An ICv2 Release.  ICv2's 'Grow with Shojo' Display Contest is a great way for retailers to expand merchandising to female consumers--a rapidly growing consumer segment in pop culture stores.  'Shojo' are comics and animated videos from Japan that are directed at a female audience.  Not only will your business benefit by displaying products directed at females from the red-hot anime and manga categories, you can also win great prizes. Our sponsors -- Pioneer, Dark Horse, Viz, and Tokyopop have contributed around $6000 worth of prizes for retailers that win this contest.  Among them are numerous Sailor Moon videos, DVDs, and graphic novels, Fushiji Yugi videos and DVD boxed sets, Oh My Goddess, Gunsmith Cats, and Dirty Pair trade paperbacks, a Ceres, Celestial Legend poster signed by acclaimed artist and author Y? Watase and much more.  For full lists of the prizes, click on the links below:

Click here for the First Prize listing, worth over $3000.

Click here for the Second Prize lists, worth over $2000.

And click here for the Third Prize lists, worth over $1000.

All you have to do to win is create a display area for anime and manga products directed at females in your store between now and our entry deadline of 5 p.m. on September 5, 2001, submit it to our judges, and be selected as the first, second, or third best entry.

There are free promotional and display materials for retailers available from our sponsors.  For information on what's available and links to request it, see 'Retailers--Grow with Shojo!'

You are probably already carrying some anime or manga products directed at females in your store.    If you would like to expand your selection for this contest, we suggest you concentrate on the products and properties listed in our prize listings, above.  They are available from anime distributors (see our 'Anime Distributor Directory' for a list) and comic distributors ('see our 'Comic Distributor Directory' for a list).

Diamond Comic Distributors will be putting out a special e-mail Monday, August 13, 2001 with a list of products that they have available that can help you fill out your display.

Here are our rules:

1.You must be a retailer to enter.  We define a retailer as a business selling over $100,000 worth of products it does not produce itself to consumers. 

2.You must create a display directed at females in your place of business.  We define a display as an arrangement of merchandise, along with signage, point of purchase materials, or other display elements.  That means that either window displays and displays inside a brick and mortar store are eligible. 

3.Your display must include both anime (videos or DVDs) and manga products.  The proportions are up to you. 

4.To enter, please submit the following:

100 words on your store.

100 words on the special display you created for this contest.

100 words on any results you've seen from the display.

Pictures of the display.

We prefer submissions by e-mail.  Send Word documents and jpegs or gifs to:  Mgriepp@icv2.com.

If you wish to submit hard copies, send your photos and written entry to:

Milton Griepp

ICv2

448 W. Washington Ave.

Madison, WI  53703

ICv2's 'Grow with Shojo' promotion, sponsored by Pioneer, Dark Horse, Viz, and Tokyopop, features numerous ways to help retailers grow their businesses and profits.  For an overview of the 'Grow with Shojo' promotion, including info on how to get free p.o.p. materials, see 'Retailers--Grow with Shojo!'