Bob Iger: Sit down. You have 5 minutes.
Disney marketing exec (let’s call him Steve): Thank you, sir.
Bob: So what’s this about?
Steve: Are you familiar with four-dimensional chess?
Bob: No.
Steve: Well, it’s like regular chess, but in four dimensions.
Bob: Hmm. And the fourth dimension is, what, love? I like it. Is this going on our Netflix thing?
Steve: Sir, I work in marketing. I don’t pitch shows to you.
Bob: Oh, okay. Proceed.
Steve: In four-dimensional chess, you look at what’s happening on the board, but you must consider time as well.
Bob: So the fourth dimension is time?
Steve: Yes, sir.
Bob: Fascinating. Is this like that back to the future film? Do we own that?
Steve: Sort of like that. And I’ll make a note to check.
Bob: Very good. Continue.
Steve: I think I have a better analogy. Have you heard of “galaxy brain”?
Bob: Galaxy brain. Galaxy brain. Is that a nintendo or a film?
Steve: It’s a meme, actually.
Bob: A meme?
Steve: Yes, sir. It’s the hottest meme right now.
Bob: Very well. Continue.
Steve: Essentially, a “galaxy brain” idea is one that’s brilliant but also counter-intuitive.
Bob: Interesting. And we’re making this into a show?
Steve: No, sir, it’s just an analogy I’m using.
Bob: Very well. Continue.
Steve: I believe we have what you might call a galaxy brain idea regarding The Mandalorian.
Bob: Mandalorian…
Steve: It’s the show Favreau is working on.
Bob: Oh, right. Is that a Jungle Book or a Star War?
Steve: It’s a Star War, sir.
Bob: Very well. Continue.
Steve: Mandalorian has a “baby yoda” character. And according to our calculations, it’s going to be all the rage. A real sensation.
Bob: Yoda… Yoda… Is that the monkey or the tiger?
Steve: Star Wars, sir.
Bob: Oh, okay. Is that the race of hairy tall fellows?
Steve: No, sir. The yodas are short and reptilian.
Bob: Interesting. But their babies are cute?
Steve: With respect, sir, all babies are cute. And this one in particular.
Bob: You’ve got my attention. Continue.
Steve: Favreau pitched us a number of merchandising options. But we’d like to go in a different direction. Something you might call “market scarcity.”
Bob: Interesting. Continue.
Steve: When the show airs, this “baby yoda” is going to be all the rage. A real sensation, like I said. Folks will be churning out memes by the dozens—hundreds, even. But we’re going to shut it down.
Bob: I like where you’re going with this…
Steve: First, we’ll launch a full barrage of copyright strikes, protecting our intellectual property.
Bob: The way we do with Mickey?
Steve: Absolutely, sir. But here’s the twist.
Bob leans forward in his chair
Steve: We’re going to let it go. We’ll open the floodgates. Memes will pour into the streets. Baby yoda will be the talk of the town.
Bob: Fantastic. And the merchandising?
Steve: You’ve anticipated the second twist, sir. There will be no merchandising. At first.
Bob: I’m listening…
Steve: Every child in America will want a baby yoda for Christmas. They’ll beg for it. But we won’t make it available for five months. According to our research, when a child wants a toy, their interest in that toy increases by 28% each month. By the end of the five months, in May, obsession will reach critical levels.
Bob: So we’re aiming for a May 4th release? For the Star Wars day?
Steve: I’m frankly surprised you know about Star Wars Day, sir, but no. May 20th. We’re going to need an extra 16 days to maximize the effect of market scarcity.
Bob Iger takes a long sip of his coffee
Bob: Steve, my friend, you’ve played a real game of three-dimensional chess here.
Steve: Four-dimensional chess, sir.
Bob: I expect this plan to be executed exactly as you’ve described. Well done. You can see yourself out.
