BRAND TOTAL
SUMMER 2019
A TOTAL LICENSING GROUP PUBLICATION
LICENSING
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
CONTENTS 6
8
Editorial Comment
40 And the winner is...
The Road to Route 66
41 Licensing with a view
Thoughts from the editor
Tempting Brands’ iconic program
10 News
Cherokee changes name, TWA hotel debuts, Global Icons buys Fred Segal, Happy Birthday Splice, BMW Puma Deal, Dutch fashion and Monopoly
12 Marie-Antoinette
A feminine brand with worldwide appeal
18 The power of a Selfie
Howard Robinson explains
20 Licensing Japan
Tokyo hosts another successful event
22 Zoo York
Pan-European category extension announced
25 The big business of eating and drinking
The recently-held Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards
North Coast 500: A road trip with a difference
42 The Ideal Home
Brands in the lifestyle and homewares arena
48 University of Yale
A brand with history, tradition, heritage and aspiration
49 Brands are Back in Town!
Licensing Expo, Las Vegas, brand preview
54 The Power of Celebrity
From Kanye West to Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Selena Gomez
60 Brands Roundtable
Experts discuss the business of brand licensing
60 The Final Page
Shows, advertisers and more.
Why brands should look to expand into food and drink categories
28 Food for thought
Pink Key talks food and drink brands
30 Royalties and Payments
Chris Muggleton advises
31 Cover Story: Discovery
Powering People’s Passions
35 The role of the Chief Brand Officer
Why more companies are appointing one
36 Key Trends
Pointing towards the future of Licensing
38 One Small Step for Man...
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... one giant step for mankind
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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 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jonathan Faber Alita Friedman Alan Kravetz Chris Muggleton HEAD OFFICE Total Licensing Ltd 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6PT, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com
In the same way that retail around the world is changing its dynamic, with online battling bricks and mortar for the attention of consumers, so the world of brands is shifting. The days when high-end exclusive and aspiration brands dominated the list of most valuable brands have gone. Whilst brands such as Hermes, Dior, Ferrari, Tiffany and Prada still have a presence in the top 100 brands, but some way down the list, at the top it is dominated by tech. In simple terms, this leads us to believe that ‘useful’ brands are more valuable nowadays than aspirational ones. Apple, for example, has been number one on the list for a few years and continues to set standards not just because of its existing products but its ability to respond to today’s ever-changing customer expectations, something that has become particularly important in the post global financial crisis world. Google and Amazon who make up the next two are both brands that aim to improve consumer lives. Interestingly, in the top ten most valuable brands, six are tech brands, interspersed with Coca-Cola, two automotive brands and the ubiquitous McDonalds. The top brands of today don’t just communicate with consumers. They actually give them the means of communication. Leading brands solve customer problems and use their marketing not just to sell a product but to help a customer or state a position. As an example, Colin Kaepernick famously knelt during the national anthem in protest against police brutality. Nike took a calculated risk in using Kaepernick in an ad campaign because their underlying message was that people should believe in themselves. The campaign translated into a rise in Nike’s stock market value of $6 billion. Amazon, of course, is the ultimate ‘useful’ brand. Its brand value has grown by an average of 36% each year over the last five years, largely because it continues to diversify its offering. A little over twenty years ago, Amazon began selling books online. They quickly diversified into music and DVD and have grown today to become the most valuable retailer in the US, overtaking Walmart on the way. Amazon’s fashion business has now become the second largest seller of apparel in the United States. But it’s not all utilitarian. Consumers still want luxury. And this desire for luxury has translated into all categories. Samsung, for example, grew its price point to rival Apple and launched phones valued at $2,000. Buyers get all sorts of add on benefits – concierge assistance at airports, a VIP hotline and more. And it worked. Today, the premium end of the mobile phone market now accounts for 30% of the total market. On the entertainment side, Netflix’s value grew by nearly 50% last year, as the second fastest growing brand. Netflix demonstrated that consumers are prepared to subscribe to a media company directly. Its decision to invest in original programming has now won it more Emmy nominations than any other network or streaming service and its stock market value is higher than Disney’s. The world of brands, clearly, is changing. And here at Total Brand Licensing, we look forward to covering this fascinating market sector in ever-more depth. No doubt, many of our readers will be at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in June. Of course, we will be there covering the latest from the brand world. We very much look forward to seeing you.
Total Brand Licensing is published quarterly by Total Licensing Ltd in the UK. ©2019 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. All images are reproduced with permission from their owners. PAGE 6
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PROFILE
The journey continues on ROUTE 66 After the launch of a brand new ROUTE 66 Style Guide at Brand Licensing Europe 2018 many new and sometimes surprising business discussions unfolded. The new design styles in the ROUTE 66 Style Guide triggered interest in entirely new product categories for the ROUTE 66 brand. The inclusion of not just artworks but product designs on which the artworks are applied created many ‘aha’ moments in Tempting Brands’ discussions with potential licensees. Since Brand Licensing Europe, the licensor stepped up their design assistance to potential licensees and created many specialized product catalogues which showcase the potential of the brand for those product categories. Designs were created for apparel, cosmetics, back-to-school, homeware, fashion accessories, footwear and many more.
Early 2019, Tempting Brands gave its Spanish back-to-school licensee, Distribuidora Dos, the award for Best ROUTE 66 Licensee 2018. The ROUTE 66 back-to-school products made by Distribuidora Dos stand out
in design and quality. Distribuidora Dos has been able to capture a very stable market share with the ROUTE 66 brand for a number of years and is steadily growing the product range. Tempting Brands think of them as an exemplary licensee with excellent and reliable processes – and maybe more importantly – friendly and communicative people. New ROUTE 66 products coming to market in 2019 include bedlinen, home textiles such as blankets and cushions as well as towels. A brand new line of apparel products are being launched in the United Kingdom and ROUTE 66 apparel is adventuring also further away, with a new collection of apparel which is being launched in South Korea. Tempting Brands is very excited to also launch a line of 3D puzzles in 2019 and there is much more to come. Tempting Brands’ new partnerships with IS Partner in Brazil, KOPA Licensing in Colombia and Art Ask Agency in Spain are expected to bring the largest number of new ROUTE 66 licensees in 2019 than ever before.
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NEWS CHEROKEE CHANGES NAME TO APEX GLOBAL BRANDS Cherokee Global Brands, for its fourth quarter and fiscal year, reported revenues of $6.1 million dollars, a decrease of 11 percent, which the company said, largely reflects the expiration or non-renewal of several licensing agreements. These declines were partially offset by revenues from the company’s new multi-year product development and design agreement with a major retailer in China, as well as a 12 percent improvement in revenues from the Hi-Tec brand portfolio. The company also announced its intention to rebrand as Apex Global Brands following the company’s June annual shareholder meeting. “Fiscal 2019 was a year of significant milestones for Cherokee Global Brands. We delivered on three strategic priorities, including restructuring our business operations, shoring up our financial and liquidity positions and aligning our brand portfolio for future growth,” said Henry Stupp, the company’s CEO in a statement, adding, “Through our strategic acquisitions, we realized our vision to evolve from a mono-brand licensor to a true house of brands. Apex reflects this more expansive vision.” Cherokee will use its heritage IP for new licensing extensions, according to Henry Stupp. Heritage brands being targeted for new licensing deals include Tony Hawk, Cherokee and Sideout — the latter originally a men’s
beachwear brand that Cherokee acquired in 1997, but which has been “idling for a number of years,” Stupp said. Batra has introduced a Tony Hawk Signature apparel line in Europe that is aimed at higher-end retailers. New Cherokee heritage-related products will play to its history in footwear, apparel and accessories. Cherokee are also looking to expand the licensing for the Hi-Tec, Magnum and Interceptor footwear labels, all of which it acquired in buying Hi-Tec 2016. The company also is providing design services for its namesake brand to a major Chinese retailer under a deal that generated $800,000 in revenue in the quarter and $1.4 million for the year.. Cherokee’s name change is part of a re-branding effort that includes a new web site and is designed to highlight some of Cherokee’s new businesses, and to underscore a broadening beyond the DTRs that were once central to the company. For the year, revenue declined 17% to $24.4 million, 47% ($11.6 million) of which came from the Hi-Tec brands, up from 33% ($9.7 million) the previous year. The Cherokee brand accounted for about 40% ($9.7 million) of sales, up from 38% a year earlier, due partly to the European licensing deal with Batra.
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER GROW CRAFTSMAN PROGRAM Stanley Black & Decker’s Craftsman brand, which includes an extensive licensing program, will be chainwide at Lowe’s shortly with distribution widening to other retailers in early second half, said CEO James Loree in releasing earnings.
Craftsman products, sold also through some Ace Hardware and Farm & Fleet stores and on Amazon, is expected to account for about half the 6-7% increase Stanley Black & Decker forecasts for its tools and storage business this year, up from an earlier forecast for 4-6%. About 100 Craftsman products from 20 licensees shipped in 2018. That is expected to double this year to 40 licensees and 600 products covering 100 merchandise categories. The demand for the Craftsman products has been “greater than expected,” prompting SBD to move up the timing for expanded distribution from fall, SBD executives said. There has been sales growth in every category of Craftsman product, Loree said. SBD acquired Craftsman in 2017 from Sears Holdings, which retains a perpetual license and sells Craftsman products through its stores under a 15-year royalty-free agreement, with a 3% royalty thereafter. “The sell-through [of Craftsman products] has been fantastic so far and it has been very well received,” Loree said.
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NEWS CRAYOLA LAUNCH CIY BOX SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM FOR CRAFTERS Bringing fun and creative crafting home, Bulu, Inc. has partnered with Crayola, the brand that has supported creativity through color, art and innovation for more than 116 years to build the first Crayola CIY Box, a monthly subscription program designed for the Crayola crafter in everyone. Expertly fashioned with tweens, teens and adults in mind, the Crayola CIY Box is pioneering the subscription-based craft industry by providing a convenient and affordable solution to home-based crafting. Crafters no longer need to spend hours planning or shopping - they can simply get to crafting with inspirational, share-worthy projects delivered right to their doorstep. Each Crayola CIY Box contains supplies for two premium craft projects, an easy to follow how-to guide, a bonus crafting challenge to stretch creative skills, as well as surprises, unique gifts and coupons. Crafters are encouraged to exercise their own creativity and are invited to share their one-of-a-kind projects on social media using #CrayolaCIYBox. Each subscriber also gains access to a library of resources containing how-to videos for inspiration, free downloadable crafting templates, and the opportunity to engage with fellow crafting enthusiasts. “Crafters of all ages are going to love making two projects and participating in the bonus craft challenges designed to get their creativity flowing. We want to see everyone spending less time on their screens and letting their imaginations flourish instead. Every month, subscribers get to enjoy crafting and quality time together, all in one Subscription Box!” said Paul Jarrett, Co-founder & CEO of Bulu, Inc. “At Crayola, we are thrilled to inspire creativity through color and innovative crafting experiences. Together, through our partnership with Bulu, Inc., we will bring new and revolutionary activities to consumers demonstrating this continued passion,” said Warren Schorr, Vice
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President of Business Development & Licensing at Crayola . “When crafters create their masterpieces, it opens a window into their imagination, and our hope is for the new CIY kits to encourage folks to celebrate and share their unique essence and colorful outputs.” “The CIY Network of over 165 videos we have shared weekly on our social networks has really resonated with consumers,” said Karen Waters, Director of Content and Social Media. “Being able to take this inspiring, clever and fun content and partner with Bulu, Inc. to provide consumers with unique product experiences is a great natural extension to this successfully engaging creative Crayola content!”
TWA HOTEL
May’s planned launch of the TWA Hotel at JFK International Airport in New York will bring back to life a brand that’s largely been absent from the marketplace for several years. This new effort to bring the iconic Trans World Airlines brand to proves how licensing can be used to give brands new life. American Airlines, who acquired the TWA assets out of bankruptcy in 2001, and MCR and Morse Development, who developed and are managing the 512-room hotel in the former TWA Flight Center - are using the most modern of means: a near steady flow of social media updates, mixed with events such as the display in March of the fuselage of the 1958 Lockheed Constellation in New York’s Times Square. The display was part of an upcoming documentary about the redevelopment of Finnish architect Eero Saarinen’s flight center, which closed in 2001.
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PROFILE
Marie-Antoinette – the women’s brand from Tempting Brands – offers licensees a brand new Style Guide with numerous new design examples. Tempting Brands’ strategic partnership to launch Marie-Antoinette with Art Ask Agency has proven a valuable decision. Potential licensees were carefully selected in each product category and territory and Tempting Brands is happy to be able to report that within one year the first products are on the market. Art Ask Agency’s focus and diligent work for the best possible license partner is very compatible to the systematic working method of Tempting Brands. Both, Art Ask Agency and Tempting Brands, believe in brands that have a shelf life beyond the entertainment brands, and love building up their lifestyle and fashion brands. In March 2019, Tempting Brands awarded Art Ask Agency as Best Representative 2018 for the Marie-Antoinette brand at their office in Barcelona. After BLE 2018 a new partnership was formed with KOPA Licensing who will bring their experience to developing the Marie-Antoinette brand in Latin America with a focus on Mexico and Colombia. Now, Tempting Brands is actively looking for strategic partnerships for Marie-Antoinette in the Middle East and Asia. They are interested in licensee partnerships in product categories such as fashion, cosmetics and home decoration.
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NEWS SMILEY COLLABORATE WITH CHINATOWN MARKET Smiley continues to build on its strong roots in counter culture by partnering with the leading upscale streetwear brands and this is typified by this special new collaboration with Chinatown Market. Chinatown Market is inspired by New York’s Canal Street and the mash-up of culture and commerce in the heart of the Big Apple. Mike Cherman, the founder of the Los Angeles-based brand takes notable icons and twists them to reflect on current culture, adding a splash of irony to each piece. This approach has seen Chinatown Market gain a cult following among up-and-coming trendsetters in the US and beyond. Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of The Smiley Company said “Smiley has gained a unique reputation for our brand collaborations, and we are always looking to innovate in the space. What sets our collaboration with CTM apart
from the rest, is our unique approach to 3 way licensing, which has seen has us and CTM create category specific collections with the leading specialist partners in their segments including; Timex, Guess, Puma, Urbanears, The Hundreds, Stance Socks, whilst a new partnership with Cole Haan is about to launch.” “This approach has allowed us to co-create with CTM across a range of specialist products and categories that includes; apparel, sports equipment, stationery, watches, technical accessories and even homewares. Our partnership with Chinatown Market is based on shared values and a likeminded approach that allows us not just to create on-trend product, but also meaningful and memorable retail experiences, with integrated messaging that is supported by an authentic and rich content.”
BRANDGENUITY SIGN BMW PUMA DEAL Brandgenuity continues to elevate the BMW lifestyle program. PUMA added a first-ever BMW M Motorsport collection for women, as well as a bespoke collection featured in the top 100 Footlocker stores in Europe. In 2019, Fossil will launch a range of BMW watches and smartwatches that debuted this spring at Basel. Brandgenuity will build a licensing program for the world-renowned University of Oxford across lifestyle and authority categories as well as in toys, games, and back to school products. Brandgenuity is building a licensing program for the NFL Players Association in Europe. The agency recently signed Winning Moves to create an NFLPA Top Trumps card game for the 2020 season, and there also apparel partners in the pipeline for the UK, Ireland, and GAS regions. Brandgenuity Europe continues to build licensing programs for its clients Anheuser Busch-InBev, Ed Stafford, and others.
DUTCH FASHION LINE FOR MONOPOLY Dutch fashion brand Purewhite has teamed up with Monopoly, its global license holder Hasbro and The Cookie Company Group for a collection of limited-edition styles. The apparel collection consists of hoodies, sweaters and T-shirts with Monopoly inspired visuals and phrases. Whether it’s money in all its forms or the very recognisable Mr. Monopoly wearing a mustache PAGE 14
and top hat, the iconic brand lends itself well to the creative street style pieces. Taking a modern twist on one of the most famous, classic board games, the Purewhite x Monopoly collection brings up a sense of nostalgia while giving a playful nod to the present street culture. The apparel launched at the beginning of April online and is also available through independent retailers throughout the Netherlands. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
NEWS DR. POL ANIMAL FEED LICENSE SIGNED All American Licensing (AAL) has announced that Dr. Jan Pol, the celebrated veterinarian and star of National Geographic’s Wild #1 hit reality television series The Incredible Dr. Pol, has entered into a comprehensive licensing agreement with industry leader, Consumers Supply Distributors (CSD). The new deal calls for CSD to develop a robust portfolio of Large Animal Feed, Large Animal Supplements, Small Animal Feed, Small Animal Supplements, Companion Animal Feeds, Companions Animal Supplements, Companion Animal (dog/ cats), Food, Treats, Snacks and Toppers all of which will feature the Dr. Pol brand imprint. In The Incredible Dr. Pol, viewers travel with Dr. Pol across rural Michigan as he tirelessly cares for family pets and livestock in need of his
expertise and kindness. The series, which celebrated its 100th episode in 2017, is currently airing in its 14th season and continues to break ratings records for the Nat Geo Wild network. A true television icon, Dr. Pol has been featured in dozens of major media outlets, print, online and television. Don Rothwell, partner at All American Licensing, commented on the deal. “We’re thrilled to be working with Consumers Supply Distributors, a respected, family-run business that is certified by multiple federal and state agencies and is dedicated to providing the highest standards of farm and feed products while also having a passion dedicated to making sure animals remain healthy and strong through proper care, vaccinations, and nutrition.”
LMI TO LICENSE MAYFLOWER 400 ANNIVERSARY LMI in the UK have been appointed by Destination Plymouth as the global licensing partner for Mayflower400. 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage, one of the most influential journeys in global history and a defining moment in the shared history of Britain, the US and the Netherlands. This is a unique opportunity to commemorate the legacy of the 102 passengers who undertook the journey in 1620, and to highlight their stories and heritage, which is embedded in the communities across the UK, US, the Netherlands and the Wampanoag Nation. Mayflower 400 champions the values of freedom, humanity, imagination and the future that informed the original journey, and which is continue to be articulated in the special relationship between the UK and the US. The commemoration will recognise the impact of the Mayflower’s journey on Native American communities and address themes of colonialism and migration, providing an accurate, inclusive account of the Mayflower’s legacy. A world-class programme of art, music, theatre, exhibitions, storytelling, digital innovation, literature, crafts, festivals and debates will be delivered during 2020, transforming communities and providing cultural, business and visitor links that embrace different perspectives and different voices. The international Mayflower Compact Partnership has been created to align 11 core UK partner locations across England, alongside the United States of America, the Native American community and the Netherlands. There are over 30 million US descendants of the passengers and crew
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who sailed on the Mayflower; this project aims to reach out to these descendants and other ancestral tourists to invite them to visit England and be part of the anniversary year. Charles Hackett, Chief Executive Mayflower 400 commented: “We are delighted to be working with LMI on developing the international licensing programme for Mayflower 400 especially with their extensive global experience in developing the International Space Archives Apollo 11 licensing programme celebrating the 50th anniversary of the successful NASA moon landing in July 1969.”
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NEWS HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPLICE! SPLiCE has reached an exciting milestone as the trade organization celebrates 15 years of collaboration between brand licensors across the globe. With a common belief that we are “stronger together,” a community of licensors (which spans across a wide range of brands) has been able to share amongst each other best practices for protecting, promoting, and enhancing brand integrity. With Founding Member companies The Coca-Cola Company, Mattel Inc., The Walt Disney Company, and Kimberly A. Kociencki,
of licensors is strong and growing on a daily basis. With that said, I’d love to take this opportunity to thank our community for their passion, input and collaboration to enhance brand integrity, and most importantly for those of you who have had faith in SPLiCE from the beginning.” In addition to Town Hall virtual meetings and webinars, SPLiCE, with the support of the licensing community, has been able to organize a multitude of in-person events through the years to facilitate networking across organiza-
CEO, recognized a need in the industry to be able to provide brand licensing with the ability to better network with similar departments in different corporations. This was the motivation and founding spirit behind SPLiCE, established in 2004, and proudly remains the driving force today. What began that first year as a 17 company “think tank” has quickly evolved into a collaboration of 70+ organizations spanning across 40 industry sectors representing 20% of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. 89% of those responsible or accountable for their licensing programs are actively engaged in SPLiCE. Kociencki, while reflecting on the organization’s 15th anniversary said, “This has been the busiest, most rewarding 15 years of my professional career. It’s amazing how quickly it’s flown by. The original vision stands today to continuously improve brand licensing. Each year, we are proactive in our approaches to protect, promote, and enhance our vision through sharing best practices. Our network
tions. Fan favorites (and largely attended) have been the Licensors Summit™ hosted annually in Las Vegas, the New Year Meeting, and the Licensors Workshop set to be hosted in Washington D.C. this year with the U.S. Postal Service Licensing Team. Looking forward to 2020 and beyond, the benchmark initiatives will remain focused on what our membership believes is most important for licensing programs to drive efficiencies and success. Benchmark teams currently include Food Licensing, Social and Environmental Responsibility, Anticounterfeiting, Royalty Collection Best Practices, Brand Licensing Valuation, Legal Benchmark, Product Regulatory Compliance, Technology Licensing, Organizational Structure, and eMarketplace Business Best Practices.”
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RACHAEL HALE RANGE AT BED BATH & BEYOND Britannica Home Fashions has launched a multi-product Rachael Hale collection chainwide and online at Bed Bath and Beyond, the brand’s first at a national chain since Jewel Branding & Licensing acquired it a year ago. The line, which initially consists of 57 SKUs, features Hale’s animal images across hooded towels, reversible throws, door stops, spinner luggage, stainless steel water bottles and memory foam neck pillows. String lights and umbrellas will be added in the next few weeks. Jewel Branding, which has been Hale’s licensing agent since 2008, bought the IP, including an archive of 3,000 images, from Dissero Brands last April. It signed a master license textile deal with Britannica last fall. Jewel Branding, which has 65 licensees for Hale, recently added Agosin as an agent the brand in Chile and Peru. Britannica also is a bedding licensee for California designer Tracy Porter’s Poetic Wanderlust brand, which Jewel also represents.
For more information about brand licensing and SPLiCE, you can visit www.SPLiCElicensing.com or contact Ashlee at Ashlee@SPLiCEonline.com. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING6
NEWS TILRAY TO LAUNCH FIRST CANNABIS PRODUCTS BASED ON ABG BRANDS Tilray expects to have the first cannabis and cannibidiol (CBD) products based on Authentic Brands Group (ABG) brands in North America by the end of this year, with expansion into international markets as local regulations allow. Under its revenue-sharing agreement with ABG, Tilray will have access to more than 50 brands, with Nine West expected to be among the first ABG labels for CBD-based products. Hemp-based food products supplier Manitoba Harvest, which Tilray acquired last fall for $312 million, will supply materials for the new ABG products. Tilray will initially pay to ABG US$100 million and up to US$250 million in cash and stock, subject to the achievement of certain commercial and/or regulatory milestones.
GLOBAL ICONS ACQUIRES FRED SEGAL Global Icons has announced its acquisition of Fred Segal. The iconic Los Angeles-based experiential retailer has been a prominent purveyor of LA style and culture since 1961. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed but Global Icons will have majority ownership of Fred Segal LLC with Evolution Media maintaining a minority stake. This comes on the heels of two successful years for Fred Segal, having opened a flagship store on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA in September 2017, launched new stores globally in Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Zurich, Basel, Lausanne and Bern, and achieved record sales at the LAX International Terminal store. The legendary retailer opened a 4,000 square foot Malibu location, the third location in Los Angeles, in early April. With the additional investment and support from the worldwide Global Icons team, Fred Segal will continue its growth within three key areas. First, will be the expansion of the existing Fred Segal collection of apparel and accessories. Second, the opening of additional retail locations in international territories, bringing LA culture to new and loyal fans, with collections curated for the local markets. Last, Fred Segal will look to grow its licensing TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
across different verticals ranging from home décor to accessories. “I was drawn to Fred Segal because despite the industry decline in brick-in-mortar, Fred Segal Sunset remains exciting and is thriving. It’s always changing and continues to be a destination and a pop culture retail icon that we will further invest in. It’s the birthplace of some of our favorite designers and most memorable fashion moments,” said Chairman Jeff Lotman. “I’m committed to preserving the history and integrity of the company while continuing to evolve the dynamic Fred Segal brand and experience.” Fred Segal offers a fun, one-of-a-kind com-
munity destination inspired by the eclectic LA scene with expertly curated lifestyle and fashion brands. Known for discovering up and coming designers along with bringing together many of the industry’s most exciting collaborations, Fred Segal has launched some of the biggest names in beauty and apparel. “In 1961, Fred Segal created the original fashion jean, and for almost 60 years, the Fred Segal brand has remained true to its roots by continuing to be original,” said Michael Segal, son of Founder Fred Segal. “In 1961, Jeff Lotman was born, perhaps, just a coincidence, but it seems more like fate that he and his company, Global Icons, would take leadership of the Fred Segal brand. Jeff is highly respected and uniquely qualified for this role to take Fred Segal to the next level of national and international expression.” “Over the previous few years, we have been focused on building the brand and setting the foundation for the future. We’ve opened stores, developed a strong assortment of product and shared our vision with the world. We are perfectly positioned to grow this brand exponentially with Global Icons,” said Allison Samek CEO of Fred Segal. PAGE 17
SELFIES
again be at Mega Show Hong Kong featuring our large and ever-popular 3D lenticular range with Prime 3D. A new range of Selfie plush is now in development and we hope to launch at Mega Show.”
The Selfies brand continues to grow at a pace and artist and creator Howard Robinson is pleased to announce Steven Robinson has taken up his new position and is quickly getting up to speed with administration and day-to-day tasks. “Steven will also accompany me to Licensing Expo in June where he looks forward to meeting with clients. In 2019 we have decided to exhibit at Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Brand Licensing London and also at China Licensing Expo Shanghai, which will be a first for the Selfies. We will then once
Selfies currently has 89 licensing partners around the globe producing over 11,500 individual product items ranging from surf boards to wallpapers and phone software to baby onesies. Appealing to all generations and with worldwide appeal has allowed for the Selfies to have a strong presence throughout independent gift stores, tourist destinations and gaining mass market placements in Wal-Mart, TRU, Staples, Target, Meijer, Aldi, Office Depot, Beles and Carrefour. “It has been pleasing to explore and add new categories and territories. Home furnishings has been a strong sector with a number of new licensees for bedding, curtains, cushions, accent rugs, blankets, wall coverings and dog beds and further expansion into gift and collectibles has added hundreds of new items to the catalogue of products available ranging
from luggage tags, pill boxes, hip flasks, bottle openers, stoppers, pull chains, key holders, compact mirrors and much more. A new range of novelty jewellery featuring items such as cuff links, bobby pins, charms, pendants, earrings, lapel pins and shoe charms are also available. In the automotive section we have new licensed products such as plate frames, hitch covers, wheel badges, air fresheners and window stickers. In sports, various new licensees have added golf balls, divot tools, golf hat clips, hockey pucks, ping pong balls, frisbees, bicycle bells and Strike Force Bowling are producing a unique range of Selfie bowling balls, pins and bags. New additions to the technology sector have included headphones, earbuds, phone cases, tablet covers, phone stands and credit card blocker sleeves and in Craft, new licensees for cupcake picks, buttons, wrapping paper and Scrapbooking stickers. The first phase of our new and exiting Selfie Beach Resort in the Philippines has now been completed and is hosting conferences and private parties in the new event room and we have successfully hosted our first beach weddings. The large bar and restaurant features live bands each weekend and the hotel is now welcoming guests. There is much work I still need to do in the finer detailing and Selfie themed areas and then I shall look forward in the autumn to begin designing phase 2, the swimming pools and native cabana village.”
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NEWS IMG TO REP DOLLY PARTON WORLDWIDE Dolly Parton, the most honored female country musician of all time, has appointed IMG as her first exclusive global licensing representative. Parton is already a client in North America of IMG partner company WME, where she signed in 2018. The multi-year partnership will see IMG work with Dolly to create a lifestyle brand that will provide engaging new touchpoints for the eight-time Grammy Award winner’s fans around the world. A diverse range of licensed consumer product initiatives will be explored, including everything from fashion and jewelry to homeware and accessories. Dolly Parton said: ““I am excited to be working with IMG on a global scale to give my fans products that they will cherish for years to come. You might even see my mug on a mug!” “I’m so excited for Dolly to partner with IMG globally. Dolly’s brand is already proven and we are excited to take it to the next level,” said Dolly’s Manager, Danny Nozell, CEO of CTK Management. Gary Krakower, Vice President of Licensing, IMG, said: “Dolly Parton is an international icon and we are thrilled to be working with her. Together, we look forward to building cohesive lifestyle brand products that will celebrate Dolly and bring her iconic style and personality to her millions of fans worldwide in engaging new ways.” Achieving 25 RIAA certified Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum awards, Dolly Parton has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. In addition to the Grammy’s, she has had 10 Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, four People’s Choice Awards, and three American Music Awards, and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. In fall 2019, Netflix will release an eight-part anthology film series called Heartstrings through Dolly’s Sandollar Productions in association with Sam Haskell’s Magnolia Hill Productions. Each film in the series will center on one of her masterful songs. This year also marks the 33rd anniversary season of Dollywood, Dolly’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., which has hosted more than two million visitors annually since its opening in 1986.
BROAD STREET PROPERTIES NOMINATED FOR LIMA AWARDS Broad Street Licensing Group, a world leader in food, beverage and restaurant brand licensing, announced that its retail licensing programs developed and implemented for SeaPak Seafood, Tony Roma’s, and Walmart Japan/Seiyu have been nominated for the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association 2019 Awards. SeaPak’s Budweiser Beer-Battered Seafood line, and Tony Roma’s licensed meats from The Ruprecht Company garnered nominations for Best Food & Beverage Products. The Walmart Japan/Seiyu line of Tony Roma’s sauces and ready-to-cook meats has been nominated for Best Retailer: Corporate, Lifestyle, Fashion, Sports Brand Initiative. The awards will be voted on by members of the licensing industry on April 15th, 2019, with the winners being announced at the LIMA Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 4th during Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. “Broad Street Licensing is extremely proud to be working with these amazing brands building their licensing programs,” said BSLG president Carole Francesca. “The SeaPak and Budweiser licensing teams have developed a great-tasting product. The Tony Roma’s meats from Ruprecht are grabbing market share away from other players, and Walmart’s Japanese banner Seiyu has been a dream partner with in-store merchandising, online videos and a public relations blitz that promotes the products all over Japan’s media.”
Pick up your copies of Total Brand Licensing, Total Licensing and Total Art Licensing at Licensing Expo, Las Vegas TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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LICENSING JAPAN
LICENSING JAPAN Licensing Japan, held in Tokyo between 3 and 5 April, proved to be another successful event with over 1500 properties gathered together under one roof and visitor levels substantially up from last year’s event. In all, including visitors to the concurrent Content Tokyo, the show attracted 48,549 visitors – an increase of 5,955 over 2018. A major feature of the show was the Matching System – an online support service from which exhibitors and visitors can search what they are looking for and request information and/or an appointment. The number of visitors registered to the Matching System reached 1792 and more than 1000 appointment were set during the three day show.
With blinking eyes, fleshly lips, big belly and a unique hairstyle, B.Duck (Ens Global Marketing) is Hong Kong’s No. 1 duck character, which attracted attentions from apparel manufacturers and goods manufacturers. A Brazilian company UP Content exhibited their iconic brand, Bubu and The Little Owls, which will be broadcasted on Disney Latin America in 2019. The owl family was warmly welcomed by Japanese licensees. There were also international pavilions, representing the IPs of their countries/regions including Chungnam Culture Technology Industry Agency (CTIA) pavilion (Korea), Fresh Taiwan pavilion (Taiwan), TAITRA pavilion (Taiwan), Thai Animation & com-
puter Graphic Association (TACGA) pavilion (Thailand). Licensing Japan also welcomed more international visitors and is rapidly becoming the centre of the licensing business in Asia. In 2019, leading licensees were invited as Special Overseas Guests from both Korea and China.
Next year’s Licensing Japan will again be held at Big Sight in Tokyo from 1st to 3rd April. For more information, contact: Exhibitors: www.licensing-japan.jp/ex_en/ licensing-e@reedexpo.co.jp Visitors: www.licensing-japan.jp/inv_en/ visitor-eng.licensing@reedexpo.co.jp
In fact, one of the exhibitors, Kensin, fixed 34 appointments with both Japanese and international visitors. Another exhibitor, Fuji Television Network, received ten appointment requests from visitors. They are now fully expecting that some of the results of these appointments will led to merchandising for events/TV commercials in the near future. Based on its unique culture such as Manga, Anime, etc., Japan has a mature market where people are familiar with characters. At Licensing Japan visitors were dedicated to find new properties including international ones. To appeal to visitors and the Japanese market, more and more international properties are showcased at Licensing Japan every year.
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TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
PROFILE
Zoo York Pan-European
Category Extension Announced Iconix Europe has extended its licensing program for Zoo York with a three-year pan-European deal in partnership with UK-based licensee Rolling Thunder. Making its debut at the 2020 Olympics, skateboarding is seeing a resurgence at retail with a rise in demand for hardgoods that cater to an increasingly diverse demographic to include beginners and more casual riders as well as avid street skaters and professionals. Zoo York has launched a wide range of both completes and skate decks across Europe via key European distributor Centrano. With the use of original heritage graphics which have been customised for the boards, this collection gives a nod to the brand’s East Coast history. Creating an entry level board to encourage younger generations to get involved in the sport as well as producing pro boards which will facilitate the professional skaters who follow Zoo York, the collection consists of 14 complete skateboards and 18 single decks which have launched across Europe into retailers such as Titus, Rollersnakes, Blue Tomato and SkatePro. Zoo York, the original East Coast skate brand, was named after the notorious subway tunnels underneath Central Park Zoo, which
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came to be known as the ‘Zoo York Tunnel’, or simply ‘Zoo York’, a hangout for skaters and early graffiti artists in the late 1960s and 1970s who would sneak into the tunnels at night and who likened themselves, as they climbed around and congregated together for wild nights out in this subterranean environment, to the animals in the zoo above ground. By the dawn of the ’80s, the term Zoo York had come to firmly symbolize NYC’s underground sect of artists, b-boys, skateboarders, punks, and their various creative off-shoots. The Zoo York revolution was in full effect as graffiti writers bombed trains and skateboarders staked their claim to now legendary spots like Astor, Washington Square, and the Brooklyn Banks. In 1993, OG skateboarders Rodney Smith, Eli Gessner and Adam Schatz teamed up to found the East Coast’s first true skateboarding-inspired lifestyle brand – Zoo York. The trio siphoned creative inspiration from NYC’s rapidly evolving skateboarding, hip-hop, and graffiti scenes to produce a variety of culturally relevant products, utilizing the brand’s heritage graphics and iconic ‘crackerjack’ logo, that were dark and gritty like New York City. What started off as a simple line of decks and
t-shirts steadily grew into a full-blown streetwear collection marked by military surplus, urban-athletic styling that was designed to withstand the city’s rugged terrain. Today, Zoo York is a highly evolved, globally recognized brand with unbreakable East Coast attitude and dialect. As it has since day one, Zoo’s product line continues to be heavily influenced by skateboarding, graffiti, hiphop, punk, and everything in between. The Manhattan-based brand proudly serves up a wide range of casual, utilitarian looks for men and women that fuse authentic military-influenced overtones with iconic Zoo York City imagery. Additionally, the company continues to be backed strongly by original graffiti artists, designers and some of the biggest names in the skateboard community globally. Commenting, Daisy Laramy-Binks, Managing Director - Iconix Europe said, “Zoo York is the ultimate nostalgia brand to have come out of the East Coast skate movement and it therefore goes without saying that a European skateboard range would be the perfect complement to the successful European apparel ranges in market. The Zoo York graphics bank provides our partners with unrivalled access to original heritage skate artwork, and these graphics have been reworked specifically for this skate range. The range caters to both pros and casual skaters
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
PROFILE alike and represents the latest in our rollouts of the brand as we continue to partner with licensees on Zoo York in categories such as apparel, footwear, bags and more across Europe.” Steve Douglas, Managing Director, Rolling Thunder, added, “‘I have been lucky enough to have worked with so many amazing skateboard brands and I have always had respect for Zoo York. Zoo York represents East Coast vibe and attitude and has defined the vibe of New York City skateboarding; I am happy to be bringing Zoo to Europe and making the boards available at retail with the help of Centrano.” Iconix Europe LLC manages the European licensing and brand management activities of Iconix Brand Group, Inc across 24 brands including Ocean Pacific, Starter, Ecko Unltd, Danskin, Rocawar, Ed Hardy, Zoo York and Mossimo. Iconix Europe is headquartered in London and is a joint venture between Iconix Brand Group and CAA-GBG. Iconix Europe carries out extensive marketing and design activities for all the brands in its portfolio to drive consumer engagement across all touchpoints. Iconix Brand Group is the world’s premier brand management company and owner of a diversified portfolio of strong global consumer brands across fashion, sports, entertainment, and home. Iconix specializes in marketing, merchandising and licensing its brand portfolio and has over 1,100 licenses with leading retailers and manufacturers worldwide that sell across various distribution channels from the mass tier to the luxury market, as well as through various media outlets. For more information, contact: Iconix Europe, LLC The Aircraft Factory 100 Cambridge Grove London W6 0LE, UK Tel: +44 (0) 203 892 7487 charley@iconixeurope.com www.iconix-europe.com
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NEWS SPEAR & JACKSON BROUGHT TO THE US MARKET IPR Licensing has extended its long-term representation of British heritage brand, Spear & Jackson, to include presentation in the USA for the first time and promotion at Las Vegas Licensing Expo. Since 1760 Spear and Jackson has been selling hand, garden, contractors, agricultural, landscaping and professional tools from its base in “Steel City” Sheffield, in the north of England. IPR Licensing has exclusively represented Spear & Jackson in the UK for the past six years and built a successful strategic brand licensing program, from a zero start, which continues to grow and complement the core tools business. Spear & Jackson exports its core tools to over 100 countries and the brand is widely respected and known for continuous innovation and high-quality product range development. USA is a key priority market for their international business growth plans generally and IPR Licensing will build
and manage the brand licensing program in North America. IPR will pursue USA opportunities for Spear & Jackson across Garden, Home and Leisure sectors, drawing upon Spear & Jackson’s highly valued brand assets and unrivalled British heritage story spanning almost 260 years. “We are thrilled to bring Spear & Jackson to the USA,” said Judith le Fleming, CoFounder and Director at IPR. “Spear & Jackson licensing is enjoying a strong growth curve in the UK via best-in-class licensees
spanning direct retail relationships and distributor and wholesale licensee partners. We are genuinely excited about the prospects for a similarly comprehensive program evolving over time in the USA.” Categories for licensing development USA include DIY / Home Improvement, Garden Furniture, Garden Planting and Accessories; Garden-related Gifting, Kitchen & Home; Outdoor Leisure, Children’s Toys, Role Play & Garden Games; Pet Grooming Tools & Accessories, and more.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM RECEIVES TWO LIMA AWARD NOMINATIONS The British Museum, one of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, has received two nominations in the 2019 LIMA licensing awards. It has been shortlisted in the Best Art/Design, Celebrity Fashion Brand category as well as the Best Experiential or Location-Based Initiative category. For the brand nomination the British Museum has focused on its success in China, where it launched its licensing campaign in 2016. Managed by Alfilo Brands, an exclusive master licensee and retailer of the Museum in China, the licensing programme has rolled out 500+ SKU of licensed products, over a dozen promotional licensing programmes with some of the world’s top consumer brands, one online British Museum flagship store and two bricks and mortar British Museum stores, supported by innovative marketing programmes in China and London. The Museum shares the shortlist with an impressive and varied selection of nominees from the world of music, books, art and design. In the Best Experiential or Location-Based Initiative category, the focus is on A Journey through Time, an engaging and immersive shopping experience aided by VR technology that attracted over 100,000 shoppers in only two months, and received an enormous amount of online and print coverage. With the help of Alfilo Brands, A Journey ThroughTime opened on 22 September 2018, in Shanghai. This was the British Museum’s first-ever experience-based pop-up store in China. It featured a display of replica products, a VR booth, a licensed merchandise section, and an education activity section for children, supported by interactive displays. The enormous success of A Journey through Time has massively PAGE 24
supported and boosted the British Museum and its licensing programme in China. The Museum shares the shortlist with major names from the world of film, television and children’s entertainment, underlining the continuing diversity and ingenuity of the brand licensing industry. Craig Bendle, Manager of Merchandise Licensing, British Museum, says: “The success of our licensing campaign in China, where the British Museum has become a leading presence in the heritage sector in less than three years, is a cause for celebration in itself. Both nominations are a welcome acknowledgement of the hard work done by both the Museum and our partner Alfilo Brands in making inroads into one of the world’s most important markets.”
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
FOOD & DRINK
The Big Business Of Eating & Drinking Why brands should be looking to expand into the food and drink arena...
The licensing food and drink industry contributes nearly over $54bn to the overall licensing economy. And whereas, of course, much of this is down to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), in the relative niche of the world of brands, licensing out into extensions is a growing force.
Going far beyond character licensing, brand owners are forming increasingly creative deals which fit in with their brand ethos and message. The food and drink licensing industry as a whole must move with current themes and trends. In today’s world, with so much em-
phasis on healthy eating and dietary concerns, these must be all taken into account when looking to strike a successful partnership that stays the course. Both licensing out – where a brand that has its origins in food and beverage expands this into areas of licensing, such as apparel, gifting, etc. – or licensing in, where a brand will work with licensees to create food and beverage products, need to be done with care, to both preserve the brand’s reputation and to ensure that they are not making a decision based on quick sales but which ultimately could damage years of trust. Joester Loria Group (JLG) looks after several food and beverage brands and recently partnered its client Constellation Brands with retailer Spencer’s for an expanded collection of Corona branded products, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. Following a successful Corona Cinco de Mayo collection at Spencer’s last year, the retailer is once again collaborating with the brand for a multi-category Cinco de Mayo collection. The new product line includes men’s and women’s apparel, headwear, drinkware, a festival backpack and other accessories, all featuring beachy florals, colorful
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FOOD & DRINK stripes and the iconic Corona logo. JLG has also created products for Mountain Dew, tapping into its ‘pop culture appeal’, and partnered with Complex and Karamloop to create a series of co-branded collaborations designed for trend-savvy millennials. Musicians including Mac Miller, skateboarders Keelan Dadd and Boo Johnson, and hot labels from Supra and Diamond Supply Co. to Dirty Ghetto Kids, were brought together to design limited edition collections that celebrate the unique essence of Mountain Dew. PepsiCo North America’s portfolio of beverage brands is extending into the Frito Lay portfolio of top-selling snack brands, kicking off with Cheetos and Doritos. Cheetos and Doritos will each take an innovative approach across a range of categories that will tap into each brand’s marketing initiatives and reach to millions of dedicated fans with unexpected brand extensions. According to Business Insider, these billion-dollar brands are amongst Gen Z’s Top Favorite Brands. Alcohol and brands are teaming together with increased frequency. The Flaming Lips partnered with FEW Spirits for a limited edition whiskey, Brainville Rye Whiskey, resulting in more than $500,000 in sales. International demand for Motörhead, Röad Crew, which is a pale ale, has been growing, and as well as being stocked in the UK’s Tesco and Morrisons, export sales have been made to over 21 countries. Next Century Spirits, an American start-
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up that has recently launched in the UK, launched ‘hick hop’ artist Yelawolf ’s private label brand, Creek Water, Reaching out in the food and beverage industry can increase revenue and raise brand awareness into new markets. Sales of Smiley branded food and beverages rose by 20% last year as more branded and private label food suppliers turned to Smiley to boost positive perceptions around their products. In fact, Smiley’s food product portfolio now accounts for 25% of the group’s turnover. “The use of 3D Smileys is very much the cornerstone of our food program at the moment,” says Lori Heiss-Tiplady, VP Brand Strategy at The Smiley Company. “Our strategy is to focus on our trademarked 3D Smiley shapes for use in food, including multiple expressions which we hold the marks for, and to partner with top manufacturers to apply these shapes to a wide range of foods in the fresh, frozen and ambient categories.” Heiss-Tiplady added, “Private label continues to be a big focus for Smiley, where you find a lot of the time products just adhere to a certain ‘standard’ positioning and a value price point. What we can do is present something that offers excitement for consumers; that still has the appeal of a big brand with strong brand
values, yet maintains a competitive price. Our pitch is that we have the ability to ‘pimp up’ your private label.” With partnerships in the market that includes Intersnack, who delivered 191 tons of Smiley snacks & crisps last year, showing the appetite for Smiley shaped foods, meantime Smiley Chicken Nuggets by Transavia have listings at Farmfoods in the UK, Dr. Oetker has Smiley shaped pretzels in France and Lutti had added to their Smiley gummies range with a new lower sugar product in response to demand from customers and the trend at retail. Non-Smiley shaped products also continue to do well, with Zaini selling over 1 million Smiley chocolate eggs with surprise and about to launch a new chocolate spread and surprise product into the US market. New launches in the food and beverage sector for Smiley in the coming months includes the brand’s first foray into alcoholic beverages, with Craft Brothers Beer for both bottle and tap products in Korea and Chateau l’Orangerie in France for wine, champagne and sparkling wines. Smiley has also created drinkable yoghurt with Laita, which successfully launched private label at Auchan last month, as did new confectionary from Bomboniera in Romania. As MasterChef U.S. celebrates its 10th season TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
FOOD & DRINK this summer on FOX, Endemol Shine Group announces the latest global deals for the MasterChef brand. MasterChef is produced and distributed by Endemol Shine Group and has over 60 local adaptations, broadcast in more than 200 countries, watched by over 300 million people globally. Created by Franc Roddam, MasterChef is the world’s most successful cookery television format. With success already in the experiential category, the appetite from consumers continues to grow and in April this year, the first ever MasterChef, the TV Experience restaurant launched at the Millennium Marina Place in Dubai Marina. Offering indoor and outdoor dining experiences, MasterChef, the TV Experience, is a collaboration between Dubai-based F&B specialist The First Group and Endemol Shine Group. The restaurant introduces a world-first dining experience to Dubai, showcasing the talents and recipes of MasterChef contestants from many of the 60+ worldwide territories where the programme has been adapted. In addition, the first-ever live tour, MasterChef Junior Live!, will debut in the U.S. this fall. The brand also continues to enjoy success with MasterChef summer camps for kids in the U.S. and Spain, and an ongoing partnership with MSC Cruises with their MasterChef at Sea programme for adults alongside their new kids’ cooking competition MasterChef Juniors at Sea. Building on the ecommerce offering for the brand, in partnership with distributor TTP, MasterChef: The Official Store by Amazon launched in February this year. Localised versions of the store are now live in the UK, France and Germany, featuring all products currently available in their markets. And with a digital footprint of more than 34 million fans globally, MasterChef will be extending into gaming with a MasterChef mobile game launching later this year in partnership with Animoca Brands. The MasterChef publishing programme continues to prove incredibly successful with fans around the world. Endemol Shine North America, the producers of the hit U.S. series, have partnered with publisher Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, to inspire a love of baking in the next generation of at-home junior chefs, with the release of the TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
second MasterChef Junior cookbook, MasterChef Junior Bakes! With a foreword written by MasterChef Junior judge Christina Tosi, the acclaimed chef, founder and owner of Milk Bar, the new book features 100 recipes celebrating creativity, technique and deliciousness, embracing simple to sophisticated and sweet to savoury baked goods. Celebrating its 10th season this summer on FOX, MasterChef U.S. first debuted in July 2010 and has spawned a hit spin-off in Mas-
terChef Junior, numerous celebrity specials. Led by acclaimed chef Gordon Ramsay and produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato, Two Potato, MasterChef has been FOX’s top-rated summer series for the last 5 years running. This summer, Ramsay will once again be joined by fellow judges Joe Bastianich and Aarón Sánchez, as the show celebrates its 10th season in style with many surprises, special guests and the return of favourite past contestants and winners.
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FOOD & DRINK
PINK KEY LICENSING Pink Key Licensing has established its credentials as an agency who understands what it takes to develop a food brand into a successful and long lasting licensing programme.
Food for thought... In addition to this appointment, Pink Key has also won the right to represent the vintage rights to two iconic British brands owned by Unilever, PG Tips (as well as in its original form as Brooke Bond PG Tips) and Colman’s Mustard. Again Pink Key will develop long-
They have represented Kellogg’s since 2010 with the ‘Kellogg Vintage’ programme and over this time have overseen the development of product in all the major licensing categories
H&M. In addition there have been some inventive product executions including a successful Pringles jigsaw in a Pringles Can from Gibson Games and the highly successful Pringles pencil case made and distributed globally by Maped Helix, which was a best seller in Rymans during 2018.
particularly apparel, housewares and gifting. Among their major successes have been the partnership with Anya Hindmarch for a range of tote bags, clutches and accessories, the highly successful Debenhams Christmas food gifting range run by long time licensee Kimm and Miller, award winning toiletries from Mad Beauty and a partnership with H&M which has seen the brand distributed in H&M stores globally since the early part of 2018. Looking forward to 2019 sees the brand remaining in H&M and the development of a brand new Housewares range (also developed by Kimm and Miller) which has already been listed at Truffle Shuffle Following Kellogg’s acquisition of the Pringles brand this too came into the Pink Key stable, again with successful apparel ranges listed in Primark, Pull & Bear, Zara and PAGE 28
Pink Key expanded their portfolio in 2015 by adding SLUSH PUPPiE as a European subagent to Design Plus USA who are the global licensing agency. The award winning range developed by Fizz Creations including the now almost iconic SLUSH PUPPiE maker has now turned over in excess of £7million at retail. This success has been augmented by the development of frozen SLUSH PUPPiE pouches by Manchester Drinks, that have been sold through Tesco and independent stores since 2018. Pink Key have a lot of new products planned to come into the market in 2019. Following the success of these programmes, Pink Key has also now been appointed by Bel Group as the exclusive licensing agent in the UK for their brands The Laughing Cow, Babybel and Boursin. Initially aiming at housewares, gifting and lunch ware product there are limitless opportunities for these well-loved brands that appeal to both adults and children.
term programmes for these brands focussing initially on housewares and non-food gifting, leveraging the core brand values and the affection with which these brands are still held in the UK . Richard Pink, Managing Director of Pink Key says “We are delighted to have added these iconic brands to our portfolio, we’ve begun to establish ourselves as an agency who specialise in this area with brands that want to build long term programmes across a range of categories and products that reflect the differing personalities of the each of the brands we manage. There have been some interesting discussions already about our new brands and we are really looking forward to developing these into some new partnerships that we’ll be able to talk about by the time we get to the Brand Licensing Show in October.” TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
Whether you are new licensee or an old hand, Chris Muggleton of LicensingAdvice.com gives his top ten hints for ensuring that you are documenting and declaring your royalties correctly: 1. You Are on your Own - The licensor isn’t going to help you, not when your mistakes attract interest at 18% (on average) and you will have the pleasure of paying for the Audit Costs. Remember Licensors see the Auditing of Licensees as a revenue stream and it is built on your mistakes and misunderstandings. 2. Do the Maths- Sounds obviously but rarely checked, make sure that the numbers add up. Just because the Licensor accepts and banks the money does not mean that the mistake can’t come back and bite you. 3. Know the Terms – Ensure that the member of staff responsible for compiling the royalty declarations understands the terms of the deal, is aware of the information that the Licensor wants declared and has a copy of the contract to refer to. 4. Check the Source – How are you gathering the data submitted to the Licensor? How is it complied, who compiles it,
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and what are in inconsistences in its preparation? Have you ever tried to work backwards to see if differences are identified? 5. What Are Your Limits – Are all sales within the Contractual Territory or is that unsolicited sale outside the Territory in fact your best customer? If things change, inform the Licensor and get any changes in writing. 6. Approval Needed - Is everything approved, have you got documented approved for each SKU? Are all your sales and distribution channels approved in the Agreement? 7. Mind The Step - Is there a Royalty Rate increase triggered on the reaching a sales target or quantity sold? 8. Run The Numbers - On a yearly basis perform a top line review for each license or Contract. Do total sales match what was declared? 9. Get Help – If you are new to the game or have been recently hit again for Audit findings, you need to get help. Additional monies, interest and Audit Costs soon add up and these are costs you may not have accounted for.
10. Add it up (Again) – If you take one away just one thing, make sure your declarations add up correctly. You are more likely to be audited if you keep summiting royalty declarations that contain errors. Chris Muggleton Christopher has been working in the Licensing Industry since 1995 initially in the music industry performing royalty examinations and then at Disney supervising their Audit Department both in Paris and London. In 2002 he established The Licensing Advisory Consultancy Limited and since its formation has worked with world leading rights owners, their respective agents, television companies, film studios and Premiership football clubs. He can be reached at info@ licensingadvice.com
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
COVER STORY
Powering People’s Passions Discovery Consumer Products builds strong alliances with the world’s most respected manufacturers and retailers to create compelling products and experiences across the portfolio of Discovery, Inc’s brands and properties. From series-based fan gear distributed through direct-to-consumer TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
platforms to strategic third-party merchandising partnerships, Discovery Consumer Products brings the brands of the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer to consumers around the world. To find out more about how Discovery organise their consumer product offerings, Total Licensing talked to Ian Woods, SVP International Consumers Products and Global Digital Gaming who, together with his team at Discovery International Consumer Products, controls all international consumer product licensing. Ian’s mission, through all the consumer product areas they handle is to ‘power people’s passion’.
As Ian Woods explained, “Discovery is a 35 year-old credible and trusted brand. This means that everything we do in terms of consumer products, absolutely has to be authentic.” A great example of this philosophy is Discovery Expedition. “Our Discovery Expedition apparel lines, for example, are trialled and tested by our film crews before they launch into the marketplace. We give the crews the kit and get them to use it. That way we know, when we launch, that the products are not only well designed but they are actually fit for purpose. We think of our apparel ranges as technical apparel with a hint of fashion!” Korea has been a significant market for Discovery Expedition. “We launched in Korea PAGE 31
COVER STORY
six or seven years ago,” explained Woods. “We found a very enthusiastic retail partner who really understood what we were about and the results have been amazing – today Korea is a $300 million retail business with 205 dedicated stores plus e-commerce. In fact, we’ve won Best Brand of the Year in Korea for four consecutive years. China is another market where Discovery is enjoying success. A $30 million business, there are now 108 Discovery stores in China, headed up by a retail partner who has scaled Everest three times and really does understand the core DNA of the brand. Woods is optimistic about other markets too. “Whilst Asia is the fastest growing region for the outdoor apparel market, we are also
working closely with our partners to build consumer products programs in both Latin America and further into EMEA territories. Of course, apparel is a key lynch pin of the Discovery programs. In fact, they have recently launched an exclusive retro-branded unisex sweatshirt globally through Zara to mark Discovery celebrating 30 years in Europe. Ian Woods believes that Discovery has a different message which resonates with partners and potential partners. “We always tell them we’re a big organization but it’s important for them to localise the consumer products programs to suit their market.” In Germany, Discovery has a great program associated with DMAX, the free to air brand for adventurous young male audiences. The PAGE 32
channel is now available in Germany, Italy, Australia, Switzerland and Spain and last year reached over 110 million people across these markets. Woods sees consistency as key to their success. “We don’t enter short-term partnerships and we work with our partners very much as a team. We are also very flexible which really helps in the current market conditions.” Discovery Adventures is a lifestyle brand designed to appeal to consumers who are looking for comfortable, practical and reliable equipment to explore the world around
tunity. “Eurosport is the number one sport destination in Europe, fueling the passion of fans and connecting them with the greatest sports events in the world. As the Home of the Olympic Games in Europe, Eurosport delivered the ultimate Games experience for PyeongChang 2018 reaching both record linear and digital viewership across localized Eurosport services.” Firmly established as the Home of Cycling, Grand Slam Tennis and Winter Sport, Eurosport channels – Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 – reach 242 million cumulative subscribers across 75 countries in Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Eurosport.com is Europe’s No 1 online sports news website with an average of 42 million unique users per month and, along with the Eurosport app, Eurosport Player, which is available on iOS and Android, this is the only place to watch Eurosport anytime online, on mobile and on tablet devices. Eurosport Events specializes in the management and promotion of international sporting events.
them. With Discovery Adventures, fans who enjoy Discovery’s iconic content have a new way to engage their sense of curiosity and need for exploration, whether it’s hiking, mountain biking, attending music festivals or taking a road trip. Initial product lines for the Discovery Adventures brand have rolled out in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific regions including apparel, camping, travel and sporting goods. Whilst exploration and travel are very much at the heart of Discovery, their recent acquisitions of Scripps and Eurosport have enabled the company to move into different areas such as sports, food and home. Woods believes that the additional of Eurosport gives Discovery a huge opporTOTAL BRAND LICENSING
COVER STORY
“We are looking to build vertical platforms for sports – eg motor racing, golf, tennis, cycling etc and we’re also looking into the home fitness market. In fact, only 5% of products within our e-commerce store mix will be Eurosport branded. Everything else will be branded according to the relevant sport.” An example of this is LeCol who are launching a core range of products and this year will also see the launch of a Nutrition range of performance bars, supplements and hydration products. Golf TV is a focus (and a subject close to Ian’s heart). The platform recently announced a deal with reigning Open champion, Francesco Molinari to product a range of exclusive content for the live and on-demand video streaming service. In addition to being able to follow the charismatic Italian with unique behind the scenes access TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
at PGA Tour events but Golf TV will also produce an exclusive video instruction series with Molinari. In a major development as part of the strategic partnership between Discovery, Inc. and the PGA Tour, Golf TV has also signed an exclusive multi-year global content partnership with 81-time PGA Tour winner and 15-time Major champion Tiger Woods. Starting in January 2019, Golf TV powered by PGA Tour, the new global live and on-demand video streaming service jointly developed by Discovery and the Tour, began collaborating with Tiger Woods on a wide range of programming, content creation and storytelling opportunities that will offer fans an authentic and regular look into the life, mind and performance of the game’s ultimate icon. The Golf TV partnership reveals Tiger Woods as fans have never seen him before, providing an unparalleled opportunity to get close to his practice routines, preparation and life on the road through a variety of programming showcased exclusively on Golf TV. Discovery is also launching a youth section in Eurosport. “We have partnered with hard goods manufacturers Evolution and set them the challenge of ‘Designed for Future Champions’. The initial range of product will be instructional aimed at introducing and instructing six to twelve year old boys and girls in different sports. “We introduced this at ISPO this year,” explained Ian Woods. “The reaction was amazing.” Again, this is a longterm partnership. At the moment Woods and his team are focusing on ball and racquet sports but the opportunities exist to broaden this as time goes on. Of course, one of the biggest announcements, and was The International Olympic
Committee announcing that all TV and multi-platform broadcast rights in Europe for the four Olympic Games between 2018 and 2024 were awarded to Discovery Communications.
With an average of 10 channels in every market and the #1 European online and OTT sports offerings, Discovery and Eurosport will deliver more coverage across more screens than ever before to over 700 million people across Europe. Discovery and Eurosport’s coverage will be augmented by strong free-to-air access and innovative partnerships with broadcasters and distributors to bring the Games to life like never before. In a world of increasingly “anytime, anywhere” viewing, the Olympic Games are an unparalleled live event that aggregate enormous audiences and capture the world’s attention in a way that continues to become more valuable for marketers, distributors and fans.
The agreement covered linear/digital rights to the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018, and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020, as well as the Olympic Games in 2022 in Beijing and 2024 in Paris. Understandably, with such a focus on sports, esports and live events are both on Ian Woods’ radar. “We’re looking at opportunities in these areas at the moment, specifically
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COVER STORY food.” Continued Woods. And so to Discovery Digital Gaming Studio. A number of games have been launched into the market including Gold Rush where fans of the series can experience the excitement of gold mining for themselves. Diesel Brothers is a truck building simulator which launches in May this year.
talking to potential partners who can bring in more live events.” Discovery are also looking at Academy level events aimed at grass roots sports.
Away from the sports side of Discovery and Animal Planet is, of course, a major brand for the company. As Ian Woods explained, “Animal Planet gives animal programs and graphics credibility.” The global network recently went through a rebrand and the brand strategy translates to the Consumer Products
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and Licensing efforts. The new brand identity brings to life Animal Planet’s mission to keep the childhood joy and wonder of animals alive by bringing people up close in every way. The new Animal Planet mark incorporates a distinctive image of a leaping elephant to be adapted across platforms and for audiences. Animal Planet lines often support Project CAT, Discovery’s initiative to increase the world’s wild tiger population. Woods continued, “The reaction to the new branding has been very positive, whilst still targeting our core audience of families and millennials.” Expanding the Animal Planet brand is a focus for Woods and his team at Discovery International Consumer Products. “We’re looking at different wildlife areas, farm animals, aquariums and we’re also looking at pet products targeting cat and dog owners.” But, as with Discovery Expedition, the products need to have that authenticity that is so important to the Discovery brand. “We’re targeting vet programming and scientifically helpful pet products, not just another brand of dog or cat
It is obvious, from talking to Ian Woods and his team, that the story behind any product brought to market is vitally important. “Our strategy, as we explained, is to be authentic in everything we do. We don’t just launch a product with a logo for the sake of it. The product needs to meet the standards that each of our brands is associated with.” Discovery is the No 1 IP owner in the world and clearly the opportunities are endless. “I am very excited to lead this business internationally,” concluded Ian Woods. “I am genuinely passionate about what we do and I have an amazing team who are equally passionate. Ours is a long-term business with core brands that have tremendous stories behind them. And the opportunities we have, with these tremendous brands, is phenomenal.” TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
BUSINESS
Make Room For Your New Chief Brand Officer The Chief Brand Officer (CBO) drives brand positioning. For the past decade, this newer C-level position has joined Executive teams for a seat at the table. Uber and We Work include this role as do historic institutions such as JP Morgan and Proctor and Gamble. Leadership at Mattel, WWE and Taco Bell have also instituted this position. What is a CBO and why is this such an important role? Do you need one in your firm? The short answer is YES! Let’s look at the CBO as a multi-functional role. First, they intersect core brand culture with evolving long-term strategy formation and execution. These creative leaders create new revenue streams by assessing brands 360 degrees. Then they find the brand’s white space. A CBO cultivates fresh ideas and evaluates financial impact. They will takes risks, to achieve new revenue streams for companies. Their collaborative approach can further build awareness and generate exceptional rewards. Past experience in Brand Licensing can be critical to enhance this C-level role. There are many established well-known companies who could further capitalize by executing licensing. A CBO with a solid understanding and past TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
success in this area is important. The CBO will bridge the Product Development, Sales and Marketing initiatives. They build their tool kits then tap into their valuable relationships to execute. A CBO can be visionary. Consider filling this seat with an experienced well-rounded executive. Look for candidates with leadership and have worked with brands from all aspects. The CBO will be the driver of the brand’s vision across every aspect of the business. You’ll want someone who will insure the brand continues to evolve. You want a CBO who is aware of today’s savvy consumer demands. And can add creativity, service and excitement in today’s global marketplace. Industry experience is not always the most important aspect of filling this role. Look for an executive’s long track record of success which could be several short term or long term success. Consider their passion, commitment, financial expertise and notable relationships. These traits can make them excellent choices for this role. Welcome the CBO as part of the team. They don’t operate in a silo. They are working across your company disciplines to execute at every stage. They must be diplomatic and team ori-
ented. They bring valuable relationships in new arenas to strengthen your brand. The value of the brand comprises a plethora of variables. Ask yourself if you want to tap into new innovative products and experiences. Assess how you can cross into new sectors yet continue to reach existing customers. Think about how you execute your storytelling through this overwhelming sea of choices. Allow your Chief Brand Officer a seat to work along side the Chief Marketing Officer the CFO and CEO. Make room for them, expand your C-Suite and let your brand flourish.
Alita Friedman, former C.P.A., has worked with over 100 brands as CEO of Alita’s Brand Bar. She leads with over 30 years of experience. She volunteers as Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Association Board Treasurer and Secretary. And she’s an Adjunct Instructor at Lehigh University in the M.B.A program. She was most known for her role as Chief Brand Officer of the Uglydoll Brand for over a dozen years. PAGE 35
SPORTS
Key Trends Pointing Towards the Future of Licensing By: Alan Kravetz, COO & President, LMCA
You don’t need a crystal ball to see the future of licensing. You just need to look at the evolving consumer trends, recognize the shifting competitive landscape and understand
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where brands fit in the overall mix. Let’s face it, there are plenty of ways brand licensing can help grow a business and extend its reach. We know that strategic brand licensing is an effective tool to boost exposure and awareness for a brand, create new revenue streams and drive business back to the company’s core product line. It’s part of the reason why licensing is a $263 billion industry and continues to develop at an accelerated rate. But as we look toward the future of licensing, shifts in consumer and retail trends are introducing new ways licensing can benefit brand owners and licensees in the coming years. The White Space – Right in Front of You Brand owners are beginning to see that some of the white space they’re looking for may be in some of the businesses they’re already in. Licensing typically provides brands with a unique opportunity to enter a market they are not currently in without the traditional overhead costs. On the flip side of that, and what companies are leveraging more and more, is licensing as a tool for a brand to divest in businesses, offloading the expense
and risk of manufacturing without giving up the financial return of a business. Companies looking to curtail spending or find creative ways to flourish under budgetary, management or corporate restraints are seeing licensing as a smart solution to their challenges. It allows companies to maintain control of a specific segment of their business while divesting themselves of the operating responsibility for it. Costs of operations go down
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ANALYSIS
“The world may be shrinking, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting any easier to break into some of the most promising global markets.”
and the brand continues to grow. Additionally, with cost of goods sold removed from the financial statements, gross margin percentage goes up, while most if not all of the income from the licensing initiative goes straight to the bottom line. Overcoming that Global Hurdle The world may be shrinking, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting any easier to break into some of the most promising global markets. Geo-political issues, tariff uncertainty and, of course, cultural divides continue to be some of the most difficult obstacles for brands looking to break into key developing markets. Licensing can act as a bridge for many of these global obstacles. Whether a brand wants to fully entrench its business in a new geography or simply wishes to dip its toes into a foreign market, licensing provides invaluable resources to find support and success in a new region. Gaining a foreign partner that is an industry leader can offer huge benefits to your brand. Whether it’s knowledge of the current regulatory climate, understanding legal and product requirements or having already established relationships with local retailers, licensing can offer distinct competitive advantages for companies breaking into a new region.
Expediting the Discovery Process Every company needs to get a lead on the future. As new technologies are invented, markets mature and consumer behaviors
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evolve, brands must aggressively seek to differentiate themselves from competition by developing a long-term innovation strategy. That said, new innovation efforts take time, are costly, sometimes unavailing and are often met with internal hesitation or pushback. This is another way licensing can prove to be a valuable resource for companies. By licensing a new product instead of dedicating funds and personnel to design, manufacture, test and market a new product, brands can mitigate many of the financial risks as a first step in evaluating the viability of a larger
“We know that strategic brand licensing is an effective tool to boost exposure and awareness for a brand, create new revenue streams and drive business back to the company’s core product line. It’s part of the reason why licensing is a $263 billion industry and continues to develop at an accelerated rate.”
innovation initiative. As a licensor, your licensee partners grow your brand and your business at their expense. Meanwhile you receive significant royalty payments as you learn the business category, develop a strategy to further advance your innovation objectives and get to know the licensee’s people. If you like the business and people, it can be a bolt on acquisition. Look to pharma for successful examples of outsourcing R&D on this model. As key retail and consumer trends shift the business landscape, and we look to the role licensing will play in the future, one thing is clear - brand licensing will continue to be a smart tool for brands to implement as part of their overall business strategy. Whether it’s a way to offload manufacturing expenses, test out new innovation opportunities or dive into untapped markets, licensing is a cost-effective method for brands to reduce costs, diversify revenue streams and keep ahead of the competition.
About the Author Alan is the President & COO of LMCA and has over 20 years’ experience successfully growing brands and monetizing intellectual property in the US, Europe and Asia. Alan has led licensing programs domestically and internationally including those for AT&T, Snuggle, Westinghouse, Kevlar, Rockport, Tempur-Pedic and Frye Boots. Alan specializes in licensing, franchising, business development, sales, marketing and law. He holds an MBA and BA from Boston University and a Law Degree from Suffolk University School of Law. For further information visit www.lmca.net PAGE 37
One small step for man...
...one giant leap for licensing Humankind’s fascination with space travel is a continuation of our collective desire to explore the unknown. Humans are caught between two conflicting desires: the need to settle and call a place “home”; and the desire to go “where no one has gone before”. Of course, nothing has ever created the fascination that the Apollo 11 Moon landing generated with the first humans to walk on the moon. The International Space Archives (ISA) is a digital library containing the best of the incredible imagery created by our planet’s exploration of the universe. Over the past 50 years, manned and unmanned space programs in the USA and other countries have amassed a huge amount of still and motion photography. The photos, films and video in the archive are coming from a variety of sources including NASA ( the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the space programs of Russia, Japan, China, India, the European Union and others. Also included in these archives will be images created by the various private space programs that are now developing new approaches to allowing private citizens to experience the wonder and PAGE 38
excitement of space travel. For the first time ever, the International Space Archives has brought together the best of this imagery into one comprehensive collection available, worldwide, through UK-based LMI Ltd. With the build up to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in mid-July this year LMI report an excellent response from its various licensees for the International Space Archives licensing programme which includes access to 247 mission patches and a treasure trove of space imagery. Key licensees include ALPA for bags and stationery, Aykroyd’s for children’s and men’s nightwear Dreamtex for bedding and bedroom H&A for toiletries. In addition, VMC have developed a range of gloves sunglasses and headwear as well as a range of fashion bags and caps and Westminster collections have developed a range of collector medals featuring a number of the approved mission patches. Over and above the UK, there are number of licenses in Japan including Kansai for apparel and headwear and Crux for bags and wallets. And in Korea, New Era report excellent sales of their headwear and apparel range and TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
SPACE the headwear will launch shortly in the UK through JD sports. Further licensees include J2 Korea for outdoor T-shirts and sweaters and Sang Sang for mobile phone cases and accessories. In France TS distribution feature a spectacular range of ISA & NASA travel bags and suitcases and in Germany, Michael Lou’s VIPAG has signed shirts, outdoor jackets, badges and stickers to date. H&A’s objective was to create a NASA gift range that was on trend and had a broad age appeal. As galactic trends continued to sky rocket, they partnered this theme with wellknown branding and their gifting expertise to create a range exclusively for Boots in the UK. Launching in September 2018, the range consisted of an Intergalactic Nail Chroming Set, Galaxy Bath Bomb, Space Rock Bath Crystals, Stardust Glitter Kit and a Notepad and pen set. Both the packaging
and the components of the products played on cosmic influences giving the range its striking shelf presence. Following the success in Boots they are thoroughly looking forward to developing further NASA ranges. On a completely different note, during last year, NASA and Peanuts Worldwide announced a new multiyear Space Act Agreement that provides the space agency the chance to use Snoopy and the other characters created by the late Charles M. Schulz to help promote NASA’s future deep space exploration missions and its on-going efforts to engage students in Stem activities. The agreement builds off a historic partnership that dates back half a century to the start of NASA’s Apollo missions into space, when
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Schulz gave his permission for the agency to use Snoopy as a symbol for promoting safety. In 1968, NASA introduced the Silver Snoopy award, a special honor presented only by astronauts to NASA employees and contractors whose outstanding achievements contribute to mission safety and success in human spaceflight. “My husband, Charles Schulz, fully embraced a collaboration with NASA for Snoopy,” said Jeannie Schulz in a statement released by Peanuts Worldwide. “He was inspired to create a series of original comic strips detailing Snoopy’s fantastical journeys through space. Those strips remain among the most popular ones in circulation today,” The partnership reached new heights in May 1969, when NASA’s Apollo 10 command and lunar modules launched with the crew-chosen call signs, “Charlie Brown” and “Snoopy.” The Apollo 10 mission, which served as a full-up dress rehearsal for the first moon landing two months later, was to “snoop around,” scouting the Apollo 11 landing site, hence the inspiration for borrowing the beagle and his owner’s names. The new Space Act Agreement extends the relationship outside of the agency to students and fans across the United States. Working with NASA, Peanuts will create content for Astronaut Snoopy, including a STEM-based curriculum about America’s deep space exploration objectives and interactive ways to celebrate next year’s 50th anniversary of humans first setting foot on the moon. Peanuts unveiled his space-themed activities at last year’s Comic-Con in San Diego. The Peanuts booth offered an array of exclusive products themed around NASA and Astronaut Snoopy, including a new mini-comic book, “Mission (Out of ) Control,” and a boxed set of two collectible Snoopy figures, one featuring the beagle in his Apollo 10-era spacesuit and the other dressed for his future flights on NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
Financial Center who ran a series of press ads following a popular campaign theme. The ‘Great Success comes from Great Support’ ads highlight the ordinary people behind the world’s heroes. The campaign featured the Apollo 11 lunar landing and the man in the control room instrumental in getting the astronauts there, Charles Duke. To get the result they wanted, the team trawled through reams of archival video footage and stills. The outcome was a print ad campaign that captured the breathtaking enormity of that history-making event. Jockey was another success story. known for their humorous underwear advertising, Jockey’s latest move was promoting American heroes who “supported greatness” in their undergarments. Greenlight cleared the rights to Buzz Aldrin, in the comedic spot that places him on all the planets, had he been wearing today’s style of Jockey underwear. In recent years he’s served as brand ambassador for Omega, The North Face and Quaker Oats who ran a one-year campaign in the UK and Ireland as a result of Buzz Aldrin’s love of porridge. In addition, he has reinvented himself as a social media hero – proof, if proof was needed, that you can definitely teach an old hero new tricks!
Of course, the space program isn’t just imagery. The second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin has featured in a number of licensing and promotional deals. A major campaign was with the Qatar
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THE B&LLAS Around 400 people gathered together at the Hilton on Park Lane in London for this year’s Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards – held on Thursday April . The event, which was originally destined for the Dorchester,was moved by the organisers at the eleventh hour to the Hilton, in protest at Brunei’s human rights abuse issues. The move was a resounding success and was wholeheartedly supported by the industry. Giles Andreae, creator of Purple Ronnie and The Interesting Thoughts of Edward Monkton and co-creator of Happy Jackson, shared his inspiring and very moving human story of building brands as the prelunch speaker, while TV personality Adrian Chiles hosted the awards ceremony. Amongst the very worthy winners, Lauren Sizeland, head of licensing for the V&A was the awarded the Brand Licensing Ambassador of the Year. The property, product and retailer awards were given to:
Property Awards Best Licensed Heritage Or Institution Brand 2019 Morris & Co Best Licensed Lifestyle Brand 2019 National Geographic Best Licensed Non-Food Brand 2019 Energizer Holdings Best Licensed Food or Beverage Brand 2019 Coca-Cola Best Licensed Fashion or Talent Brand 2019 Joules
2019 Product Awards Best Brand Licensed Fashion Accessories or Lifestyle Product or Range TfL x adidas Trainers Collection from Adidas Best Brand Licensed Health & Beauty Product or Range Crayola Beauty Collection for ASOS from Crea Cosmetics Best Brand Licensed Adult Apparel Product or Range V&A Collection from Coco de Mer Best Brand Licensed Gifting Product or Range Joules Stationery and Gifting Collection from Portico Designs Best Brand Licensed Food or Beverage Product or Range Baileys Freakshake Cake from Finsbury Food Group PAGE 40
Best Brand Licensed Homewares Product or Range Nadiya Hussain Make Life Colourful Range from BlissHome Best Brand Licensed Children’s Product or Range NHM Children’s Apparel Collection from FatFace Best Brand Licensed Consumer Hard Goods Products or Range Cosmo Beauty Electricals from MPL Home The Inspired Innovation Brand Licensed Product or Range Country Living Hotels from Coast & Coast
Retailer Awards Best High Street Fashion Retailer Brand Licensed Execution Oasis Best Department Store/Mixed Retailer Brand Licensed Execution John Lewis & Partners Best Supermarket Brand Licensed Execution Tesco Best Specialist Retailer Brand Licensed Execution Boots TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
NEWS
Since its launch in 2015, the North Coast 500 (NC500) has become something of a global phenomenon, building an audience reach in 2018 alone in excess of 3.3 billion with the cumulative number now at a staggering 8 billion from around the globe. Not only are the audience engaging with NC500 from afar, they are visiting the region in their thousands to actively take part in what has been described in many publications as the “World’s Best Road trip”, taking in some of the best scenery the Highlands of Scotland have to offer. This very significant reach has benefitted businesses across the North Highlands, including Corporate Partners, and the team are proud that
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what is being done is having such a positive impact on businesses and creating a real sense of optimism and enthusiasm. The North Coast 500 didn’t just happen by accident. Sure, the road infrastructure has been there for a long time, however the concept of a documented and marketed road trip put in place to aide the economic rejuvenation of the North Highlands has been a strategic evolution now managed by North Coast 500 Ltd. While the NC500 has been ground-breaking in terms of tourism in Scotland, so too has the business model for managing the brand and creating the enormous global audience reach and increase in visitors to the North Highlands. North Coast 500 Ltd is a privately funded company whose primary aim is to grow the brand, its reach and its positive impact on tourism in the North Highlands, and to deliver outstanding economic impacts for the communities in the North. This to be achieved in part through utilizing the trademark registrations North Coast 500 and NC500 across all key classes to deliver a licensing programme and partnerships programme with key brands and similar positioning that ensure that North Coast 500 builds into a sustainable revenue generator. The Business Club, Business Partner and Corporate Partners members already enjoy the use of the brand as part of their membership and association with the NC500, and this is something that will remain a core focus. This is all about boosting the economy and helping to show that the North Highlands is a sustainable place to live, work and grow business. For licensing information, contact Chris Taday, Licensing Link, UK. chris@licensinglink.net. Tel: +44 (0) 7921 280206.
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HOMEWARES
The Ideal Home...
Licensed homeware from some top brands
Historic Royal Palaces collection
Brands have been expanding into the lifestyle and homewares arena for a long time, but the creativity and innovation of recent ranges has shown just how some brands are the perfect fit for consumers to become immersed in an ethos. The V&A has a strong reputation for design, acting as a beacon of creativity to inspire current and future generations of designers and innovators. With a rich archive showcasing the very best of the designed world, the V&A lends itself to the development of unique and PAGE 42
desirable products across a multitude of categories, from apparel and accessories to interiors. In homeware ranges span furnishing fabrics and rugs to furniture and wall art. V&A licensees are inspired by the rich and varied collections available to them. Whether the season calls for beautifully intricate florals, geometric motifs, exquisite Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern artistry, or glamourous Art Deco patterns, it is able to respond to emerging trends. V&A home products appeal to everyone who has a love of design and an ap-
preciation of pattern, allowing the consumer to take home a beautiful piece inspired by the V&A collections. In recent years the V&A has worked on a number of high profile direct to consumer product ranges, with British retailers John Lewis, Sofa Workshop and India Jane. In the latest collaboration with furniture maker Sofa Workshop, three new furniture ranges and six exclusive fabric designs were launched. This tie-up demonstrates the breadth of designs preserved within the V&A archive. At TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
HOMEWARES the heart of this archive-inspired collection is a passion and commitment to British design and craftsmanship, with each style handmade to order in the workshop in Long Eaton, UK. Looking at the wider market, it is clear to see that prints and wall art are seeing a real resurgence in home interiors. The democratisation of wall art ties in with the V&A’s founding mission to make art available to art, and licensees King & McGaw, Surface View and Gallerie Prints each have a distinctive offering, so there is something to suit all styles and price point. With regards to trends, Art Deco is a design style that has strong appeal in recent seasons. Incorporating bold lines with decadent materials, the trend is traversing territories and product categories, with one of our latest licensees in China, The Beast, launching a range of home décor accessories including rugs and prints with a touch of Art Deco glamour. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced the launch of a brand-new limited-edition vase from valued RHS licensing partner Moorcroft, a renowned producer of heritage art pottery and a leading name in the world of ceramic design. The new vase, from celebrated Moorcroft de-
signer Nicola Slaney, is called Chelsea’s Choice and celebrates the extraordinary snow-white hydrangea that was awarded ‘Plant of the Year’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018. Chelsea’s Choice launches at the 2019 show, which takes place from 21-25 May. The vase, seven inches high and three inches across at the base, which is available in a highly collectable limited edition of only 35 pieces, comes in a brand-new shape. The bulbous vase is inspired by the shape of a bulb itself, complete with wide shoulders and body to hold the intricate detail of the award-winning hydrangea. Another brand with a long heritage and history, Spring 2019 saw the release of the ‘Aragon’ the new tableware range from Historic Royal Palaces’ and licensing partner Halcyon Days. Having seen the success of fellow licensee GP & J Baker’s Historic Royal Palaces Collection of ‘Royal Weaves’ furnishing fabrics, Halcyon Days chose one of the same themes for inspiration by creating this striking tableware collection. Historic Royal Palaces were able to facilitate a creative collaboration between the two homeware companies and Royal Warrant
holders. With GP & J Baker interpreting the geometric patterns of the Tudor chimneys at Hampton Court Palace onto their fabrics, and Halcyon Days being inspired by the same architectural elements to produce this bold and dazzling ‘Aragon’ design. Each piece of the Halcyon Days ‘Aragon’ collection is exquisitely hand made in fine bone china in the UK, giving a contemporary twist on the Tudor designs, making it a modern classic and 100% British. New product development for further collections is currently in full swing for licensees GP & J Baker (furnishing fabrics) and Cole & Son (wallpapers). The research and inspiration stages are supported by the Historic Royal Palaces in-house licensing team who work with the designers’ briefs to provide inspiration packs from 1000 years of British royal history as well as access to behind-the-scenes tours of the palaces, gardens and archives. Emma Saunders, Head of Retail Business Development at Historic Royal Palaces comments: “As the charity that represents six iconic sites - Tower of London, Hampton Court
RHS Chelsea’s Choice TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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HOMEWARES
Historic Royal Palaces
Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens – the heritage, authenticity and royal provenance we can offer to licensed products is unique and, in the current climate, becoming ever more sought after. The longevity of our licensing programme and the commitment to our cause to conserve these magnificent palaces for future generations has great appeal to licensing partners. We have a number of new category deals in the pipeline, and also are welcoming the huge potential for growth from territories including North America and Asia.” One Jeanswear Group, owners of the iconic fashion brand Gloria Vanderbilt, and Amrapur Overseas, a leader in the home textile industry, have recently entered into a licensing agreement for soft home fashions under the Gloria Vanderbilt brand including bedding, bath, kitchen and window treatments. The new home products will be offered to department store, off-price and specialty retailers as well as member clubs where the Gloria Vanderbilt brand continue to enjoy success. PAGE 44
Adding to a roster of best in class licensees, The Gloria Vanderbilt/Amrapur license was brokered by The Brand Liaison, as licensing agent for Gloria Vanderbilt. “As a long standing and reputable company in all areas of home textiles, we are very ex-
cited to be part of the Gloria Vanderbilt family, and the growth of such an iconic brand. The brand alone, Gloria Vanderbilt, stands for outstanding sophistication and fashion.” Explained Dawn Rochelle Fields, VP Design and Product Development for Amrapur. “We will be introducing the brand at March Market that will include lifestyle collections of beautiful products for the entire home in every category including Bedding, Bath, Window, Tabletop, Kitchen Textiles and Seasonal categories,” added Amrapur CEO Kevin Wadhwani. Following successful programs at Anthropologie and other major retailers, millennial designer Barbra Ignatiev is now expanding her Barbarian brand into home décor with a new master license with NBG Home which includes J Hunt, Jimco Quoizel and more. The new home décor license will feature Barbarian’s eye-catching watercolor patterns on a variety of products including accent furniture, home accessories, decorative pillows, lighting, wall décor, clocks, frames, mirrors and more. The Barbra Ignatiev Home Décor licensing deal was created by The Brand Liaison, as the exclusive licensing agent for Barbra Ignatiev’s Barbarian brand and Alex Meisel, & Co., as agent for The Home Décor Companies. “Barbarian is a great fit for NBG Home,” says Alex Meisel. “Barbarian’s wide range of patterns are applicable to multiple categories allowing NBG to offer retailers a cohesive decor selection to service a broad channel of distri-
The V&A TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
HOMEWARES
Casa Zeta-Jones
bution. NBG is very excited to partner with Barbarian to develop a pattern infused spin on home décor.” In under one year of licensing, The Brand Liaison has built the Barbarian licensing program with 10 licensing partners and products to be featured at major retailers including Anthropologie, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Pier1, Barnes & Noble, TJ Maxx and Staples. In kitchen and home, Jay Franco is creating bedding and towels, Lee’s Group, a leading table top supplier added Barbarian tropical patterns including melamine for Pier 1 and Conimar Group launched kitchen décor offered to department store, specialty stores and off-price channels. This year, the Brand Liaison will also be focusing on Casa Zeta-Jones, a home décor brand that is the result of a collaboration between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Daymond John. The Casa Zeta-Jones Collection is a full line of bedding, bath, home décor and loungewear inspired by the elegance of old Hollywood. All of the Casa Zeta-Jones products are designed to transform one’s home into a thing of beauty while still being accessible and affordable. Following 2 successful years on QVC, Casa Zeta-Jones is now expanding to multiple retail channels as well as adding eyewear, accessories, fragrance and other products. Smiley is continuing to enjoy growth and success in the home and interior lifestyle market and Category VP Janet Martin comments: TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
“Like fashion, interiors have become a great way to express a persons personality and style.” Martin adds “Not only do people want their home interiors to express their personality and sense of style, they also want them to follow the seasonal trends. If you look at any Instagram feed today you’re as likely to see pictures of people’s stylish interiors, as you are an outfit snap and I think this is one of the key USP’s of Smiley’s home and interior strategy. With an enduring lifestyle brand appeal and decades of pop culture iconicity, Smiley really appeals to the trend-hungry millennial shopper who generally feels less comfortable shopping more traditional homeware brands. Smiley is also able to leverage its knowledge of trends and ability to work handin-hand with partners and retailers, to bring fashion-forward products to the market quickly and this helps meet the needs of consumers who are hunting for frequently updated and on-trend products.” “I think the economy has also played a part in the growth of the home interiors market, with more consumers socialising at home nowa-
days, this has fuelled a consciousness of their space. They are also more likely to be renting, thanks to a decade of austerity and because of this they are less likely to spend big on furniture. However, with the rise in aspirational interiors they are still hungry to create a stylish home that reflects their personality and that’s where I think Smiley enjoys a lot of success.” Key Smiley partners in homeware include Pengo SPA who have seen a 46% increase in year on year sales, whilst Zak Designs have grown to one of the brands leading homes and interiors licensee, with distribution through Darty, Droguery Muller and Edeka. Long-term partner CTI will launch ranges in 2019 with La Redoute, Leclerc and Linvosges, meantime Gers have developed a new range of products that will launch in Intermarche stores in June 2019. “I’m really looking forward to an exciting period ahead for the homes and interiors market and I’m very confident that Smiley can continue to build out its market share with our focus on launching regular newness and a more diverse aesthetic,” concludes Martin.
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ADULT BRANDS
How Lovehoney Grew Through Licensing Deals by Richard Longhurst, Lovehoney Co-Founder Lovehoney signed its first licensing deal back in 2005, and to be honest, we weren’t even sure what that meant at the time. Co-founder Neal Slateford and I had been selling dildos and vibrators on the internet for three years, and realised that Lovehoney customers came to us knowing that they wanted to buy a toy, but didn’t actually know which one. They needed guidance and reassurance from a name that they trusted, but instead faced navigating a baffling array of strange looking products in bright colours with unhelpful names like ‘Fritz The Snake’ and the ‘Crystal Clear Ladyfinger’. There were no branded sex toys to help consumers decide what to buy which we realised was a big problem. Finding our niche We needed better products and a name people would recognise. We noticed that there was a dating show on the BBC at the time called Would Like to Meet, featuring sex and relationships expert Tracey Cox who was also the author of the world’s best-selling sex manual, Hot Sex: How to Do It. So we called her and asked if she wanted to help us make a range of sex toys that would be named after her. Luckily, she said yes.
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And there it was, our first licensing deal. We agreed to a royalty, signed a contract and we were good to go. Instantly, we had a name that people recognised, trusted and, most importantly, bought into. The deal helped the freshfaced Lovehoney punch well above its weight in terms of getting press and exposure and our customers loved the range. Today there are dozens of products in the Tracey Cox Supersex range, with even more being released later on this year, and we’ve sold millions of units. The benefits of licensing In the last 13 years, we’ve been lucky enough to sign some fantastic licencing deals ranging from music legends Motley Crue right through to cult comedy show Broad City. But all of them were dwarfed by the colossal Fifty Shades of Grey franchise. In 2012 we won the exclusive worldwide licence to make products based on the infamous erotic trilogy by E L James. By the time we signed the contract and started promoting the range’s products, the Fifty Shades brand was hugely popular all over the world, helping us to ride the wave and promote other Lovehoney products that weren’t even associated with the range. For instance, theres’s a flogger
in the book that we produced as part of the range that flew off of the shelves, but we also saw a spike in other flogger sales on site. Fifty Shades is set for another huge boost now that E L James has released her latest erotic novel, The Mister. The pop culture influence Pop culture brands, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, are having a huge impact on influencing the modern licensing sector. The LIMA Licensing Awards are a perfect example. Look at the nominees from the past few years, you can see there are many pop culture icons that have collaborated with different brands. Besides being a money-maker of itself, licensing has been a cost-effective way of marketing Lovehoney and getting the column inches that spread our sexual happiness message. The worldwide sales have made a dramatic difference to Lovehoney’s international growth and were doubtless a huge factor in the company being awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2016. Looking to the future, we are always looking for new collaborations with brands that share our values and help us spread our sexual happiness messaging on a global scale.
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YALE
History, tradition, heritage and aspirations come together with the Yale brand
Combing history, a long heritage of academic excellence and aspiration and every aspect of Ivy League college life, the Yale Licensing program unites traditions and ideals. Founded in 1701, Yale is the 4th oldest college in the United States, and is a world renowned Ivy League institution which has graduated five U.S. Presidents, 500 members of the U.S. Congress, 48 U.S. Cabinet members, along with 52 Nobel Laureates. Yale’s main ethos is commitment to improving the world today and for future generations through outstanding research and scholarship, education, preservation, and practice. Yale educates aspiring leaders worldwide who serve all sectors of society. Yale licensed merchandise is an important part of the Yale mission, serving to help promote the Yale brand throughout the world. There are numerous images, identities, his-
but in addition requires an understanding of how best to reach the appropriate audience. Consumers of Yale merchandise are global and diverse. Therefore, an awareness of what ideas and messages most appropriately convey the brand to these audiences is essential. Currently Yale has over 160 domestic licensees, including Nike, Champion and Vineyard Vines. Until recently Yale licensed products were found primarily through Barnes & Noble, who is licensed to manage the Yale bookstore (one of the top 10 performing collegiate bookstores in the United States) and corresponding e-commerce site. The Yale brand is now growing nationwide through such well known retail partners as Barneys and Forever 21. In 2017 Yale completely revamped its Licensing structure globally and brought in a new team of international agents to help market and grow the Yale brand. Yale Agent Partners now include CPLG – Europe; Maxx Marketing/Licensing Matters – Hong Kong; Brand Monk – India; Seoul Merchandising Company – Seoul; UNI Diversified – Tokyo; and Warrington Management – Toronto. The revised global agent structure has resulted in new licensing programs that include International names such as Zara and Calvin Klein. In fact, the licensing program sees products across adult apparel, mobile phone cases, cooking brands, sleepwear, stationery and bags – and a DTR with a global fashion retailer will soon be announced.
tories, communities, traditions that the Yale brand combines and that licensees can work with. The college has 15 million library holdings and 35 Varsity Athletic Teams. Yale’s mascot, “Handsome Dan”, is one of the most famous bulldogs in the world. The most effective way to communicate the Yale brand through merchandise requires acknowledgment of what the brand embodies, PAGE 48
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LICENSING EXPO
The Brands are Back in Town!
A few highlights from the upcoming brands on offer at Licensing Expo, Las Vegas. The brand presence has grown exponentially over the last few years, and this year looks to be no exception. Licensing Expo, 4-6 June 2019, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas Brandgenuity continues to elevate the BMW lifestyle program. PUMA added a first-ever BMW M Motorsport collection for women, as well as a bespoke collection featured in the top 100 Footlocker stores in Europe. In 2019, Fossil will launch a range of BMW watches and smartwatches that debuted this spring at Basel. Brandgenuity will build a licensing program for the world-renowned University of Oxford across lifestyle and authority categories as well as in toys, games, and back to
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school products. Brandgenuity is also building a licensing program for the NFL Players Association in Europe. Finally, Brandgenuity Europe continues to build licensing programs for its clients Anheuser Busch-InBev, Ed Stafford, and others.
Ask Agency, The Camden Collection, Hi Puppy, Route 66, Marie-Antoinette, Brandalised and IA London. Zolan Agency brings to Vegas Licensing Expo the Ivana Helsinki brand, an award-winning
Following on from the success of the 2018 edition of the Licensing Expo where some interesting licensing deals were inked, 2019 is promising more excitement for the Anne Stokes Collection. For Expo 2019, Anne Stokes Collection, licensed by Art Ask Agency is presented on a dedicated booth, Art Ask Agency, hosted by The Brand Liaison where visitors can see the latest licensed products and newly released style guide. “With so many established US licensees on board (The Mountain, Bradford Exchange, Zippo, Trevco Inc, Disruptive Publishers, Silicon Valley Textiles, Pure Country Weavers, Apmex and many more) and a significant consumer base eager to buy Anne Stokes Collection licensed products, this edition of the show is going to be amazing,� commented Maria Strid, Art Ask Agency. Also new at Expo 2019, represented by Art PAGE 49
LICENSING EXPO
Fashion Design, Visual Artist, and Film-Maker brand with her new 2019 Collection-Trees and Collections of Animal designs inspired by the Northlands of Finland. The Ivana Helsinki brand is the only Finnish Scandinavian fashion label that has presented collections at the Paris and New York Fashion week, and can be found at #G127. Collaborating and partnering with 80 international corporations including Coca-cola, Uniglo, Swarowski, Topshop, Google, Sokos Hotels, Nokia and Rovio/Angry Birds, and Barbie, Ivana Helsinki is a global lifestyle brand licensed in fashion, home décor, furniture, stationary, optical products, accessories, interior design, and books. The brand is deeply involved in social licensing projects helping women and children in Africa, South America and Finland in business mentoring and in projects for fashion design.
ers including Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Pier 1, Barnes & Noble, TJ Maxx, crafting stores and Staples. A DTR license with retailer Anthropologie launched exclusive collections of stationery, ceramics, and tech accessories.
tastemakers and a flourishing brand extension program operated by The Smiley Company. To be found at #E214, in 2020 Rubik’s will celebrate 40 years since the Cube craze went global at retail by launching a campaign that
All American Licensing, located at #E128, is currently enjoying success within the world of dogs and pets with these top two clients in that field: Dr. Pol, and The Dog Whisperer. It will bring a total of 21 represented brands to the Expo, including new client Phillip Gorrivan Design; Smithsonian for the Home; Hilary Farr Designs; Jennifer Adams Brands; I Love Las Vegas; and The San Antonio Riverwalk.
In the home, Barbarian has completed a master license with The Home Décor Companies (J Hunt, Jimlar, NBG), Jay Franco is creating bedding and towels, Lee’s Group, a leading table top supplier added Barbarian tropical patterns including melamine for Pier 1 and Conimar Group launched kitchen décor offered to department store, specialty stores and offprice channels.
features; a new brand identity to strengthen engagement with millennials and Gen Z’s, a global Influencer and Ambassador program and multi channel social media strategy. Ma-
The Brand Liaison will showcase millennial artist Barbra Ignatiev’s brand Barbarian at #F154. Barbarian already has a myriad of licensed products including tabletop, home décor, apparel, fabrics and beyond. The launch of licensing in 2018 attracted 10 new licensing partners and landed placement at major retailPAGE 50
The Rubik’s brand has enjoyed a major resurgence, with record sales at retail, a renaissance in the eyes of TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
LICENSING EXPO jor fashion brands, apparel chains and retailers will pay homage to Rubik’s iconicity with specially curated 40th anniversary collections, whilst a new twisty puzzle invention, created by Rubik’s originator Ernő Rubik will be launched, as the project gets powered by a multi-million dollar global TV and PR campaign. The Joester Loria Group will preview new clients and present initiatives and opportunities for its existing client roster at this year’s Licensing Expo. JLG represents a diverse portfolio of leading brands including Pepsi-Cola North America beverage brands Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Aquafina; Frito-Lay’s Cheetos and Doritos brands; Constellation Brands beer portfolio including, Corona and Modelo; Kellogg’s portfolio of cereal and snack brands; Jack Link’s meat snacks; Entenmann’s sweet baked goods; Cabot Creamery; and the 1-800-FLOWERS portfolio of brands including Harry & David, Cheryl’s, The Popcorn Factory and Moose Munch. These can all be seen on #C154. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, and Science Channel, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the provider of locally relevant, premium sports and home of the Olympic Games across Europe. At the 2019 International Licensing Show, from booth #O202, Discovery will focus on licensing programs from the legacy Discovery Networks’ portfolio with special attention on
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Discovery #Mindblown, Shark Week, Animal Planet, Food Network and HGTV Home. Later in 2019, Discovery is bringing Animal Planet to a new and exciting retail partner that will be announced soon. Licensing Management International Ltd (LMI) will be exhibiting properties at Licensing Expo through International Affiliates Bradford Licensing booth #B128. LMI has handled the Global BSA motorcycle licensing programme since 2016 and the Brand is now owned by Indian multinational manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited. The British Motor Heritage Brand, en-
compasses classic automobile marques which include Austin, Morris, Austin-Healey, MG, Wolseley and Rover. Newly acquired Mayflower 400, sees 2020 mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage, with it being one of the most influential journeys in global history. The commemoration boasts a world-class programme of events across England, the USA and the Netherlands. Bulldog, alongside its many other brands, will showcase Route 66, and LIFE at #D214. The Route 66 brand is based on the legendary highway that once linked Chicago to the American West. Route 66 has since entered the global lexicon as a byword for adventure and a love of the open road, making the name instantly recognisable and giving the property huge appeal. Route 66 is backed by a host of resources, a comprehensive 375-page style guide with theme-focused chapters (such as Bikes, Cars, Flags and others) that include about 400 original artworks and 54 high-res photos. Bulldog Licensing recently announced a major new deal with Brand Alliance for daywear and is looking to extend the licensing programme in the categories of accessories, luggage, health & beauty, and gifts. LIFE is a brand that combines the instantly PAGE 51
LICENSING EXPO range development. USA is a key priority market for their international business growth plans generally and IPR Licensing will build and manage the brand licensing program in North America. IPR will pursue USA opportunities for Spear & Jackson across the garden, home and leisure sectors, drawing upon Spear & Jackson’s brand assets and British heritage story spanning almost 260 years.
recognisable LIFE logo – made famous by the legendary LIFE magazine – with pictures from the treasured photographic library. LIFE magazine photojournalists captured some of the 20th century’s most defining events, celebrities, historic figures, and nature. Bulldog is working with partners in apparel, stationery and wall art, and puzzles and is now in talks to extend the programme into homewares.
grow and complement the core tools business. Spear & Jackson exports its core tools to over 100 countries and the brand is widely respected and known for continuous innovation and high-quality product
IPR Licensing has extended its long-term representation of British heritage brand, Spear & Jackson, to include presentation in the USA for the first time and promotion at Las Vegas at #B104. Since 1760 Spear and Jackson has been selling hand, garden, contractors, agricultural, landscaping and professional tools from its base in “Steel City” Sheffield, in the north of England. IPR Licensing has exclusively represented Spear & Jackson in the UK for the past six years and built a successful strategic brand licensing program, from a zero start, which continues to PAGE 52
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PROFILE
Paul Berrington’s Beridan Ltd has unveiled a selection of new brands including fashion brand Louis XV1 Racing & Polo Club and an urban brand entitled City Wash House. Polo the sport of Kings, is aspirational to many and an inspiration in terms of fashion. Louis XVI Racing & Polo Club brand is named after the famous French Monarch whose pure love for horses and equestrian traditions led to the creation of the Royal Stables. His sponsorship consolidated the continuing development of long-held traditions of equine sport and culture and during his reign, The Great and Small Stables constituted the largest royal project for housing horses ever undertaken. Situated opposite the Palace, they mark the edge of the Place d’Armes and the three main avenues. The position and size of the Royal Stables testify to the importance of horses during the Ancien régime. This ambience of equestrian culture and style inspired the Louis XVI Racing & Polo Club brand. A versatile, contemporary, lifestyle choice conveying
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a royal equestrian sporting heritage in a fresh, relevant approach. The brand echoes and amplifies timeless values of adventure, sportsmanship, quality and elegance to the millennial generation. In terms of brand positioning, Paul Berrington, the owner of the Louis XV1 Racing & Polo Club brand explained, “We are positioning the brand targeting millennials – both men and women, through high street retailers. We see this brand as an authentic and modern club lifestyle brand with timeless appeal that can appeal to a smart and younger market than this type of brand is traditionally aimed at.” The brand was created back at the end of 2015, since when it has been widely trademarked in the US, Europe and further afield. A detailed and comprehensive styleguide has been created and a number of agents have already been signed to represent the brand, including Susan Valero in the United States, Empire International for South East Asia, Caravanserai for Spain, Portugal and France. Interest in the brand has been high since the soft launch last year. To date, Paul Berrington has signed ranges of flip-flops and apparel in Greece, together with ranges of sunglasses and an umbrella and scarf package that will launch for Autumn/Winter. And the appeal of the Louis XV1 Racing & Polo Club brand is very much on an international basis. As Berrington explains, “Over and above our European markets, China and Korea in particular are looking good. We already have a number of potential deals in
the marketplace.” On an entirely different note, Paul Berrington is actively promoting City Wash House, a design-led brand that Berrington believes will target young millennials looking for an urban chic look. Interest is already running high with product lines including jeans and youth apparel. For more information, contact Paul Berrington, beridan@icloud.com or visit www.louisrpc.com
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SPORTS
From Kanye West’s Pablo to Justin Bieber’s Purpose merchandise – stocked everywhere from Selfridges to ASOS – via Zayn Malik, Drake, Selena Gomez and the launch of Beyonce’s holiday merchandise, pop culture, together with its many trending references, and fashion statements are inextricably entwined. Of course, music and fashion have long been linked. In the last few years alone, there’s been Rihanna’s collaboration with Puma and Dior, Nicki Minaj as the face of Roberto Cavalli and Pusha T for adidas. And, to be honest, this is just brushing the surface. More than ever today, celebrities dictate trends and brands that capitalise on this celebrity endorsement are natural by-products. Rihanna is a geat example. Having teamed up with several high-street retailers in the past, she then evolved to use her astonishing marketability to create and design her own fashion, accessory and beauty lines. But perhaps the masters of personal branding
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CELEBRITY LICENSING wear the product lines that feature them – possibly with the exception of Kanye West who wears his own Life of Pablo lines, acting of course as incredibly mass-exposure for the line through media and the ever-present social media which follows celebrities wherever they go. Celebrity merchandise, of course, is not limited to music stars. Actors, politicians, sports stars and others all attract serious followings. But, of course, it can go wrong. Donald Trump had a successful clothing and accessories line prior to his foray into politics. He was widely admired as a highly successful entrepreneur and businessman.
are the Kardashians-Jenners who fully understand that consumers want to be part of their extraordinary world. Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the family, has launched a pop-up-shop stocking Kylie Jenner merchandise that uses her name and face as well as a calendar. Tour merchandise, of course, is nothing new in the celebrity world. But today’s market of dwindling album sales, mostly as a result of streaming services, means that fans who might once have proudly possessed an album, now have to shirt their allegiance to other products if they want something tangible showing their love and support for an artist. Digital music is intangible. A T-shirt, hoodie, bottle of perfume or work out leggings featuring a star is a way that fans can connect and feel closer to the artist. In many ways, the shifting world of music delivery has actually benefitted the world of celebrity merchandise. Of course the fans aren’t the only ones to benefit. Retailers welcome a significant boost to sales that a well-timed celebrity merchandise line can bring. Urban Outfitters’ sales were boosted ‘significantly’ when they launched their Justin Bieber range – witnessed by lines of shoppers
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camped out for hours in the hope of getting their hands on a product. Long gone are the days when you had to be at a gig or festival to get the T-shirt. Now they are freely available in major high-street retailers. Interestingly, the most longed-for merchandise tends to take its lead from streetwear and athleisure clothing that is currently so popular. Celebrity merchandise often features bomber jacks and oversized sweatshirts, both of which are considered ‘cool.’ Interestingly, the majority of the celebrities don’t actually
Fast forward to his election campaign and his statement referring to Mexicans as criminals and Macy’s – one of the key retailers of the Donald Trump range – dropped him like a stone with no plans to restore his line. Trump, of course, called on his fans to boycott Macy’s but it made little difference. Sportsman and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong was another case in point. For many years he was the face of numerous products and services, to great success. Then came the doping scandal and one by one he lost all his endorsements with companies keen to distance themselves from him. Paula Dean was yet another example. Sales of her licensed products plummeted following her racist comments that got her fired from The Food Network. Again, the companies involved were anxious to avoid any of the negative feedback reflecting on them or their product lines. Kathy Lee Gifford had a $700 million dollar apparel collection in Walmart that disappeared when it was revealed that her products were made in central American sweatshops. So what is it that makes one celebrity succeed where others fail? Clearly, badly designed or executed products will fail, regardless of which celebrity endorses or appears on them. The celebrity in question must also have some vision and business sense to see what they could achieve
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CELEBRITY LICENSING that has been running for many years. Back in history, Marilyn Monroe and Chanel were a perfect match. Steve McQueen brought speed to the Ford campaign and Muhammad Ali, as a true competitive icon, was perfectly matched with Porsche. Avoiding the potential negatives of a live, breathing star, some companies choose to associate themselves with a deceased celebrity. This can prove easier, in terms of approvals than navigating the tricky waters of live celebin the market – for example Kathy Ireland, whose homeware collections have been tremendously successful for more than fifteen years. Jennifer Lopez and Sofia Vergara’s products, sold through Kmart, have filled a gap in aiming at the Hispanic market. These are examples of creating products wanted, or needed, in the market and adding to their USP by attaching a celebrity to them. All of these also have that all-important staying power. A great example of this is Jaclyn Smith who created a program for Kmart back in the early 1980s when she was at the height of her fame. Her fame as a TV star may have waned but she is now considered a celebrity because
of her product line. Conversely, a celebrity line based on a 15-minutes of fame celebrity will never succeed. By the time the line is created, manufactured and shipped, the celebrity may well be largely forgotten and the purpose of the line will be irrelevant. Reality TV stars often fall into this category. Advertising, of course, is a key factor in celebrity licensing and it is estimated that around 15% of all advertisements feature a celebrity or icon. Naturally, choosing that icon is the most important element – as can be seen in the UK by the success of ex-footballer Gary Linekar and Walker’s Crisps – a campaign
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rities but again, to succeed, the mix of celebrity, and what that celebrity stands for, and product line must be carefully planned. Just because somebody was famous, in their day, doesn’t mean they are relevant or appropriate for a product line. Of course there are licensing companies that not only enjoy great success with their celebrity programs but are specialists in this area. Major agency Beanstalk represents clients as varied as Gandhi, Humphrey Bogart, Laurel & Hardy and Paris Hilton. As one of the most photographed women in
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CELEBRITY LICENSING Pocket.watch is a new studio creating global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha. Pocket.watch specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes.
the world, Paris Hilton’s glamour, style and jet-setting life is the topic of endless media attention. Through her internationally successful licensing program, she has created a global brand with universal appeal . Working alongside Paris, Beanstalk have created a comprehensive fashion and lifestyle brand offering stylish and affordable products available at major department stores, specialty retailers, as well as 20+ freestanding Paris Hilton stores through the Middle East and Asia. Authentic Brands Group is another major player with ownership and representation of some of the key celebrities and estates including Elvis Presley, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson and golfing legend Geg Norman. Norman has, with the aid of ABG, ranges of athletic wear, golf course designs and over the last twenty years the Greg Norman Estates has been producing wine, with selections from Australia, the United States, Argentina and New Zealand. Greenlight is also very involved in celebrity merchandise and campaigns. They were involved in the recent British Airways centenary film featuring a number of famous Britons including David Bowie who made a brief inflight TV screen appearance. In addition, Barbour International launched its 15th seasonal collection with Steve McQueen which is prominently featured on their new website. The collection includes TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
T-shirts, sweatshirts, button downs and, of course, their iconic jackets. Greenlight continues to partner with Barbour International year after year in the McQueen name. Authentic partnerships work as they continue the story that started in 1964 at the Six Day Trials in Germany. The collection can be found in Barbour stores around the world. Finally as an example, McDonald’s wanted to promote their coffee offering by highlighting the quality of their incredients as well as their refined coffee bean processing. The brand also wanted to use humour in the spot and asked Greenlight to source a clip showing an iconic personality drinking from a cup. Charlie Chaplin was a perfect fit. The spot ends with Chaplin quietly enjoying a well-deserved break in the movie Modern Times. Beyond stars of a bygone era and back, bang up to date, and YouTube stars and influencers. Many are now the subject of licensing programs. LaurDIY is a YouTube star with close to 20 million followers and described as the Millennial Martha Stewart. The Brand Liaison now has an active licensing program for Lauren Riihimaki, aka LaurDIY as well as for celebrity chefs Robert Irvine, wedding planner David Tutera and interior designer Christopher Knight as well as a home décor brand entitled Casa Zeta-Jones which is a collaboration between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Daymond John.
A key celebrity from Pocket.watch is Ryan Kaji, better known for Ryan’s Toys Review, a daily video reviewing various toys. One particular video, entitled Huge Eggs Surprise Toy Challenge has enjoyed more than 1.8 billion views and, in 2018, Ryan, aged 7, was listed as the 8th highest paid YouTube entrepreneur having earned $22 million in revenues from his videos and his new toy line at Walmart, handled through Pocket.watch. Ryan has more than 19 million subscribers and Ryan Toys Review and Pocket.watch recently produced a 20-episode television series for pre-schoolers entitled Ryan’s Mystery Playdate.
It must be fairly clear, just from this article how the opportunities for celebrity licensing and endorsement are enormous – from Charlie Chaplin, through Kanye West and right to 7 year old Ryan. The secret, if there is one, is to ensure the celebrity and product or service make a good, and logical, match. Just creating product and slapping a celebrity logo on it will never result in success. But get it right and the result could be a long-term successful partnership. And, let’s face it, isn’t that what everybody is looking for?
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CELEBRITY LICENSING
Celebrity Licensing and Litigation
The Times They Are A-Changin’
By Jonathan Faber, Luminary Group Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door whiskey and Hennessy’s Never Settle campaign featuring Major Taylor (the first African American to win a world championship in cycling) spotlight intriguing growth areas in celebrity licensing. Meanwhile, social media influencers and sponsored posts have unlocked new vistas, while licensed cannabis lines of Willie Nelson, Bob Marley and Snoop Dog, and Kathy Ireland’s licensed CBD oil further demonstrate how The Times They Are A-Changin’ indeed. With change and new vistas come the undertow of unauthorized uses. For example, several lawsuits have been filed against Epic Games by Backpack Kid, 2 Milly, and Alfonso Ribeiro of Fresh Prince of Bel Air
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over dances avatars perform in the popular game, Fortnite. The song says It’s Not Unusual, but is it? What’s going on? The load-bearing beam in all of the aforementioned examples is the Right of Publicity, which ensures a degree of control over commercial use of one’s identity. Even those who do not participate directly in celebrity licensing may be closer to these issues than it seems. The right is not just for celebrities, and any business with a website, social media, advertising, or even just customers or employees, let alone product or advertising focused on personalities, might intersect with the Right of Publicity in one way or another.
Alfonso Ribeiro’s claim is based on the Carlton dance his character performed on Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The dance in the game is called Fresh which seems to be an additional connection to Ribeiro. The lawsuit states that the dance can be purchased to customize a user’s avatar. I am asked frequently about this situation. A key issue will center on identifiability. Is Ribeiro identifiable from the Fresh dance, all things considered? The Moonwalk likely is identifiable with Michael Jackson. If a person is identifiable from a commercial use, it likely needs a license, but generic elements that are merely evocative might not. Does an ad with a blond 1950s-era starlet equate to Marilyn Monroe? Does an Instagram post featuring a
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CELEBRITY LICENSING
advertising and licensing campaigns. Less obvious situations than the Hennessy-Major Taylor example (where perhaps any seasoned licensing executive would understand the need for permission) are things like social media or website content. One doesn’t have to be Bob Dylan, Major Taylor or Carlton of Fresh Prince to have a claim, so it is a good practice to stay in front of what is going into product, advertising and social media content, and consult with a qualified expert when in doubt. If nothing else, celebrity licensing continues to be an invigorating segment of the licensing industry, full of twists, turns, and potential. Afterall, The Times They Are A-Changin’ and that isn’t going to stop any time soon. About the Author twenty-something video gamer with cottoncandy colored hair unequivocally refer to Ninja? They could. Much depends on the context and execution. Vanna White proved this point years ago in a lawsuit against Samsung. Samsung’s ad used a robot with the hair, dress, and jewelry Vanna is known for, standing in front of Wheel of Fortune’s letter board. The ad was captioned “Longest-running game show, 2012 A.D.” and “The VCR you’ll tape it on, 2012 A.D.” The advertising depended on built-in awareness of Vanna White on the show. The robot of course is not Vanna White, but she is no less identifiable from the use. The court’s decision in her favor has stood the test of time: seven years after the ad’s distant 2012 date, Vanna is still on Wheel of Fortune, while Samsung’s VCR technology is in the junk heap of obsolescence, perhaps next to an eerily familiar robot.
and the Ramones confirms that this question is where the rubber meets the road. Everyone can agree that a use happened, but if one side says it is worth $10 million and the other says it is worth $10, a qualified expert can be critical to translating the claim. Time will tell how the Fortnite claims are resolved. The takeaway for any licensing professional, manufacturer, agency or personality is to perform due diligence in assessing and if appropriate, clearing rights, designing product, or developing
Jonathan Faber is Managing Partner and General Counsel of Luminary Group LLC, the exclusive representative of Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi, Jesse Owens, Major Taylor, Cy Young, Johnny Unitas and others. Faber often serves as an expert witness involving celebrities, brands and valuations. Faber teaches The Right of Publicity at McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis. For more information on the Right of Publicity, visit RightOfPublicity.com, the leading online Right of Publicity resource.
Just like license agreements often hinge on financial aspects of the deal, another question the Carlton lawsuit will have to address is “what’s it worth?” My recent involvement with valuations involving Drake, 50 Cent,
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ROUNDTABLE
Brand
Roundtable
For our Summer Total Brand Licensing Roundtable, we have gathered together seven experts, from different parts of the world, to share their opinions and insights on the state of brand licensing and how they see the future of the sector.
Giuseppe Faranna Vice President Division Manager Licensing, Head Sport GmbH
Steve Grune Vice President Brand Licensing, Meredith
Lisa Reiner Managing Director Europe & Asia Beanstalk
Stephanie Freeman Global Head of Licensing, TSBA Group
Jeff Lotman CEO, Global Icons LLC
Job van Dijk Managing Director, Tempting Brands
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ROUNDTABLE In your opinion, what are the key attributes that make a brand suitable for licensing? Giuseppe Faranna: In my opinion real success can be achieved if a brand has a core-business for which it is famous. Either another product or based on a movie or a game, but to be stretched into another category people need to be aware about it first hand. Obviously there are some limited examples where it worked out successfully even though the brand was not famous before, but those exceptions are rather limited. Furthermore the ability to tell stories, to easily transfer core brand DNA into other categories and having all trademark registrations in place are equally important to successful license a brand. Stephanie Freeman: One of the things we love about brand licensing at TSBA is the diverse and surprising number of unique attributes that each brand has. Whilst there are some obvious attributes that we examine (like brand awareness, exposure, audience knowledge and available creative assets) there are a whole load of less obvious attributes that become apparent as we do our discovery work. This could be anything from partner networks to physical assets to digital engagement, these are often where the real innovation in licensing can be found. Steve Grune: There are many key attributes that make a brand suitable for licensing, but the most essential is broad awareness that is positive. The brand needs to have wide-ranging consumer awareness with positive impressions. There also needs to be a strong emotional connection that happens when consumers interact with the brand. A strong emotional connection gives the brand permission to extend into product categories outside of the core experience that consumers have with the brand today. Outside of brand equity, there is the internal buy-in that is needed for a company to move forward with licensing a brand. One of the reasons that manufacturers and retailers move forward with a licensing opportunity is the marketing
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power and lift that the brand brings to the table. Building a brand from scratch can take many years and is a huge financial investment. When licensing a brand, you gain immediate access to an establish brand identity-the brand image and the feelings associated with it-and benefit from the brand building investment that went before it. Finally, the internal brand stakeholders must be ready to support the licensing efforts, especially from a marketing perspective. Jeff Lotman: Heightened brand awareness, market infiltration, and elasticity are the top three. A brand that is unknown, has no market movement, and does not naturally makes sense in at least a couple of key strategic categories is very difficult to license. Lisa Reiner: A product or service must offer a unique selling point which is compelling to consumers and differentiates the brand from its competitors. For example, some categories are already quite saturated, so for a retailer to stock a brand’s licensed product, something already existing will have to come off the shelf. The new offer must reflect not only the brand’s core values and equities, but also be on-trend and satisfy an unmet need in the market. More recently, with the trend towards experiential extensions, a brand that can stretch into the service area also provides a USP, and this can open new opportunities to engage with consumers outside of the core. To put it simply, the brand extension ought to offer something new and feel like a natural and seamless fit with the core or else risk a negative rather than brand building effect with consumers. Job van Dijk: When we started to use the ROUTE 66 brand, we considered it for route planning software first and our major considerations were that the brand needs to be short, international, recognizable, relevant and preferably with a memorable logo. Being recognizable is probably the most important feature, whether it is a brand that has built its business in a certain industry, a historic personality or a fictional character. To create an emotion in the customer’s mind is probably
the hardest thing to achieve. We specialize in iconic brands with a established emotional values. When you start licensing a brand you start to see the value of versatility. Being able to cater to many different product categories and different target consumers, is very important to increase the scope of the licensing program for a brand.
Beyond the obvious TV or movie etc. what do you see as the key differences, and/or benefits, between licensing a brand and an entertainment property? Giuseppe Faranna: Well that‘s a tough one, as I have been, in my career, almost entirely working on the brand side and I can only think that entertainment brands have done greatly for our industry, where as it should not consider as rather A than B. By saying if we want to speak about differences, than one of the key differences is most of the time the transferability. Entertainment Brands play very often with the obvious, whereas brands are able to transfer a certain facet of the brand or a notion, which might be not so obvious on the first look. And still, but that does not count for classic entertainment brands which are rejuvenating themselves ongoing, the „time of interest“ is different. Entertainment brands have peaks when something new comes out whereas a brands can execute their program very often full-year around or over a couple of seasons. We have for example licensees which have been working with us for 15yrs and longer. Stephanie Freeman: Entertainment properties especially those linked to movie releases often have limited on-shelf life spans due to the restrictions around time to market needing to focus heavily around the movie release. It can be similar to those on TV, as it is governed by a network airing the show. Furthermore, if you look at how media is being consumed these days movies & TV are a part of a consumers hectic and transient life, it’s potentially less about the movie theatre or the TV in the lounge. Lifestyle brands have the opportunity to be PAGE 61
ROUNDTABLE considered as evergreen, holding their own due to their history, popularity and association consumers have to the brand rather than being reliant on content. The London Underground, as an example is part of people’s lives, it’s physical and present, part of an experience, whether living or visiting London it’s something people connect with for many different reasons. Steve Grune: The key difference between a brand and an entertainment property lies in the longevity that a brand can offer versus the short-lived, “trending-moment” an entertainment property delivers. The most profitable licensing partnerships grow over several years of learnings from product turns and sell-throughs each season. A brand typically allows for a much broader collection of goods that can be tested with the consumer vs. one look that can fatigue quickly as trends constantly shift. There is also an ever-present PR risk with an entertainment property or celebrity that brands are insulated from. Jeff Lotman: One has staying power… Films and TV are driven by event dates. There is a limited time to market and promote a film, and TV shows are season-to-season. When the movie is done, the sales drop off. However, this time constraint is an advantage to entertainment over brands because there is a sense of urgency. Licensees and retailers are forced to make decisions quickly. Once the licensed product is on the shelf - marketing, promotion, and the show/ film itself will drive retail success. It’s more difficult to create that sense of urgency with brand licensing. The brand owner’s marketing is typically geared towards driving sales of their core product, not the ancillary licensed products. However, brands have more longevity on the shelf, and a good brand can go on and on. Lisa Reiner: The key difference, generally speaking, is that the primary goal of entertainment licensing is ubiquity whereas corporate brand licensing typically focuses on long-term brand building. Licensing of corporate brands requires the development
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of unique proprietary products that support the brand’s core values and equities. This is a slower, strategic approach which aims to engage consumers in a meaningful way. In contrast, entertainment licensing tends to be shorter term, often targeted at young audiences. Entertainment properties leverage visual assets and characters that are unique to the property and licensing often spans a very wide range of categories. In addition, brands in the entertainment space tend to come from the visual and/or digital world, whereas brands in the corporate space already have a physical presence. In recent years, brands in the gaming space are bridging the gap between entertainment and brands. Franchises like Activision’s Call of Duty and Xbox’s Halo, both represented by Beanstalk’s digital division Tinderbox, have successfully leveraged visual IP combined with the brands DNA to offer gamers a broader and more indepth brand experience. Job van Dijk: Perhaps the most important difference is that brands can probably be more flexible in terms of adapting to different product categories and services. An entertainment brand is more likely to be confined by the story behind. A lifestyle brand, on the other hand, will not be held back by this, but rather will be able to emerge and develop more rapidly, adapting very fast to customer’s needs. Lastly a brand is simply more timeless, whereas the entertainment property is only popular for as long as the movie or character is promoted.
Are there times when a brand can be very well known but isn’t necessarily suited to licensing? Why do you think that is? Giuseppe Faranna: It can happen indeed. Because the customer does not resonate with the brand in another category. Or because the category does not fit at all. Or the brand in question is not so ‘emotional’ that it has ‘fans - which you would need to buy also in different categories. To make an example: how does a Glock-license (the weapon manufacturer) and/or
Kalashinkov-license (by the way they do that already in some categories really successfully) work in different categories? Acceptable? Suitable? Or consider the German Stihl Brand (chain saw manufacturer) which is a world leader in their area but really difficult to be licensed most likely? But again how big is the fanbase to also buy licensed products? But sometimes it works perfectly, for example Caterpillar or JBL and also John Deere. So there is no 100% solution available. Stephanie Freeman: There are certainly brands or sectors that TSBA would not necessarily see immediate strong links to consumer licensing but one of the fantastic things about our industry is the ability to be a part of trend, who would have known a global logistics company could be one of the hottest t-shirts around? Steve Grune: Just because you are familiar with a brand does not mean you like the brand and will buy its products - think of the classic Coke versus Pepsi cola camps. There are ways to quantify the emotional relationship consumers have with brands if you don’t have an objective assessment of this. Companies like Q Scores perform research and can provide a numeric expression of a brand versus its likeability, which will help assess if the brand is broadly appealing or too polarizing. Further, most brands are well suited to only a handful of product categories that truly complement the core brand in an authentic way. Staying true to a brand footprint vision or ecosystem of complementary, adjacent products is key. You must have the discipline to carefully curate the licensing program, which can mean saying no to some licensing opportunities. Jeff Lotman: Yes - there are brands than can be licensed, but lack success at the retail level. We have found this happens when the key strategic categories are inundated with endemic brands. For example, we represented a well-known baking mix brand. Bakeware, baking accessories, dessert toppers, and RTE baked goods were the key categories to license. We
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ROUNDTABLE found licensees for all of the categories, but the brand was not strong enough to replace the endemic brands or private label in every major retailer. In the end, the program was not a success. Lisa Reiner: Many brand owners have made the unfortunate mistake of thinking that a high level of awareness is enough for a new proposition to make sense in the minds of consumers, but there are instances where a brand can be incredibly well-known yet still lack other attributes that are critical to be viable for licensing. Celebrities are the best example of “brands” that enjoy stunning recognition and loyal followers but can lack a point-of-difference to be competitive in with other consumer products and are not compelling to retailers. In addition, while a brand may have permission to stretch into new products and services in one market, the brand must be mindful of the differing market nuances and consumer tastes across geographies. Too many brands make the mistake that can “cut and paste” success from one market to the next. Job van Rijk: In principle the reverse of the first question applies here: so if a brand is niche and recognized only for a particular product category, it is not very well suited for licensing. Even if the ‘emotion’ with the consumer is good. Think of brands like Lidl or TomTom. It is simply hard to imagine a clothing line with those brands because the Lidl brand stands for conveniently located discount stores and TomTom for personal navigation devices.
Which sectors of the brand market do you believe are most suitable for growth - e.g. food and drink brands, art brands, automotive etc? Giuseppe Faranna: I think that this depends and is really difficult to predict. I think that food and drink brands have been in the last few years really successful as we are having also some trends supporting the food sector - think about all the cooking shows, cooking books, and the consciousness of the people
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- which lead also to an increased number of Vegetarian/Vegan offerings. Obviously if you are able to offer a credible and reliable solution food/drinks brands can be a great area for growth. For example we have been also entering this sector with an 2in1 Blender in order to create great smoothies and we signed a drinks deal. And another growing area are the museums… think about V&D or Van Gogh & Vans… I think we will see more coming from this side in the future! Stephanie Freeman: Heritage brands, such as Museums are clearly on trend at present, which I believe is down to the diverse asset collection and the interpretation of the brand into life style propositions like cafes, restaurants or pop-up experiences. Due to the vast array of content they have an ability to target a diverse age range of consumers from kids to adults. Additionally, those brands associated to sustainability and protection of our planet would seem to be the next in line for growth. With children learning in schools about electric energy, plastics and how they are bad for the environment along with a similar message relayed to adult’s brands like Formula E who specifically target these values have seen keen interest from licensees and retailers alike. There are certain car manufactures, such as Tesla, who have made electric cars sexy, however most others are still trailing with this mission and this is what Formula E has helped deliver, while clearly supporting a sustainable approach to the entire Championship. Steve Grune: Given consumers’ evergreen interest in all things home and the proliferation of design content, lifestyle brands that provide inspiration, trusted advice, and a design point of view to home “passionistas” will drive growth across many categories of goods and services. Jeff Lotman: Food and beverage continues to grow. We’ve noticed many of the large CPG conglomerates are selling brands they view as non-strategic, which seems to be a key factor. These brands have a lot of equity and $50M to $100M in annual sales. They are selling
them to smaller more nimble companies that view licensing as part of their overall marketing strategy to accelerate the ROI. Lisa Reiner: We are seeing continued growth in the Food and Beverage industry, with several new trends appearing on the horizon. These include the diametrically opposing trends toward Better-for-You and Small Indulgences, illustrating that there is broad market scope in this area to cater for different consumer tastes. Innovative products are always a sure way to be successful in this competitive market. An example of this comes from Beanstalk client Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, who have recently been nominated for an award for the world’s first official Guinness Cheddar in partnership with Windyridge Cheese. The product is created using high-quality cheddar which is grated and infused with the iconic Irish stout and is packaged in a black wax finishing to ensure it maintains a creamy, malty flavour profile. A simple way to elevate an experience; great tasting Guinness and a savoury taste profile that perfectly complements this. There is also the strong popularity of food gifting products, with Christmas as the key time to succeed in this category. Beanstalk client TGI Fridays has a successful range available exclusively at Boots, bringing that “It’s Always Friday” feeling to more consumers in the UK with gift sets including the Moscow Mule Cocktail set, a Burger Slider Press & Seasonings set, a Tasty Rub Selection and the Wooden Steakboard & Selected Rubs set. Another trend exploding in the food market is the extension of food brands into experiential events and pop-ups. Brands are taking their products to the high street, such as Beanstalk client Baileys, the world’s No.1 liqueur brand, that created the highly anticipated ‘Baileys Treat Bar’ pop-up shop. This was a highly immersive brand experience where guests could indulge in Baileys hot drinks, custom cocktails and purchase delectable Baileys chocolates by licensee Lir. Job van Dijk: I believe the answer to this question is very much dependent on the
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territory and how well developed the overall economy is. In countries such as the United States, Germany, France or the UK, there is probably quite some considerable untapped potential in new product categories such as food and drinks. For developing countries, the more traditional product categories are probably the best bet for growth in the short term.
tersection between our brands and the growth we are seeing in generational travel, boutique hotel development and decisions around real estate purchases driven by lifestyle. From baby boomers to millennials – consumers today are looking for unique, regional experiences for their vacations and homes.
Are there brand sectors that you believe are under-utilised at the moment and could provide opportunities for licensing?
Lisa Reiner: There are several emerging trends that have great potential in the licensing world. Digital brands moving into the physical space is a trend both at retail as well as in the licensing industry. The vlogger movement is incredibly interesting, with some YouTubers commanding an online audience of millions of viewers. Subscription services are also of interest, as the age of immediacy and convenience has grown this sector tremendously over the past few years. In addition, as it has been widely published that the gaming industry is now significantly bigger than both the music and movie industry combined. We believe there will be an increase in the diversity of gaming licensed products in our industry in the coming years.
Giuseppe Faranna: There are certain areas where you do not see a lot happening but where there could be more progress. Although I‘m not a big pet fan (at home) - I believe that this could be an area. Also I have more and more friends which have started to go to fishing again or do certain hobbies (e.g. knitting) which have been a bit ‘sleepy’ in the past or maybe not so en vogue anymore due to the increased level of digitalism. So maybe those ‘old-fashioned’ areas could be offering opportunities again in the near future. Another area we have noticed are tourism in the area of outdoor brands…a la ‘Haglöfs Nordics Expedition,’ most likely because you can do “digital detoxing” with those activities and I believe that a lot of people (would) enjoy that… Stephanie Freeman: Social influencers are the new brands that everyone wants to consume! With the likes of Ryan Higa, with his toy reviews to Huda Kattan with her beauty tips these people are being watched by millions of people each day and it’s only a matter of time before our shops are filled with products by influencers rather than a cartoon character. This is the way in which people now consume brands, which ultimately means these people will become the world of brand licensing. Steve Grune: We believe there is opportunity in non-product licensing – particularly in the hospitality and real estate sectors. These categories align well with our leading lifestyle brands that have strong credibility and engagement with consumers. There is an inPAGE 64
Jeff Lotman: Not to my knowledge.
Job van Dijk: Being a licensor of lifestyle brands, we see great potential in this sector of the licensing industry. We see more and more licensees who have started in the licensing business with entertainment properties, looking for lifestyle brand to provide a more stable business with a predictable return on investment.
How do you believe social networks, such as Facebook or Instagram, are changing the way that brands evolve and reach their audience? Giuseppe Faranna: It’s massive. It changes the way of advertising and communicating and it creates new ‘heroes’ like influencer which you have not on your playbook before. And everything is quicker and maybe outdated faster. But on the other hand if you are lucky it can help to reach your audience in no-time. We have to adjust and we need to do it on the run. Thankfully our athletes
are doing that as well and we have a good chance to see how they do it from a premium position. That helps also to work on our own communication and learn more and quicker. Stephanie Freeman: Social Media is shaping the way we live and consume information. There is little to no need for large ATL advertising campaigns for most brands due to these channels. Social Media allows brands to develop a dialogue with their target consumers more forensically, they can even provide them real time conversation and ultimately with a link through to purchase the product while they are on a train or sat in bed. This unfortunately is seeing the high street needing to reinvent itself yet again, but it’s a fact of life that Social Media is now a planned and considered route to market for product, advertising and sharing of content. Steve Grune: Social networks have accelerated how consumers discover inspiration and trends, but they’ve also made it more personal. Trends move faster than they used to, when they were measured in decades. Brands that may have seen their mission as defining trends, now find consumers inspiring them as well. And visual platforms like Facebook and Instagram give brands the opportunity to share user posts along with original content. Different channels also need different content – which has challenged brands to think about how to speak to their audience at each channel. Brands that are built on trust with consumers are embracing this opportunity. Social media networks have become the vehicle for conversation and validation between brands and consumers in all directions: B2C, C2B, and C2C. Jeff Lotman: Social networking gives consumers many opportunities to have what they want, when they want it, and it clears the way for brands to speak directly to their audience. Emerging, disruptor, and endemic brands are no longer beholden to a few buyers and retailers. UNTUCKIt, Casper, Away, Bonobos, Allbirds, and Warby Parker have all utilized these platforms. It’s exciting. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
ROUNDTABLE Lisa Reiner: In an age where connectivity is increasingly important for consumers, social media is a crucial tool for every brand to master. With competition incredibly tough, a brand’s ability to be visible in a crowded market and connect to its consumers can determine its success. Brands must have a presence of some sort on social media just to confirm its relevance to consumers. Each platform works on different operational levels; Facebook is a great channel for promotional activity, whereas Twitter is the customer service tool. Instagram and Snapchat are the voice for a brand to communicate its core values and allow the brand to illustrate its lifestyle. Take a look at the Twitter feed of the fast food chain KFC, and you see how this brand’s humorous approach can make the customers feel a deeper connection with the brand. This is an effective way to provide great customer service by resolving issues efficiently, and in a personal way. Job van Dijk: Yes, definitely. The world of advertisements has changed drastically in recent years. Companies who wish to reach their customers in a genuine manner, no longer do so through the TV or radio with the same success as in the past. The target audience now consumes content in a widely different manner. As such, the world of advertising has also changed. Therefore, in some instances Facebook and Instagram have become important tools to get brand content across to the interested consumer. Tempting Brands has also recognized the value of these channels and we are investing our efforts into developing and promoting our properties through Facebook and Instagram.
Do you see the brand and brand extension licensing sector growing? Which areas of the world do you see as having the greatest potential? Giuseppe Faranna: Yes, of course. And we are part of this and trying every day to grow it. From a regional point of view China and India are the areas where there are still huge
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changes and evolvement happening. Also we see some great stuff also in Eastern Europe happening which is amazing. And of course still Location-Based Licensing, something we consider as well. So overall it‘s a pretty exciting time and we are happy to be part of it. Stephanie Freeman: Brand collaboration is on the rise. They are now almost a given within the industry these days and it’s exciting seeing what new collaborations come through each week on the licensing news. Today, marketers need to leverage on the advantages of digital and social media and use these platforms to genuinely connect with consumers in order to build narrative around their brand’s values. Although not an essential for some of the more established brands, some collaborations are the making of others and help cement the brand not only in the eyes of the consumer but also in retail itself. The recent collaboration we developed with Adidas for TfL was a fantastic extension to the brand, that showcased the appeal of the brand at retail and ultimately helped spark further conversations due to the popularity. An area of the world that we are seeing the greatest potential right now is China. The Chinese consumer has the money to spend but is looking for new and exciting ways to consume a brand. It’s not about churning out standard consumer products, but instead it’s thinking outside the box, providing something new and original. Western brands are thriving but only those engaging with their audience, those simply opening stores are not necessarily seeing the increased footfall. Licensing is changing, as the world changes and I feel we are on the brink of seeing some exciting new ways of extending brands. Steve Grune: As retailers and manufacturers plan for growth, they will always have the options to build new brands from scratch, buy existing brands, or borrow trademarks through licensing. Licensing will continue to grow as companies see the value in an established trademark’s equity to help them shave time and dollars out of the development process, allowing them to
more heavily invest and focus on great new products. Jeff Lotman: Definitely. Currently the bulk of licensing is being done in the US, but China is becoming more trademark protection friendly, which will offer new opportunities outside of the US. Lisa Reiner: It’s not news that Greater China and South East Asia are the most underdeveloped regions in brand licensing. Entertainment, character and art licensing first paved the way for licensing in Asia over a decade ago and continue to be massive business in the region. Today, fashion and lifestyle brands have also saturated the market by partnering with either vertical retail operators or with wholesale distributors. Corporate brands, such as Harley-Davidson and Jeep, have found success by evolving into stand-alone lifestyle brands. The Asian consumer has embraced the aspirational equities of these and other brands in the automotive and corporate space. This is an achievement that, in some cases, corporate brands have not succeeded in their home markets. That said, while the retail sector has evolved, the Asian manufacturing community must still evolve if they are to be a viable licensee community for large corporate brands. FMCG brands/food brands are eager to extend their highly successful licensing programmes into Asia but to do this, these Fortune 500 brand owners require licensees to have the same R&D, quality, safety and go-to-market savvy of the licensees in Europe and North America. “Label slapping” doesn’t cut it in corporate licensing. If corporate licensing is to expand further into Asia, the local manufacturing community needs to evolve at a much faster pace. Job van Dijk: In our experience the brand and brand extension sectors have been growing steadily for the past few years. In 2019, we see even greater momentum in our business. The potential licensees with whom we are discussing have solid business plans that typically span between 3 and 5 years.
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INFORMATION
The Useful Page... INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Art Licensing 101........................................................................................................ 15 China Licensing Expo ................................................................................................. 19 Discovery ...................................................................................................................... 1
Did you know…? To go with our Celebrity Feature, here are some little known facts... Kim Kardashian posed nude in the December 2007 issue of Playboy magazine.
Howard Robinson ......................................................................................................... 7 Iconix Europe ............................................................................................................... 5 Licensing Japan ........................................................................................................... 21 Licensing International/LIMA .................................................................................... 68 Pink Key ..................................................................................................................... 29 Sports Merchandise & Licensing Show ..................................................................... 2, 3 Tempting Brands .................................................................................................... 9, 13 Wynne Jones ....................................................................................... 11, 17, 27, 43, 51
UPCOMING SHOWS & EXHIBITIONS Licensing Expo June 4 – 6 www.licensingexpo.com
Autumn Fair 1 - 4 Sept www.autumnfair.com
E3 11 - 13 June www.e3expo.com
Licensing Expo Japan 3 - 6 Sept www.licensingexpojapan.com/en
Pitti Immagine uomo 11 – 14 June www.pittiimagine.com
The Licensing Awards 11 Sept www.thelicensingawards.co.uk Gwangiu Ace Fair 26 – 29 Sept www.acefair.net Brand Licensing Europe 1 – 3 Oct www.brandlicensing.eu MIP Junior 12 – 13 Oct www.mipcom.com/mipjunior MIPCOM 14 – 17 Oct www.mipcom.com
Fancy Food Show 30 June - 2 July www.specialtyfood.com
Frankfurt Book Fair 16 – 20 Oct www.buchmesse.de
Children’s Media Conference 2 – 4 July www.thechildrensmediaconference.com
China Licensing Expo 16 – 18 Oct www.chinalicensingexpo.com/en/
India Licensing Expo 8 – 9 July www.licenseindia.com/expo Korea Licensing Fair 17 – 21 July www.characterfair.kr Licensing Expo China 24 – 26 July www.licensingexpochina.com
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Ed Sheeran auditioned for the ITV series Britannia High. Frank Oz was the voice for Yoda, Miss Piggy and Cookie Monster. Harry Styles and Justin Bieber can both juggle. Elvis Presley was a natural blonde. Tom Hanks had an asteroid named after him which was called “12818 tomhanks”. Daniel Radcliffe broke over 80 wands while filming the Harry Potter movies because he used them as drumsticks! Adele, Leona Lewis and Jessie J all went to the same school. Uma Thurman’s dad is a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Halle Berry was actually named after a department store. Gwyneth Paltrow had a minor role in the 1991 film, Hook. She played the young Wendy Darling in the flashback scenes. At age 12, Simon Cowell was arrested for hijacking a bus with a toy gun. Dolly Parton once entered anonymously into a “Dolly Parton lookalike contest”, but lost to a drag queen. Oprah Winfrey makes $10 per second. Albert Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel in 1952, but he declined. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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