Licensed Party Product
Licensed Look Get The
With Halloween just round the corner, a plethora of new ranges launching at BLE 2019 and companies already looking forward to Book Week 2020, this is a busy time of year for anyone in the business of licensing. PPE finds out more about the business-boosting power of the brand.
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t’s an industry that embraces new characters and larger-thanlife looks, so it’s no surprise that licensing is an integral aspect of the dress-up and party sector. And it’s big business. New licence agreements and updated and refreshed ranges are announced throughout the year, but Q3 is a particularly active time for the industry as licensees prepare new lines for Christmas and the new year and licensors announce new partnerships and extended deals in the run-up to and aftermath of Brand Licensing Europe. Licensing is particularly important for costume company Smiffys, which won the Licensing Award for Best Licensed Dress-up Range in 2019, for the second year running. “The Licensing Awards are accolades
SUITS YOU “Licensing is very important to the party trade. It is certainly important for us, as almost 30% of our business now comes from licensed product. Earlier this year we launched our Super Mario suit which sold out immediately, while PacMan and all our Warner Bros. lines such as The Joker and The Riddler have been doing well too. We have got exciting plans in place for 2020 but I can’t reveal them just yet!” Robin Breeman, account manager, OppoSuits
Right: Smiffys won the Licensing Awards’ Best Licensed Dress-up or Partyware Range for its 60th anniversary limited-edition Barbie costume.
to strive for and show a real distinction within the licensing world,” said Smiffys’ director Dominique Peckett. “Our category wins are testament and recognition to the constant work our team carries out as it designs, develops and markets our innovative licensed portfolio.” In general, Dominique emphasises that Smiffys’ licensing business is continually growing and expanding. “The most influential aspect would be the licensed children’s market,” she says. “It grows continually, particularly as World Book Day has become pivotal in schools and nurseries across the UK. The parental desire to have a child’s favourite book available in costume form warrants licensed costumes and we recognise the need to bring those characters to life.” Smiffys has continued to acquire licences, with new lines for this year including a Chucky family range for Halloween as well as Book Week favourites such as Roald Dahl and Beatrix Potter. Brand new collections which will be available for 2020 include a line of costumes inspired by MGM’s The Addams Family Movie, Mattel’s Thomas & Friends as well as preschool literary favourites Spot the Dog, Mog and The Tiger Who came to Tea. “The licensed baby and toddler markets are continually growing and our in-house design team are working hard on some exclusive pieces for next year,” adds Dominique. “The importance of events like World Book Day and Halloween cannot be overstated. Licensing will continue to be an area that we invest heavily in.” Left: OppoSuits’ Mario Kart suit sold out immediately when it launched earlier this year.
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Licensing is also ‘very important’ to Julie Dommett, head of marketing at Pioneer Europe, who points out that having key licences at the right time can prove very successful. “Licensing has become more competitive in recent years,” she says, “especially as non-licensed on-trend themes have become more popular. Licensed business was historically spread over a wide range of characters but in recent years this has become more concentrated on the top properties.” Julie reveals that Pioneer Europe is continuing to invest in new products for its long-standing licensing partners’ brands but is also working on some brand new opportunities for 2020. “Character licensing is key for the party sector, where many of the products are better suited to a lower age group,” she adds. “Properties that target preschool up to age eight tend to work best as these are the children most likely to want a characterthemed birthday party.” The final word goes to Stuart Wheeler, account manager at Delights Direct, who says that: “Apart from a few notable exceptions, we have found that licenses have not been so strong in the last couple of years, with generic themes breaking through instead. Still, I’m sure everyone will be looking to Frozen 2 this Christmas, hoping it replicates the incredible highs of the first one!” Above: Toy Story 4 product has performed well and Pioneer Europe expects this to continue. Left: Creative Party’s Peter Rabbit range of cake decorations focuses on Beatrix Potter’s original characters.
GROWTH GOALS “We have been actively pursuing our objective of growing our licensed costumes sales in Europe. EMEA is a key part of our overall international growth strategy. While we have always been a powerhouse for Halloween in North America, it is our goal to provide costumes globally for incremental dress-up occasions like Carnival and World Book Day.” Tara Hefter, executive vp and general manager, Disguise
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
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