By Dierdra Funcheon, New Times Broward Palm Beach —
Dierdra’s story focused on the licensing deal Donna Balancia arranged for Venus the Cat, and suggested that the public’s seemingly insatiable appetite for cute pets may be a trend….
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…. Donna Balancia, who negotiated the deal, said that the contract is for two years and confirmed that it’s not yet known how many units will be produced, but that (the cat’s owner) will get a portion of the proceeds from each unit.
Balancia believes that interest in LOLcats on the internet won’t go away any time soon — looking at them is “a release from all the burdens people are carrying — high unemployment, the stuff we suffered with schools” — but it’s yet to be seen to what degree internet popularity will translate to actual sales.
She noted that Venus had 88,000 “likes” on Facebook. How many might express interest in a Venus toy? Ten percent? And how many of those would actually buy one?
“Can you do the math off that Facebook page?,” she asks. “I don’t know.”
Balancia says that since working Venus’s deal, other people tell her, “This is an inspiration. I want to get my cats famous. How can I do that?” It’s new territory in the business world.
“I promote people, places, make deals for human beings, generally speaking. Getting the paw print on the contract was the most important thing.”
News By Donna 