Popular films such as Toy Story have helped to

create a multibillion-dollar licensing business for

Disney Consumer Products.
Source: ZUMA Press/Newscom

DCP has a long history, which can be traced back to

1929 when Walt Disney licensed the image of Mickey
Mouse for use on a childrens writing tablet. Disney
started licensing its characters for toys made by Mattel
in the 1950s. Disney Consumer Products (DCP)
ranked as the number-one global licensor in 2010,
reporting $28.6 billion in retail sales of licensed
merchandise worldwide. DCPs Toy Story franchise,
driven by box office success and merchandise demand
for Toy Story 3, was the most dominant property of the
year at retail, generating $2.4 billion in retail sales.
The timeless Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh
franchises combine to make up roughly a third of the
divisions total revenue.
Much newer franchisesDisney Princesses and
Disney Fairies launched in 2000 and 2002 respectively
already combine to make almost a quarter of DCPs
total revenue. Artists in Disney Licensings Creative
Resources
department
work
closely
with
manufacturers on all aspects of product marketing, including design, prototyping, manufacturing,
packaging, and advertising. Disneys acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in August 2009 for $4
billion, a wholly owned subsidiary, opened a new world of comic book characters and popular
film adaptations such as Thor and Captain America in 2011 and The Avengers and The Amazing
Spider-Man in 2012. Marvel produced worldwide retail sales of licensed merchandise for 2010
of $5.6 billion.