Total Brand Licensing May 2020

TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

CONTENTS 6

Editorial Comment

31 Legal

Thoughts from the editor

7

How to keep Brand Loyalty Strong

32 Spreading Positivity

Staying in the public eye

Owning and protecting your IP

The industry comes together for some good news

8 News

34 Opportunities Abound

From around the globe

9

Esports Update

35 LMCA

What’s new in this ever-expanding sector?

With this special Scottish deal

Offering expert advice

10 Pringles - If anyone can, we can!

36 The Final Word

A look at this most versatile brand

Advertisers index and more

12 News from the Art World

Art Licensing Brands

16 Octane 5

Company profile

News from the world of food and beverage

18 Food & Drink Brands

The Upcoming August Issue We will be publishing again in August.

19 Heritage Licensing

History blending with contemporary deals

The Original Good News Brand

We invite you to submit editorial and look at some of our attactive advertising options. With the current uncertainty regarding physical trade shows and inperson meetings, Total Licensing and our various platforms can really act as your virutal showcase to tell the world of brand licensing what you are doing and what business opportunities you can offer.

20 COVER STORY: SMILEY 24 Licensing Japan

Coming back bigger and better

26 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CAPRICE

The model and businesswoman talks expanding her brand

28 Flowhaven

Licensing Relationship Management - Made easy

30 How Can Travel Brands Recover?

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Can the industry recover from Covid-19?

We can help! With our magazines, read by over 80,000 in 106 countries, and with our website which is constantly updated and visited by thousands every day, bringing the freshest news and advice from industry experts. Our social media channels are followed by thousands.

Vitit www.totallicensing.com to find out more.

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COMMENT TOTAL

BRAND LICENSING

A Total Licensing Group Publication CO-PUBLISHER Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com CO-PUBLISHER Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Joanna Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com OFFICE MANAGER Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com JAPAN AGENT Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp www.totallicensing.com

Total Brand Licensing is published quarterly by Total Licensing Ltd in the UK. ©2020 Total Licensing Ltd. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without written permission of the publishers and owners. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, Total Licensing Ltd nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities.l images are reproduced with permission from their owners.

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From the Editor...

It is almost beyond saying, by now, that we are living in extraordinary times. There isn’t a person in the brand licensing industry that has not been affected, personally and professionally, by the outbreak of Covid-19.

These are times like no others before – aside, perhaps, from times of world war, which few of us have experienced first-hand. There have been countless deaths and sorrows, there have been incredible sacrifices made by families and friends, and the world has, collectively and effectively, shut down.

The long-term effects of this on our industry remain to be seen. For a while it has seemed like recovery will be difficult, if not impossible, for some businesses. The global trade shows that stand as pillars of the licensing year have been cancelled/postponed, and some retailers have permanently closed their doors. Governments around the world have offered various compensations to those left temporarily or permanently without income, and at the time of writing this, it seems like many countries are tentatively coming out of ‘lockdown’. Weighing up human risk with restarting an economy, governments in each country have had some tough decisions to make.

What has really struck me, over these last few months, is the sheer resilience and adaptability of those in the licensing industry. Certainly, the first couple of weeks after the severity of the virus became obvious were quiet, unsure. Then, as we all grappled with working at home with children, worrying about health of our families, friends, and colleagues, worried about food shortages, worried about closing our factories, or how we would sign a deal if there was no-one to sign it with, or how to sell our consumer products in a limited retail scape, or how to use the conference setting on Zoom, the news started returning, business continued, people adapted. Just this week, Total Licensing was involved in a virtual roundtable with several high-profile licensing executives in India. This would have been done in person, before. Just one of the many, many examples of how we all have changed and worked around the most challenging of circumstances.

I have heard it said many times that we should be thankful, if a global pandemic has to take over our lives, that it has happened in 2020, not 1980. Obviously, I’m pretty sure we’d all rather there was no global pandemic in the first place – but technology utilisation has been incredible. From virtual meetings, online showcasing, online conferences, education, cloud-based networking spaces – if it needs to be done, it gets done.

Throughout this June issue, which I was really proud to write, we see examples of some fantastic deals being signed, inspired creations and brand extensions, and most of all, the resounding positive feeling that business and life will continue. Our cover story this month is Smiley – ‘the original good news brand’.

There is plenty of news about companies channelling their efforts into Covid-19 relief, from making licensed facemasks to turning their factories over completely to make PPE. We have pages of positive thoughts gathered by This is Iris, showcasing how people in the industry are coping and thriving (and walking their dogs. A lot). We have an interview with the indomitable Caprice. We look at some fantastic business platform solutions from around the globe. We’ve filled this issue with relevant advice, from keeping your brand above the parapet to the legalese of owning your IP and making it work for you.

On the final page of the magazine, you will find a list of our advertisers whose business we are grateful for. And, instead of the usual list of upcoming trade shows (which sadly is rather a blank slate at the moment), I leave you with a favourite poem of mine – Human Family, by Maya Angelou. Have a read, and I think you will agree her words ring especially true at this time.

Wishing you, your families and colleagues the very best of health,

Rebecca Ash, Editorial Director Total Licensing Ltd TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

BRAND LOYALTY

Staying In The Susannah Morgan, Deputy Managing Director at Energy PR, offers her advice on keeping consumers engaged during the COVID-19 crisis.

Now is not the time to go silent as a business.

You must adapt, not stop, if you want your business and brand to successfully navigate such uncertain and unsettling times.

But how? Here are some tips.

Start with the human aspect of your brand “Now is not the time to go silent as a business...”

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Public Eye

and think about your customer. What are they doing, how are they feeling and what are they worrying about? What might they want or need from you right now? How can you help them? Remember what your original purpose was. For example, if your brand is all about entertainment, how can this fit with the current scenario? If your brand provides education, how can this be made more accessible?

Adapt your messaging and activity. To avoid being tone deaf, make sure your messaging reflects some core brand values and purpose so that whatever you say has sincerity. Don’t try and be COVID-relevant if you aren’t.

Keep your website up to date and utilize your social channels as much as possible.

Content that brings customers together as a community, and shares experiences, is a great way for brands to stay front of mind. People are interested in humorous, light-hearted content as an antidote to coronavirus news, so is this something your brand can do? For example, video shorts showing ‘lockdown stories’ from within the business or from the products or characters of your brand.

‘Behind-the-scenes’ content also works well to help customers feel more connected to your brand.

Think of ways to add

value. Can you give games hacks or product tips, or previews of what the R&D teams are working on next? Some popular high street food outlets have been sharing recipes of their best-selling snacks to help customers get their brand fix at home. This is a smart move as it offers an opportunity to keep in touch with customers when the shops are closed and reminds them of what they like most from the brand.

Another effective way of making a large organisation human and relatable, whilst building trust at the same time, is direct communication from the CEO, such as a letter to customers and clients explaining what the business is doing and how it is behaving during these disconcerting times. It can bring comfort and reassurance, whilst keeping you on their radar until times change. Asda has been doing this to great effect.

Use the media. People are reading, watching and listening to media more than ever before, and there are only so many coronavirus stories they can stomach. Journalists know this and need other content for their audiences. They are looking for heart-warming, good news stories to counter the grim headlines from Downing Street. For example, a story recently from My Nametags discussed the art of naming babies after the birth of Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ new son, which generated nearly 140 pieces of coverage for the brand, driving traffic to the website and keeping them on their customers’ radar.

In short, to stay in the public eye, brands must communicate, and there are many ways of doing it, just make sure you do it.

For more advice about managing your communications during COVID-19, visit www.energypr.co.uk PAGE 7

IN THE NEWS

Fabergé Appoints New Global Licensing Agent Licensing Management International (LMI) has been appointed as the global licensing agent for Fabergé, one of the world’s most iconic artist jewellers.

Founded in 1842, Fabergé has long been a revered name in jewellery. LMI will be seeking collaborations that reflect technical mastery and exceptional craftsmanship, with a focus on a few key products categories to kick start the programme.

In 1842 Peter Carl Fabergé became official goldsmith to the Russian Imperial Court; the house created exquisite jewels and objects including the legendary series of lavish and ingenious Imperial Easter Eggs. Fabergé today creates extraordinary jewellery, timepieces and objets d’art, as well as bespoke commissions for a discerning internal clientele.

House of Turnowsky in South African Deal House of Turnowsky have announced the appointment of the distributor Kenzel Distribution and Trading, as its exclusive stationery representative in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Kenzel Distribution is a well-known Gauteng-based distributor and wholesaler that operates a wide array of stationery products throughout South Africa and neighbouring regions. The cooperation with House of Turnowsky originated this January at the 2020 Paperworld show in Frankfurt, where Turnowsky celebrated its 80 years company anniversary. The swift collaboration was struck thanks to an immediate understanding that this partnership will allow Kenzel to enlarge their already wide product range with designs for stationery, gift wraps and accessories. Products are due to appear on shelves in summer 2020. The Chief Executive of House of Turnowsky, Kobi Tadmor, comments: “We are proud and overjoyed to have signed with Kenzel, as we see a great future in our cooperation. The South African market is a new territory for us. We are proud to expand into new territories and we are certain this will be a fruitful and long-lasting venture”.

From Kenzel Distribution, owner, Helen Smith says: “Kenzel Distribution & Trading cc has been a supplier of quality stationery items to the industry for decades. We are proud to partner with House of Turnowsky and to continue to supply new and innovative products that keep up with ever-changing trends. We believe in quality, and strong relationships with our partners and customers and we welcome Turnowsky to the South Africa

emoji Puts its Stamp on Bank Cards CARD Corporation, the lifestyle mobile banking company, has partnered with emoji- The Iconic Brand to expand its offering of prepaid cards.

The deal was brokered by Retail Monster, LLC, the emoji company’s North American licensing agent.

The collection, which launched its first wave in April 2020, includes over 100 different designs to choose from. No matter the recipient, there is a design for everyone! “CARD.com has a design for everyone and everyone can find a design that suits them and their lifestyle,” said Linda Castillon, Senior Vice President of Licensing at CARD.com.

“CARD.com offers its customers a variety of designs to choose from, which allows for more of a personal touch to prepaid cards. By adding the emoji brand and its official emoji icons, they are adding a new and more expressive flair to the current offering.”

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ESPORTS UPDATE

G2 Esports Partners with Brandgenuity G2 Esports, one of the leading entertainment brands in esports, announces a partnership with Brandgenuity to strategically expand its global licensing program. Brandgenuity assists powerful brands in building licensing businesses and will be working with G2 Esports to grow and expand its licensing programs into new categories to reach fans worldwide. Not only is G2 home to some of the best competitive players in the world and the biggest personalities in gaming, but it also dominates in creating entertaining content across every major social media platform, including Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok. “G2 is building a lifestyle and entertainment empire. We have designed and developed streetwear-inspired collections and merchandise that sell out almost instantly thanks to the #G2ARMY and we want to continue to bring our fans merchandise that makes them proud to rep G2,” said Carlos “ocelote” Rodriguez, G2 Esports Founder and CEO. “The Brandgenuity team demonstrated that they understood both our brand and our dedication to entertain at all costs and we know they will propel us forward in our global licensing efforts.”

Esports is exploding around the world, with revenue from media rights, advertising and sponsorships expected to increase 15.7% this year to $1.1 billion, according to Newzoo, with an anticipated total audience growth to 495.0 million people in 2020.2 Licensing is keeping pace with this growth and industry experts predict merchandise sales will continue growing, especially in the apparel and game equipment categories.

Categories for expansion include lifestyle apparel & accessories, gifts, digital, collectibles, collaborations, and experiences. Esports is driven by audience participation so the #G2ARMY will be invited to contribute their own bold, graphic, and fierce creative work through various social media competitions. With this partnership, Brandgenuity adds the first esports company to its portfolio.

“We are thrilled to be working with G2 Esports, who are one of the most dominant teams in the world, and the undisputed leaders in fan engagement and world-class entertainment,” said Teri Niadna, Managing Director, Brandgenuity Europe. “This brand has everything we look for to build a great licensing program; double-digit growth trajectory, a distinctive personality and truly passionate fans.”

GUNNAR Optiks Joins Forces with ESL GUNNAR Optiks, a top name in in gaming glasses, announced a three-year licensing agreement with ESL, one of the world’s largest esports companies.

The two companies have joined forces to bring both esports players and fans alike a new range of ESL branded gaming glasses.

GUNNAR and ESL will work hand-in-hand to launch two collaborations later this year, with more to come in 2021 and beyond. Beanstalk, ESL’s global brand extension licensing agency, the partnership with Gunnar.

“We continue to lead exponential growth in esports we also strive to professionalize the athlete experience in esports. With our goal of providing unique and innovative functional esports products, it made perfect sense to partner with the leaders in gaming glasses, GUNNAR Optiks,” said David Hiltscher, VP Shop, Merchandise, Licensing at ESL Gaming. “We look forward to equip players across the globe with ESL gaming glasses – designed specifically for esports players and their fans.”

Clinically proven and doctor recommended, GUNNAR’s patented lens technology not only enhances visual focus at close range, but also blocks blue light and reduces dry eyes. Their wide range of gaming and computer glasses help combat the adverse effects of digital eyestrain experienced by gamers who play for long periods of time. This also includes frames specifically designed for use with headsets to reduce temple pressure and headaches. GUNNAR also offers a range of reading glass options and fulfils prescription orders.

“From humble beginnings in 2006, GUNNAR quickly recognized the need to support gamers by creating eyewear that would both heighten their gaming experience in addition to protecting their eyes,” said GUNNAR Optiks Director of Marketing – Gaming, Georgina Petrie. “With gamers being so core to our brand, the partnership with esports powerhouse ESL is part of a strategic alignment we’ve been pursuing in order to deliver new and innovative glasses directly into the hands of the people that need them most.”

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PINK KEY

Pringles...

If Anyone Can... We Can

Pink Key Licensing Talks About the Exceptional Growth and Versatility of the Pringles Brand The Pringles brand in licensing terms is rather enigmatic. A lot of the early potential licensees we’ve talked to have given us the same reaction ‘That’s great’ followed by ‘Err, what do we do with it?’.

In the recent global fashion trend that was focussed on logos, food and brands with broad awareness, Pringles did a lot of box-ticking and as a result the brand has performed exceptionally well for us over the last 12 months, appearing on a lot of T-shirts and pyjamas.

The image is a strong one and the style-guide one of richest and most adaptable we have at our disposal, with colours, fonts and slogans all interchangeable (even within a single design) that gives it a real vibrancy and flexibility you don’t often see.

However, where the brand really wins is something that’s so obvious that we probably missed it in the first year or so of licensing it.

Of course, the brand name has global awareness, of course everyone knows Mr P (even if they do get him confused with the bloke on the Monopoly board), of course everyone thinks the Olympic velodrome was built in the shape of a Pringle, but nothing separates out Pringles in a more distinctive way than …. the shape of the Pringles can. I can more or less guarantee if I put a plain, blank, unbrand-

ed can on the table most people would know what they are looking at.

And so began our search for the licensees with a bit of imagination, who weren’t going to just label slap the logo, but who were going to dig a little into the brand DNA and use that, along with the unique can shape to bring products to market that really represented the brand and its character.

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Pringles is a social brand, eaten at occasions related to sport, entertainment and general gatherings. It’s pretty cool too, which is why it has lent itself so well to the apparel we’ve seen in H&M, Primark and others. But the real wins in terms of product have been where the product has gone a little bit further than just putting the logo on a T-shirt.

It began with the Helix pencil case and the TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

PINK KEY

Gibson jigsaw; the success of these products reinforced our thoughts on the novelty value behind the brand, with both products making great use of the distinctive Pringles can shape. Since then we have talked to all our licensees about utilising this unique feature of the product. If you want true success from managing a lifestyle brand, you have to go a little bit further than just applying the style guide to standard product or shape, you have

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to get inventive. The jigsaw is a great example of this; you could have done a puzzle of a stack of Pringles, equally you could have done ANY puzzle in a can as it’s a good container, but Gibson’s went the extra mile in sourcing a can the exact size and shape of a Pringles can as well as producing a double-sided puzzle with a can on one side and stack of Pringles on the other.

The re-focus on all things canshaped has resulted in some excellent thinking both in terms of product development and packaging. On the product side one of our favourites remains the can shaped pencil case, sharpeners and erasers from Helix (in three varieties no less!). On top of this Roy Lowe developed an enormously successful ‘Pop Box’ which was sold last Christmas in Primark; there was no can shape here, but once you’ve removed your lovely Pringles

socks from the pack, you then have a super container to stash your Pringles in and carry them around – genius!

Recently our licensees have started development on even more inventive products: PJ’s, pants and socks, all in a can; a full-sized Pringles Can costume to wear, and … wait for it …a Pringles can-shaped laundry basket (who wouldn’t want one of those?).

One of our favourites is going to be Pringles can-shaped lip balms (to be clear, we’ve avoided the flavours as we didn’t think Sour Cream and Chives worked brilliantly).

And so our quest continues with more collectible jigsaws, money boxes and safes on the way – anything you can turn into a Pringles can, any kind of life hack we can think of, and all we need are the right partners to do it – ‘CAN DO’ licensees if you like …. apologies, couldn’t resist!

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ART NEWS

Beryl Cook Program Extends to Germany Following the continued success of the Beryl Cook licensing program in the UK, Art Licensing Agency, This is Iris announce their new partnership with leading German agents Euro Lizenzen and leading Jigsaw Puzzle partner Schmidt Spiele.

Following a face to face meeting at BLE all three companies have come together to build a new licensing plan that celebrates the work of this beloved UK artist.

Beryl’s family have been instrumental in the success of the current UK program with her granddaughter Sophie and her husband Olly being responsible for creating a new portfolio of collage based artwork using the existing themes originally painted by Beryl.

“Beryl’s artwork never fails to raise a smile and we are so pleased that this collection is as popular as ever. This evergreen collection continues to grow year on year, with us seeing sales for certain product categories overtake those of celebrity based lines. We’ve received more and more licensing enquiries for Beryls work over the past 12 months and we are thrilled to be working with our good friends at Euro Lizenzen partners Schmidt Spiele. We’ve known each other for nearly 20 years, we know that Beryl’s work is in good hands and we’re excited to see what happens next,” Sarah Lawrence, This is Iris commented.

“We are delighted to become a part of the Beryl Cook licensing team and represent the highly reputable agency This is Iris ltd. , for this amazing property, in the territories of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and Scandinavia.”

In these very challenging days of social distancing, we feel lucky to be surrounded by Beryl Cook’s beautiful art, featuring people at pubs, in the shower, in the garden, sunbathing, dancing and having good times with friends, which give us hope for brighter days soon to come. The strong messages in Beryl Cook’s art is what we really need in these days to keep us going day by day. We would like to spread these glorious images to all kind of merchandise to make people instantly feel happy,” says Nesli Karamuftuoglu, International Licensing Director of Munich-based licensing agency Euro Lizenzen.

Ravensburger Transforms Ailsa Black’s Work into Puzzle Ailsa Black’s unique artwork was transformed into a series of jigsaw puzzles for the first time at the beginning of this year. Following an agreement with the UK’s leading adult puzzle manufacturer, Ravensburger. The agreement brokered by licensing agent This is Iris, saw the development of a 1000 piece puzzle based on the Scotland-based artist’s work, titled ‘No Ball Games’.

It is Ailsas joy of coastal life that caught the eye of Ravensburger’s adult puzzle development manager, Sarah Stevens.

“Ailsa totally captures the charm of seaside village life in No Ball Games,” said Sarah Stevens. “Ailsa’s style is very distinctive, with her beautiful use of colour, interesting shapes and quirky details all make this puzzle such fun to put together. It makes me smile and I know others will too. Her joyful art complements our portfolio perfectly and No Ball Games has been extremely well received by retailers.”

Launched at London Toy Fair in January, No Ball Games by Ailsa Black has gone on to be highlighted by several retailers with The Independent newspaper highlighting it as one of the Top 9 Puzzles to do during Lockdown.

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ICONS

Brigette Bardot Program Set to Expand After the promising success of the Brigitte Bardot lingerie developed

by V2D, the renowned actress is now entrusting her master license agreement to the family-owned group. A partnership with wide-ranging potential, since it covers numerous types of products including ready to wear, beachwear, eyewear and jewellery, will expand the Brigitte Bardot brand through France and across the world.

The previous rights holder, Légende Events, welcomes the transition, which consolidates the partnership between Brigitte Bardot and the northern group V2D. “Our work on the Brigitte Bardot brand, expanding it to a global master license, bears witness to a mutual trust. Our aim is to recreate the world of Brigitte Bardot with a huge range of fashionable and accessible products” commented Tanguy Toulemonde, CEO of V2D. His brother Quentin Toulemonde, co-director of the company, explains: “The Brigitte Bardot brand is inspired by her years in public life (fifties, sixties, seventies). B.B embodies the strong, still very relevant values of those times: her joyous sensuality and ultra-femininity, at once natural and daring, are resolutely modern. BB was and remains a fascinating icon of French beauty.”

The northern group V2D is specialised in developing underwear brands; it has been successfully operating under this license for 6 years (lingerie, bath and homewear) as well as its own brands Steffy, Pomm’Poire and another licensed line, Morgan. It created the Family Trademark company TLM to accommodate this new development.

Frida Kahlo Corporation Sharing Messages of Hope Art Ask Agency reports that The Frida Kahlo licensing program continues to grow and Frida Kahlo Corporation also shares messages of hope and resilience in these challenging times.

The latest is the licensed apparel launch in French clothing retailer Camaïeu via licensee Sahinler. The line includes fresh designs evoking the popular female icon appealing to a wide range of consumers.

“It’s in times like these that we make sure to keep our beloved Frida Kahlo front of mind.

Regardless of the trials and tragedies that life threw her way, Frida Kahlo remained determined to create a life for herself full of vibrant expression, strength, and passion. While we might find ourselves alone, uncertain, and concerned for what will come next, it’s important to march forward as bravely and confidently as Frida Kahlo.” said Beatriz Alvarado, International Affairs, Frida Kahlo Corporation.

Astrid Lindgren Co Focusing on Long-Term Strategy For the first time, Astrid Lindgren’s children and grandchildren – the owners of The Astrid Lindgren Company – are recruiting a new CEO from outside the family. This change is part of an overall strategy to transfer from an owner-managed organisation to owner-governed with the owners primarily focusing on long-term strategy and policy issues. Olle Nyman will be stepping in as the elected Chairman of the family’s Owner’s Council and Group Legal Director, after leaving his role as CEO. The new CEO of The Astrid Lindgren Company is Cilla Nergårdh, who up until now has worked as the Head of Communications.

“We are very happy to have recruited Cilla Nergårdh. She knows our business well and has won both the owners’ and the staff’s trust. Her intuition and visionary leadership will ensure the company a continued success. My primary role will be to support the CEO in all the exciting opportunities that lie ahead of us,” says Nils Nyman, Chairman of the Board of The Astrid Lindgren Company.

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INFLUENCERS

Like Nastya Partners with IMG to Launch Licensed Products Worldwide Anastasia Radzinskaya, the six-year old YouTube sensation who vlogs under the name ‘Like Nastya’, has partnered with IMG to develop a line of licensed consumer products for her global fanbase. Ranked third on Forbes’ list of the highest grossing YouTube channels with more than 3.3 billion monthly views and almost $20 million in annual advertising revenue, the internet star is managed by Eyal Baumel from Yoola, and represented by WME, part of the Endeavor network alongside IMG. Born in Russia in 2014, Anastasia was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. In 2016, her parents started sharing YouTube posts of her engaging in regular activities to show loved ones the progress she was making. With several videos going viral and her condition improving significantly, she now vlogs with her Dad and has 120 million subscribers across several YouTube channels: Like Nastya, Like Nastya Show, Like Nastya Vlog, and Like Nastya PRT. As her first exclusive global licensing representative, IMG will work with Anastasia and her family to explore licensed product opportunities including toys, apparel, accessories, homeware, food and beverage and more.

Eyal Baumel, CEO at Yoola commented: “We are pleased to be working with IMG to develop products that will provide new ways for Anastasia’s millions of viewers around the world to engage with her vibrant personality, stories and content.

IMG has an established reputation for its best-in-class work with many of the world’s most-recognized brands and personalities, and we see this partnership as an integral step in taking ‘Like Nastya’ to the next level.”

Gary Krakower, Vice President of Licensing, IMG, added: “‘Like Nastya’ has become a worldwide phenomenon with fan bases in the US, Germany, Brazil, Russia and India, just to name a few. Our focus will be on products that highlight and embody the spirit of her educational, playful and colourful YouTube content, which we hope will inspire children to embrace their curiosity and explore the world around them. We can’t wait to bring the ‘Like Nastya’ brand to her millions of fans in engaging new ways.”

Anastasia speaks four languages (Russian, English, Spanish and Mandarin) and produces local language content across all her channels.

ELEVENPARIS Steps Up Licensing Game IMC Licensing has announced its representation of the Parisian Fashion brand ELEVENPARIS. Since launching in 2003, ELEVENPARIS has become a global fashion brand with a long list of celebrity ambassadors. IMC Licensing will develop brand extensions for the ELEVENPARIS brand with best in class partners for the U.S. According to Emily Wickerham Randles, IMC President, “IMC is thrilled to be partnering with the ELEVENPARIS team. We believe this partnership will create meaningful brand extensions that will engage new consumers while bringing the ELEVENPARIS brand into various new categories.”

ELEVENPARIS is recognized for its street, subversive and spontaneous style. The brand’s urban spirit, pop references and sporty looks come together to create must-have apparel lines. With women’s, men’s and children’s collections, the brand appeals to consumers who see fashion as a means of expression. ELEVENPARIS has 7 stores in France and is sold at premium department stores and specialty retailers across Europe, Canada and the United States.

IMC will bring their expertise in the fashion industry and network of partners to build out an extensive licensing program for the ELEVENPARIS brand. Categories for brand extension include: Footwear, Cosmetics, Fragrance, Bags & Accessories, Intimates, Sleepwear, Kids & Jr’s apparel and more.

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BRANDCOMPLY

Managing and Minimizing Your Risk The current pandemic has created wide-ranging changes across the licensing industry and we’re all still working to adapt. Recently, Total Licensing had the chance to catch up with Denise Penn, Director EMEA, Octane5/BrandComply about some of the risks brands are facing today and how to best manage those...

Total Licensing: What do you think some of the biggest risks that brands face in the ‘new normal’?

Denise Penn: We’ve given this a lot of thought and identified four key areas of risk to Licensors right now – Retailer Survival, Factory Risk, Licensee Stability, and IP Infringement.

Total Licensing: Let’s start with Retailer Survival – we’re clearly in the midst of unprecedented change in Retail.

Denise Penn: I’ve been in licensing for nearly 25 years and this is the most incredible upheaval I think any of us have ever seen. There was already a shift from traditional retail to online, but Coronavirus has accelerated that change. It seems almost daily we hear about the insolvency of a retailer that just wasn’t able to adapt quickly enough to the new reality.

Total Licensing: Really incredible change on the retailer side. What’s the risk to licensees and factories that brands need to manage?

Denise Penn: Well let’s look at factories. Coronavirus has had an impact on a local and regional level. As governments localize shutdowns, you may have factories closed in one part of a country, but then open in another region. This can create challenges for licensors as the closures shift and therefore challenging to evaluate the impact on your supply chain.

If you get enough of these closures, there is clearly risk to the licensee. Right now, many regions of the world are re-opening, but slowly. Experts say we could be hit with another wave of shutdowns in the fall. What will be the impact to licensees if that happens?

Total Licensing: Tough questions, how do licensors manage this risk?

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Denise Penn: Well the key is for licensors to start collecting relevant data about their supply chain. For years, our team has been advocating factory approval by licensors and from its earliest days, BrandComply was setup to automate the factory approval process. In a similar way, you’ve got to also collect more detailed retail channel information from your licensees. So, we setup BrandComply to collect a true hierarchy of retail info which can drill down to the specific retailer.

Total Licensing: Makes sense but if a brand has, let’s say 75 licensees, each with dozens of factories and multiple retailers, won’t the licensor be drowning in data?

Denise Penn: That’s where data management becomes critical. You need a system to not only collects data but deliver data to the licensor in a user-friendly format. At Octane5, we’ve designed BrandComply with exactly that in mind. Reports are intuitive to run and data is presented in easy to understand formats with a variety of visualizations so data like factory and retailer risk can be understood not only by the licensing team but by others in the organization who may need to be updated.

Total Licensing: You mentioned four areas of risk and we’ve covered three – retail, factory and licensee. What about the fourth area – IP Infringement. How has Coronavirus made this a bigger risk than it was before?

Denise Penn: It’s critical to understand counterfeiters mind set. They are criminals, but they are savvy business people as well. They understand the massive shift from brick and mortar retail to online and they’re taking full advantage of that shift. Since the beginning of

the pandemic, enforcement sites have reported a 38% increase in online counterfeit activity with products like apparel, toys, home good and accessories leading the way. Of course, these are the very product categories that many licensors rely upon for their business.

Total Licensing: Frightening stats, but what’s a licensor to do?

Denise Penn: Licensors need a proactive approach to protecting their brand that they implement across all licensees so there is a consistent means for consumer to identify legitimate products. We’re talking about a high security hang tag or label that consumers can identify. At Octane5, we leverage the same security features found in the pound banknote and using in hang tags and labels specifically for the licensing industry. Onto this secure product, we’ve layered unique QR codes that consumers can scan to validate the product and learn more about the brand.

Octane5 is the company behind BrandComply, the only enterprise licensing system that delivers actionable information from Contract to Consumer. All licensing functions – Approvals, Contract Management, Royalties, Security Devices and Consumer Activation – all in a single online tool. To learn more about Octane5, you can contact Denise Penn denise@octane5.com or call +44 (0)7733 304452 www.brandcomply.com TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

FOOD & DRINK

IMG to Rep AB InBev Brands in Multi-Year Partnership IMG has been appointed by AB InBev as the exclusive licensing representative in Europe and the Middle East for the global brewer’s world-renowned brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Leffe and more.

The multi-year partnership will see IMG develop licensed products that reflect the distinct character of each individual brand: Budweiser for an extra-ordinary lifestyle; Stella Artois’ mantra of savouring life together; Beck’s’ spirit of freedom and progressive thinking; and Leffe’s deep roots and community spirit.

Beanstalk Serves up Strawberries & Cream Bahlsen Baileys Squares Strawberries & Cream has been announced, in a partnership that was brokered by Beanstalk.

The product hit shelves exclusively in Waitrose in time for the UK May bank holiday.

Beanstalk is the agent for Baileys.

How to Brand Waygu Beef

By Consor IP Consulting and Valuation

With the rise of plant-based meat substitutes such as the Impossible Burger, one may forget about the increased global demand for Japanese Wagyu beef. Characterized by high levels of intra-muscular fat (marbling) and a finer meat texture, Wagyu has become synonymous with the highest quality of beef. In Japanese, “Wagyu” literally means Japanese-style cow, and the four breeds of cattle used for Wagyu beef are all endemic to Japan. According to an article from The Japan Times, Japan’s most popular English-language newspaper, the Japanese government plans to double its production of Wagyu beef from 149,000 tons in 2018 to 300,000 tons by 2035. Unfortunately, this increase in demand has led to recent attempts to smuggle Wagyu cattle genetic material from Japan to foreign countries.

In response, Japan’s farm ministry proposed legislation intended to protect the intellectual property in Wagyu cattle eggs and sperm. Suffice it to say, the Japanese government is very concerned about the possibility of Wagyu cattle being raised in other countries without proper authorization.Presumably, the ministry believes that the many generations of selective breeding and technical know-how of raising Wagyu cattle should be considered intellectual property.

Furthermore, unsanctioned breeding may result in an inferior product which would tarnish the prestigious Wagyu name. This is the same rationale behind the French appellation d’origine contrôlée system which grants certifications, or appellations, to confirm certain French products were created in the regions they claim to be from (i.e. a Bordeaux wine must come from Bordeaux).

If the Japanese government were to create a system like that which exists in France, it would give Japanese authorities increased power to fine and prosecute the unauthorized use, purchase, sale, or export of Wagyu cattle genetic material.

It is imperitive that Japan protect this strong asset.

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TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

HERITAGE

Licensing Link Growing Van Gogh Museum Program

Licensing Link Europe is continuing to grow the licensing programme for the Van Gogh Museum, securing deals with three new partners across key categories.

Blueprint Collections will create a range of stationery, gifts and selected homewares for EMEA. Due to launch for autumn/winter 2020, the products – which will be focused on mid to high-end retailers – will feature iconic art including Sunflowers, Almond Blossom and Self Portrait with Pipe and Straw Hat, combined with Van Gogh’s handwritten letters.

Signare has been signed up to create a range of tapestry bags and accessories, with the aim to launch for spring/summer 2021 at Spring Fair in Birmingham. As well as high street and online retailers, the company will also be targeting TV shopping channels with the products.

Finally, Bespoke 77 Innovations is on board for a Van Gogh Museum homewares collection comprising ceramic collector plates, mugs, trinket boxes, aprons, tea towels and drinking glasses for the UK and Eire. The initial launch plan will target online retailers of mid to high-end gifts.

The new licensees join existing UK partners including The Collective, Wooden Postcard Company and Ecoffee Cup with Licensing Link Europe continuing to target additional categories such as fashion collaborations, accessories and food gifting.

Chris Taday from Licensing Link Europe said: “We are all super excited about our new licensing partners and look forward to seeing their ranges launch, then expand at retail over the coming year. With such a comprehensive asset base and the provenance associated with Vincent’s work available, we anticipate some beautifully designed and executed product coming through. With more licensing partnerships to be announced in the coming months, the immediate future for the Museum is looking very bright.”

With more than two hundred paintings, nearly five hundred drawings and in excess of seven hundred letters, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is home to the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh. Last year, the Van Gogh Museum welcomed more than two million visitors from all around the world. Their mission is to enrich and inspire as many people as possible with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh, both inside and outside of the museum’s walls.

National Gallery Continues China Reach The National Gallery Company Ltd, with Master Licensee Alfilo Brands, continues to raise awareness and expand their reach to new digital audiences in China. International Museum Day 18 May 2020 marked launches and activity on the National Gallery social media accounts, Wechat and Weibo, bringing new content to around 1.5 billion monthly users.

Additionally, the National Cultural Heritage Administration activity included over 20 domestic museums in China and four international museums – The Met, NY, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The V&A, London and the National Gallery, London.

Judith Mather, Buying and Merchandise Director, National Gallery Company Ltd, commented: We are delighted to be embarking on our next phase of expansion in China with Alfilo Brands.”

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COVER STORY

The Original Good News Brand Powering Positive Propaganda in Unprecedented Times We are living in unprecedented times, relentlessly bombarded with bad news from always-on social and digital media. According to Google Trends, searches for ‘good news’ have reached all-time highs in March 2020, as more consumers look for positive, inspiring, feelgood news as a remedy.

Smiley is the original good news brand. Initially used in Europe’s leading newspapers to highlight feel-good stories, spreading positivity and good news has become intrinsic to the brand. Smiley has been powering positive propaganda since 1972, through good news stories, championing community heroes and charitable causes and creating a lifestyle aesthetic synonymous with fun, positivity and cool. With an established track-record of sharing good news, Smiley today focuses on meaningful collaborations with like-minded partners for a changing world.

It was through the launch of Smiley’s non-profit Smiley Movement in 2019 that CEO Nicolas Loufrani saw the opportunity to put the brand’s purpose back into action. With the remit to inspire hope, bring people together to help others and drive positive impact, Smiley PAGE 20

Movement started repurposing Smiley’s original good news message through its Smiley News site, which has already published over 200 stories.

CEO Nicolas Loufrani spoke about this, “Smiley’s message has always been about spreading good news and positivity and we feel that good news today is about those doing good in their local communities. We’ve built an in-house editorial team that focusses on championing the everyday heroes who work or volunteer

for charities and social enterprises. We believe their stories are not only uplifting but are engaging more to do like them.”

Smiley Movement also started building bridges between Smiley’s partners and local charities, offering routes to make ‘giving back’ the new norm. A great example of this ‘matchmaking for good’ was the recent partnership with renowned explorer brand Eastpak. Smiley Movement put Eastpak together with a leading homeless charity De Paul and arranged TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

COVER STORY

vital funding for the Korotich Mother and Child Home in Ukraine. Smiley Movement has helped coordinate partnerships between French retailer Celio and CeKeDuBonheur and facilitated a charity fundraising tee shirt for the Greater Manchester’s Mayor’s charity, through the United We Stream platform.

Even before the Covid-19 outbreak, Smiley had been working hard to readapt its original positive message to the world, with fashion providing a creative outlet for the brand’s inclusive and diverse message.

Michaela Fass, VP Fashion at Smiley said:

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“With shoppers seeking joy and prioritising self-betterment, companies positioning themselves around happiness and positivity are resonating and we are seeing more and more brands turning to Smiley because it connects authentically, with emotion, context, and humanity.”

This approach has seen Smiley launch gender-inclusive fashion collaborations with DB Berdan and Manish Arora. While recent upscale partnerships have continued to inspire hope, Sandro’s Love & Smile capsule was decorated with the poignant message Give Back Love, while Lorenzo Serafini’s Philosophy ‘Spray Me’ collaboration championed “Happy Without You.” Throughout Covid-19, Smiley’s blockbusting partnership with Chinatown Market has been generating much-needed funds for ‘Feeding America’ a US-based non-profit feeding more than 46 million people. By releasing ten shirts for ten cities Chinatown Market and Smiley have raised vital funds for local Feeding America offices. While Chinatown Market x Smiley face masks, a fashion must-have

for the months ahead, have seen a portion of proceeds donated to ‘Give A Mask,’ a not for profit organisation working on manufacturing and distributing face masks to hospitals, first responders and essential workers.

As we exit lockdown, Smiley has redoubled its efforts also to support mental health charities, following the fall-out from the crisis. With a collection dedicated to mental health awareness at retail with Pac Sun through LA brand Desert Dreamer creating awareness and raising funds for To Write Love On Her Arms.

UK streetwear brand Luke is addressing the issue of suicide amongst young men through its recently launched collaboration with Smiley, fundraising for leading charities Mind and Papyrus. Smiley has also been working on charity projects outside of the fashion space, last year launching a charity fundraising promotion with Central Tham Mall in Thailand, The Smiley Arcade, a retro video game experience which raised over 815,000THB for the charity program ‘Million Gifts Million Smiles.’

This established record of sharing good news will become the focus of Smiley’s 50th anniversary in 2022 when the brand reboots its original 1972 message “Take The Time To Smile,” to generate hope, optimism and positivity through specially curated collaborations and partnerships to put its purpose into action for the next 50 years.

Some brands can say that they are committed to sharing good news, but Smiley can prove it, with a track record of sharing positivity. Now, in these uncertain times, Smiley’s mission is more critical than ever. As an organisation, it’s doing what it does best: bringing positivity and hope to a world that urgently needs it.

Smiley is the antidote to a world in crisis.

For more information, please contact matt@smiley.com

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DEPENDABLE SOLUTIONS

Strengthen Your Brand Through Stronger Licensee Communication Licensors who establish a solid framework for exchanging information and ideas with their licensees reap many benefits. Creating an open dialog helps licensors and licensees ensure that higher-quality products reach store shelves quickly, leading to increased revenue for both parties. But this is often easier said than done.

Communication is the key to making any relationship work (applicable to both personal and professional). In today’s fast-paced digital era, it is easier and more important than ever to build connections and strengthen partnerships.

In this article, we will go over some of the elements that contribute to a strong infrastructure for brand licensing companies and licensor-licensee communications, including: • Online databases for style guides and quick answers to common questions • Detailed royalty reports with SKUs for sales tracking • Notification systems for reminders and updates • Better communication mechanism to improve the relationship and connection you have with licensees .

them to adjust their marketing spend, as well as their advertising, promotional strategies, and marketing plans. They also gain information to spot trends more quickly in the market.

Detailed reporting from licensees assists licensors in creating multiple forecasts based on actual data, which leads to better planning. The best crystal ball available to licensors or licensing agents is their licensees’ marketing plans.

In many categories, licensees have open orders to help keep costs down and plan their cash flow. Licensors should take advantage of this information to better compare their royalty income by licensee or product category against past forecasting trends.

Having this data will allow licensors to refocus their energies on brands that are producing revenue and steer away from introducing brands that are unlikely to succeed.

Managing Digital Assets With clear guidelines on how to utilize a licensor’s brand, licensees will be able to easily present these brands with associated products in the best way possible. They will also avoid any confusion that might prevent delays in the approval workflow. Licensees can access any information they need without having to call licensors directly for every single decision or question. This is possible with a licensing management software in place.

It is important to give licensees access to lowres images to place on product sketches during the approval process, as well as downloadable production-quality images for use in manufacturing once the designs are approved. Having both readily accessible at the right time will ensure that licensees do not recreate artwork outside the licensor’s specific requirements.

Self-Reporting and Notifications Traditionally, licensors receive reports from licensees at the end of each reporting period, typically each quarter. Nowadays, licensees can continuously monitor their brand licensing activities in-house, allowing nearly real-time improvements to their licensing practices.

Constant communication between licensor and licensees, during which licensees can share important, internally generated information on an ongoing basis, will allow both parties to work together to create great products.

For their part, licensors need to reciprocate by sending out reminders and alerts about annual insurance certificates, overdue royalties, updated agreements, upcoming guarantee payments, revised style guides, and more.

Receiving these notifications on a timely basis helps licensees submit all required information before deadlines. Since licensors have many licensees to communicate with and sending out reminders can be repetitive and time consuming, licensors need the ability to inform licensees quickly and effortlessly when these important events take place.

Detailed Reporting of Royalties by SKU and Retailer When licensees share details about each product sold at retail or through distributors, licensors can gain insight into what products are selling and in which territories. This allows

Encourage Consistent Communication & Reinforce Brand It’s crucial to provide licensees with an integrated platform that encourages constant and clear communication between parties with active monitoring while improving partnership

PAGE 22

to further strengthen brand exposure.

With an integrated brand licensing management software, sharing information among all parties can become a seamless process. This leaves all partners able to make the best use of the information being shared - boosting revenues for everyone and establishing greater collaborations.

That is an area where we can help you. Our brand licensing software allows licensors to upload digital assets to a centralized cloudbased database for quick, secure access. Because this a one stop solution for your every brand licensing needs, our solutions can track royalties to show individual sales down to SKU level and ensure you have the data to evaluate licensees’ performance and identify areas to improve for related parties.

Key Takeaways • Communication is an essential piece of all business relationships. Licensors and licensees must find seamless channels to build this connection.

• Through an integrated online system, style guides, digital assets, intellectual property usage guidelines and more can be available for licensees to access, anytime and anywhere in world; optimizing product development, and approval workflow, which in turn ensures higher quality product to reach store shelves.

• Automated royalty reporting software gives licensors access to key data points regarding licensees’ marketing strategies, advertising spend, and returns. Through a comprehensive platform, licensors can have constant access to information and create accurate forecasts and allocate funds accordingly.

• Rather than submitting reports quarterly or annually, licensors have a chance to use reports within a brand licensing management software which automatically tracks numbers and generate analysis reports with real-time data.

• Licensors can set up the process to send automatic notifications to remind licensees of upcoming royalty payments, due dates, as well as alerts of any changes to style guides, licensing contracts, and trademark management with the right brand licensing management software.

Dependable Solutions, Inc. 877-289-8431 or 424 213 6663, or +44 203 882 3370. www.dependablerights.com TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

LICENSING JAPAN

Licensing Japan Expected to be Bigger Than Ever in New October Date Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. has announced that the 10th Licensing Japan - Character & Brand Licensing Trade Show, originally scheduled to be held from April 1 - 3, has been rescheduled to October 21 - 23, 2020 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan.

Organised by Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. and supported by: Character Brand Licensing Association (CBLA), the show will now be held with even more grandeur.

Over 1,800 properties from 200 exhibitors will be showcased.

To boost the licensing business after the coronavirus suspension, leading licensors have already confirmed their participation as exhibitors including: Gaia (The Walking Dead, CupOfTherapy, Probity Europe), Green Camel, (Rilakkuma), Capcom (Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, etc.), Fuji Television Network

Japan each year.

Those in attendance include decision makers from product planning/sales promotion departments of various manufacturers and retail-

system in 2019, and even more business negotiations are expected to be conducted this year for merchandising/collaboration.

(Chuggington, Pa Rappa the Rapper, Gachapin & Mukku, etc.), Sekiguchi (Monchhichi etc.), Fujiya (Peko, milky, etc.), etc. Besides these, companies with various ranges of properties will also be present: from fashion brands (Anap.) to art/design properties (Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, V&A etc.). Many international exhibitors, including those in the Korea Pavilion and Taiwan Pavilion, are also expected to exhibit.

Increasing numbers of licensees visit Licensing

ers. In addition, visits from corporate public relations departments have been increasing recently, confirming the trend that characters/ brands are used for corporate branding.

With quality exhibitors and visitors, Licensing Japan has established itself as the best platform for the business of licensing in Japan and Asian markets.

The online Matching System, introduced two years ago, enhances networking opportunities.

1,010 appointments were fixed through the

The show will be held inside CONTENT TOKYO 2020, Japan’s largest, comprehensive show, covering all categories of content market, such as film, TV, animation, game, music, publishing, etc.

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There are just a few exhibiting spaces left, so if you are interested, please visit www.licensing-japan.jp/ex_en/ visitor-eng.licensing@reedexpo.co.jpjp +81-3-3349-8507 TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

INTERVIEW

By Caprice Supermodel turned award-winning entrepreneur Caprice spoke exclusively to Becky Ash about the longevity of her brand and her big plans for expansion...

Lockdown has done nothing to dent Caprice’s business acumen. If anything, it has spurred her on to look at brand expansion and creative ideas for partners.

“I know this business inside out by now! I’ve never been in it to make a quick deal or a quick buck – it is completely about longevity and having a brand that people can trust.”

Since signing her first licensing deal 14 years ago, Caprice has made a name for herself in the business world.

She started modelling in her early twenties, and became known as one of the most photographed women in the world. Even in those early days of fame, she always saw her name as a brand and would do deals with photographers where they would sell pictures to magazines around the world and make a fortune in the process. Having shot to fame in the 1990s, Caprice’s break-through front cover was Vogue Magazine. To date, Caprice has appeared on more than 350 magazine covers across the globe and over 150 TV shows and films.

Reinventing herself, in her thirties, as a businesswoman and a brand in her own right was an extremely shrewd move.

“Back then, you know, I was one of the very few people doing it. And I feel there’s a reason my brand has lasted as long as it has – it’s always been my top priority to work with quality partners, and not compromise on my credibility.”

By Caprice Home now outperforms celebrity competitor ranges and she has a long-standing partnership with J Rosenthal.

Caprice is now ready to expand her brand again. She said: “After the huge success of my bedding range it is a natural step to expand the product range. I am on the hunt for licensing partners who will supply and distribute to a variety PAGE 26

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INTERVIEW

of key UK retailers.

She continued: “As an extension to By Caprice Home, there is a gap in the market for glamorous homeware and decorating products that my customers are dying to get their hands on. The Instagram influencers have changed the game, and everyone is looking to emulate their gorgeous and stunning interiors.”

When asked which areas of expansion she sees as key areas, Caprice noted: “I am looking to develop wall and ceiling paints in a variety of feminine and luxurious colours, incorporating glamour with some sparkles and shimmer. Wallpaper is also a really interesting product category that I would love to launch.

Consumers are focusing on home interior design more than ever before, and I want to help inspire people to transform their homes.”

There are other areas in which she is keen to focus, including relaunching By Caprice Swim and By Caprice Loungewear, “By Caprice Swim was extremely popular and I would like to enter the swimwear UK market again. Loungewear is more niche but during the lead up to Christmas we always used to sell out and I used to ‘buy deep’, so it tells you the numbers that were selling. I am really excited by the future and hope to launch products in 2021.”

How much does she identify with the consumers she is looking to reach?

“You know, consumers are savvy. They are also loyal, and we all know that retail is challenging right now. That’s why I really want to focus on keeping my brand as one that can really be trusted. I’m 100% about integrity.”

And what about the working process, and due diligence to ensure that everything produced in her name and under the guidance is following her brand ethos?

“I’m extremely hands on – like I said, I’ve been in this business for many years now! I’m extremely involved in the whole process and I know my market, from the licensing business to retail buyers to the customer.”

Caprice rounded off our interview by sharing her formula for keeping consumers happy.

“There’s really a clear formula to getting it right. You have to have good quality products, with originality thrown in, and at a good price. People are smart – they can see if you’ve compromised your brand name in any way.”

Of course, as every conversation does these days, we also discussed the strange times we are currently living in.

“I wasn’t born to be a homeschooler!” She commented, on teaching her children at home – something that millions around the globe can currently identify with. “I don’t know how teachers do it. They are all saints!”

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FLOWHAVEN

Licensing Relationship Management

Made Easy Flowhaven enables licensors and agents to manage the wide range of activities required to run a successful licensing journey

Flowhaven, founded in 2016 by Kalle Törmä, is a state-of-the-art platform, helping brand licensing professionals tailor their operations and analyze their data to optimize their workflows and increase their revenue.

At the heart of Flowhaven’s solution is Salesforce, the #1 customer relationship management solution, which uses cloud-based, intuitive technology to manage company relationships, streamline processes and improve profitability.

Since its relatively recent creation, Flowhaven has now grown into an international company, with offices in Espoo, Finland and Santa Monica, California.

Kalle and his colleagues ensure that licensing teams are always in the driver’s seat with real-time dashboard analytics that offer detailed and general overviews of licensing program

performance.

A truly modern company, Flowhaven enables sorting by product category, territory, and more to see instantly if goals are being achieved and to spot new opportunities for growth. Its customer success team is available 24/7 to tailor its flexible solution to fit your needs perfectly.

Communication Tools For All Flowhaven is helping licensing professionals support and improve communication between their internal team members and external partners. Guided by the knowledge that highly engaged workers outperform their peers and help products get to market more quickly, communicating across companies has been made simple. The platform allows users to leave comments directly on designs and style

guides, set email notifications, and automate repetitive tasks to ensure everyone is kept in the loop.

Accessible Anywhere The Flowhaven solution is accessible at any time, from any place. Available via desktop and mobile, our solution makes it possible for busy licensing professionals to survey their operations at home, on the show floor, or from the comfort of their homes and to secure actionable data on the go. Cloud-based storage allows for seamless business continuity, scalability, collaboration efficiency, and flexible work practices.

Sales & Royalty Reporting Made Easy Flowhaven gives sales teams intuitive tools to build, track, and share sales reports in real-time. See how your teams are working, what your best performing IPs are, and if changes need to be made to meet your sales goals.

The flexible solution allows users to generate reports based on client, location, SKU, and more. Royalty reporting tools make it possible to calculate percentages and validate terms and to compare earnings with the terms of your agreements.

Flowhaven, with its new office in California, also recently announced some key hires, exemplifying its growth.

The new office, located in the center of the U.S. entertainment capital, includes a newly appointed US Director of Sales as well as marketing, customer success, and operational staff. An EMEA Director OF Sales will operate out of London.

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TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

FLOWHAVEN

The news comes just three months after Flowhaven closed a $5.2 million (€4.75 million) seed round of financing.

Global Founders Capital led the investment round with participation from existing investors including Icebreaker.vc. Following the round, Flowhaven entered a portfolio of

TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

investments that includes Facebook, Slack, Trivago, Canva, Eventbrite and more.

“Our goal has always been to build a great team and company culture to foster long-term growth,” says Kella. “With our new office in L.A, we can be closer to our customers in both North and South America, and translate their needs to innovate our product and provide best-in-class service on a global level to drive their success.”

In addition to its Santa Monica office, the company has grown to more than 30 team members across its permanent and satellite office locations, including headquarters in Helsinki, in addition to hubs in London, Tokyo, New York and more.

The team has tripled in size since the end of last year. The company welcomes two new senior hires: Thomas McMillin, US Director of Sales, and Jeremy Robinson UK Director of Sales. Thomas began his career as the Director of Sports Licensing at The Walt

Disney Company and Jeremy is a toy industry veteran whose previous posts include UK Sales Manager at Tomy among others.

To add to its momentum, the company has signed several new customers in 2020 including licensors, agents and licensees such as Full-Color Black dba Brandalised whose portfolio includes Banksy among others; Lisle Licensing who oversees Masha and the Bear, Nitro Circus, Tetris and more; as well as Licensing Link who works on behalf of BuildA-Bear Workshop, Pantone, Van Gogh Museum, Molang, and others. These agencies join Flowhaven’s existing agency customers Art Ask Agency, bCreative, and others along with its substantial portfolio which includes Rovio Entertainment, creators of Angry Birds; Timbuktu Labs, Rebel Girls brand, media platform Crunchyroll and others. Flowhaven is set to drastically increase its footprint in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other key countries within the year.

“The last few months have been marked by accelerated growth, with our dynamic international teams, including our newly appointed US and UK Sales Directors, helping us to acquire new customers,” says Kalle. “It is an honor to welcome Brandalized, Lisle Licensing, and Licensing Link to the Flowhaven community. We look forward to making the journey of managing and scaling licensed brands fun and simple while helping them to achieve their goals.”

Key features of the Flowhaven platform include: - Account management tools to help teams share licensing information, communication, activities, performance, and insights between licensors, licensees and licensing agencies.

- Royalty reporting tools to validate and analyze reported sales and raise invoice requests - Design approval interfaces to support fast and easy brand assurance and product collaboration and approval between partners - Contract creation and management capabilities to support licensing and merchandising deals of all sizes and formats

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TRAVEL BRANDS

How can travel and destination brands recover post Covid-19?

At the end of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago, an asteroid hit what is now the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The impact triggered extreme global cooling, wiping out the dinosaurs and forcing evolution in a new direction. It’s an event analogous with the effect Covid-19 will have on the global travel market. Landscapes will change, and as those unable to adapt become extinct, new products will emerge.

We know what that landscape will look like, and what you need to do not only to adapt, but to thrive.

Phase 1: REPORT Covid-19 has plunged the world into a new Dark Age that is turning anxious eyes to whatever lights are shining. Be one of the brightest lights by acknowledging not only the love and concern your clients have for your product, but also the curiosity that engaging reportage can engender in those who’ve yet to visit.

This is not the time to sell, but an opportunity to report: openly and honestly, like a letter from home. Regular bulletins throughout Phase One offer the opportunity to improve existing relationships and establish new ones - by recognising the isolation felt by those under domestic lockdown across the world, PAGE 30

and their desire not just to escape, but to connect with people undergoing similar duress in places that made some of their happiest memories. Pictures, videos, case studies and interviews with ordinary people bundled into a three-minute read will offer clients a privileged insight into life at your home, strengthen connections and, crucially, create the yearning to visit. The voice you use to articulate this message is key. To be credible, it can only be utterly honest. Counterintuitively, this is no time for committee-crafted corporate messaging. Rather, your letters from home should be warm, chatty, informal and empathetic.

Phase 2: REASSURE When travel restrictions are lifted we will move into the global damage assessment stage. Destinations, services and infrastructure will be in a post-war state: a mixture of ruin and opportunity. Your candid reporting of true stories from the front line during Phase One will have created an essential sense of tension and jeopardy, and now is the time for resolution. We study and learn from the triumphs and errors of destination marketing, from the Caribbean post-Maria, fiercely maintaining your honesty while reassuring travellers that you’re open for business and managing expectations in a positive way.

By Sofia Panayiotaki, CEO, PRM (PR Mediaco) e.g. Naxos hasn’t been bombed back to the stone age by a wave of Covid-related business collapses. Instead, it offers a return to the Aegean idyll of an era before mass tourism.

And we need to understand what post-Covid travellers want: rest, recuperation and relaxation. The chance to be with family, to heal and to give thanks. So let’s look at what assets we have to meet those needs and push them to the front of the stall.

Phase 3: REINVENT Phase Three is future-focused. We need never speak of Covid again as we pick up the story the pandemic eclipsed. Lockdown has given us pause to see the ills of society and time to kick our addictions to that which we always knew was wrong. Instagram, AirBnB, overtourism – arguably viral infections in themselves – may have no place in the future of travel. Many destinations, through lack of vision, will revert to that level of marketing, but the disease has presented the world with opportunities to change: to become healthier, more mindful and caring. Remember Greta?

The flu may have gone but climate change is still here, and with the reset button having been pushed on the travel industry, here’s a divine opportunity to drop bad practice – the jet-fresh oysters; the aircon; the heli transfers – and become leaders of the travel revolution.

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BUSINESS ADVICE

Top Tips for Owning and Protecting your Brand and Intellectual Property Commercial lawyer at JMP Solicitors, Robert Cox, offers advice for business owners on how to establish and protect their brand Business owners striving to maximise protection of their brand and intellectual property can look to top tips from commercial law experts.

It’s crucial for every business to preserve its brand and intellectual property, whilst equally avoiding infringement of third-party trademarks.

Robert comments: “We often receive enquiries where clients have introduced a new brand only to receive a letter alleging that the brand infringes a third party’s trademark. This can be quite distressing and expensive as the client might have spent a lot of money on advertising and marketing literature, web domains and a new company name.

“We’ve outlined a few simple things you can do to reduce the risk of this happening.”

Carry out a trademark search

Register in every country

Protect all aspects of your brand

A simple trademark search when deciding on a new brand can highlight any third-party trademarks that might pose a freedom to use risk. This can be done by visiting the Intellectual Property Office website.

It is important to register the new brand name as a trademark in each country where your business is active. Only by registering a trademark can you a) prove the exclusive right to use your brand name in a specific class of goods and services; and b) protect against infringing a later filed trademark registration.

It’s not just your name – logos can also be protected by trademark and this is advisable under certain circumstances. Logos are also protected by copyright, but it is important to ensure that you own the intellectual property in the logo, which you may not if it was created by a third party without adequate wording in the associated contract.

Seek legal advice The client will have no choice but to rebrand which can be expensive, but most importantly all goodwill that has been built up under the original brand would be lost.

Even if the client fights against an allegation of trademark infringement and wins they may still be left with a sizeable legal bill. To avoid hefty fines, obtain legal advice before setting up a brand to be sure you are following the rules.

Robert Cox, JMP Solicitors rcox@jmp-solicitors.com TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

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POSITIVITY

Spreading Positivity, Positively Everywhere...

We tasked Sarah Lawrence, Founder and Owner, This is Iris, to gather some good news and positivity posts from her colleagues and friends in the art and licensing industries. They certainly didn’t disappoint!

Sarah Lawrence, UK Art Licensing Agency, This is Iris “It has often been said that flexible working is beneficial for people’s mental health, this is something that Iris has always supported and although this is a worrying time for everyone, everywhere we need to keep working together to find ways to stay positive. It has never been more important for people to keep in touch with their colleagues, business partners, friends and family through phone and video calls. We’re able to keep to our scheduled meetings with the majority of our partners via Zoom and we thank those who are remaining positive and enthusiastic throughout this time.

We are currently working on a number of new briefs and finalising projects which were initially on hold but are now heading back in to production which is really encouraging.

It seems our licensees are also finding working from home a positive move as the calmer environment is allowing them the time to explore new ideas, which is great for us! Take care and keep talking.”

This is Iris Artist, Ailsa Black “I have been creating a number of new images for our partners as well as a new a new Clap for Carers image each week. I have been encouraging all my social media followers to put their hands together and join the Clap for Carers celebrations during these difficult times. I have also added a free gift wrapping and card writing service to my online shop so people can send gifts direct to friends and family from the safety of their homes. I am also in the process of expanding my colour me in range which has allowed me to add free colouring downloads to my site so those with time on their hands can print these out at home. I am lucky, I am able to work from home and am trying to adapt and move froward.”

This is Iris Artist Amy Crabtree from Cakes With Faces “From Cakes with Faces’ Bakery Motivation series of wisdom from the world of cakes and baking.

Art is so important right now to lift people’s spirits and remind everyone of all the good things in the world. Part of Cakes with Faces’ mission is to provide a distraction from all the bad news in the world with fun drawings and cute characters, so I’m continuing with that aim in mind, now more than ever. If I can make people smile even just for a moment, I’ve done my job.”

Ian Downes, Start Licensing “I am lucky to have a lovely dog. Tess the Whippet. We take her out everyday for our daily exercise.

At home she has helped fill the day with her constant enthusiasm for chasing down a ball in the garden. She seems to have endless energy, and is a welcome break from seeing myself on countless Zoom screens!”

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Catalina Estrada, represented by This is Iris for the UK “I believe that now more than ever we need the power of colours and beauty!

Colours give us strength, beauty gives us hope.

I think the only way out is for us to work together with optimism and creativity. And poetry of course...

“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.”

-Emily Dickinson” TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

POSITIVITY Brand Owners House of Turnowsky, Israel. Represented by Iris for UK & China “Thomas Paine said in 1776 “these are the times that try mens’ souls”.

He had a different crisis in mind when he penned those words, but our situation is a modern crisis, a pandemic, and a significant challenge for the world. It is trying to the souls of companies, managers, workers, economies and families...but it is also an opportunity which we at the House of Turnowsky grabbed with both hands. As a small international Art & Design licensing company which its headquarter is located in Israel, relatively far away from our customers, we are used to reaching out to our customers mainly electronically. Within a few days, even before the official state order, all of our 15 creative staff moved into their home office. As such, no matter where our people are, from Tel Aviv to Berlin, from Cleveland to the Napa valley, we are all connected. Zoom. Skype or WhatsApp – we use them all to connect between all departments, like nothing has changed… We create e-cards for our customers, in order to reach out to retailers while putting the health of our employees first. As much as social distancing is required now, we truly believe that social expressions are essential for all human beings – so we continue to design beautiful greeting cards, stationery and gifts hoping to touch the world soon again….”

Iris Parizer, Ginja Licensing, Israel “This is a special time that challenges us in our personal life and in our business, while at the same time we are discovering new approaches to our life.

Restarting things we left behind, developing creative thinking, relax & enjoying the little things around us… and enjoying being at home with our love ones Stay safe everybody!”

This is Iris Artist, Jo Rose, creator of Deer Little Forest “For our family, we have found positivity through creativity and by collaborating on projects together. We have been thoroughly enjoying combining home schooling and learning new skills and have created some fun arts and crafts videos for the children in our son’s school, to keep them feeling connected and laughing.”

Brand Owners PABUKU, Austria Represented by This is Iris. “Even though we live and work in the same building anyway, it took us a few days to reorient ourselves and deal with the situation. We at PABUKU try to master this challenging time by making plans for what we want to change and do better. We also do small actions to stay in contact with our retailers and support e.g. small booksellers with free greeting cards from PABUKU so that they can add them as goodie to their customers’ online orders or we did a little bit of yodelling on our social media channels just to cheer up our friends, customers and fans. The feedback was heartwarming! For us it is also very interesting to analyze our

Sarah Stephens, Product Manager Ravensburger Ltd. “Although we’re living through strange and worrying times, my work continues, just in a different way. I’m finalizing development of Autumn launch items, and planning and briefing designs for our January 2020 range, which is exciting and encouraging. In many ways, not being in a busy office has given me more time to think! My partner and his 2 cute dogs are keeping me company!”

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greeting cards in the context of the crisis - it is very exciting how pictures and captions can get a new meaning. What we want to say to everybody out there: take care, stay tuned, keep going and make this planet a better one!”

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HERITAGE

Opportunities Abound in Scotland

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced that it has signed two new licenses with historic company Walker’s Shortbread, and apparel company International Insignia.

HES cares for more than 300 properties ranging from the magnificent Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, with their ancient royal histories, to prehistoric sites such as Skara Brae in Orkney. HES’s iconic sites are the setting for many films and TV programmes including Outlander, Monty Python and Mary Queen of Scots.

As Scotland’s lead body for the historic environment, HES supports the wider historic environment in several important ways, from, championing traditional skills to supporting learning and outreach. It also cares for thousands of objects and photographs and is at the forefront of activity to help mitigate the impact of climate change on the historic environment. As part of its portfolio, HES manages the licensing programme for its brands which includes Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Historic Scotland and HES. Each programme closely reflects HES’s brand values – with revenue from products sold helping to directly support the work HES does to investigate, PAGE 34

care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. Through the new licence agreement, Walkers will produce a range of shortbread products commencing with a carton featuring Edinburgh Castle.

Walkers was founded over a hundred years ago and continues to be a family firm producing the world’s finest shortbread.

Holders of the Royal Warrant and four times winner of the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, Walkers exports its distinctively packaged luxury bakery products to over 100 countries worldwide. Baked using traditional methods and the finest ingredients, Walkers Shortbread has a longstanding baking heritage to ensure the same undisputable excellence that is globally recognised.

Neil Chalmers, Scottish Sales Manager, said ‘Walkers has supplied HES over many years with our products and we are now delighted to be working with them as licensees using the iconic Edinburgh Castle brand for one of our best selling products. This will be sold all over the world and will give great visibility to both our brands’.

International Insignia are one of Europe’s largest brand merchandising companies who

care about the positive impact quality product and design can make in business today.

Offering a large range of services from design to warehousing, they work with a number of prestigious organisations in the heritage sector.

Helping businesses with their green initiatives, they offer a wide range of sustainable and organic apparel, crafted to last, from naturally sourced fabrics to plastic-free packaging.

Amar Sandhu, Managing Director, said “Edinburgh Castle is a great brand and we are delighted to be producing a range of apparel under license. The combination of the strong brand and our design makes an excellent product range. We are looking forward to selling these products to a number of distributors in the UK and overseas.”

Natasha Troitino, Head of Retail at HES, said “We are delighted to have signed these two licenses which will ensure that more people can enjoy and access the Edinburgh Castle brand.

“These two licensees are a great addition to our portfolio, and we look forward to working together to further develop opportunities to highlight the special connection between the castle and one of Scotland’s most famous exports.”

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LMCA

International Licensing Agent Representation in a COVID-19 World

As the whole world locks down in a battle against COVID-19, global and regional travel restrictions are making the world a much bigger place than it was just a few months ago. With some medical experts projecting a long, potentially seasonal battle against COVID-19, multinational companies and brands may need to seriously re-examine how they manage and support their operations and business partnerships in different markets around the world.

From our offices in Shanghai, we at LMCA Asia are already seeing an increasing reliance on our presence on the ground in China to assist clients with managing corporate trademark licensing programs and identifying qualified partners to be part of their global brand extension strategies. Clients who actively manage their programs around the globe via frequent visits to align on product design and development, MARCOM and quality management are not just stuck in their home countries. They’re stuck in their homes. Some until June 2020, and possibly longer. This is inhibiting their ability to adequately monitor and support their licensees, and it could very well become the new normal.

Just as we’re seeing a significant turn towards online learning to limit the spread of the TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

virus in schools and universities, as well as video conferencing in the business world, communications technology will become an even more important component of licensee management and support. But in many cultures around the world, including China’s, there is no substitute for face-to-face communications and evaluation of potential partners. Knowledgeable third parties with regional expertise will continue to play a vital role in partnership with both licensors and licensees. Time and again, we are called upon by our brand clients to advise on the cultural nuances and local business practices in China so that they can effectively navigate this important market and maximize their opportunities here. And the cultural divide cuts both ways with licensees reaching out to us to assist in communicating their challenges to Western licensors, as they, too, want to maintain a stable partnership for the long term.

Having experienced, local resources on the ground in markets like China has always been an essential element to developing and managing successful brand extension licensing programs, but what portends to be a severe financial downturn for the global community, impacting budgets across everything from travel to staffing, will make it increasingly

difficult for most brand licensors to support programs in the fashion that they have grown accustomed to, or are aspiring to. Then there are the potential health and safety issues associated with things like long distance air travel in what may become a revolving door of surges in infections related to the coronavirus. With resources stretched thin, and the safety of staff paramount, many will turn to knowledgeable local resources that can offer a cost-effective solution to licensing program management, while supporting the health and safety of their staff during what may prove to be very uncertain times in the months and potentially years ahead.

George Williams, Managing Director, LMCA Asia GeorgeW@LMCA.net George is a pioneer in bringing brand licensing into Asia. He has represented major international brands in the negotiation and management of strategic alliances for more than 20 years. He has a wealth of experience in the inner workings of China’s distribution, marketing and retail industries. George has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Economics from Colorado College.

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INFORMATION

The Useful Page...

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards (BELLAs) ................... 13 China Licensing .................................................................... 3 Dependable Rights .............................................................. 23 Flowhaven ............................................................................ 38 Licensing International ........................................................ 37 Octane 5 .............................................................................. 17 Pink Key ................................................................................ 2 Reed Japan ........................................................................... 25 Smiley .................................................................................... 1

Human Family A Poem by Maya Angelou I note the obvious differences in the human family.

Some of us are serious, some thrive on comedy.

Mirror twins are different although their features jibe, and lovers think quite different thoughts while lying side by side.

Some declare their lives are lived as true profundity, and others claim they really live the real reality.

We love and lose in China, we weep on England’s moors, and laugh and moan in Guinea, and thrive on Spanish shores.

The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight, brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white.

We seek success in Finland, are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ, in major we’re the same.

I’ve sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land, I’ve seen the wonders of the world not yet one common man.

I note the obvious differences between each sort and type, but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.

I know ten thousand women called Jane and Mary Jane, but I’ve not seen any two who really were the same.

We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.

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Did you know…?

To go in line with what seems to have been a theme in this issue, here are some happy facts...

Otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t float away from one another.

Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor, who respectively voiced Mickey and Minnie Mouse, were married in real life.

The day of his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. got in a pillow fight in his hotel room.

A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.

At one point, very briefly, you were the youngest person on the planet.

Cows produce more milk when they hear music that is soothing.

Even though many visually impaired people have never seen a smile, they still smile when happy.

Bhutan is perhaps the only place on the globe, which focuses on measuring its country’s gross national happiness as a measure of progress.

Canada consumes more doughnuts and has the highest number of doughnut shops per capita of any country in the world.

No matter how old you get, there will always be something new to discover.

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