TOTAL LICENSING CHINA
Total Licensing China caught up with Jianbo Wei, the newly appointed Managing Director China for entertainment group WildBrain
Interview:
Jianbo Wei, Managing Director China, WildBrain What does the new position involve?
the job, when many creative ideas are brought forward.
JianboWei: As WildBrain’s Managing Director for China, my most important job is to develop, maintain and implement the company’s strategy for China in response to market trends and consumer needs. We want to make sure our business is handled in the appropriate way for
Meanwhile, the new position is also a bridge of communication between local markets and our business teams in Toronto, New York, London and other offices all over the world, so that WildBrain not only fully understands the China market, but
Can you tell us about your new role with WildBrain? JianboWei: I joined WildBrain in December 2019 as Managing Director for the company’s China business. I’m extremely excited to be part of WildBrain. The company just brought on a new CEO, Eric Ellenbogen, who launched re-branding, and now we are gearing up for new growth, including expanding activities in the market of China. I am confident our industryleading properties and brands for kids and families have virtually unlimited potential in the market. Our goal in China is to connect our properties and brands more closely with Chinese partners and local consumers, and to turn the potential into real business and consumer value in a sustainable way.
this large and fast-evolving market. And we need to build out a strong team in China to work closely with all local partners and jointly bring our properties and brands to Chinese children and families. Engagement with local partners is always the most interesting part of
also incorporates the needs of local consumers and partners into its global strategy and plan. That is just as critical as building local connections in China.
How do you see WildBrain’s business in China expanding and growing? JianboWei: I think this comes down to two key factors: branding and licensing. WildBrain has one of the biggest libraries of kids and family content in the industry, with over 13,000 half-hours of programs in our library. While many of our classic properties are very well known, such as Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Strawberry Shortcake and Inspector Gadget, the length of our property list goes much deeper. Our new animation series Chip & Potato has been very popular on Netflix. Johnny Test, Caillou and Slugterra are a
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