Recent Advances in Communications, Circuits and Technological Innovation Managing the Public Relations Social Networking Arena of My Little Pony CHRISTOPHER FARMER Department of Mass Media Communication and Journalism Clarion University, Clarion PA 16214 USA [email protected] Abstract: - With the advent of social media, companies increasingly realize the value of the public, not only as critical consumers but also as marketing informants and content generators. This paper examines how Hasbro proactively sought customer perspectives, and successfully incorporated them into their public relations management approach. Key Words: - social media, consumers, marketing informants, content generation, public relations, Hasbro 1 Introduction billion dollars, and their net income was $385 In today’s markets, consumers no longer are million [2]. relegated to playing a passive role in corporate Their toy My Pretty Pony was introduced in public relations management. The public has 1981, and the related My Little Pony line was always had opinions about products, and have started in 1983. The product inspired animated voiced their perspectives among themselves and specials, feature-length movies, and three sometimes to the company itself. However, animated TV series. Three generations of the companies increasingly realize the value of the brand were launched between 1986 and 2003. public, not only as critical consumers but also as In 2010 My Little Pony was rebooted once marketing informants and content generators. This again to keep it fresh: new characters, new paper examines how Hasbro proactively sought character designs, new voice actors, new plots, and customer perspectives, and incorporated them into a new animation studio. The latter change is their public relations management approach. As a significant because this studio uses a more stylized result of this collaboration, both the customer and and “flatter” graphic approach utilizing Flash the company have benefited. animation [3]. Another important factor in the reboot was designating Lauren Faust as the new creative 2 Problem Formulation director and executive producer: She worked on Hasbro is a leading toy and children’s other high-quality animation, sometimes in entertainment company. Mattel and Hasbro are the collaboration with her husband Craig McCracken two leading companies within the toy and game who is director of several popular animation series manufacturing industry, which enjoys a yearly (e.g., Powerpuff Girls and Dexter’s Laboratory). In $2.6 billion revenue [1]. Hasbro also has a joint Faust, Hasbro was able to attract a top-end venture with Discovery Communications to create animator who believed in their product and would a children’s television channel, “The Hub,” do it justice. Lauren Faust is also a self-proclaimed launched in 2010. lifelong feminist who believes in strong female Hasbro has been making toys since the 1940s. characters, so the lead ponies are all female and Some of their more famous products include Mr. affirming. The following statement demonstrates Potato Head, GI Joe, and Transformers. They also her passion for the My Little Pony show, and acquired Milton-Bradley and their portfolio of served as a public relations tactic to garner respect games. In 2011 Hasbro’s total assets topped four for the pedigree of the show. ISBN: 978-1-61804-138-8 39 Recent Advances in Communications, Circuits and Technological Innovation I never expected to work on a show based on a simply cannot be tolerated online” [8]. toy line, but I accepted the project based on Christodoulides explained the changing roles: my sincere childhood love of the toy and “The brand manager who used to be custodian of Hasbro’s desire to create an entertaining show the brand has now become a host whose main role that is not just a long toy commercial [4]. is not to control (this is impossible) but to facilitate In terms of public relations management, for the this sharing; alas, if the experience promised by first time ever for the company, Hasbro Invited the brand is not delivered” [9]. fans to make friends with the My Little Pony 3.2 Fandom brand on Facebook and Twitter. Prior to this Fandom (a community of fans) as served as reboot, Hasbro’s public relations communications indication of brand popularity for centuries. Fan were mainly one-way, and they controlled the clubs tend to focus on sports teams and celebrities, message. In the past, fandom existed – and still but the Harry Potter movement attests to the does, as opinionated consumers, but Hasbro ongoing independent and influential nature of consciously branded their product on web 2.0 fandom, as well as the social attachments that fans social networks, and established a collaborative can form with characters rather than real people environment where fans could comment on My [10]. Some of the benefits of fandom include Little Pony, generate content, and impact Hasbro social inclusion, skill development, and escape production. from boredom. Fandom mutually benefits the fan The impact of the shared public relations was and the object of “worship” or the brand in this documented at Hasbro shareholders’ meeting. case because of the mutual dialogue and feedback. Today, we are driving growth in our business Chapman encouraged organizations to use through immersive brand experiences which social media tools to reach and interact with fans, are more innovative, more global and noting that the focus should be on people, not the increasingly backed by media and technology. In that process, Chapman also entertainment, and in many cases, backed by encouraged organizations to experiment and take digital and online gaming…. My Little Pony is risks with social media, paying attention to the an interesting proof point to discuss, as it results and acting on them. Chapman was aware of relates to television [5]. organizational fear of losing control, but countered by claiming that giving fans some freedom can lead to special products. Trying to reframe the 3 Problem Solution situation, Chapman suggested that organizations Hasbro’s successful shared public relations want to see a community built around their management is based on effective use of social products, and that they can leverage that interested media, leveraging collaborating branding based on community as market informants who provide fandom and user-generated content. open and honest feedback [11]. Hasbro exemplifies Chapman’s philosophy, 3.1 Branding with very positive results. When My Little Pony Smith defined branding as the “creation of a clear was reintroduced in 2010, the pedigree of the show and consistent message for an organization” [6]. In sparked people’s interests. A week later on his article on post-Internet era branding, October 19, 2010, Amidi’s article in Cartoon Brew Christodoulides identified three key aspects of gave a critical look at artists’ lack of control in branding: promised experience, emotional values, creating My Little Pony, but the readers paid more and rational values [7]. Christodoulides claimed attention to the caliber of the show’s artists, and that the Internet is an effective medium for the show gained more attention and a greater branding because it is a cost-effective way to following [12]. From this small group of people personalize marketing offerings and address who risked watching the show from the start, My customer’s social needs. Christodoulides then Little Pony was perceived as a diamond in the compared web 1.0 and web 2.0 branding. In the rough. The core fans (single males ages 15-30) earlier version, the consumer located the brand pride themselves for their ability to get beyond the online, and rated the received services by their children’s level to appreciate the underlying delivery, speed, and support. In the web 2.0 quality of art and writing, and catch subtle environment, customers experience the brand inferences. The unusual perceptions of the interactively on both personal and group levels, children’s show led to an explosion of online chat with factors emerging that exist outside the and greater loyalty to the product as well as user- brand’s control; “Command and control branding generate content [13]. The My Little Pony fandom ISBN: 978-1-61804-138-8 40 Recent Advances in Communications, Circuits and Technological Innovation exemplifies Blackshaw’s contention that relations management proactively leveraged user- “consumers are getting louder, more persuasive, generated motivation to increase sales and improve and certainly more viral” [14]. Blackshaw also saw their product [19]. such activity as a goldmine for researching brand MyLittlePony.com is Hasbro’s official website. advocacy to reinforce and improve brand strategy. Although it is interactive in that the user can play games, it is not web 2.0; probably more 3.3 User-Generated Content importantly, it is geared to children. To address the One of the specific branding activities of socially need for a social network presence, Hasbro uses networked consumers, accentuated in fandom, is Facebook:, which has almost 90,000 “likes” [20]. user-generated content, which Christodoulides, The main area where consumers contribute is the Jevons, and Blackshaw defined as consumers Fan Forum; other areas where the public can add creating content that is publically accessible via their own content include the wall, discussion area, telecommunications, displays creativity, and is photos, and videos. Images have to be vetted by created for free outside the profession. While the company, and all content is monitored. This consumers have generated content for many years, site attracts all ages (and has unrelated ads on the the Internet, especially web 2.0, has made that side, which is a default setting for Facebook, and content much more visible and impactful. demonstrates that Hasbro cannot control every part Christodoulides, Jevons, and Blackshaw further of the page). contended that companies need to understand the Nevertheless, most My Little Pony user- motivation behind user-generated content, analyze generated content is mounted on independent such content, and manage public relations third-party fan sites, reflecting an electronic word- accordingly.