BoxLunch Finds Inspiration in D23 Fan Engagement

At D23, Disney's annual fan event, BoxLunch Vice President of Marketing Jillian Wendt spoke about how the company interacts with dedicated fans in person. They are a fan-based company and use their relationships with studios to stay informed about upcoming releases. At D23, they had three exclusive collections: Kingdom Hearts, Disney Princesses, and Cars. The Kingdom Hearts show was announced at D23.

Wendt noted that the company sees trends emerging from interactions with fans. She cited Y2K nostalgia as an example, where A Goofy Movie sparked interest in late '90s/early 2000s Disney content. They used this insight to create products inspired by those archives, such as a princess jacket based on vintage bed comforters.

BoxLunch balances broad and niche markets by testing products early and taking risks. They have partnerships with studios, which helps them anticipate trends. A manga partnership was initially seen as a risk but ended up being successful, allowing them to enter new categories.