Brands Seek to Connect with Growing Demographic

New York, N.Y. (June 24, 2015) – At the upcoming 2015 Comic-Con International convention, Marketing Strategist Ed Catto will explore Geek Culture trends, marketing implications and opportunities for business at large.

This annual pop culture gathering, commonly referred to as San Diego Comic-Con, is a convention for both fans and industry professionals. Brands and companies market to fans and typically gain insights into the opportunities and potential of this growing segment.

Catto will lead the panel She Made Me Do It! Fan Girls Lead the Way and explore the rapidly changing demographics of Geek Culture.  This panel will spotlight the impact of female fans (not female creators) and how they are changing Geek Culture from the ground up in surprising and positive ways. Their grassroots efforts can be seen everywhere from retail shops to convention halls, and in everything from cosplay to social media.

Panelists will include: Kit Cox of Milkfed Criminal Masterminds, Rose Del Vecchio, Co Founder of FanMail, Christy Black of More Than a Geek Girl, Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds and Portlyn Polston & Autumn Rain Glading, co-founders of the Geek Girl Society.

The important influence of local marketing and the integral role of the nation’s entrepreneurial comic shops is the focus of The 7 Comic Shop Archetypes: Who Will Triumph, Thrive & Survive.  As big companies struggle to connect with hard-to-reach demographics, the nation’s comic shops continue to innovate and grow. Catto will explore this current state of these retailers, providing analytical and historical insights analyzing trends.

Panelists include retailers and industry experts such as Joe Fields, the founder of Free Comic Book Day, Atom! Freeman of Valiant Entertainment, Christina Blanch, of Ball State University and Aw, Yeah Comics and Glynnes Pruett, of Comic Book Hideout.
The She Made Me Do It! Fan Girls Lead the Way panel is scheduled from 8 to 9:00 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2015 in room 25ABC.  The 7 Comic Shop Archetypes: Who Will Triumph, Thrive & Survive panel is scheduled from 2 to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, July 11, 2015 in room 28DE. Both will be held at the main building, the San Diego Convention Center.

“I’ll be leading the conversations with industry findings and engaging the panelists. We’ve enjoyed robust audience participation in the past and I look forward to engaging questions this year too,” Catto said.

Catto will also be moderating a fan-focused panel for the Captain Action super-hero/toy property, which will discuss animation developments and include the second annual Custom Costume Contest. This panel is scheduled for Thursday from 4 to 5:00 pm in room 32ABC.

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Ed Catto is a marketing strategist with a specialty in Pop Culture. As co-founder of Bonfire Agency, Ed is dedicated to connecting brands with the “Geeks of the World” in innovative and authentic ways. Ed has appeared on CNBC and PBS as an industry and licensing expert, and offers weekly insights in his ComicMix column.  And as a “retropreneur,” Ed leads a team specializing in rejuvenating vintage brands for today’s audiences.