We all know that Naruto will eventually come to the United States. When it does it will most likely bring about reckoning far greater then dragon ball z, Yu gi Oh, and maybe even Pokemon.
Naruto is practically a license to print money. So I ask a fun hypothetical question. What would you do in order to ensure Naruto becomes successful in the United States?
First thing to establish is what target demographic to target. Naruto could be shown unedited on adult swim. It could gain a loyal cult following like inuyasha. I believe naruto could reach a far broader audience. Just trim some of the blood and sexual references and it should be okay for day time television.
I would start off by premiering it on WB's saturday morning cartoon block. Giving a start on basic network television ensures that it will get the widest possible exposure possible. Both Yu gi oh and Pokemon debuted on this time block and they have enjoyed more success then any other anime property brought to the U.S.
I would start off with a cryptic marketing campaign. Teasing 11 year olds across the nation with random art work from the series. The less they know the better. I wounld try and generate buzz across the playgrounds across the U.S. Little tykes would wonder "who is that guy in the orange suit. Why are there frogs flying around and who are these guys in the cool flak jackets. I would also tease children with logos of the leaf village and brief glimpses of Zambuza
I would then bring naruto in airing the first handfull of episodes. At first the reaction would be curious but not terribly interested. As time progressed the children would find themselves more and more compelled to see what happens next. Especially as the story moves into the country of the wave story arc. Things would start to gain interest as soon as Zambuza is introduced. Things will pick up after naruto passes the introduction phaze.
Every little kid would then wait desperatly to see how things play out with the bridge story arc. After the first arc plays out I would have reruns to ensure that every kid who hadn't seen it would get a chance because of their friends encouragement. After a month or two of reruns I would then begin to tease people with the chuunin exam and all of the other unique characters that would be introduced. Then I would begin to air the first few episodes of chuunin exam. Then after the first exam things would really begin to heat up as the forest of death started. Thats when I begin the marketing blitzkrieg.
Naruto tie in deals at burger king. The introduction of the naruto card game. Action figures, toys, and of course the video games. New episodes would premier once a week and they would also be rerun constantly. Things would only gain more momentum. One thing I love about the chuunin exam is the pacing. It just keeps building up. As the suspence builds so do the profits. Hehehehehe
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