Licensing.biz Power List 2016

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29/09/2016 12:46

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING

A WORD FROM OUR EDITOR WHAT HAS CRACKED THE LIST THIS YEAR? Within these pages lies Batman, Bieber and even the odd ‘soggy bottom’. We have Olympic stars, footballing icons, toy titans and the nation’s favourite place to get Portuguese flame-grilled periperi chicken. Yes, the fourth annual Licensing.biz Power List has once again seen the industry cast their minds back over the last 12 months to decide which brands have enjoyed a stellar year.

Last year’s top spot in the Character/Entertainment category was taken by Minions, but we have a new number one for 2016 in the form of Paw Patrol. Climbing ten places, the brand has established itself as a major pre-school player.

LEGO has topped our Brands category for the last three years, and to the suprise of absolutely no-one, it’s bloody done it again. With a raft of new brands signed up to its LEGO Dimensions title, as well as the world’s biggest LEGO Store heading to Leicester Square in November, it’ll take a brave person to bet against it making it five for five next year.

This year’s Power List boasts everything from Batman to Bieber, and even the odd ‘soggy bottom’.

While LEGO shows no signs of budging, we do have a new number one in the Sports category, with Rio Olympics taking down Wimbledon like a tennis ball to the privates. Over in the Art & Design category, we once again have Orla Kiely, Cath Kidston and V&A fighting it out for the top three positions, with V&A retaining the number one spot this year.

As always, one of the most interesting parts of this publication is looking to see what brands are making a Power List appearance for the very first time. New for 2016 is Help for Heroes, Justin Bieber and Beyoncé. Elsewhere, the nation’s love of a ‘cheeky Nando’s’ has helped the restaurant chain break into the Brands category, while Fifty Shades has enjoyed a cracking 12 months, bringing its own brand of racy romance to this year’s book.

So congratulations to all the licensors, licensees and agents that have helped these brands crack this year’s Power List, and a big thank you to this year’s sponsor, Those Licensing People.

Billy Langsworthy blangsworthy@nbmedia.com

www.licensing.biz

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR Russell Dever, Managing Director, Those Licensing People

TLP

www.licensing.biz

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It’s been another exciting but challenging year on ‘planet licensing’, with new entrants to the market and the resurgence of classic IP. Those Licensing People (TLP) has expanded its portfolio dramatically this year and following on from a successful first round of talks at BLE last year, was appointed by both Cyber Group to act for Zou, (Disney Junior) as well as the hugely popular Dragon Ball opus from Toei Animation.

We expect to do much more in the year ahead thanks to new additions to our stable of properties such as Tiana Toys and Me, a new entrant into the world of licensing.

Tiana is in the top ten UK YouTubers list and has a huge profile in the USA where her charming and unique presentation skills have already brought her the first licensing deal - a publishing partnership with Hachette.

There is plenty to look forward to with Tiana.

In December, TLP will be handling the launch of a new digital platform called Kidscast, which we are very excited about.

There will be much more news to come on this score in the next few weeks when we announce the first shows to be broadcast, as well as the content for our ‘unboxing,’ project which will go live at the same time.

We have been developing this property for some time and it will launch as a standalone brand on December 12th.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support, help and advice of some very wonderful people in an industry we all love. To all of the entrants for Power List 2016, we say you deserve to be here and we wish you a fruitful and successful year ahead.

>>>

For more information contact: www.thoselicensingpeople.com russellatsplash@btinternet.com 0845 9011 657

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THOSE LICENSING PEOPLE “WHEN WE GO INTO A PROJECT WE BELIEVE IN IT ALL THE WAY”

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29/09/2016 10:22

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

 PAW PATROL

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Brand Owner: Nickelodeon What a year it has been for the heroic puppies, rising from 11th position in last year’s Power List to take pole position this year ahead of very strong competition. Our judges simply couldn’t say enough about the brand: “Quite phenomenal impact this year,” said one judge, while another commented: “Like a gathering wave across retail, Nickelodeon have just about managed to direct the brand without losing integrity and consistency.”

Popularity for Paw Patrol continued through 2016 with the animated series receiving an Annie Award and a Canadian Screen Award.

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The demand from retail for licensed products saw a rapid increase, with Poplar Linens inking a deal to launch a range of Paw Patrol home textiles across the UK and Ireland, and continued success across the pre-school portfolio of crafts, puzzles, construction toys and outdoor lines.

Co-owner and master toy partner Spin Master alluded to a ‘very exciting year’ with the launch of new Air Rescue themes helping to bolster the brand’s presence in the pre-school market. “We’re seeing huge momentum behind Paw Patrol in 2016,” said Emma Eden, marketing manager at Spin Master.

Positive feedback from the US market quickly established the brand across the pond, along with a new collection based around a flying theme. “The flying theme is simple but adds another point of difference and a great play pattern,” explained Eden.

Also adding to the pre-school puppy fever was Egmont Publishing, who launched Paw Patrol magazine, while October sees the launch of Paw Patrol Live!: Race to the Rescue, a 90 city live tour of theatres across the US, Canada and Mexico, presented by Nickelodeon and Star Entertainment Group.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

 STAR WARS

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Brand Owner: Disney

Narrowly missing out on the top spot in this year’s Power List, Disney continued to capitalise on the success of the new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens with a dazzling array of collectables, toys and fashion products for fans to enjoy, smashing box office records along the way. Our judges were equally as impressed with the performance of the franchise this year. “Hard to ignore the strength of this brand; seems to be covering all the bases you would expect and some new areas were added to the mix. The big challenge for a brand like this is to get the balance right between fulfilling demand and over licensing,” said one judge, while another simply commented: “The entertainment event of last year, and the DVD event of this year.”

 MINIONS

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Brand Owner: Universal Down the list this year from the top position in 2015, but certainly not out - the story of Kevin, Stuart, Bob and the other Minions continues to develop as one of the hottest merchandise properties in recent years. Recent partnerships include a two year deal between Posh Paws and Universal to become the EMEA plush partner for the Minions and Despicable Me franchises, delivering a range of characters from the back catalogue. Couple this with the anticipation for the latest installment of the Minions journey with Despicable Me 3, which is set for release in 2017, and it’s a fair bet that those likeable little yellow fellows will find their way back up the Power List before too long.

“Fantastic cross-generational appeal,” commented one judge.

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29/09/2016 17:25

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

 SHOPKINS

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Brand Owner: Bulldog

Another consistent 12 months for the brand, remaining in the top five of the Character and Entertainment category for a second year and further establishing itself as one of the hottest girls’ properties in the world. Adding to the portfolio this year, Edge Brands teamed up with Moose Toys in a new licensing deal to create a brand new line of Shopkins pool products. The collection will span splash balls, goggles, diving rings and dive sticks, which will all be available from spring 2017.

Elsewhere, the last 12 months has seen Bulldog snap up partners including the likes of Blueprint and Danilo, Roy Lowe & Sons and H&A, to develop cards, gift, wrap, stationery, socks, and bath products. All this, plus a full-length feature film landing on DVD later this year.

 PEPPA PIG

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Brand Owner: eOne

It’s hard to believe that Peppa and friends are now over 11-years-old at retail, but the brand shows no sign of losing appeal. In fact, popularity is on the up, with figures earlier this year from eOne revealing that its pre-school show had reached 5.4 billion views in China since relaunching in 2015. A raft of clever licensing deals through 2016 included branded kids areas and activities on board 10 ships with Costa Cruises to recreate locations from the TV series, a five-week takeover of Asda’s annual in-store Baby and Toddler event and contract renewals for all of the brand’s major North American partners, led by master toy licensee Jazwares. “Still unbelievably successful,” said one judge. “It stood up strongly versus Frozen over the last two years,” commented another.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

MY LITTLE PONY

6 FROZEN

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Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

A climber in this year’s Power List, helped by the truly global fanbase this brand delivers. Expect more of the same as anticipation reaches fever pitch surrounding the arrival of the My Little Pony movie in 2017, with singer Sia confirmed to join the voice cast as pony popstar Songbird Serenade. The brand is also expecting a strong end to 2016 with Hasbro and Sony Music/Legacy Recordings teaming up to launch a brand new My Little Pony Christmas album, dubbed A Pony Kind Of Christmas.

Not prepared to ‘Let It Go’ just yet, Frozen continues to blaze a trail as Disney continues with its five year franchise plan with more watchable content and merchandise, a new series of books and LEGO animated shorts. Random House launched the first novel Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights, back in July, introducing a brand new character known as Little Rock. Plus LEGO’s own Frozen animated series guarantees new momentum for the brand.

Disney

Hasbro

MR MEN & LITTLE MISS

8 POKÉMON

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Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

“Noteworthy by the range of interesting partnerships they have delivered recently including a great partnership with London Underground, which includes a product range in Paperchase,” commented one judge. “Some lovely brand partnerships and a refreshed approach in traditional core licensing categories,” said another. Building on the strong offerings from last year, Sanrio took the brand further in 2016 with a line of babywear, travel accessories and name tags for Back-To-School.

If 2016 has been the year of Paw Patrol, it’s almost a safe bet that 2017 will belong to Pocket Monsters, AKA Pokémon. The phenomenal success of the brand has been unprecedented with the launch of the Pokémon Go AR game, which surpassed over 500 million downloads in an eight-week period from launch. Argos has predicted huge demand for the toy line ahead of Christmas, while licensed apparel specialist Bioworld has seen a sales surge in Pokémon apparel.

Sanrio

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Pokémon Company

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29/09/2016 17:24

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

MARVEL

10 DISNEY

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Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

The superhero supergroup got funky for 2016, with the launch of a plethora of product, partnering with Coca-Cola for Super Bowl ads promoting mini cans, a variety of plush range product from Underground Toys and Loot Crate detailing a new collaboration with the Marvel franchise to launch a bi-monthly Marvel subscription crate. Our favourite? Marvel and Harley Davidson partnering to design a series of superhero and supervillan-inspired motorbikes.

Another solid year for the brand as one would expect, with Star Wars, Finding Dory and Disney Princess providing incremental sales opportunities and new licensing deals across multiple toy and consumer categories. With live action adaptions including Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid scheduled - plus Winnie-the-Pooh’s 90th anniversary in October bringing new merchandise - Disney continues to be one of the most influential brands in the business.

Disney

Disney

HELLO KITTY

12 GREAT BRITISH BAKE-OFF13

Brand Owner: Sanrio

Brand Owner: Love Productions

An interesting year for the Sanrio-owned brand that saw it team up with Italian holiday company ECVacanze to launch three fully themed Hello Kitty holiday homes in Italy, plus Soho-based bakery Cutter & Squidge launching Europe’s first Hello Kitty pop-up cafe. “We are beyond excited to be the first European Café to host this character,” said Cutter and Squidge co-owner, Annabel Lui. “The US venues have seen up to 2,000 people waiting to experience her world and we are looking forward to witnessing similar scenes here in our Secret Garden.”

Another fine year for the much loved brand, with licensed product including Electronic Multi-Bake Timers, personalised Bake Tins, ceramic baking beans and aprons and mugs through a partnership with Wow! Stuff. Last year’s winner, Nadia Hussain, was also available at this year’s Spring Fair to promote the Wow! Stuff range and hand-sign copies of The Great British Bake-Off book. But, news just in that BBC have sold the rights to Channel 4 and lost presenters Mel and Sue, along with Mary Berry, will likely have an affect on the brand over the next 12 months.

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29/09/2016 17:22

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

BATMAN V SUPERMAN

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Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

The number seven comic book movie of all time at the worldwide box office to date (not accounting for inflation) stands the brand currently at $862 million. However, the film didn’t break any records in Europe or Asia, critics provided tepid reviews and there was a mixed audience response. That said, Warner was quick off the mark with a Snapchat promotion allowing users to take snaps as the Caped Crusader, and deals were also struck for a raft of successful toys and apparel.

Based upon popular Disney characters, Tsum Tsum toys were first released in Japan 2013 as a tie-in to the arcade and mobile games of the same name, which were developed by Konami and Line Corporation. The following year Disney entered the US retail market with 1.8 million products sold. Marvel Super Hero Spectacular shows kicked off in August with a six-week campaign and new Jakks Tsum Tsum collectables. Tsum Tsum accounted for part of the top growth properties in Q1 of 2016.

Disney

Warner Bros

MINECRAFT

16 GRUFFALO

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Brand Owner: Microsoft

Brand Owner:

Minecraft continues to be the choice brand of technical play with children across the globe. After Microsoft purchased the brand back in 2014 for $2.5 billion it soon developed the game with Ho-loLens, its augmented reality headset, to provide another platform for the user to look down upon and connect within. Future Publishing also got in on the act this year, launching a magazine packed with tips for creating buildings in the game, called Minecraft Mayhem, with each issue featuring advice from YouTube megastars, as well as three free gifts.

Another solid year for The Gruffalo, with Green Owl Toys renewing its partnership with Magic Light Pictures to launch a new collection of wooden toys, magnets, Gruffalo skipping ropes and display units to create an in-store destination for the brand. Magic Light Pictures now runs an international merchandising programme with over 40 licenses and 250 products on offer. Our judges highlighted the simplicity and effectiveness of the brand: “Remains the best book in the business,” commented one.

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Magic Light Pictures

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT

CLANGERS Brand Owner: Coolabi Group

18 DC COMICS Brand Owner: Warner Bros

2016 was always going to be a great year for the BAFTA award winning Clangers, with owner Coolabi laying the foundations through 2015 and new partners including Dreamtex ltd, Fashion UK Redan and StoryToys to name but a few, tying-in with the rebooted series on CBeebies.

2016 saw new gift plush from partnerships with Ty UK ahead of the popular children’s series hitting screens in the US

ADVENTURE TIME Brand Owner: Cartoon Network

DR WHO Brand Owner: BBC Worldwide

Brand Owner: Silvergate Media/Penguin Books

Brand Owner: Caroline Mickler Ltd A new entry into the Power List for 2016, the much-anticipated film enjoyed international success last year and through a series of clever licensing deals kept the sales momentum going well into this year. Online sex toy retailer, Lovehoney, capitalised on the book and film’s popularity and success with officially branded products.

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A great year for this timeless classic, with International TV production and Silvergate Media winning two Daytime Emmy Awards for its hit pre-school series. A new Peter Rabbit Adventure Playground also opened in Hertfordshire this year to help celebrate the 150th anniversary since the birth of Beatrix Potter. Peter also found time to hop onto the launch of a new 50 pence piece to help mark the anniversary.

22 ROALD DAHL Brand Owner: Roald Dahl Estate

It’s been a busy 12 months for The Doctor, with an array of licensed product released to keep momentum for the brand moving forward. Underground Toys started the year with a new collection of Doctor Who homeware products. Elsewhere, Amazon teamed up with BBC Worldwide North America with a multi-year content licensing agreement.

FIFTY SHADES

An exciting year for the brand with Warner Bros. Consumer Products teaming up with US retail chain, Hot Topic, to produce a limited edition range of apparel for its DC Comics Bombshells collection.

Inspiration for the range comes from DC Comics’ most famous female superheroes, including a Wonder Woman-style red top and blue sailor shorts.

20 PETER RABBIT

There seemed to be no stopping Finn and Jake this year, with a raft of licensing deals developed to coincide with the launch of season eight of the series. This included an immersive fan-experience, Card Wars, a new line of products and a tabletop game, including a Card Wars Doubles Tournament.

Card Wars began life as an episode in Adventure Time, after which it involved into an app for iPhone and iPad.

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A fantastic year for the Roald Dahl brand, combining the 100th year anniversary of the author and big screen release of The BFG. New publishing releases also included OUP’s Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary, Penguin Random House’s Roald Dahl publishing programme, clothing brand Boden released a line of childrenswear, and the Wales Millennium Centre hosted an interactive exhibition.

24 BARBIE Brand Owner: Mattel

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Iconic fashion doll Barbie has been an integral part of the international toy market for over 50 years, with over a billion dolls sold to date. This year saw a plethora of licensing partnerships and also the odd accolade thrown in for good measure - with Barbie scooping the People’s Voice award in the Online Commercial category at the Annual Webby Awards.

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26/09/2016 14:43

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS

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 LEGO

Brand Owner: The LEGO Group Celebrating a fourth year at the top of the Brands category, LEGO continues to be a global phenomenon, with a solid, growing fan base that can’t get enough off the stuff.

Our judges agreed, with one simply saying: “Market leading cross-category focus and width across licences.”

Global LEGO sales were up 10 per cent in the first half of 2016 and the firm attributed the global sales growth to innovation in lines like LEGO City, LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Ninjago, as well as the successful debut of its new brand for 2016, LEGO Nexo Knights.

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It also continued to build on the toysto-life success of last year, with LEGO and Warner Bros providing 16 new brands for its innovative LEGO Dimensions product including Adventure Time, The Goonies and Gremlins - making it a significant part of the LEGO video games portfolio.

With fresh manufacturing in place, the company also announced that it would open the biggest LEGO Brand Retail Store in the world on November 17th in Leicester Square, London, covering 914 sqm area over two floors and making it the 37th LEGO store in Europe. The flagship store will include a LEGO retail environment,

exclusive product sets, building demonstrations and Pick & Build Wall, with a LEGO Big Ben made up of more than 200,000 bricks dominating both levels.

Other key deals for the brand this year have included the development of a Beatles Yellow Submarine LEGO set following a LEGO Ideas campaign, as well as the airing of the LEGO Frozen short form series.

With The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Ninjago Movie set for release next year, and a raft of franchise product already in development, it’s difficult to see the brand being shaken from the top of the Power List anytime soon.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS

 VOLKSWAGEN Brand Owner:

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Volkswagen

An astonishing story for the brand that this time last year was involved in one of the biggest automobile scandals in history, had lost its CEO and was facing US$18 billion in potential fines. It seemed the game was up for the world’s number one car manufacturer. ‘Not so!’, said its legion of fans and franchise partners, and our judges agreed.

“It has maintained its position despite the emissions scandals,” said one judge, while another commented: “Despite the poor publicity associated with the brand, the licensing programme seems to be flourishing. Well designed product in noteworthy categories.”

 JCB Brand Owner:

3

JC Bramford Excavators The iconic British brand continues to go from strength to strength and rises up a position in this year’s Power List. This year, JCB partnered with Channel 5’s Milkshake for a twoweek competition that coincided with Build It Week, offering youngsters the chance to win prizes including a JCB ride-on with Front Loader and other JCB toys and apparel. The brand also renewed its global publishing partnership with Igloo Books for three years, following success which saw unit sales exceed over one million.

“It’s a well managed programme that has made the most of its opportunity in licensing,” commented our judges.

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30/09/2016 15:14

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS

JAMIE OLIVER

4 TANGO

5

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

Straight into the top five of the Power List this year, the Jamie Oliver brand continues to flourish despite difficult restaurant trading conditions; Jamie Oliver Holdings reported a pre-tax loss of £11.1 million due to £18 million of exceptional costs as of September 2015. Since then, the Jamie Oliver brand has undergone a complete overhaul in packaging and enjoyed success with the Jamie Oliver kitchenware range. 2016 also saw a clever partnership with Boots, bringing branded sandwiches and wraps direct to retail.

“Great use of the quirky nature of the brand,” commented one judge. “Tango - a brilliant programme of products that enhance the core brand - maybe even improve it,” said another. With a licensing programme worth around £4 million at retail, the brand continues to show growth, with 2016 seeing Tango going from strength to strength. New partnerships included working with Yumsh Snacks on a range of Tango-flavoured popcorn and a full range of Tango stationery items from EastWest.

Britvic

Jamie Oliver Enterprises

COCA-COLA

6 HELP FOR HEROES

7

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

A slight drop down the Power List this year and out of the top five position for the brand, echoed in the global value of Coca-Cola dipping from $83.84 billion in 2015 to $80.31 billion in 2016. But what does this all mean for the 130 year-old brand? Re-group and re-brand, and that’s exactly what CocaCola has done, launching its biggest marketing campaign in 10 years and uniting its four brands under one new ‘Taste The Feeling’ tagline.

New to the Power List, the innovative charity works with selected companies selling licensed products featuring the Help for Heroes logo. As one judge noted: “One of the few charities to successfully licence rather than just work off a sponsorship model.” Voted a Superbrand in 2015 and consistently in the top ten charity brands operating within the UK, its proceeds go towards practical, direct support to the sick and wounded veterans, servicemen, women and loved ones.

The Coca-Cola Company

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Help For Heroes

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS

TED BAKER

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8 KELLOGG’S

Brand Owner: Ted Baker

Brand Owner: Pink Key Consulting

The leading global lifestyle brand continued to wow this year, partnering with Google to release an espionage-inspired film, Mission Impeccable, produced by Guy Ritche. It also created the first ever fashion brand application of Google App’s voice search, engaging shoppers who activate Voice Search on their phones to unlock incentives and unique in-store products. Users watching the film can also click on certain styles and save them in a vault for reference to save interrupting the flow of the film. Part Two will release early November in time for the Christmas season.

A super year for the brand as an official sponsor of Team GB, including an intensive eight month campaign ahead of Rio; the brand used past British Olympic medalists Louis Smith, Sir Steve Redgrave and Rebecca Adlington to recreate iconic Hollywood wake-up scenes from films in a bid to get the British public off to a good start each day. The brand also opened its first permanent Kellogg’s cafe in New York, serving different dishes featuring Kellogg’s cereals and a range of other unique ingredients.

JUSTIN BIEBER

10 FIFTY SHADES

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Brand Owner: Bravado

Brand Owner: Caroline Mickler Ltd

The 22-year-old heartthrob knows a thing or two about brand partnerships, with an estimated net worth of over $200 million.

Endorsement deals in the past have included the likes of skincare line Proactive - where he walked away with a cool $3 million.

Calvin Klein signed the singer as an underwear model and brand ambassador last year, with Kendall Jenner appearing as his co-star through the 2016 campaign. The last 12 months has also seen a raft of Bieber pop-ups stores launch to coincide with his Purpose World Tour, as well as an apparel line released with Forever 21.

Released in 2011, Fifty Shades has gone on to top the global bestseller lists (selling over 125 million copies) and enjoyed success on the big screen (with over $570m at the global box office). In the licensing space, the brand has also been a hit, with online sex toy retailer Lovehoney witnessing sales surge thanks to the popularity of its Fifty Shades of Grey branded line, with a Fifty Shades Darker range to follow in October. Elsewhere, Bluebella and Coco de Mer have also enjoyed successul tie-in lingerie collections. The sequel, Fifty Shades Darker, will land in cinemas next year.

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26/10/2016 16:00

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS

UNILEVER Brand Owner: Unilever

12 SHOPKINS Brand Owner: Bulldog

A solid year for the brand, continuing to build on the innovative licensing partnerships of 2015. Our judges agreed: “It has been great to see how they have extended their brands into new categories, such as Magnum confectionery.” Marmite lovers also benefited from a partnership with Carousel Calendars to launch a Marmite calendar, while confectionery manufacturer Perfetti Van Melle teamed up with Unilever for a range of Chupa Chups ice creams.

STANLEY Brand Owner: Black & Decker

Brand Owner: MGA Entertainment

Brand Owner:

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15

David Bowie Estate In 20 years time, any pub quiz that starts ‘in which year did (insert artist/entertainer surname) die’ it’s a good bet it’ll be 2016. None more shocking was the news that the Thin White Duke, David Bowie, had passed away, just two days after the release of his 25th studio album, Blackstar. As a mark of respect to Bowie, the artwork to the album was made available for fans to use as they wish within creative reason and not for commercial gain. A fitting gesture to the great man himself.

16 MEN’S HEALTH

Continuing the good work from 2015, it’s been another solid performance for the Little Tikes brand, supported by owner MGA Entertainment. New partnerships this year included a range of co-branded licensed sports toys, working with the LeBron James Family Foundation, and with a donation made to the foundation for each product sold. Lines include a mini hoop and Dream Big basketball sets. Elsewhere, Little Tikes was also named the UK’s Best Family Brand at this year’s Loved by Parents Awards.

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Enjoying success in the Character & Entertainment category of the Power List last year, the Shopkins brand has been a monumental success for owner Bulldog, winning numerous awards along the way and cementing itself as one of the hottest girls’ properties in the market today. Clever licensing deals across various market sectors have kept the momentum high, and the first full length movie will land on DVD later this year. There is no sign of the popularity waning anytime soon.

Not bad for a brand which is barely two years since inception.

14 DAVID BOWIE

Another brand that has benefited from a diverse licensing programme away from its core audience, Black & Decker continues to innovate. This year saw the brand partnering with Bradshaw International to launch a range of non-electric cookware, bakeware, tools, gadgets and cutlery, available at mass merchants, department stores, online and club retailers. W Appliance also partnered with the brand to produce a range of compact appliances including refrigerators, freezers and wine coolers, along with a variety of air comfort products.

LITTLE TIKES

13

Brand Owner: Hearst-Rodale

17

Britain’s best selling men’s magazine had another solid year, strengthening its position within the branded food sector and growing its presence in the consumables market. It expanded its Men’s Health Fuel line back in April.

The brand also partnered with the Box Out Group to develop the firstever Men’s Health subscription box, with box one including a variety of gift offerings such as Zing Socks, XD Aluminium Handle jump rope and Clinique Moisturiser.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS

NANDO’S Brand Owner: Nando’s

18 STAR WARS Brand Owner: Disney

The restaurant chain has been expanding its brand partnerships for a number of years and achieving great success with a variety of lines across the globe. As far back as 2010, Advertising Age predicted Nando’s as one of the world’s top 30 hottest marketing brands. And if anymore proof was needed as to the popularity of the brand, even our American cousins now know what a ‘Cheeky Nando’s’ is, thanks to social media, erm, bantz.

PAW PATROL Brand Owner: Nickelodeon

Brand Owner: The Smiley Company

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner: Beyonce

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A new entry into the Brand category of the Power List, the Science Museum has had an exceptional year, partnering with Fashion UK to launch a new line of branded apparel.

The range includes daywear, nightwear and underwear, featuring an array of designs based on the museum’s most popular themes, such as space, robots and flight.

22 EMOJI®

Brand Owner: emoji® company

23

An exceptional year for the brand, with Wow! Stuff signing the official emoji® brand with Global Merchandising Services to develop a range of gifting products. “There’s a great fit between our two companies,” commented Richard North, CEO of Wow! Stuff.

“This is going to be a phenomenal brand and a very broad range which resonates with anyone who is mobile device aware – which of course is probably 99 per cent of the population.”

24 GUINNESS

Music critic Jody Rosen described Beyonce as “the most important popular musician of the 21st century.”

2016 saw Beyonce launch her own brand of ‘athleisure’, partnering with Sir Philip Green on a range available in Topshop, Net-A-Porter, Selfridges, JD Sports, Zalando and Nordstrom. The artist also launched a range of products inspired by her single, Formation.

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21

Science Museum Group

Big news this year for The Smiley Company was the partnership with Rubik’s as the brand’s new master licensee outside puzzles. With a direct focus on Rubik’s Cube’s heritage, Smiley developed a range of lifestyle categories supporting the brand extension, as well as launching three consumer profiles that included heritage, urban and geek. The products will span apparel, accessories, backpacks and also stationery.

BEYONCE

The entertainment juggernaut that was Star Wars: The Force Awakens currently sits at a cool $2.068 billion worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of 2015 and fastest film to gross $1 billion (12 days). The popularity of the wider brand, franchise opportunities and licensing partnerships are endless, making Star Wars one of the most influential brands in the world.

20 SCIENCE MUSEUM

The past 12 months have been exceptional for the brand. Under the careful guidance of Nickelodeon, Paw Patrol’s innovative product range has captured the imagination of the pre-school market and seen units sales soar, making it Spin Master’s most popular product range. With the new toys set to grace lists this Christmas, there seems to be no stopping those heroic pups.

SMILEY

19

Brand Owner: Diageo

25

A busy year for the black stuff, with the Guinness licensed food programme expanding the Guinness sauce across the UK and successful partnerships with a full range of Guinness premium pies and puddings courtesy of Holland. Diego now plans to work with global licensing agency Beanstalk to grow their presence through further innovations in the food sector, including meats and cheeses.

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www.emoji-company.com licensing@emoji-company.com emojiŽ is a registered trademark of the emoji company GmbH. Š 2015-2016. All rights reserved.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN

1

 V&A

Brand Owner: V&A Enterprises Following on from the success of securing the number one position in 2015’s Power List, the V&A fought of stiff competition to once again take the top spot in this year’s Art & Design category.

Our judges were unanimous in their decision to make the brand the overall winner, with one pointing out: “V&A is a market leader in this category, with a great range of products, mixed with some high profile partnerships such as a retail deal with Oasis”.

The collaboration between the V&A and Oasis began with the launch of its first collection back in May 2015, gaining

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critical acclaim for its innovative use of a unique licence.

This year’s addition featured 10 dresses all inspired by V&A’s ceramics collection, recreating the designs from the ceramics to produce a range that included midi, maxi, shift and shirt dresses and a standout one-shoulder dress featuring a Far Eastern-inspired floral and butterfly designed print.

“The V&A has an amazing ceramics collection. It’s been very exciting to recreate the ceramic patterns onto dresses and give them a new lease of life,” commented Oasis print manger, Daisy Spurrier.

Priding itself on the diverse collections the V&A offers, the portfolio consists of a wide range of products from homeware, stationery, accessories, jewellery, fabrics and gifts, with the profits returning back to the Museum to help fund further exhibitions, research and future collecting.

The most recent collaboration with Clarks resulted in a range taking its inspiration from the 1970s, with fashionable loafers and T-bars combined with a print from the V&A’s textile collection by Claud Lovat Fraser (1890 to 1921). The print originating from the 1920s, and regained popularity in the 1970s.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN

 ORLA KIELY Brand Owner:

2

Orla Kiely

2016 was a big year for the Irish designer, just missing out on first position in this year’s Art & Design category, but moving ahead of rival Cath Kidston to take second place in this year’s Power List. Our judges were unanimous with their verdict: “Orla Kiely has grown brand awareness by extending into non-core categories and now has an instantly recognisable creative look and feel”.

2016 saw the designer enter the sports category via a partnership with London Irish for the team’s 2016 St Patrick’s Jersey. Kiely also created a limited edition apron to help this year’s Sport Relief Bake Off, with the garment fashioned by TV personality Michelle Heaton along with the nation’s favourite puppets, Sooty and Sweep.

 CATH KIDSTON Brand Owner:

3

Cath Kidston

A solid performance by the British designer this year, teaming with Disney to develop a limited collection, including a one-off special line of Winnie the Pooh themed products, with the brand given access to the studio’s archives to source original character illustrations to produce the collection.

The line includes homeware, apparel, bags, giftware and accessories to name but a few. There’s also a special Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse collection planned for later this year.

“It seems to be an evergreen now, with a strong market presence and broad product ranges. Cath Kidston mixes licensing with their own retailing and manufacturing,” commented one judge. Another simply said: “It’s a good example of a blended model”.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN

HAPPY JACKSON

4  THE NATIONAL GALLERY 5

Brand Owner: Giles Andrea/Heather Flynn

Brand Owner: NGC Ltd

We predicted a strong year for the Happy Jackson brand in 2016, and we weren’t wrong, remaining in the top five of the Art & Design category in the Power List for a second year running. Stand-out partnerships this year included a new range of adult luxury bathing goods produced by the firm outside of its Christmas gift offering, available through Sainsbury’s. One judge stated: “A licensing success story. Hard to miss at retail.

Strong in a number of key accounts and seems to have a good commitment to design refreshment.”

“Fantastic content is starting to be developed,” said our judges, in a year that saw the National Gallery Company build on a successful 2015. Accolades include the Best Heritage Site, Museum or Gallery, for their jewellery range inspired by paintings in the collection. Luxury earrings, necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks and rings are all inspired by works by artists including Van Gogh, da Vinci and Monet. All in all, the National Gallery is a definite one to watch in next year’s Power List.

WITHIT

6 PUSHEEN THE CAT

7

Brand Owner: Withit

Brand Owner: Pusheen Corp

Withit started out as a Brighton store selling locally designed t-shirts and gift items and proved such a success that a further six stores were opened nationwide. By 1998, the brand was being retailed at over 200 independent clothing and gift stores, with 2001 seeing the firm launch a range of Back To School fashion stationery through WH Smith. This year, Withit partnered with instant messaging app Viber and hit the number one spot with its Chinese New Year Joey and Joy theme. “They punch above their weight,” one judge said.

A plethora of partners including Poetic Gem, Fashion Lab and Fashion UK saw the brand launch into apparel, with a range of products aimed at the teenage and young adult female demographic. New additions to the UK licensing programme include confectionery, stationery, greeting cards, home textiles, toiletries, watches, ceramics, jewellery and accessories.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN

8 KATE SPADE

SMILEY

9

Brand Owner: The Smiley Company

Brand Owner: Kate Spade & Company

A clever licensing partnership with Rubik’s to expand the Rubik’s Cube concept into new product categories helped steer the brand into the top ten of this year’s Art & Design category. On top of this, The Smiley Company launched three consumer profiles, including heritage, urban and geek.

Other partnerships this year included homeware with Butlers, menswear with French retailer Joules, a deal for Smiley dolls with Tonner-One World and sportswear with LazyBee, to name but a few.

A consistent year for the New York lifestyle brand which inked a long-term distribution and retail licence agreement with Reliance Brands Limited to take the brand to India. Under the terms of the agreement, Reliance Brands Limited hold the exclusive distribution rights to the brand across the country.

The partnership will assist with the increasing global demand for the brand and will help establish a chain of stores across major Indian cities.

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

10 EMOJI®

11

Brand Owner: Matthew Williamson

Brand Owner: The emoji® company

It’s been a great year for the British designer, celebrating 20 years of inspiring and innovative design partnerships. 2016 began with the continued expansion of the brand into the lifestyle market, with the launch of branded stationery and cards, licensed through Museum & Galleries. There was also the launch of the Amazonia collection, and the brand’s first ever bespoke furniture launch, comprising five upholstery ranges and occasional pieces created in collaboration with Nottingham-based sofa manufacturer, Duresta.

2016 will be remembered as the year that the internet went emoji mad. With 115 partnerships all over the world, highlights this year have included a deal with the Donut King chain for a range featuring five much-loved emojis® as well as a partnership with Wow! Stuff for a range of gifting products. Elsewhere, Penguin Random House Children’s has launched a line of books exploring the lives of characters in emojitown including Pile of Poo, Heart Eyes and Sassy Girl. All this, plus a big screen adventure from Sony, called EmojiMovie: Express Yourself, will hit cinemas in August 2017.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN

TED BAKER

12 HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES 13

Brand Owner: Ted Baker

Brand Owner: Historic Royal

Never one to rest on its laurels, the brand has been busy pushing the boundaries of fashion, filmography and online shopping with the launch of a new short film that allows consumers to click on products featured within the film and buy them. Promoting its autumn/winter range, the film takes inspiration from spy films such as James Bond, and is called ‘Mission Impeccable’, featuring the executive production skills of Guy Ritchie. Digital is very much a focus with the brand, which saw a 32 per cent rise in online sales in the first half of 2016.

Interior specialists GP & J Baker announced the launch of its new Historic Royal Palaces fabrics, inspired by elements of the gardens, architecture and interiors of Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, Banqueting House, Kensington House and Kew Gardens. There was also a seventh collaboration with High Street retailer Hobbs, inspired by Queen Victoria and Kensington Palace and launched across Hobbs stores and online, with select items also featured at the Kensington Palace shop.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Brand Owner: Vivienne Westwood

14 CAROLINE GARDNER 15 Brand Owner: Caroline Gardner

In the year that punk turned 40, the British designer and punk stalwart Vivienne Westwood detailed plans to release her own book through publisher Serpents Tail, called Get A Life. The book will be made up of a collection of Westwood’s diaries that span six years of ‘Climate Revolution’, an online site/blog created by the designer discussing politics, climate revolution, fashion and activism.

“My diaries are about the things I care about,” commented Westwood. “Not just fashion but art and writing, human rights, climate change, freedom.

SEASALT Brand Owner: Seasalt

16 TOKIDOKI

35 years-old this year, the Seasalt brand started out as a small retail outlet based in Penzance selling traditional workwear such as fishermen’s smocks, Guernsey pullovers and stripey tops to the local sailors, farmers, fishermen and artists.

In 2001, the clothing brand was born and the company hasn’t looked back since, with a portfolio of product that includes apparel, accessories and footwear, homeware and gifts.

Following a recent collaboration with Christy it has now added female hats to the range.

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Gardner initially trained as a painter before a chance meeting with a neighbour who commissioned her with a range of six cards for a Tokyobased art gallery. The cards were an instant success and the company started soon afterwards. She is now best known for her distinctive designs across stationery and gift, with a portfolio that stretches across various product categories including bags and accessories, home & garden, paper and lifestyle.

Brand Owner: Tokidoki

17

The cult Italian pop culture brand continues to build on its worldwide following with its Japanese-inspired larger-than-life characters and designs. The portfolio consists of apparel, jewellery, accessories and skateboards. Brand partnerships exist with Marvel, Levis, Skullcandy, Solrepublic, Asics, Fujitsu, Ride snowboards, Hello Kitty, X-Box and T-Mobile, to name but a few. Tokidoki distributes its product range through Nordstrom, Macys, Fred Segal and Karmaloop, with an additional 1,000 boutique retailers in more than 60 countries worldwide.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN

MOOMINS Brand Owner: Moomin Characters

18 GREAT BRITISH BAKE-OFF19 Brand Owner: Love Productions

This year saw Macmillan Children’s Books sign a new deal to deliver three gift book titles, with the first title in the range being The Moomin Colouring Book. Puffin will also release three pre-school Moomin books this year. Elsewhere, Moomin Characters, Bulls Licensing and Filmlance revealed plans to bring a new Moomins animated series to TV.

MARIMEKKO Brand Owner: Marimekko

20 LIBERTY LONDON Brand Owner: Liberty London

Finnish design house Marimekko has long been revered for its use of bright colours and distinctive, bold patterns. Big news this year was the collaboration between the brand and US discount retailing giant, Target, bringing over 200 print-centric pieces to retail and a portfolio of product consisting of decor, furniture, swimwear for women and girls, inflatables, hammocks and swimsuits.

THE RHS SHOW Brand Owner: RHS

Brand Owner: Andy Warhol Foundation

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2016 has been another solid year for the iconic London store. Liberty London unveiled a collaboration with Ladybird Books back in February called the Chesham Cabinet Collection. The line-up of products spanned cushions, fabrics and wallpapers created using illustrations from original Ladybird Books.

Brand Owner: Emma Bridgewater

A very British success story, the brand began in 1985 after a failed shopping trip to locate a birthday present for the designer’s mum. A ‘eureka’ moment ensued, and the brand was born. The portfolio includes the use of patterns across glass, tins, picnic ware, wallpaper and fabric from Sanderson, and the designers own fragrances, bath and bodycare.

24 BERYL COOK

A constant influence across fashion, art, media, music and literature, the Andy Warhol Foundation joined forces with Converse to launch a new line of trainers this year, inspired by some of the iconic artist’s most famous prints. The range included pop art designs of the Marilyn Diptych and also his Brillo Pad series.

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21

22 EMMA BRIDGEWATER 23

A busy year for the RHS, starting at Spring Fair and an army of RHS licensees out in force displaying new product, including Burgon and Ball, Ulster Weavers, Carousel Calendars, Meldhome, Churchill China and many more. The current RHS licensing programme consists of over 50 licences in gifting, homeware and gardening categories.

ANDY WARHOL

The BAFTA award-winning programme can do no wrong at retail. Partnering with Wow! Stuff, the Bake-Off range features kitchen and home items, including tea sets, cake stands and accessories.

However, with the show now sold to Channel 4 and Mel and Sue – plus Mary Berry - opting to leave, only time will tell if Bake-Off will remain Great for 2017…

Brand Owner: Beryl Cook

25

A new deal with UK agency This Is Iris saw a collection of the Cook’s paintings used across stationery and giftware ranges from Otter House, Carousel Calendars, and Calendar Club. Frances Lincoln also launched a cookbook while Ravensburger also got in on the act by developing a number of jigsaws featuring Cook’s most well-known illustrations.

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00935

THE

SPORTS MERCHANDISE & LICENSING SHOW RETURNS TO THE BRIDGE ON 14 NOVEMBER 2016

To book a stand or to register free of charge as a visitor, visit:

SPORTSMERCHANDISEANDLICENSINGSHOW.COM

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26/09/2016 14:42

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS

 RIO OLYMPICS

1

Brand Owner: IOC It was an amazing performance by all athletes that entered the Olympics and Paralympics at Rio this year, with a record number of gold medals won by Team GB, setting new standards for future Olympians to follow. Brands too were vying for gold as they each battled it out to engage with an audience of over 3.7 billion, with an estimated 350 million watching the opening ceremony alone, and viewing figures showing the televised games reached people in over 200 countries.

Brand partnerships are key for The Games’ success and crucial to the operations and organisation, with revenue

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generated by commercial partnerships accounting for more than 40 per cent of over-all Olympic revenues.

Commercial partnerships don’t come much bigger than Coca-Cola, with the drinks brand investing heavily into Rio 2016 and paying the big sponsorship numbers in order to do so. Early statists indicate that it might have just worked for them, too - which the brand desperately needs if it’s to get itself back into the world’s top ten for 2017. The brand also saw massive engagement from a campaign it ran alongside Rio 2016, in conjunction with its Japanese app, Coke ON.

As two of the most protected brand identities of all time, rules around the games are stringent, with Rule 40 preventing athletes from tweeting about non-official sponsors, and non-sponsors prevented from using Olympic athletes in any advertising. The recent changes allow athletes to appear in generic ads that do not explicitly mention the games or use Olympic IP. Under Armour took full advantage of the changes to Rule 40, with over 250 athletes attending the games sponsored by the brand, using a wide range of creative legal tactics to connect its brand to the Olympics.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS

 MANCHESTER UNITED FC Brand Owner:

2

Man Utd PLC

What a year for the brand, which is as much an institution as it is a football club. New manager Jose Mourinho’s first task was to overcome a delayed move to Old Trafford due to his former club owning the rights to his name. Then, he had to resolve a conflict of interest between Jaguar and United’s shirt sponsor, Chevrolet.

That aside, another great year in licensing has seen United partner with Swiss avant-garde watchmaker TAG Heur as Official Timekeeper and global partner, along with Columbia Sportswear as United’s Official apparel partner. Our judges were unanimous in their verdict: “It seems to be the strongest club brand in the licensing market and has remained so even when the team hasn’t done as well. A sign of a good programme.”

 EURO 2016 Brand Owner:

3

UEFA

The second biggest international football tournament behind the FIFA World Cup certainly lived up to its expectations, with over 4,500 licensed products across 100 territories, making it the most licensed Euros ever. Some 3.4 million football related toys and stickers were also sold in the four weeks to May 7th, with nearly one in five products sold in April being football related. Panini’s UEFA Euro 2016 sticker packs were the top selling toy in April, with an estimated sales value of £1.1 million in that month alone.

SoccerStarz also teamed up with Panini to launch the first ever Panini Superstars of Football figures. The collection included one player from all 24 teams playing in the tournament.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS

ENGLAND RUGBY

4 WIMBLEDON

5

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

“Always strong and now revitalised following good team performances,” said one judge, while another highlighted the “great Rugby World Cup promotions.” With a licensing programme that has grown across the High Street and grocery sector, RFU’s apparel has increased through its kit partner Canterbury and online sales partner, Fanatics. The brand has pledged to support the game at grass level and beyond in both the men’s and women’s game through a university programme.

An expected fall from the number one position in the Sports category this year, due to the huge level of interest invested in Rio 2016. However, Murray’s triumph will no doubt reignite fresh licensing partnerships over the coming months, so expect another strong performance for 2017. Partnerships remain loyal to the club, with Slazenger among the oldest in sporting history, supplying tennis balls for 114 years, while Robinson’s Lemon Barley Water itself was created at the club in 1935.

All England Lawn Tennis Club plc

RFU

LE TOUR DE FRANCE

6 LIVERPOOL FC

7

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

The success of Sir Bradley Wiggins and other British riders in recent years has massively increased interest in Le Tour de France both domestically and internationally. And there’s no sign of the bike bubble bursting yet, with every country road dominated by middle-aged men in lycra hurtling down the tarmac. CPLG will renew its deal with Le Tour de France across the UK and Eire, and extend its programme across publishing, homeware, souvenir merchandise and plenty more for 2017.

With the extension on Liverpool FC’s new Main Stand now complete and opened in early September, the redevelopment has now transformed Anfield into one of the largest all seater single stands in Europe, with an overall capacity of 54,000.

Licensing agreements continue to flow for the Reds including a deal with Sky Germany allowing them to show all of this season’s games, with a further deal signed that gives exclusive insights into Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s working day.

CPLG

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Fenway Sports Group

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS

ARSENAL FC

8 NFL

9

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

A busy year for Arsenal saw it secure a content partnership with one of China’s biggest football shows, Total Soccer, in a bid to grow the brand in the region. There was also a licensing deal brokered with one of Chile’s oldest wineries, Vina Santa Rita, becoming a key component of its ‘Living la Vida 120’ marketing campaign. “It’s a very strong brand that is boosted in large by the appeal of the clubs legendary mascot Gunnersaurus,” said one of our judges.

“Growing in importance in the UK and Europe as the game takes a hold,” commented our judges. An important year for the NFL as the popularity of American football continued to rise in Europe, after a disastrous outing nine years ago, resulting in annual losses of $30m. NFL Players Inc retained Brandgenuity to grow its efforts in Europe. With rights to over 2,000 NFL players, the partnership will give manufacturers and retailers access to player names, numbers, signatures and more.

NFL

Arsenal Holdings

BARCELONA FC

10 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC 11

Brand Owner:

Brand Owner:

Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Catalan footballers led by Swiss football pioneer Joan Gramper, Barcelona has an annual turnover of 560.8 million Euros. It’s also one of the most supported teams in the world, with the largest social media following among any sports team and a media value of $25.3 million. A deal with Konami has given the Japanese gaming giant access to the club’s players for both marketing and a Barcelona edition of Pro Evolution Soccer.

Continuing its licensing programme, Spurs announced an agreement with South Korean based tyre manufacturer, Kumho Tyre, that offered a strong brand presence at the Club’s home matches and across the team’s digital channels.

Elsewhere, the club announced a medical partnership with Aspetar, one of the world’s leading sports medicine and orthopaedic hospitals, with the partnership offering access to the medical facilities of the hospital, based in Qatar.

Fan Co-Operative

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ENIC International

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS

RUGBY WORLD CUP Brand Owner: The IRB

12 ENGLAND FA Brand Owner: The FA

Not surprisingly, the Rugby World Cup is down from the number two position it boasted last year when the tournament took place. However the long tail with licensing and brand partnerships has meant that it’s still been commercially viable and positive with the brands that it worked with. Heineken, Coca-Cola and MasterCard all achieved superb fan engagement throughout the event, Heineken in particular raising its profile throughout the games by having an exclusive 500 meter zone outside the arenas preventing competitors from advertising their products.

TEAM GB Brand Owner: British Olympic Association

REAL MADRID FC Brand Owner: Real Madrid CF

Brand Owner: British Paralympic Association

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London 2012 was seen by many as a pivotal moment for Paralympic Sport in the UK, with record-breaking ticket sales and audience figures. The event opened up the doors to a fleet of licensing partnerships, taking advantage of the recordbreaking audience figures and global reach of the event.

Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s became the first sole sponsor of the Paralympics back in 2010 and continues to back the BPA, along with partners including BT, Allianz, Visa, Toyota, and Panasonic.

16 SIX NATIONS RUGBY 17

Similar to Barcelona, Real Madrid’s members have owned and operated the club throughout its 114-year history, growing the club into one of the most valuable sports team in the world, worth an estimated $3.65 billion. It was also the world’s highest earning football club, for the 2014/15 season, with annual revenues of 577 million Euros. It should come as no surprise that the big sports apparel companies are aligning themselves with the brand; earlier this year Adidas inked a new 10-year deal with the company worth 140 million Euros a year, making it the biggest kit sponsorship in football history.

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50 years on from the FA inviting the world to England to share that momentous 1966 World Cup achievement, the FA has kept a tight licensing programme across both the men’s and women’s game. Following the success of bringing the UK licensing business in-house, the FA decided that the entire international programme would follow suite and be managed by the FA’s licensing team. Partnerships this year included the venture with Panini and also Emporium Eyewear. There was also a new £32 million deal announced creating a new partnership with Nike for kits across both the men, women and grassroots game.

14 GB PARALYMPICS

To say that the London Olympics was a big year for Team GB is an understatement; grossing over £1bn at retail and fanning the flames for the British public’s desire to engage with their Olympic heroes, it created the perfect platform for this year’s games in Rio. Aldi became the official supermarket partner of Team GB, having brokered an exclusive licence including apparel, accessories and back to school product.

Adidas renewed its partnership until 2024, along with BP, Fitness First, Nissan and Muller. The clever execution with Aldi, plus affordable products, was also noted by our judges.

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Brand Owner: Six Nations Rugby

An amazing year for rugby fans and neutrals alike, with a thrilling climax to a brilliant tournament, and England crowned Champions on March 13th with a game still to play, and winning the Grand Slam later that month for the 13th time. Following the Rugby World Cup, an increased interest in the UK has appealed to brands, with the income of a regular Six Nations fan making them the most affluent of any popular sport. A partnership with Accenture brought the tech behind the mobile app for the tournament, along with VR, while Eurosport revealed a new agreement to expand the Asian rights of the 2017 Six Nations Championship.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS

NIKE Brand Owner: Nike

18 ADIDAS Brand Owner: Adidas AG

A big year for the brand with recent Mercury and MOBO award-wining grime artist Skepta collaborating on his own Nike Air Max trainer, Blacklisted. A partnership with US comedian Kevin Hart marked a first for the brand to launch his own branded shoe, the Nike Hustle Harts. Hart is the first actor/entertainer to have his own brand of Nike performance shoe. There’s also news of Nike producing a laceless trainer that moulds to your foot.

RED BULL Brand Owner: GmbH

Brand Owner: Zuffa

Brand Owner: EFL

Brand Owner: Roman Abramovich

Brand Owner: Turtle Entertainment

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Founded in 2000, ESL is the longest established eSports company in the world today, incorporating over 20 games across 10 eSports products.

2016 has seen it come of age, with as many gamers in the world as sports fans. Modern Times Group bought a stake in the brand last year for $87 million, with the hope to introduce new eSports games to its events.

24 F1

Driven by a vision to be seen as the world’s number one football club, The Blues continue with a strong licensing programme that includes brands such as Thailand’s Singha Lager, the South-East energy drink Carabao and Burma’s leading Whiskey brand Grand Royal, to name but a few. Global tech brand Wipro and Beats by Dr. Dre both signed as official Chelsea partners last year.

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Following a rebranding exercise in late 2015, the EFL has continued with its licensing programme, growing its brands and partnerships through the 2016 season and beyond. Big news was the dual appointment of Realise and NeuLion as its digital partners. Realise will design and develop EFL Digital’s club web and mobile stats, while streaming and payments services will be provided by NeuLion.

22 ESL

An exciting year and outlook for UFC with entertainment and sports specialist WME IMG acquiring the rights to the MMA. The new deal will see WME IMG act as as UFC’s operating partner, adding the brand to its portfolio of more than 800 sports and entertainment events. Founded in 1993, the UFC has been hailed as one of the fastest-growing sports brands in the world, with over 40 live events annually.

CHELSEA

Big news for the German multinational this year was the launch of a new business unit, tasked with developing new apparel to expand the Yeezy by Kanye West range. The new portfolio will include footwear and accessories for men and women. Eric Liedtke, CMO of Adidas, said: “With Adidas + Kanye West we are exploring territories by opening the sports world to Kanye’s creativity. This is what Adidas has always been about.”

20 ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE 21

A clever licensing programme has taken energy drink manufacturer Red Bull and turned it into a global lifestyle brand. Recent successes include the deal between Red Bull and GoPro, allowing athletes to capture their races, stunts and adventure. The biggest collaboration being ‘Stratos’, which saw the adventurer Felix Baumgartner jump from a space pod.

UFC

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Brand Owner: Formula One Group

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Interesting times for F1, as the sport transitions not just on the track, but also through its sponsorship strategy. It’s estimated that teams, drivers and sponsors invest approximately £1bn every year into F1, with a shift from B2C to B2B, and branding models changing in favour of longterm deals. Heineken’s recent position as the exclusive Global Beer Partner of F1 came as the year’s biggest news.

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