The Energon Pub

VioMeTriX wrote:one of my best friends works for hasbro in retail distribution, and what does that mean for me getting insider info.... diddly squat. he can get me the figures i want without searching, but hes too far down the chain to know anything that is coming in advance.

so my question is, how does one go about becoming an insider?

Breaking the integrity clause of one's contract.

Hit it on the head eh JZGR?

fenrir72 wrote::lol:

Hit it on the head eh JZGR?

It's what I do best. Had experience with such contracts, so...

integrity clause? why? he doesnt go out of his way... but many time those lazy ass kids at toys r us will tell me they dont have such and such figure in the back, yet hell go in the back and bring out and stock 3 cases of the exact figure toys r us employee said they didnt have. its not like he holds figures or anything like that, but hell call me and tell me where, or just buy it and i pay him for it.

VioMeTriX wrote:hey i was being silly man, i dont care who gets news first.... as long as it is honest and accurate. i hold our australian members in very high regards, you live where i want to be someday. but i do honestly see what you mean about some of our american fans, and im sorry it is so apparent you feel it.

It's all good and I appreciate you were saying it as a tongue in cheek thing. This whole debacle, right down to a concern troll who showed up on TFW, has just been in parts, internet pettiness from some people - to the point where some of us are shaking our heads and wondering if the same people wouldn't be demanding it be taken as gospel if it came from them.

VioMeTriX wrote:by the way that comment i got about everything being true on the internet comes from a comercial that currently plays 50 times a day here.

Like I said, it's all good and certainly there can be reason to be cautious with unknowns.

Case in point is something I brought up a while ago on OTCA. In October, I went into the local Toyworld (Toyworld Fyshwick for any Aussies who might be reading this) and asked about big ticket items. I was told it would be Optimus Prime and Omega Supreme, yet the had no further info or pics, but the price range ($100 mark each) and the combo makes it virtually a dead certainty that it's the Platinum editions.

Since then there's been radio silence and it might have fallen through, but even if it was straightforward, I'm an unknown quantity, so I'd totally understand skepticism at my saying that .

VioMeTriX wrote:one of my best friends works for hasbro in retail distribution, and what does that mean for me getting insider info.... diddly squat. he can get me the figures i want without searching, but hes too far down the chain to know anything that is coming in advance.

so my question is, how does one go about becoming an insider?

Well as Griffin has shown with Hasbro Australia, building relationships with reps and marketing people/managers in companies seems to be the trick. I know in some cases he's been able to say things but in other cases he's had to sit on things until he's been given the ok. The key I think is to allow it to be a relationship where trust is slowly built until you're in far enough that you're on the inside track.

I should have elaborated. I meant integrity as in keeping company secrets from would-be spies.

It's called an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and most companies have you sign such prior to getting a position with them. It means that the company can not only terminate, but also take legal action against you should you leak any proprietary/internal information (including any info on upcoming products, dates or anything else) to anyone outside of the company.

xyl360 wrote:It's called an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and most companies have you sign such prior to getting a position with them. It means that the company can not only terminate, but also take legal action against you should you leak any proprietary/internal information (including any info on upcoming products, dates or anything else) to anyone outside of the company.

Yeah I think the key distinction here is between leaks and "leaks". Let's face it- often many of the "leaks" people get are companies deciding to unofficially throw fans of their products a bone. I actually wouldn't be surprised if "leaking" actually becomes a component of marketing degrees in the next few years [presuming it isn't already part of them].

Bowspearer wrote:

xyl360 wrote:It's called an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and most companies have you sign such prior to getting a position with them. It means that the company can not only terminate, but also take legal action against you should you leak any proprietary/internal information (including any info on upcoming products, dates or anything else) to anyone outside of the company.

Yeah I think the key distinction here is between leaks and "leaks". Let's face it- often many of the "leaks" people get are companies deciding to unofficially throw fans of their products a bone. I actually wouldn't be surprised if "leaking" actually becomes a component of marketing degrees in the next few years [presuming it isn't already part of them].

Yep, that's true as well. It can be a tactic of marketing to 'leak' info to the public to feel out what the reactions are prior to deciding whether or not to release something or to project the sales numbers in order to make decisions about production numbers and distribution.

Hasbro have just confirmed this at Toy Fair. Don't you think it's about time to give credit where it's due?