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From Eleanor Roosevelt to Charlie Brown, United Media has brought
some interesting characters to newspapers readers worldwide. Entering
and entertaining America's households beginning in
1902, the country's first major newspaper syndicate has evolved
into one of the world's largest information and entertainment giants.
Developing and marketing more than 150 comic strips and editorial
features, United Media has a strong and profitable
handle on a very diverse creative market.
Combining the wisdom of experience with a bold, fresh-faced
and fast-paced approach, it is no coincidence that the 96-year-old
company has one of the hottest Web sites around and is home to smash-hit
comic strips such as "Dilbert," "Peanuts" and "For Better or For
Worse," reaching more than 750 million fans worldwide every day.
EMPLOYEES
About 140 full-time employees work for United Media. Most
work at its headquarters in New York; some are based at Scripps'
corporate offices in Cincinnati and a small group is in Tokyo, Japan.
MARKET
United Media's two syndicates, United Feature Syndicate (UFS)
and Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), make it the second-largest
newspaper syndicate in the world. Its biggest competitors are King
Features, which is the largest, Universal Press Syndicate and Creators
Syndicate.
FUNNY FAVORITES
United Media is syndicator of some of the most popular comic
strips around and licensor of tons of merchandise and promotional
ideas for everyone's favorite characters, including calendars, T-shirts,
watches and even underwear.
Besides the colossal cartoon triumvirate of "Peanuts," by
Charles Schulz, "Dilbert," by Scott Adams and "For Better or For
Worse," by Lynn Johnston, United Media has many rising stars. The
syndicate's fastest-growing comics include "Rose is Rose," by Pat
Brady, "Jump Start," by Robb Armstrong, "Luann" by Greg Evans and
"Herman" by Jim Unger.
With United Media's highly acclaimed Web site drawing more than
6 million weekly page views on average, comic strips like "The Born
Loser" and "Robotman" are becoming more visible, which in turn makes
them more attractive to newspapers and licensees.
MILESTONES
1902 E. W. Scripps launches Newspaper Enterprise
Association (NEA) to distribute his sister Ellen's news and opinion
column. Ellen traveled far and frequently, and her accounts were
as close as many people would ever get to experiencing those distant
places.
1921 NEA becomes the nation's first major newspaper
syndicate. With services offered to other publishers, the client
list quickly reaches 1,000. NEA eventually merged with another Scripps'
service, United Feature Syndicate (UFS). Launched in the '30s, the
prestigous operation's most notable successes were Eleanor Roosevelt's
"My Day" column and Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporting
from Jack Anderson.
1950 UFS signs comic strip contract with Charles
Schulz, creator of what would become the wildly successful "Peanuts"
comic strip, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in the year 2000.
The popularity of Peanuts merchandise, including books and greeting
cards, was the start of United Media's licensing department.
1978 UFS and NEA begin operating together under the
United Media umbrella.
1992 Major restructuring at United Media results
in the sale of the company's book publishing, education materials
and television listings operations.
1995 United Media launches its Web site, long before
most other syndicates had any kind of Internet presence. That Web
site continues to gain popularity, averaging 40.6 million hits per
week, and includes comics, merchandise, features, commentaries,
games and other interactive technology.
1997 Lynn Johnston leaves Universal Press Syndicate
and brings her "For Better or For Worse" comic to United Media,
forging a creative stronghold for the syndicate with a trio of widely
read and extremely marketable strips. "For Better or For Worse"
is consistently voted number one in reader surveys more than any
other comic feature, making it the number-one family strip in the
nation.
ON THE HORIZON
This is a period of immense growth for United Media. New
marketing opportunities are developing worldwide and the company's
quickness in adapting and manipulating new technologies gives it
a staggering advantage over the rest of the syndicate pack.
What's on United Media's plate for the next year or two?
It's an ironic combination of new and old; a blend that signifies
a continued association with what has worked in the past, and a
continued effort to see what will work today.
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Scott
Adams' "Dilbert" comic strip now appears in more than 1,700
newspapers in 51 countries. The strip's ever-growing popularity
has made Dilbert merchandise a "hot item," with more than 100
licensees offering everything from best-selling books to boxer
shorts. |
Dilbert
As the fastest-growing comic in the world and icon of the
American work place, "Dilbert" now appears in more than 1,700 newspapers
in 51 countries. More than 100 licensees around the world offer
merchandise featuring Dilbert and the rest of his odd-ball entourage.
In addition to all this, it appears Dilbert has stars in
his eyes. The recent star of a multi-million dollar TV ad campaign
launched by Office Depot, Dilbert is now slated for his own animated
series on UPN. The primetime series, produced by Columbia TriStar,
will premiere during the 1998-99 television season with 13 original
episodes. Larry Charles ("Mad About You," "Seinfeld"), who will
be the show's co-executive producer along with Dilbert creator Scott
Adams, said, "The television series will explore the surreal subculture
of the corporate world, with its rigid rules, rituals, languages
and customs, thereby revealing the absurdity of the society at large."
Dilbert is also featured in national retail promotions for
Barnes & Noble, Borders, B. Dalton, FAO Schwarz and Target.
On the World Wide Web, The Dilbert Zone (www.dilbert.com)
ranks among the top ten Internet entertainment sites. With about
900,000 weekly visits, an estimated 3.9 percent of Web users have
visited The Dilbert Zone.
The Comic Zone
The world's largest collection of online comic strips and
comic entertainment (www.comiczone.com)
got a face-lift when United Media relaunched its Web site recently,
sporting a new look, new content and a few new URLs.
Home to 29 of today's hottest comic strips, each with a 30-day
archive, the new site also boasts new features such as Animation,
Shockwave games, trivia and original comic artwork.
New and updated content every day on the site's more than
1,600 pages, coupled with interactive content, bold images and exciting
graphics, ensure Comic Zone fans will return often. Snoopy and Dilbert
merchandise is available on the Web site, too check out the
stores at The Dilbert Zone and snoopy.com.
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When
United Feature Syndicate first signed a comic strip contract
with Charles Schulz in 1950, it's doubtful anyone even
the strip's creator could have guessed Snoopy would still
be "top dog" almost 50 years later. Today, Schulz keeps a fast
pace and continues to keep a fresh face on the ever-popular
Peanuts characters. |
Peanuts
Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang turn 50 in
the year 2000. Coinciding with this event, the most widely syndicated
comic strip in history will try out a new venue the restaurant
business. Snoopy-themed restaurants are scheduled to open in nine
territories throughout the Asia-Pacific region by the year 2000.
Peanuts, which appears in more than 2,600 newspapers each day in
75 countries, has long-since established a solid presence in Southeast
Asia.
The first restaurant will open this December in downtown
Singapore. The flagship restaurant will exceed 8,000 square feet,
boasting a merchandise corner with restaurant memorabilia and Peanuts
licensed products, plus a play area for kids.
Other comic strips with upcoming anniversaries include "Nancy
& Sluggo," marking its 60th year in 1998, and "For Better or
For Worse," which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 1999.
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It's
a banner year for long-time comic duo Nancy and Sluggo. "Nancy,"
by Guy and Brad Gilchrist, celebrates its 60th anniversary this
year. |
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