By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Toho International has appointed Kristin Parcell as general manager and Stacy Burt as director of marketing to lead the studio’s e-commerce expansion.
Parcell (above left) and Burt (above right) will be responsible for building a scalable e-commerce fandom platform for Toho’s Godzilla franchise and the studio’s portfolio of anime IPs.
The new Toho ecommerce platform will feature both existing products and exclusives. The platform will initially focus on IP’s owned by Toho, but plans are in motion to expand to outside IPs in the future. The platform will officially launch in 2023.
“Kristin and Stacy bring a wealth of knowledge and skill to building a successful e-commerce platform, but the key differentiator that makes them so successful is their deep understanding of fan communities and visionary thinking,” said Hiro Matsuoka, president of Toho Co., Ltd.
“They are constantly a step ahead of what is likely to delight fans and then they make it happen. With this team on board to lead Toho’s e-commerce effort, we are sure that we’ll be bringing to market an offering that is absolutely unmatched.”
In addition to building the new e-commerce platform, Parcell will be responsible for leading the company’s licensing efforts for video games, live events, physical merchandise, and virtual products. In a first for the studio, Parcell will also collaborate with Toho’s current partners to manage their own licensing rights across the studio’s portfolio of anime IP.
At her previous position as VP of eCommerce at Crunchyroll, Parcell managed the team that built the company’s e-commerce platform. Parcell and her team were also responsible for developing and marketing the Crunchyroll Store brand CR Loves which focused on exclusive apparel capsules featuring celebrities and fandom-based properties.
“Stacy and I are incredibly passionate about this business, fandom, and community,” said Kristin Parcell. “We are approaching this new challenge not only from a place of knowledge and experience, but also from a place of authenticity. Being big fans of these IPs ourselves and really understanding the fandom will enable us to tailor an e-commerce experience that will hopefully make fans of Toho’s IPs feel like we get them.”
Stacy Burt aided Parcell at Crunchyroll by overseeing the integrated marketing campaigns for Crunchyroll’s e-commerce platform. Burt also grew the global presence of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards event by managing international marketing campaigns and fan engagement.
“As an anime fan, I’m thrilled to be part of this endeavor with Toho,” said Stacy Burt. “I’m looking forward to building out an e-commerce platform in tandem with Kristin and the Toho team that provides fans with more of what they love straight from the source.”
In their new positions at Toho, Parcell and Burt will be supported by Joanne Waage, who has been tapped by the studio for an advisory role. Waage has expertise in the Asian entertainment and anime industry through her previous position as general manager of Crunchyroll.
Toho International is a U.S.-based subsidiary of the Japanese entertainment studio Toho Co., Ltd.
Toho International focuses on expanding the international reach of the studio’s IP’s through comprehensive licensing programs and marketing campaigns. Toho is best-known for its long-standing Godzilla franchise.