TOTAL LICENSING
In the run-up to the Nuremberg Toy Fair, this issue Total Licensing takes a look at the German marketplace with a spotlight on different properties and brands as well as licensees in the marketplace. We start with Axel Dammler from iconkids & youth international research GmbH with some findings on the German children’s market. a.dammler@iconkids.com Source: Kids License Monitor 2018
The German licensing market proves to be as slow-moving as ever: The data from the last Kids License Monitor shows that long-selling franchises such as Cars, Star Wars, and even Frozen are still considered hype themes by German children. And another typically German finding: Super heroes find it hard to win ground among boys, simply because many boys just don’t have access to the movie content! Most action movies are rated 12+ years, and German parents tend to take this age recommendation seriously. The same applies to Fortnite which most young boys are not allowed to play (it
Wave 2/2018 Wave 3/2018
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nel BibisBeautyPalace makes her very popular in this age group). In addition, four other themes in the Top 10 are non-animation (Ostwind, The Voice, Bini & Tina, Rihanna). This does not mean, however, that German tweens are finally becoming ‘older younger’ now: All these themes manage to address pre-puberty issues in a soft and unthreatening way. When these girls think of Rihanna, for example, they don’t see in her the style icon or the young woman who plays with her sexuality quite provocatively as we adults see her. For these girls, she is just a beautiful girl and great singer!
Market Status of Licenses. Top 10 Licenses by ‘Hype’ Status. Based on waves 1/2018, 11/2018 and 111/2018 BOYS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS Cars Minions Spider-Man Fireman Sam Paw Patrol Dragons Hot Wheels Yakari Tom & Jerry LEGO Ninjago
Wave 1/2018
is a shooter, after all!), so the brand is not relevant for boys under 10, either. The exception to this rule is Star Wars which is only accepted because of its heritage. But overall, this “age recommendation effect” still shapes the German licensing market for boys and makes it ‘younger’ than in other countries. When looking at girls, the results for the older tweenagers aged 10-12 years show an interesting development that may seem to point in a completely different direction: Bibi is the first social media star to appear in these girls’ top 10 ‘hype’ licenses (Bibi’s YouTube chan-
BOYS AGED 7 - 9 YEARS 74 72 69 68 66 65 63 62 60 58
GIRLS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS Frozen Disney Princess My Little Pony Barbie Tangled: The Series Trolls Princess Lillifee Mia and Me Bibi und Tina Real Life Minnie Mouse
Star Wars Minions LEGO Ninjago Avengers UEFA Champions League Nexo Knights Spider-Man Dragons Transformers Teen. Mutant Ninja Turtles
BOYS AGED 10 - 12 YEARS 66 64 63 59 58 57 56 54 53 53
GIRLS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS 90 71 66 65 62 59 59 56 56 55
Frozen Bibi und Tina Real Life Trolls Disney Princess LEGO Friends Sternenschweif Mia and Me Tom & Jerry Barbie Tangled: The Series
Star Wars UEFA Champions League Spider-Man Minions Fortnite The Simpsons The Avengers Dragons Minecraft Batman
55 53 51 49 47 46 46 45 44 44
GIRLS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS 68 61 59 56 56 54 53 52 50 50
Emojis Ostwind The Voice Bibi und Tina Real Life Tom & Jerry Frozen Bibi (Bianca Heinicke) Minions Sternenschweif Rihanna
51 51 50 49 49 48 48 47 40 40