Why don't we tease consumers?

I was reading a piece in the New York Times on Saturday about how Disney was using a cliff hanger to tease college students into getting excited about the new “Toy Story 3’ movie when I thought to myself, how come the toy industry doesn’t tease potential consumers in advance of release?

We see the video game people do it and Hollywood sure does but why don’t we? Is it perhaps a throwback to the days where everyone was so suspicious of word getting out that someone would rip off their idea? Sure that can still happen but not if we start our marketing two or three months out?

Here is how the article describes Disney’s use of the cliff hanger:

About 200 college students, some who had waited as long as five hours, sat in a movie theater here watching one of the most hotly anticipated movies of the summer: “Toy Story 3.” But about 65 minutes into the film, just as Woody and Buzz were about to attempt an escape from their horrid new home (a day care center), the lights abruptly came on.

“No!” Shouted most of the crowd in unison. “More!”

 The idea is to re-excite college students who were three when the original movie came out. Think about how toy companies could put on “play parties” all around the country to re-engage young fathers and mothers with the toys of their youth and pass that passion on to their children.

Enough with the secrecy; let’s catch up with the times.

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