4 minute read
Home of art and he ritage
Tell us a little about M&G and how it started. Museums & Galleries was started in 1983 by Caroline Humby Teck to provide bespoke products for museum and gallery shops. Over time the business developed to sell its own licensed ranges wholesale as well. We bought it in July 2013 and, after steadying the ship, it has grown steadily ever since.
What are you most proud of having achieved over the years?
We’re proud to be custodians of such an iconic company within the greeting card and gifts industry. When we first took over the business, we were aware that M&G had a strong and loyal customer base, but we didn’t fully appreciate the level of goodwill and passion for the company, its products and licensed brands.
M&G sits in its own unique space in the marketplace, thanks to its heritage, unique licences and longstanding collaborations with brands and retailers. Since 2013 we’ve built on a vision of ‘The Home of the Finest Arts Brands’ – a destination for retailers to find great art and heritage brands, and a place for those brands to grow and reach their audience through quality products. We feel genuinely privileged to work with such great people, customers and brands – and to help them grow too.
What has been your biggest challenge over that time?
The purchase and initial period after that, when we were learning about a whole new business while trying to get faith back into the brand. Turning M&G into a profitable company was not an overnight success story and it required continued investment. We were sustained by loyal customers and the support of our licensed brands, who could see the investment we were making in the product, and that we were in it for the long-haul. Even though M&G has grown significantly from when we took it over, it’s rewarding to be still working with so many of the brands, artists and people that started the journey with us 10 years ago.
You work with some big names - major museums/designers…
We’re very proud to be able to work with the brands and represent them. They are household names and places, artists or much-loved characters that people are very passionate about. We work with the licensing teams or managers for each brand and build a licensing program around the specifics of each one; although we have a core set of products, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution as each brand has different strengths and appeal.
Tell us about your artists.
We have so many individual artists within the M&G collection – some as major ‘designer’ licences and others as small collections or great one-off designs in our house ranges. The aim is to offer artworks inspired by fashion, textiles, design and literature, from contemporary illustration to great ‘Past Masters’. Some of our biggest ‘names’ are long-gone legends like William Morris or Charles Voysey, whose work is in the V&A – but their work and ethos are still compelling today. Whether a picture is 500 years old or five minutes old, it doesn’t matter – so long as it has a timeless feel and quality to it. Even though we deal with some big names and institutions, there is no barrier to entry at M&G – except ‘quality’. It’s great that an emerging or part-time artist can sit side-by-side with a Monet or Van Gogh in the same card range.
M&G is always coming up with new ideas/ products - how do you do that?
New ideas and products come as a combination of our internal ‘R&D’ and working with our agents and retailers. We’re always developing new products and ideas within the M&G studio. In recent years our range has expanded to include fabric products like Tote Bags, metal and eco drinking items, napkins and gifts like Jigsaws.
With the development of the ecoBand, removal of glue and plastic from so many products, the studio – and company as a whole – has a positive ‘can-do’ mindset. Despite having our roots in heritage art, we are an innovative company at heart. It feels like we could go in any direction, provided we have the support of our licensors and can find the right products.
Where do you hope you and the company will be in another 10 years?
To still be leading in our field and to still be working with iconic brands!
How do you look after your retailers?
We feel we have excellent customer service and – as an independent business with many independent customers – understanding of how to support retailers. M&G customers are passionate people who love our products and brands, so we want them to get the same feeling of quality when they deal with us. From our agent team to our office staff and warehouse, there’s pride in representing the brands we sell. The prompt and fast turnaround times from our new warehouse have also given customers huge confidence; when they have a hit, they know we can generally keep supplying it.
Are there any ranges you would like to highlight?
In January this year we launched our first step into ‘Tabletop’ products with a range of Paper Napkins, which has proved an instant hit. We’re already building on that with an eye to the festive season approaching we are pleased to be launching 16 Christmas paper napkins at PG Live!
Anything else you’d like to add?
We feel very fortunate to have such a strong team and such great licensors. We are a family business, of course, but many members of our team – and many of our licensors – have been with us for years, or even from the very start. That long term commitment, knowledge and trust has helped us build something really special. It does feel like an extended ‘M&G family’ of staff, agents, brands and customers. We wouldn’t be anywhere without them – and we hope to be with them in another 10 years!
Museums
01373
