78-79 Rachel Wakley.qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 19/09/2018 18:14 Page 79
FACE TO FACE WITH: RACHEL WAKLEY Below & right: The Looney Stratton, with Seetal Patel, Emma Barker-Davies, Tunes collaboration with Bobby Abley was revealed at Jennifer Judd and Sarita Parmar, while the retail London Fashion Week. team is headed up by retail director Anita Serradimigni, who is supported by The quick fire round Favourite film? “Twin Town – originally released by Film 4, it’s Carl Franks and a small independent film set in my home town… which is Andrea Aley. definitely not a ‘pretty shitty city’.” For Rachel, the move Who would play ‘Rachel Wakley’ in a film of your life? “Perhaps Gal Gadot would be a step too far, so maybe Ruth Jones.” from retailer – she Favourite holiday destination? “Anywhere hot with minimal was at Tesco for creatures! I’m terrified of birds and pretty much anything with almost seven years, more legs than me. With that in mind, I’d pick Las Vegas for a grown-up holiday and the South of France with the kids.” latterly as head of Best thing about being Welsh? “The rugby, the sense of licensing – to licensor community, the understanding and appreciation of hard work… I could go on forever! To paraphrase the poet Brian Harris: “To has been a smooth be born Welsh is to be born privileged. Not with a silver spoon one. “Working in retail in your mouth, but music in your heart and poetry in your soul”.” was an amazing Brand you would most like to work with? “I’ve been lucky experience,” she says. enough to work on some of the biggest and best brands in the world, so I’ve already covered a lot of them. I have a list of “I was lucky enough brands I’d like to partner with though… fingers crossed for 2019!” Favourite brand in the Warner Bros. stable? “That’s like asking to work with some of me to pick my favourite child!” the most talented, Online or high street? “I honestly believe that there is a time and brilliant people. One place for both.” of the most helpful mindsets I learnt at Tesco, which is proving helpful, is putting the customer at the heart of our decisions. I truly believe that everything we do, be that as a licensor or a retailer, needs range of DC Burgers and Sausages with to focus around the customer and our Asda: “For the first time ever, British BBQs fans. If we know who they are and what’s could feature official ‘Bat-burgers’,” important to them, then we’ll make the exclaims Rachel. right decisions.” There’s much more to come, too, and, Rachel says that there are a number of although Rachel couldn’t be persuaded to initiatives that she’s “very proud of” share more, WBCP’s presence at Brand from the past year, although she is quick Licensing Europe will feature more on the to point out that “everything we work on Wizarding World and DC franchises – has a team of people who work including the hotly tipped Fantastic Beasts: exceptionally hard to deliver them, so I The Crimes of Grindelwald from the former, and certainly can’t take credit for these alone.” Aquaman and new action-comedy adventure Rachel has highlighted three initiatives, Shazam from the latter – as well as Wonder starting with the recent partnership with Woman, DC Super Heroes, Scooby-Doo, Hamleys to bring the Wizarding World to life Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry. There’s also set in its Regent Street store. “The team at to be a host of backdrops and photo opps with Hamleys, as well as a cross-divisional team at Harry Potter’s luggage trolley on Platform 9 ¾ or WB – across franchise, design, category and the Looney Tunes characters for the selfie lovers retail – have landed a really impactful among us. experience for fans,” says Rachel. “I think the future of licensing is exciting,” Rachel Meanwhile, January saw the launch of a Looney concludes. “The retail landscape is a moving picture Tunes collaboration with menswear fashion and that won’t likely ever change. As consumer designer Bobby Abley. “Unveiling the range at behaviour evolves so to do the retail challenges and, London Fashion Week was fantastic and seeing it in turn, the licensor challenges. Store executions, come to life at both Selfridges and Urban Outfitters retail platforms, brand applications and, most has been amazing.” importantly, the way we all think have to evolve.” And then in July, WBCP launched its first ever LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2018
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