eisner’s comments and will draw many a comparison between the two films. If the film isn’t as good as The Lion King (or isn’t perceived to be as good), the Hollywood community will jump on it, leading to the dreaded comment, “Well, it wasn’t as good as The Lion King.�? Or, despite the quality of the film, people may simply dismiss the film for the passing resemblance that is there. Either way, perhaps Michael Eisner has said a little too much. As it is, the current trailer emphasizes a Lion King wildebeest-esque stampede and Disney needs to be careful about not crossing that line.

Suggestion Four: Play Up the Music
Who knew Disney would be moving away from musicals as the rest of the film community started moving toward them? While not a traditional musical, Brother Bear does boast music by Academy Award winner Phil Collins. Both Tarzan and his music for Tarzan were very popular, and Disney needs to continue to emphasize this aspect of the film.

Suggestion Five: Be Wary of Perception
For some reason, those who market family films tend to feel the need to imbue their advertisements with grand kid-friendly themes. Pushing them in the trailers is not always the best thing. For Treasure Planet, this was the “Find your place in the universe�? concept and “Sometimes courage can be the greatest treasure of all.�? For Brother Bear, this has been the emphasis on the fear Koda has for the hunters and learning the meaning of brotherhood. Generally, people tend to wince at overt Politically Correct messages, particularly from Disney. As with Pocahontas, it is likely that these themes are relevant to the story as a whole and will not come through in the film as overtly politically correct; however, Disney must be wary of the perception of such messages if they want to attract a wide audience.

Suggestion Six: Play Up the Fun
So far, the trailers have done a great job of playing up the fun in Brother Bear. This method worked wonders for Lilo and Stitch, and Disney has appropriately added it to the trailers for Brother Bear. They just need to keep this up in future promotional material for the film. The best part is that the two moose seem to have strong adult appeal, probably more appeal for adults than for youngsters.

Suggestion Seven: Location, Location, Location
One of the most atrocious marketing mistakes made with Treasure Planet was to not include a preview for the film with the mega-hit DVD release of Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast was a hand-drawn animated film that was sure to be a big DVD success, and there was no mention whatsoever of Treasure Planet on the DVD. It was the right audience for Treasure Planet, the perfect time to remind people of Treasure Planet, and instead, Disney chose to promote The Jungle Book 2, which was made on about 1/5 of the budget. Not a wise decision.

Disney has three major animated film DVD releases this fall and winter-Sleeping Beauty, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo. On top of that, there are live-action releases of Holes and The Lizzie McGuire Movie and likely releases for the hits Pirates of the Caribbean and Miramax’s Spy Kids 3D. These are all prime locations for Brother Bear promos, and Disney cannot afford to pass on the space.

Suggestion Seven: Make It Theatrical
Between its regular DVD and video re-issues of its classic animated films and the constant onslaught of straight-to-DVD sequels, Disney films have become the thing to own and, in the midst of that, have lost their theatrical thrill.

There’s nothing like seeing a Disney animated film with the wonder and awe-inspiring presence of the big screen. Somehow, Disney needs to push this in their advertising campaign, not even announcing a release date for its video release (as has already been announced on the Internet). Considering that Treasure Planet, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and The Emperor’s New Groove were all home viewing hits while under-performing in theaters, Disney needs to somehow address this in its promotion of the film. Letting the world know that they can just rent or buy the DVD five months after its theatrical release gives little incentive to pay theatrical prices.

Brother Bear will likely continue the tradition of amazing Disney animated entertainment. Its marketing just needs to reach out to the right audience in the right way, as Treasure Planet failed so miserably to do. The artists can make a spectacular film, as they did with Treasure Planet, but it only helps the studio’s finances so much if the film isn’t marketed strongly. After failing the artists with the promotion of Treasure Planet, the Walt Disney Company needs to make it up to them by ensuring that Brother Bear has a fair chance to find its way into the hearts of the movie-going public.

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-- Jim Miles

-- Posted August 6, 2003