Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: advertising, Comics, dc, dc comics

DC Comics to Discontinue Their Comic Shop Co-Op Advertising Programme

Published Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:00:49 -0500

DC Comics has told retailers that, after decades, they are closing their speciality retail co-op advertising programme. As Bleeding Cool has reported regularly over those decades, DC Comics will pay towards the costs of comic book retailers advertising their store as long as they use approved and substantial DC Comics imagery when doing so.

Over the years this expanded from print ads to radio and TV ads, to the cinema and then online. DC Comics even paid 100% of retailers' costs at one point.

But no more. Today, comic book retailers were told by DC that the Specialty Retailer Co-Op Advertising Program will be discontinued at the end of 2019.

That retailers registered with DC Comics though Diamond accounts will stop accruing co-op credit following their September 25th invoices.

And that retailers will still be able to request approval on co-op spends through December 31st, that claims must be finalized by January 31, 2020 and no claims will be accepted after that date.

Only a small percentage of retailers took advantage of this programme, which may be why it is being withdrawn. Fewer still utilized the program to its full potential. But for some losing co-op ad dollars is going to be game-changing.