The Entertainment Merchants Association

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Entertainment Merchants Association Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan was approved by the Board of the Video Software Dealers Association in October, 2005; revised to reflect the 2006 merger creating EMA in July, 2007 and updated by staff in 2009.

Mission

To protect the right to sell and rent entertainment products and content; promote the sale and rental of entertainment products and content; and provide a forum for all those engaged in the sale, rental and/or commercial delivery of home entertainment to consumers.

Vision Statement

 1. EMA is committed to being the preeminent source of entertainment retail industry advocacy, policy setting, and information and knowledge.

 2. EMA will maintain its leadership and expertise in packaged entertainment, while, with its members, supporting and defending other opportunities to deliver quality entertainment to consumers.

 3. EMA will provide knowledge and support for the successful evolution of members' businesses.

 4. EMA will maintain its position as the definitive and proactive champion of entertainment retailing.

Goals and Objectives

• Goal:  Engage and develop public appreciation of the value of entertainment software
  
  Objectives:
• General Media: Increase by 15% over three years the number of industry-promotion news stories in general interest media that source EMA and ensure at least one mention of EMA each year in five of the ten newspapers in the U.S. with the highest circulation and on one of the major broadcast or cable news programs.  Establish a repository of positive industry data and stories for use in proactive and reactive response to unfair or unrealistic negative portrayals of the industry.
• Trade Press: Increase by 5% annually the number of news stories in the trade, specialty or non-traditional media that highlight EMA's industry promotion and representation activities.
• Product Promotion: Expand consumer exposure to award-winning titles through no-cost promotional alliances with AFI and AMPAS programs each year.
• Format Promotion: Support the growth of Blu-ray, Internet-based content delivery, and future formats through coordinated efforts including in-store and web-based educational material.
• Public Event(s): Evaluate participating with others in the development of a consumer show or tour promoting video games and other elements of home entertainment.
• Misc: Develop one or more new catch-phrases for the video game industry or video industry that encapsulates the entertainment values of such products.  Promote and develop use of the catch-phrase.
   
• Goal:  Articulate a public position on major public policy and industry issues that significantly impact the home entertainment industry and utilize direct, grassroots, coalition, and public advocacy resources, and litigation when necessary, to ensure our position is adopted.
  
  Objectives:
• Grass Roots Advocacy:  Develop a retailer grass roots activation plan built on EMA's web presence and Internet capabilities, collecting and maintaining a database of member's interests; to call those members to action when needed.  Develop a cadre of trained retailer-advocates covering sufficient states and congressional districts to effectively advocate on behalf of retailers and their customers before Congress, state legislatures and government agencies.
• Coalition Advocacy:  Partner with additional coalitions, foundations, other trade and consumer advocates, and grassroots organizations to leverage common interests and common or distinct capabilities in support of our public positions.
• Public Advocacy:  When appropriate, utilizing the most effective means, call the public to action in support of the Association's policy objectives, including traditional and new media outreach and other direct-to-consumer communications.
• Chain Advocacy: 
• Lead and support enhanced efficiency through standardization within the video game supply chain, such as encouraging standard carton configuration and case labeling programs.  
• Facilitate a review of the video game business paradigm and opportunities to grow sales through new models. 
• Encourage suppliers to better involve retailers in the long-term revenue stream of digital video game distribution based on in-store sales and/or marketing.
• Lead the development of standards and definitions for global data synchronization of entertainment products and content. 
• Lead in the acceptance of a universal item identifier for web-based delivered audio-visual content.
• Facilitate meetings with content providers and game publishers at least once each year to discuss appropriate issues.
• Business Model Advocacy:  Facilitate a review of the video game business paradigm and opportunities to grow sales through new business models.  Encourage video game suppliers to involve retailers in the long-term revenue stream of digital video game distribution based on in-store sales and/or marketing.
• Loss Prevention: Facilitate meetings of Loss Prevention executives of key retailers to evaluate means to reduce shrinkage and to allow for more open merchandising of video games and DVDs. Work with movie studios and game publishers to support shrinkage-reduction opportunities. Measure and report annual shrink metrics.
• Manufacturer Advocacy: Facilitate meetings with content providers at least twice each year to discuss appropriate issues.
• Anti Piracy Advocacy:  Expand EMA's anti-piracy profile through cooperative efforts with suppliers and other trade associations such as MPAA, ESA, CDSA, DEG, NAVD, and members of CERTA.
• Investigate, analyze, and evaluate opportunities for the video game industry to reduce the carbon footprint of the manufacture and distribution of their products, while increasing profitability.  Develop understanding of the baseline and set benchmarks for success. 
   
• Goal:  Increase traditional and virtual networking and information sharing opportunities for the entire entertainment software industry and its components.
  
  Objectives:
• Conventions:  Develop a new format and design for annual trade events for the video and video game sectors, respectively, which emphasize strategic business planning and are highly cost efficient for retailers and suppliers alike. Launch such events in 2010 and revise as necessary to increase net operations income from such events by 10% annually. 
• AEE: Expand the scope and depth of educational offerings at the January AEE event. Increase by 15% over three years the number of stories highlighting AEE in the adult industry media and gain coverage by mainstream media of at least one story annually highlighting the AEE event or derived therefrom.
• Alternative delivery: Web-cast one or more events from the annual conventions, other trade events or educational programs.
• Councils & committees:  Engage virtually all of our top twenty dues-paying "regular" members in Board, committee, or council activity, and engage at least ten other EMA/iDEA members, each year, in committees or chapter activities.
• Field activity:  Increase additional networking opportunities for independent retailers testing distributor-sponsored buyer events on both coasts and a national event for active chapter leaders, fully funded by the chapters.
• Micro Communication: Develop and publish a bi-monthly communication to studio executives and game publisher executives, updating them on EMA activities and industry issues.
   
• Goal:  Position and leverage EMA to grow from convergence and consolidation in home entertainment media.
  
  Objectives:
• Visible advocacy: Ensure that our advocacy efforts impacting the digital delivery segment and the electronic retailing segments are highly visible within those segments (both retail and content providers).
• Music industry:  In cooperation with NARM, develop relationships with music suppliers, and assist them in promoting market penetration in the video retail segment.
• Web-based digital delivery: Respond, as appropriate, to the request of member retailers regarding their entry into electronic retailing and online delivery, positioning EMA to represent this segment when appropriate.
• Host digital conferences to assist the growth of knowledge and facilitate entry by retailers interested in entry.
• Recruit additional members to EMA's Digital Council to facilitate discussion and standards establishment.
• Develop a recurring (bi-annual) white paper and web resources regarding digital delivery.
• Finalize EMA metadata structure for web-based audiovisual delivery from content providers to digital retailers, and encourage its utilization. Develop or partner in the development of a standard structure for transactional usage reporting to be launched by the end of 2010, and develop or partner in the development of a data repository for web-based audiovisual metadata to be launched by mid-2011.
• Expand EMA's participation in other industry trade events through seminars, other speaking opportunities and sponsorships.
   
• Goal:  Assemble relevant value-added consumer and business research on the entertainment software industry for our members, consumer, and trade media, and the financial community.
  
  Objectives:
• Annual Report: Publish an Annual Report of the Home Entertainment Industry.
• Retail Trend Survey: Develop and launch, each year, at least one retail trend survey among our membership, with results included in the Annual Report and directed at stimulating press coverage.
• Industry "Snap-shot": Maintain a current industry "snap-shot" with up-to-date sales and rental data, consumer trends and technology advances to be used in response to press, financial community and member inquiries.
• Electronic Resources:
• Establish and promote EMA's websites as respected resources for home entertainment industry information, and evaluate using an outside resource for daily industry news pushes.
• Increase website hits and email read-rates (if measurable) by 10% each year.
   
• Goal:  Proactively research, analyze, and report on business models and best practices.
  
  Objectives:
• New Business Models: Research business models and report findings, including best practices, for new and additional business opportunities (such as transitioning to sell-thru, in-store burning, digital vending, and online delivery).  Deliver at least one New Business Report each year.
• Loss Prevention: Survey and report Loss Prevention metrics annually. 
• Successful Practices: Survey and share "successful practices" among independent video retailers.  Publish them online, and in at least one trade publication.
   
• Goal:  Identify, evaluate and provide, as appropriate, business tools, products, and services of potential value to our members.
  
   Objectives:
• Support for Independents:
• Identify, evaluate, and provide at least two new service/product or business tools per year for independent retailers.
• Ratings Education and Enforcement – Promote the adoption across all retailing sectors of effective motion picture and video game ratings education and enforcement programs, ensure those programs are consistent with one another, and encourage consumers to utilize those programs.
• EMA Institute:  Develop and implement a training/ education model utilizing various delivery methods for at least four courses, workshops, panel discussions or other learning opportunities that meet the identified needs of member companies. Evaluate, develop and implement a financial model that will subsidize or generate net income from such training/ education model.
• Data Synchronization: Continue to support studio participation in an industry title database and develop needed databases for the video game industry.
   
• Goal:  Manage EMA's financial resources to ensure ongoing effectiveness of the association.
  
   Objectives:
• Growth & Dues: Aggressively recruit target member groups.  Add to the membership one "top-rated" non-specialist each year; add two grocers each year; add three online retailers each year and three game retailers each year.  To the associate membership, add two game publishers and four ancillary suppliers to the game industry. Improve retention by 10% through staff/association communication and visibility, and through engagement in Association activities.
• Convention Income: Explore additional trade events with a minimum of one new event launched profitably in 2010. Evaluate various models for trade events to support Internet-based retailing and respond accordingly.
• Overhead: Retain reductions in overhead costs and increase effectiveness through technological refinements, including computer networking, telephony, and office support.
• Management: Conduct annual year-end functional evaluations of performance to ensure that resources and spending reflect the Association's vision, mission, and goals.
• Net Results: Achieve a net positive financial performance by 2012.

Updated by staff, December 2009.