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sales during the events, the activity of foreign clubs here is limited. Another sign of the industry becoming mature is a series of collaborations between entertainment and sports brands. It all started with Zenit and Smeshariki (the animation brand that was responsible for kicking off the licensing industry as we have it in Russia - way earlier than Masha and the Bear). One of the recent deals is a collaboration between Kontinental Hockey League and the Fixies, the second most popular animation brand in Russia. Brand and corporate licensing is almost entirely undeveloped. Having this said, it is important to mention the rise of food licensing: Pepsi has had activities in Russia over the last 5 years; Coca-Cola has just appointed ELC to run their program; and Chupa Chups have also started a local program. How to enter It seems there are three ways to enter the market. The majors prefer to open their own offices. Hiring a local sales person is also an option: it saves money and lower the risks. Another way is to buy an existing agency entirely or partly as per CPLG and Pullman, which was totally unexpected. The third option is to appoint an agent. There is an agency dilemma in Russia. The big and successful companies have a huge number of brands and potentially cannot guarantee to give each brand enough effort; and the small ones are eager to dedicate their entire time to the brand and still not successful enough. Unfortunately, the number of experienced licensing
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specialists in the industry is small. Main industry events There are two main industry events. Licensing World Russia (12-14 February 2019) is a great way to kick off the Spring business. There are different ways to participate: having a booth (remember to hire an interpreter) or just visiting. Lectures and round tables are also available. Here are some of this year topics: * Analytical session: results and trends (NPD Russia, Kids Global). * Entertainment parks (moderated by Nadezhda Zhurina, one of the industry’s most experienced specialists) * The Basics of licensing * LIMA Russia: members’ special. This is a great opportunity to get to know the market and dive into networking. The Autumn season starts with the Moscow Licensing Summit, a one day event in September, where there are opportunities to meet industry’s participants, get updated information and again talk to all important people.
LICENSING IN RUSSIA In order to structure the industry, to get everyone involved in a modern business relationship the Licensing in Russia concept is being launched. The entity is dedicated entirely to promoting LIMA values and practices into everyday life. Here are the main pillars: * Licensing In Russia Magazine. The only professional magazine distributed at more than 20 events in Russia. Do you have a case study or story to share? This is the ideal way to let the licensing professionals know. The Spring issue is being created in order to let companies have a voice at the mail events in Spring. We also have a digital source where you can get access to the recent issue and read it (if you know Russian, of course – however we are thinking about adding English pages as well). * Licensing In Russia Academy: our aim is to get more professionals to the market by educating them. * Licensing In Russia Events: let us know if you want our help to get into events, even remotely. We do have ideas how to help plus we are running traditional LIMA Russia breakfasts * There is more. We will just keep it quiet till we are ready to announce! We’ve also prepared a little gift for readers. Do you remember I said that Russians are generous people? If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of the Licensing in Russia digest at BLE last October, here is a link to read it. http://licensing-in-russia.com/ Any questions? We’re always happy to help!