Nelvana携手《森林小卫士罗布》走向全球
原标题：Nelvana goes global with Ranger Rob
The Toronto-based prodco is expanding its preschool adventure brand in key international markets to build momentum for a big US push.
《森林小卫士罗布》准备好探索新大陆了：Corus Entertainment旗下的Nelvana公司正在与新的授权方和播放伙伴达成合作，推广这部学龄前探险动画片。《森林小卫士罗布》的第二季将于今年6月份在加拿大的Treehouse频道首播；新的播放平台包括MediaCorp（新加坡）, TVNZ（新西兰）, Tiny Pop（英国）, Clan TVE（西班牙）, Frisbee（意大利）以及Hulu（美国）。
《森林小卫士罗布》主要讲述了一名小卫士在户外探险中不断学习成长的经历，动画片于2017年7月在美国Universal Kid’s的学龄前频道Sprout上首次亮相。
“传统的推广活动一般会在美国开始，继而会转移到几个重点地区，最后衍生品上市后便代表推广完成，”Nelvana的总经理Pam Westman说道，“但我们目前正着手在美国境外曾收获高收视率的一些重点市场进行推广测试。”
其次，Nelvana跟一些新的授权方进行了签约，其中包括JCorp（服饰）、Black & White（鞋履）、Jelli Fish Kids（睡服）。这些产品系列今年秋季就会在加拿大上市，之后会推广到法国、德国、英国等地区。
Westman表示，Nelvana专注于跟当地的公司展开合作，并负责研究哪类产品会在这些地区产生共鸣。她透露道，“对我们来说，最关键的是在那些重点市场，选择当地有能力扶持这些消费品项目的合作伙伴，即着重关注当地零售商，让我们的商品在此类地区受到认可并变成热卖产品，这就是我们的目的”。
“我们的方式很接近eOne当时在推广《小猪佩奇》时用的手段，他们成功地在全球几个主要国际市场上让该项目保持了强劲的发展势头，随后将其带入美国。这是为了让它与合适的合作伙伴在这些特定的市场中产生共鸣和萌芽。”
Westman说，通过这些关键国际市场的建立， Nelvana可以为《森林小卫士罗布》打造坚实的基础，让它成长为一个全面成熟的品牌。同时，该品牌的“欢迎来到天高谷公园”的学龄前游戏应用程序将于今年夏天在iOS和安卓系统上线，让用户体验和探索节目里的世界，并与其中的角色互动。Nelvana接下来也会通过发布短视频的形式继续打造该节目，进行推广，预计今年秋季将会有13部短视频在YouTube上线。
这些新的推广同时还包括接下来与Round Room Presents直播公司进行《森林小卫士罗布》现场巡演，以及与Chouette Publishing出版公司进行”篝火故事”和”自然探索”为书名的故事创作。
“我认为让市场，观众和粉丝来决定一个品牌是否已准备就绪是十分重要的。当你在玩具发布后或是没有明确的播放计划时，便过早地将二级衍生品投入到市场中，那你的各方面的资源将很快被耗尽，并且也不会得到良好的市场反应。”Westman说，“但是当你在面对较小的市场时，你可以做出更灵活的反应，在势头适当的时候马上采取行动。而现在，就是我们小卫士占领市场的绝佳时机!”
万童已将《森林小卫士罗布》带到中国并在大中华地区独家引进和运营，目前第一季已在优酷、爱奇艺和腾讯视频全面上线，第二季很快也将跟中国的小朋友们见面哦！
Ranger Rob is ready to expand his horizons, now that Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana is growing the animated preschool adventure brand with a number of new licensing and broadcast partners. The second season of Ranger Rob will premiere on Canada’s Treehouse in June, and new broadcast partners include MediaCorp (Singapore), TVNZ (New Zealand), Tiny Pop (UK), Clan TVE (Spain), Frisbee (Italy) and Hulu (US).
Ranger Rob, which features the outdoor adventures of a young ranger-in-training, made its US debut on Universal Kids’ preschool destination Sprout in July 2017.
“The traditional rollout starts in the US and then moves to a couple of key territories, then you launch merchandise and away you go,” says Pam Westman, head of Nelvana Enterprises. “We’re actually pivoting and testing out some key markets outside of the US where ratings have been really strong.”
Nelvana has inked agreements with a number of new licensees, including JCorp (apparel), Black & White (footwear) and Jelli Fish Kids (sleepwear). The ranges will launch in Canada this fall before the consumer products program makes its way to regions including France, Germany and the UK.
Westman says Nelvana is focused on partnering with local companies and examining which SKUs resonate in those territories. “For us, it’s about picking partners in those key regions that are local and able to sustain consumer product programs within those markets. You then get a real focus on local retailers and it becomes a regional hit, which is what we want,” she says.
“We’re approaching things similarly to what eOne did with Peppa Pig, in that they were able to keep that property strong and viable within several key markets globally before bringing it into the US. It’s about really letting it resonate and germinate in those specific markets with the right partners.”
By building up these key international markets, says Westman, Nelvana can create a strong foundation for the Ranger Rob brand to grow into a full-fledged franchise. The brand’s Welcome to Big Sky Park preschool gaming app launches this summer for iOS and Android, allowing users to explore the show’s environment and engage with its characters. Nelvana will continue to build out the show’s world by releasing short-form content, starting with 13 shorts set to debut on YouTube this fall.
These new extensions follow agreements with live entertainment firm Round Room Presents for the Ranger Rob Live Tour and with Chouette Publishing for titles A Campfire Story and Nature Quest.
“I think it’s really important to let the market, viewers and fans dictate when a brand is ready. When you go out too early in any of these secondary categories after toys, or when your broadcast isn’t set, you can end up burning out way too quickly,” Westman says. “But when you’re dealing with smaller markets, you can be a little more reactive and let the momentum build before making moves at the right time. And right now, it’s a very exciting time for our little ranger.”