Licensing Source Book Europe: Spring 2021

Spring 2021

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we proudly announce

category classic licensed property

miffy

info@mercis.nl

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flagship store opening soon

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Leader

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pportunities and challenges. Two words which cropped up a lot during the course of the team putting together this edition of LSB. It looks a bit different from our usual spring issue – indeed, the whole licensing landscape currently looks different, with none of the usual spring trade shows able to take place, non-essential retail unable to open and the country riding out the latest restrictions by once again staying home.

However, while we must all have felt we’re trapped within Groundhog Day at various points during the past year, there is no sense of inertia within the business. Challenges are being faced head on and opportunities are being seized, at home and abroad.

Speaking to a selection of licensors and agents about what they see as some of the greatest opportunities for our sector in 2021, ecommerce was a popular choice. The growth in consumers shopping online over the last year has created new targeted retail opportunities for brands, opening up the playing field to new and smaller properties which otherwise might struggle to make it to shelves.

Many brand owners also believe that pent up demand from consumers will lead to a ‘freedom

Inset: (Left to right) LSB’s Jakki Brown, Rob Willis, Samantha Loveday and Ian Hyder.

bounce’ as they begin to spend on items outside of the weekly food shop. Then there is also the fact that the lockdowns have led to consumers experiencing branded content in greater quantities than ever before.

Meanwhile, licensees have risen to the challenge of no in-person shows by creating their own virtual showcases, as well as progressing their sales efforts with improved marketing materials and product catalogues to inspire retailers.

Continuing to pull together will remain vital in the coming months. It’s important to keep moving forward and focusing on that light at the end of the tunnel. * LSB was saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Kelvyn Gardner in January. A true gentleman of the licensing industry, Kelvyn’s legacy will undoubtedly include introducing so many new WITH THIS ISSUE: companies and individuals to the The Point.1888 business, helping it to grow into the Special Publication success it is today. Unfailingly generous with his time and his wide knowledge of licensing, he will be much missed by all of us at Max Publishing.

The LSB team Samantha Loveday, Jakki Brown, Ian Hyder, Rob Willis and Keith Pashley.

Samantha Loveday - Editor Ian Hyder - Joint Managing Director Jakki Brown - Joint Managing Director and Editorial Director Rob Willis - Publishing Director Keith Pashley - Wordsmiths Extraordinaire Tel: 020 7700 6740 E-mail: hello@max-publishing.co.uk Copyright 2021. The publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text.

PUBLISHERS OF

ISSN 1234 567.

@licensingsource

LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021

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CONTENTS

What’s Inside?

8-9

State of the Nation: Corporate

64-65

State of the Nation: Food & Beverage

12-13

Kids Insights

68-71

State of the Nation: Brands

16-19

Licensee Feedback – Filling the Trade

72-73

The Big Interview: Withit marks

Show Gap

30 years

20-21

The Big Interview: George @ Asda

74-77

Art & Design Licensing Trends

22-25

Retail Round-up

80-81

State of the Nation: Sports

28-31

State of the Nation: Preschool & Nursery

83

In Conversation With… Team GB

32-33

The Big Interview: Poetic Brands

86-87

Sporting Insight with Simon Gresswell

34-35

In Conversation With… Banijay Brands

90-91

Remembering Kelvyn Gardner

36-41

Industry Issue – Biggest Opportunities

92-111

The Licensed Properties Section

for 2021

112-152

The Licensees’ Showcase

42-47

Five Big Issues, Five Key Voices

153-222

Guide to Services & Suppliers Section

48-49

Products of Change

51-55

New Faces – Ones to Watch

56-59

State of the Nation: Gaming

60-63

The International View: Overseas Feedback

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STATE OF THE NATION: CORPORATE Left: Bravado is interested in exploring all opportunities for HRVY.

It’s been a mixed, and at times, emotional start to 2021 for the licensing industry. The New Year brings with it a host of opportunities, but we’ve also had to unexpectedly say farewell to an industry great.

Open for business Bravado looking to grow HRVY CP drive Following his successful turn on Strictly Come Dancing, Bravado is looking to further grow the profile of British artist HRVY within the licensing arena.

HRVY - who was a finalist in Strictly in 2020 - has a wide fan base, selling out multiple UK and European headline tours in 2018 and 2019, as well as international shows. He has a strong following on social media with 4.8m Instagram followers, 1.2m Facebook followers and he was the number two most viewed British artist of 2020 on TikTok, with 3.9m followers and 62.2m likes on the platform. New music is expected in the first half of 2021, followed by a tour later in the year.

Bravado has already enjoyed some success with its own apparel line which has appeared in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Primark, while Danilo is on board for calendars, GB eye and Pyramid for posters and accessories, Gioia for jewellery and HeadCase for phone cases. Other areas of focus will include nightwear, stationery, back to school, gifting, publishing, cosmetics, tech and bedding.

"HRVY’s drive and openness to try new things makes working with him such a pleasure,” said Alex Mitchell, senior licensing and partnership manager at Bravado. "He is fully engaged with the programme and is always excited to see ways in which we can expand his licensing and merchandising offering. He has a huge social media following with an engaged and growing fan base, driven by his incredible talent and work ethic. Bravado is delighted to be working on this programme with HRVY and is interested in exploring all opportunities.”

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B&LLAs 2021 open for entries The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2021 are now open for entries and the awards event will now take place on Wednesday July 7 at the Hilton Park Lane, London.

Now in their sixth year, The B&LLAs 2021 will look to reward brand and lifestyle licensing activity which has taken place in the UK between January 1 2020 to December 31 2020, across Product, Retail and Property categories.

In addition, the Brand Ambassador Award will also be presented to a special individual (brand owner, licensor, retailer, licensee or supplier), acknowledging their contribution to the brand licensing sector.

The entry and nomination process for all categories is free and via online submission at www.brandlicensingawards.com. Deadline for entries is Friday May 7.

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STATE OF THE NATION: CORPORATE Below: The first mono-branded European Miffy flagship store will open in The Netherlands in spring.

Mercis eyes strong year for Miffy Fresh from the character’s milestone 65th anniversary in 2020 - and picking up The Classic Licensed Property Award at The Licensing Awards - Mercis has a host of further activity planned for Miffy this year.

This includes the first mono-branded European Miffy flagship store which is due to open in the spring in the Westfield Mall of The Netherlands, with an emphasis on lifestyle, design and gifting.

The store is an addition to the already existing official bricks and mortar stores in the cities of Amsterdam and Maastricht.

In addition, Mercis - which is the rights owner for all Dick Bruna illustrations - turns 50 this year.

In memory of Kelvyn Gardner

Tributes flooded in from licensors, licensees, retailers and agents, paying their respects to Kelvyn Gardner, who many have described as “a true gentleman of the licensing industry”, “a one-off, irreplaceable & unrepeatable”, “insightful and inspiring” and “an industry guru, a friend and a rock god”.

Hugely respected, widely known and much loved by all, Kelvyn, the founder of Asgard Media, long-time managing director of Licensing International UK and active Light Fund committee member, suddenly passed away on January 26.

In response to requests, his wife Michelle, and children Regan and Eliot have asked that anyone wishing to make a donation in Kelvyn’s memory should do so via The Light Fund.

All monies collected will then be divided between two charities that were close to Kelvyn – the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation (the charitable arm of Warrington Wolves Rugby League Club) and Help Musicians (an independent UK charity for professional musicians of all genres).

Turn to pages 88+89 to read just a selection of the tributes to Kelvyn from the industry.

Right: Donations in Kelvyn’s memory will be divided between the Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation and Help Musicians.

Below: Show Cloud has a healthy roster of clients in the toy space.

Show Cloud platform targets licensing

Integrated virtual showroom and CRM platform, Show Cloud is looking to make further in-roads into the licensing industry.

The platform - developed by well-known toy industry executive Chris Jones and his business partner Ian de Kretser - has been established for five years, and has a healthy roster of clients in the toy space from across the globe including Zuru, Jakks Pacific, Epoch and Headstart.

Show Cloud allows companies to connect all their customers with brand information across their licensed portfolio, anywhere and anytime. Every customer gets their own customised showroom, meaning they can easily connect buyers and licensees with up to date resources they might need such as brand presentations, sizzles, imagery and reports among others.

“The platform helps to bring brands to life, during a time when we can’t physically go out and see customers,” says Chris. “It also brings customers and internal teams into the same area, working from the same information.

Having a digital solution to support companies during this time of no trade shows and reduced in-person contact is critical.”

Show Cloud is due to announce its first major name within the licensing space imminently and Chris is confident that the platform can help with business continuity across the whole industry. Interested companies can book a demo at showcloud.com or you can contact chris.jones@showcloud.com for further details.

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PROFILE

HRVY is a British singer, dancer and TV presenter.

Career Highlights so far include:

SOLD OUT

multiple UK & EU headline tours in 2018 & 2019 including Hammersmith Apollo & London Palladium.

SOLD OUT

International shows in Australia, India, Jakarta, Philippines, S.Korea & USA. Face of JD Sports Global winter campaign 2018 & 2019.

No 2. Most viewed British artist of 2020 on Tik Tok. Strictly Come Dancing 2020 finalist.

FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES: ALEX MITCHELL

Global certifications including UK (silver), Brazil, Ireland and Switzerland (platinum) and Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Poland, Norway, South Africa and USA (gold).

SENIOR LICENSING & PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

ALEX.MITCHELL@BRAVADO.COM +44(0)7557756617

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4.8M

INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS

500M

YOUTUBE VIEWS

2.85M

YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS

9.9M

SPOTIFY MONTHLY LISTENS

1.25M

SPOTIFY FOLLOWERS

725M

SPOTIFY STREAMS

1.2M

FACEBOOK FOLLOWS

1M

FACEBOOK LIKES

4M

TIKTOK FOLLOWERS

64M

TIKTOK LIKES

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KIDS INSIGHTS RESEARCH

Kids Insights takes a look at how video games IP and esports present a galaxy of opportunities for the licensing industry.

Inset: Marvel-themed ingame skins have proved popular in Fortnite.

The gaming generation W

hile causing significant disruption in many ways, COVID-19 has simply sped up the digitalisation and the fragmentation of the kids’ ecosystem. The increasingly fluid nature of this ecosystem is providing significant challenges for brands to reach their audiences and, ultimately, engage them.

In March 2019 we started asking children if they have or intend to make purchases relating to their favourite (computer) game. Since we started collecting the data, we have seen the number of kids saying, ‘no, they haven’t or don’t plan to purchase merchandise relating to their favourite game’, reduce from 54% to 35%.

It is also interesting that the consistent performance of gaming licensed products from the age of four to 18 illustrate the universal appeal, and how gaming is such an important aspect of kids, tweens and teens lives.

2020 has been a year where kids online spend has continued to accelerate, and in October the number of UK children who are now spending more online was greater than they are offline.

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In-experience purchasing (INXP) - which can be in-app or in-game purchasing - continues to grow at a significant rate, with our data showing that tweens on average dedicate nearly £5 a month to in-experience spending. Among teens there has been a 9% increase on in-app spend year-on-year.

One area driving INXP is children personalising their gaming experience. With purchases such as cosmetic skins available in Fortnite, brands such as Disney licensing their IP imagery to create Marvel themed ingame skins for the online video game seems to be a smart strategy based on our data, as 6-9 year olds who play the game are 10% more likely to make video game purchases based on their favourite films.

In addition to conventional gaming, we continue to observe the phenomenal growth of esports.

Across the EU5 we can see that 20% of teenagers on average watch esports on screen. One in ten teens in the UK and Germany use Twitch, the premiere platform in the industry for live video content. While the Premier League was halted amidst the pandemic, the League of Legends European Championship - streamed live on

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KIDS INSIGHTS RESEARCH

Twitch - boasted the league’s highest ever Right: Gucci produced a collaborative watch with viewing figures, raking in an average of 819,400 esports entertainment brand, Fnatic. viewers for the final in April – illustrating how with teens media consumption continues to become who engage in even more fragmented. esports being From our data, we believe that gaming 59% more likely represents an increasingly growing opportunity to purchase items for all aspects of the licensing industry. The related to their most obvious route into the industry is through favourite video games. the creation of licensed gaming peripherals such This is another example as IT equipment, endorsed by pro-gamers in the same vein as an of how the power of athlete endorses their • Gaming is now the second most popular hobby with all children in the UK with more than 1.3 million 3-18 year understanding and sports equipment. olds saying gaming is their favourite hobby. defining your target However, in the world • With kids playing games more and for longer, there are audience has never been of clothing, Adidas, significant digital opportunities such as cosmetic skins in Fortnite for the licensing industry. more important, and why Nike and Puma have • Kids spending more online has nearly doubled in three we will be launching a begun manufacturing years, increasing from 30% (in November 2017) to 55% in number of tools for the sportswear for teams November 2020. advertising and media and in Europe, South licensing industry in Q1 2021.

Korea and North America, respectively, while Gucci produced a collaborative watch with Fnatic. As the industry continues to boom, more sponsorship and collaboration will be leveraged by brands seeking to connect with this particular subculture of kids. Sponsorships are already set to hit $584 million in 2020, as the market is set to bring in revenues of $3.5 billion by the end of 2021.

The substantial growth of esports is a great The Insights People, the global leader in kids, tweens and teens market intelligence, example of how fans of these niche sectors specialises in research and insights on kids aged 3-18 and their ecosystems. It surveys more than 5,000 children every week, across five continents and 13 countries, or more than become united on a global basis to provide a 277,000 children a year. The company has recently issued its annual Kids Insights Future Forecast report. To learn more, download the full Kids Insights Future Forecast report, significant global opportunity. And with esports which makes ten predictions based on its extensive experience of the kids’ ecosystem at in particular we can see the power of fandom, www.kidsinsights.com/lsb.

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LICENSEE FEEDBACK

The traditional start to the year is looking significantly different in 2021, with none of the usual trade shows – including London’s Toy Fair, Nuremberg and Spring Fair – going ahead in-person. So, what are licensees across a range of categories doing to fill the gap? LSB catches up with a selection to find out their plans and why it’s key for the industry to make the most of Q1 despite the calendar changes.

Away from the floor Ben Woodman, commercial director, GB eye “We hope that 2021 sees the return of trade shows in some capacity, while myself and the team are also really looking forward to the day when we can arrange face to face meetings again.

The last year has shown us how important technology can be in helping to maintain Above: It’s so important to relationships and keeping the industry keep moving connected, so for the short-term it will beforward, says GB eye’s Ben. more of the same. To kick off 2021 in a positive manner we’ll be holding virtual showcases for retailers - it’s so important to keep moving forward - and we’ll also be using the various meeting platforms to convey the great products and licences we have for this year.”

Inset: The lack of shows has meant Steamforged has worked far more closely with existing partners, says Toby.

Toby Davies, commercial director, Steamforged Games

“The lack of trade shows has meant having to work far more closely with all of our existing partners. We took the decision to bring on key strategic distribution partners versus going direct to some larger retailers, to help the fact not having trade shows has made it a bit harder to pitch to these customers. The positives in doing so far outweighed the margin hit. You could say that in the year we had to stay 2m apart, we have never worked more closely.

While this was all going on, we doubled down on growing our core channels. Unfortunately, while we lost a fair number of trade customers in 2020, we finished the year well up on how many active customers were ordering from us regularly. To support all of this we really had to start levelling up our digital marketing strategy, which will eventually give us a far more robust omnichannel approach and a healthy ecosystem across the channels you can find our products.”

Anthony Duckworth, md, Dreamtex

“As ever we like to grasp the positives from every situation and we have already been able to speak to many of our customers by hosting virtual presentations.

We have certainly missed meeting fellow licensing industry execs and hearing the latest news from a variety of different licensed product areas. It is always great to look at innovation across the licensing industry and be more ‘hands on’, however the current situation is making this very difficult.

We have, however, been able to concentrate on more marketing support and promotions as the business focuses on the ecommerce opportunity that is rapidly expanding. Personally, we can’t wait for the trade show calendar to return to normal, but until that time we just have to do whatever it takes to get our new ranges out there.”

Left: Dreamtex has been hosting virtual presentations, says Anthony.

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Below: Kim is looking forward to the return of one-to-one meetings later in the year.

Kim Bown, director, Misirli

“It’s going to be even more crucial that we share and update our customers with our portfolio and licence activities.

Spring/summer is always traditionally a shorter and smaller season in terms of order quantities in our category, but now is the time we need to start preparing for the AW season and making sure we capture all opportunities that will be there once we get through the current lockdown.

We will continue to present via online Powerpoint meetings, our trends, licences and activity tailored to each retailer and hopefully our one-to-one meetings will be greatly welcomed by us by the second half of this year.”

Emily Aldridge, head of global licensing, Abysse “Last September we replaced the NEC Autumn Gift Fair with an Abysse Virtual Fair where each customer was given the chance of a video call with their sales representative, and they were presented with key samples. This brought great success with order conversion from a vast range of customers large and small.

For spring, we are planning bigger and better with some showroom expo days where we present all our new and key product ranges. We will present this in a showroom environment, where customers can either join a Teams presentation of the showroom, have one-to-one virtual meetings with sales representatives, or, pending some relaxation of the current restrictions, we will open the showroom in a COVIDsafe way for customers who wish to visit.”

LICENSEE FEEDBACK

Zara Grindrod, sales director, Rainbow Designs

“With the economy and retail lockdown status, it is even more vital that these conversations still happen, and we are certainly ready to make the most of this time engaging and working with our customers.

From January 19, we have been offering One-to-One Virtual Showcases to both our existing accounts and new retailers. We recognise that some buyers have been furloughed and that others are working in a slightly different way and so we are looking to be as flexible as we can by not putting an end date on the showcases.

We have some joyful and inspiring new collections and product lines to offer our retailers, many of which are arriving for SS21.”

Above: Rainbow Designs is offering one to one virtual showcases for existing and new accounts, says Zara.

Below left: Abysse is planning showroom expo days, says Emily.

Below: Lisa says the focus needs to be on key seasonal deadlines.

Bottom: The days of pulling out samples from a brief case seem a distant memory, says Dan.

Lisa Shand, md, Blueprint collections “We have been pulling together bespoke presentations for each buyer and taking them through the detail in online meetings. The focus needs to be on key seasonal deadlines, so that we do not miss opportunities once retail is able to open again and we start to return to some sort of normality.”

Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo

“The loss of the trade shows has a big impact for us. In particular we use Spring Fair as a springboard to launch our new ranges for 2021 and so with that show cancelled we have had to adapt our approach to selling.

The days of pulling out samples from a briefcase seem a distant memory now and have been replaced with the virtual meeting world, with presentations being shared on screen. In some ways it’s made life easier from a time perspective and not having to travel across the country for face to face meetings, however I still believe seeing product showcased on an exhibition stand has an impact that can’t be replaced in the same way on a screen.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to provide virtual tours of our showroom, simply because the showroom has been taken over for the purposes of managing our online stock due to the uplift we have seen there. So, it’s a case of progressing our sales effort with improved marketing materials and product catalogues to inspire our customers with some of our great new product ranges launching this year. We have really pushed things forward during the pandemic at a time when we could have been left behind, and so being dynamic in an ever changing market place has given us some good momentum coming into 2021.”

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At an already magical time, Disney is the perfect way to transport ourselves into a world beyond our wildest imagination. Disney Christmas brings all of your favourite and most timeless characters to a collectable range of decorations and gifts for children and adults of all ages.

Broadgate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 9XE UK T: +44(0)161 688 1226 I F: +44(0)161 682 6808 I sales@widdop.co.uk I www.widdopandco.co.uk

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LICENSEE FEEDBACK

Danny Schweiger, joint md, Character World

Inset: Character World will be creating a virtual showcase for its latest NPD, says Danny.

“Trade shows are an incredible opportunity for us all to get together, share information and as always have a great time doing so. In light of the pandemic and the shows being cancelled, Character World has had to think how the start of this year is going to look for us and we think we have some great things planned.

The benefits of the digital world have been all around us and this is what we will be using to really drive our relationships and share updates and information among ourselves and licensors. We have already begun by having key virtual meetings with licensors and will continue to do so through the magic of Zoom over the coming quarter, but we also have big plans for how we will be sharing our company updates. We are also working on creating a Virtual Showcase for our latest NPD and look forward to sharing this with licensors and retailers in the coming months.”

Matt Reynolds, md, Little Brother Books “Without trade shows, we have had to be more proactive than ever to arrange face to face virtual meetings with all our licensors, as well as ad hoc calls to our retail buyers and Matt says Little Brother fellow licensees (in non- Inset: Books is being more proactive than ever. competitive areas) to better understand their views on each brand.

This is something we did anyway, but without the structure of meetings and presentations at trade shows, as well as the ‘general banter’ that happens there, we need to make a conscious effort to do it nowadays.

I am also an avid reader of all trade publications, press and newsfeeds, so these are more important than ever. We as a company have also been more proactive than ever in trade and consumer PR over the last 12 months, working with Grapevine Global.”

Sue Stanley, licensing director, Brands In

“As a licensee specialising in jersey apparel, the key ‘must attend’ trade shows in our calendar will always be those in licensing, namely Licensing Expo and BLE. However, we have always attended the annual Q1 trade shows in the UK including London Toy Fair, Spring Fair and Top Drawer. Attending these markets connects us with industry contacts who we won’t have likely seen since BLE; this can include both licensors and retailers where we have an opportunity for face-toface updates and forward planning. The shows, and most specifically London Toy Fair, also give us the opportunity to see new IP filtering through the industry which will transition into licensing.

Licensing is such a connected industry that it’s been vital for us to remain engaged via Zoom ever since the pandemic took us into Lockdown 1 last March. It has helped us secure new retail partners and fast-forward our ecommerce, drop-ship and print on demand business in a way we could never have foreseen.”

Left: The shows give licensees a chance to see new IP filtering through, says Sue.

Hollie-Ann Robinson, social media manager, Dennicci

“Same as in 2020, the team at Dennicci and Blues have adapted to do as much as possible virtually and will continue to do so into 2021.

The key for us is making sure we’re keeping up communication with our customers; this has been easier than ever with the power of virtual meetings. We are engaging with customers through various online meetings and to make sure we cover that trade show gap we have missed over the last 12 months.

These times are very different from how we have worked in the past and we had little face to face meetings last year. Where it was possible, in a safe environment, (pre lockdown of course) we managed to have visitors to our showrooms to present developments and new ideas.

We’re taking everything in our stride as we enter our third season under COVID restrictions and we’re hoping for a successful year ahead.”

Right: The key is making sure communication with customers is kept up, says Hollie.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW: GEORGE @ ASDA

King George

Right: The biggest growth came from gaming brands including Nintendo in 2020, says Ruth.

A strong continued commitment to licensing paid dividends for George at Asda last year – despite the pandemic, it had its best ever year for licensed products with sales increasing both online and in-store. And with an expansion to its successful Disney partnership, plus plans for more brand and lifestyle collaborations and opportunities to trial new brands also afoot, further growth is firmly in the retailer’s sights. LSB catches up with Ruth Golightly, head of baby and maternity, to find out more.

I

n a year which saw licensed products’ route to retail upended in many ways, grocers continued to be a beacon of light, providing shelf space and visibility for a wide range of properties across character, entertainment and brands.

And for Asda/George @ Asda, the continued commitment to licensed lines throughout last year certainly paid off.

“Despite the pandemic, we have been really fortunate at George; we had our best ever year for licensed products [in 2020] with sales up more than 30% on 2019 both online and in stores,” Ruth Golightly, head of baby and maternity for George @ Asda, tells LSB. “Disney has been incredible - we launched a Disney shop in October in over 300 stores selling Disney classics, Marvel and Star Wars. Minnie and Mickey have been the brands customers have bought the most, but the newest and biggest growth has been gaming brands, such as Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.”

The onset of lockdown across the UK, however, did mean some changes, as Ruth explains.

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“We had already planned big for gaming products as we entered 2020, but knowing people were in lockdown and at home, we realised we needed to be bolder and move with the ‘lockdown trends’ so we bought even more gaming product which hit down early December and again it smashed all plans,” she says. “We are also fortunate to have a mature online business, which has proved an easy option for many people who have been in lockdown or self-isolating or where other retailers have been closed. The licensing mix online has easily doubled through autumn and winter, gaining new customers that may never have previously bought George product.”

Understandably, licensed product will continue to be one of George’s main priorities in 2021. “Even off the back of a great year we are still planning growth,” Ruth offers.

“Licences make you feel good, they feel safe and familiar and we see this trend continuing well into this year with online playing an even Inset: Ruth Golightly bigger part. We (pictured at the product judging for realise it’s less about The Licensing Awards 2019), head big movie moments of baby and maternity at Asda.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW: GEORGE @ ASDA

Inset: Despite already planning big for gaming last year, the retailer bought in even more product as it looked to keep up with lockdown trends.

expansion across licensed product, before taking and more about all year round evergreens and on her current position in September last year. “The fashion trends; Disney+ has proved this.” creative teams here live and breathe licensing, and There are also some big things planned at Asda we love what we do,” she says. “We truly know across all categories for the upcoming summer of what our customer wants and are unapologetic in sport, including the delayed Euro tournament and our approach to be bold and own the UK market the Tokyo Olympics, although Ruth is keeping her for licensed clothing.” powder dry for now. She also hints at “so many Ruth adds: “There is always exciting partnerships more exciting things coming and collaborations Disney gains every year; you can reignite planned for 2021” in The launch of the Disney shop in over 300 Asda stores “exceeded all our expectations” says Ruth, with them classics as well as pushing the brand and lifestyle performing well ahead of plan in its first few weeks. boundaries for newness. space. This will further The relationship between George and Disney is also There is never a dull moment build on the retailer’s expanding further, with the introduction of a Disney Baby shop in January on George.com as well as in in the world of licensing and activity in the brand approximately 20 stores. This consists of co-ordinated the community of the sector, which was clothing and nursery ranges for all Disney classics, such licensing world are the best recognised with a win as Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, Minnie and Mickey Mouse people to work with.” at last year’s Brand & and The Lion King.

In addition, a new Disney premature baby range in And for 2021, Ruth has a Lifestyle Licensing organic cotton will be launching in early 2021. “This is simple, clearly focused aim: Awards in the affordable clothing for premature babies which we have “After a hugely successful Best Supermarket designed with advice from midwives and neo-natal specialists,” Ruth explains. year in 2020, to grow the Brand Licensed licensed business again year Execution category. on year would be amazing… and just to see people A newly created licensed, brands and in person, at a showcase or dare I say even in Las collaborations department at George will also Vegas, would be lovely.” focus on not only nurturing and growing existing licensed partnerships, but also bringing new brands and collaboration opportunities to Asda and George. Ruth continues: “Because we have a strong online business, we can easily and quickly try new brands online and roll out to stores if it fits. Looking at working with smaller brands is something we are in discussions about.”

Ruth’s enthusiasm for the licensing business is clear to see.

She has been with Asda for Inset: Disney shops launched in over 300 some 14 years in various buying stores in October last year, exceeding all roles, driving the retailer’s expectations.

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RETAIL ROUND-UP

Inset: An IPO could value The Very Group at £3 billion.

Below: The John Lewis range is gender neutral and made with sustainable fabrics.

Bottom left: Mango’s debut homeware collection will focus on textiles for the bedroom, living room and bathroom.

Minding the shop There’s no denying that retail is facing a number of challenges at the moment, however there are still some bright spots. From IPOs for online success stories through to new licensed launches, LSB takes a look at some of the latest news.

The Very Group weighing up IPO plans The owners of The Very Group are reportedly mulling over an IPO of the online retailer, which could value it at £3 billion.

Sky News reported that the Barclay family is in the early stages of deciding whether to take the group public, amid soaring interest from investors in online retailers.

The Very Group has been one of the success stories of lockdown and recently reported record sales during the Christmas trading period.

For the seven weeks to and including 25 December 2020, retail sales increased 25.2% year on year at Very.co.uk. Sales via the Very mobile app, meanwhile, were up by 33%.

The retailer also gained more than 500,000 new customers during the period, an increase of 25.5% year on year.

Mango to expand its brand into homeware Spanish fashion retailer Mango is expanding its brand with the launch of its first homeware collection in April.

The collection will draw inspiration from Mediterranean lifestyle and culture. It will include bed linen, duvet covers, cushions, blankets, towels, bathrobes, candles and mikados.

Textile products will be sustainable with 80% of the items being produced locally.

The debut collection will focus textile lines for the bedroom, living room and bathroom. Products for the kitchen and dining room will be added from the autumn/winter 2021 season.

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NHM’s retail brace

Natural History Museum has revealed collaborations with two retailers to start the year.

First up, John Lewis has worked with the Museum and Bro Global Group on a new childrenswear collection. Aimed at ages 3-12 years, the genderneutral range consists of t-shirts, sweatshirts, longsleeved tops, leggings and joggers, with graphics that encourage a love of our planet, a message that is mirrored by the sustainable fabrics used to create the collection.

BCI Cotton was used across the range with only water-based print techniques.

In addition, the Museum is working with online design brand and retailer MADE.com on the third collaborative capsule collection of nature-inspired art prints. The bold new additions – which feature illustrations of a jaguar, tiger, giraffe and Cape mountain zebra – have all been taken from the Museum’s vast artwork collection and archives.

Inset: General merchandise and clothing sales performed ahead of expectations.

Strong Q3 for Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has reported its third quarter trading for the 15 weeks to January 2, 2021 – with sales of general merchandise and clothing performing ahead of expectations.

Gross margins on general merchandise and clothing benefited from better than anticipated full price sales, the retailer said, driven by customers shopping earlier for Christmas and

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RETAIL ROUND-UP

Inset: ABF has said that when Primark stores are open, trading has been strong.

successful changes to its Black Friday trading strategy.

General merchandise sales grew by 6.0% for the period, with clothing sales up slightly by 0.4%, with Tu Clothing growing market share in both value and volume, with strong online growth.

Argos’ sales grew by over 8% in the quarter, with nearly 90% of sales starting online and Fast Track delivery grew by 62%.

Argos’ growth was driven by a strong performance across a wide variety of categories, with particularly good growth in Christmas gifting, gaming consoles and TVs. This was despite a Black Friday performance which reflected a continued reduction in promotional activity in favour of lower everyday prices.

Inset: Moonpig sold some 46 million cards in the last year.

Primark sales hit could reach £1.05bn Primark has taken a £540 million sales hit related to lockdowns, parent company Associated British Foods has revealed. However, this figure could reach £1.05 billion if all of its closed stores remain shut until February 27, the financial half-year.

For the 16 weeks to January 2, 2021, Primark sales were 30% lower than last year at constant currency and 28% lower at actual exchange rates.

ABF did also stress, however, that when certain stores were open during the period, trading was strong with sales at -14% on a like-for-like basis compared to pre-pandemic levels last year.

While sales at Primark stores in retail parks were higher than a year ago, shopping centres and regional high street stores were lower. Large destination city centre stores continued to see a significant decline in footfall.

Hamleys launches on eBay

Moonpig confirms float intentions

Moonpig confirmed its intention to go for a stock market flotation in January, with an IPO expected to value the company at £1.2 billion.

The UK’s leading online player has unsurprisingly fared exceptionally well during the pandemic, with its sales in the six months to end of October up 135% year on year, (reporting a revenue of £155.9 million). While greeting cards account for well over half of its sales (54%) under its main Moonpig and Netherlands-based Greetz business, gifts and flowers accounted for 46% of its sales in the 12 months to October 31, 2020.

Moonpig already offers over 20,000 different greeting card designs from its platforms, selling some 46 million cards in the last year. The company explained that the online card market as currently representing 10% of the total card market, the prospectus quotes OC&C predications that this will double to 20% by 2024.

Iconic toy store Hamleys has launched its first eBay shop as part of its plans to expand its online presence.

Over 1,600 product lines feature on eBay, including Hamleys’ own-label range of toys.

The overall toys category on eBay has seen sales grow dramatically in the past year, with both new and retro toys proving popular.

During Black Friday, sales for toys were up 58% compared to the previous year. Superheroes and Star Wars dominated the most popular purchases, with Star Wars and Marvel Avengers LEGO sets among the most popular – 16 superhero-themed items were bought every hour over the Black Friday period on eBay UK. The addition of Hamleys will give a further boost to eBay’s growing toys offering, with The Entertainer and Early Learning Centre also recently joining eBay.

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ISAWITFIRST gets Mean Online fashion retailer ISAWITFIRST has unveiled new lounge and nightwear collection inspired by classic Noughties movie, Mean Girls.

The exclusive range includes oversized hoodies featuring some of the most iconic scenes and phrases from the film – including ‘I’m on an all-carb diet’ and ‘Sweatpants are all that fit me right now’ – plus slogan t-shirts, ‘cool Mom approved’ pyjamas and even a matching hoodie for your dog.

“We are so excited to be launching The Mean Girls Collection,” commented Leanne Holmes, brand and buying director at ISAWITFIRST. “We are confident that this collection our customer will love not only on a brand level, but will also offer them pieces that they are actually wanting to buy in light of this newly announced lockdown; namely loungewear and nightwear.”

Right: The new range includes some of the most iconic scenes from the movie.

Below: Debenhams’ Oxford Street flagship is among the stores which will not re-open.

Right: The range includes popular brands such as Star Wars.

Debenhams to permanently close six stores

Debenhams has confirmed that it will permanently close six of its stores. The closures include the department store’s Oxford Street flagship, as well as outlets in Portsmouth, Staines, Harrogate, Weymouth and Worcester, resulting in 320 redundancies.

Debenhams began winding down its business at the beginning of December 2020 with the plan to eventually close all 124 of its stores.

A statement from the retailer read: “While it remains our intention to reopen as many stores as possible to complete the stock liquidation, which continues online, the renewed national lockdown means that a number of stores where we have been unable to agree lease extensions will be permanently closed.”

Boohoo acquired the Debenhams brand and website for £55m in January. However, the deal does not include Debenhams’ retail stores, stock or any financial services.

Disney teams with Amazon Fashion Disney has joined forces with Amazon Fashion for a new kidswear collection.

The range has been created in collaboration with Amazon’s private brands, Spotted Zebra and Amazon Essentials.

Aimed at ages 2-12, it features a host of popular characters from animations including Frozen, Aladdin and Cinderella, as well as apparel showcasing Marvel Super Heroes, Spider-Man, Avengers and Star Wars.

Items include dresses, button-down shirts, tshirts, pyjamas, skirts and leggings, with prices ranging from £13.49 to £24.99.

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STATE OF THE NATION: PRESCHOOL & NURSERY

Right: The nursery brand is expanding with new lines in Japan and the US.

Child’s play The preschool sector is due to see a raft of new products land at retail in the first quarter of 2021, following on from deals secured last year. LSB takes a look at some of the latest happenings.

International deals for Sophie la girafe

Nursery brand Sophie la girafe has secured a brace of new deals in international markets.

In Japan, the brand has partnered with Knit Planner, entering the baby towel product category for the first time. The collection includes hand, bath and face towels, plus an animal bath cape towel and a baby illustration bath towel.

Meanwhile, in the US, a new partnership with RaZbaby for a unique plush toy which has been designed for use with a pacifier or teether to help hold it in place.

Hey Duggee leaps into 2021

Above: Character cases from HTI are due to arrive later this year.

BBC Studios’ Hey Duggee enters 2021 having secured further deals.

HTI is on board for a range of licensed bubbles, outdoor patio chairs, electronic musical instruments and character cases. The bubbles and the outdoor range will launch in early 2021 in time for the spring/summer season, with the remaining categories following for autumn/winter.

Hey Duggee’s master toy partner Golden Bear is also showing buyers a new range of plastic and plush toys for AW21.

Meanwhile, Fiddes Payne is launching Hey Duggee Cup Cake Mixes into Tesco from January, before rolling the product out to more retailers later in the year. Finsbury Foods has also recently launched a new Hey Duggee cake, while the brand will have its first confectionery products with Kinnerton for Easter 2021.

Danilo, Robert Frederick join Elmer

Melissa & Doug teams with ViacomCBS

A favourite with preschoolers across the globe, Melissa & Doug has secured an exclusive licensing partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to launch co-branded toy lines for PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You in autumn 2021.

The toys will be designed to educate and empower preschoolers through active engagement, with a focus on problem solving and creative thinking.

The global partnership is the largest licensing agreement Melissa & Doug has ever signed, marking a major milestone for the company.

David Henderson, chief commercial officer of Melissa & Doug, said: “We’re excited to work with a company as iconic as Nickelodeon, one that shares in our mission to make the world a more playful place through thoughtfully researched and designed products and content.

“The characters of PAW Patrol and Blue’s Clues & You will help us introduce our hands-on, skill-building toys to an even greater number of children.”

Inset: New products for Elmer will arrive

Metrostar has welcomed a brace of new partners to the licensing programme this year. for Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.

Danilo will be publishing calendars, greeting cards, gift wrap and bags, while Robert Frederick will create gifts, arts and crafts and stationery.

In addition, existing licensees have been busy working on new Elmer products.

Amscan has renewed its dress-up licence, while Rainbow Designs is adding new lines to its Elmer portfolio. Paul Dennicci has also developed the first Elmer babywear collection for Primark.

New products from all the above licensees will be launched in 2021.

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STATE OF THE NATION: PRESCHOOL & NURSERY

Bing gets ecommerce store

Acamar Films has launched its first e-commerce store for preschool property, Bing.

Developed in partnership with Event Merchandising, the new online retail hub is a one-stop-shop for all things Bing and is initially launching in the UK. The Bing Store range includes new and exclusive personalised product across apparel, gifts and homeware categories, alongside a selection of toys, books, dress up, clothing and party accessories from existing licensing partners.

Seasonal lines will also be added to the store.

Louise Simmonds, head of UK licensing and merchandising at Acamar Films, said: “The development and launch of our new e-commerce site demonstrates our deep commitment to digital growth and the importance of having a direct dialogue with our audience.”

Above: Acamar developed the new store in partnership with Event Merchandising.

Floogals zoom into Rocket’s roster Rocket Licensing has signed the representation rights for Nevison’s BAFTA and Emmy nominated preschool TV animation, Floogals.

The show – which follows Fleeker, Flo and Boomer, three pocket-sized aliens from Planet Floog – airs daily on Milkshake, where it ranked as the number three show on the channel in 2020, Above: Floogals currently airs daily on Milkshake. with a 721k reach and 70k average audience.

Series two of the show also enjoys a daily slot on Nick Jr Too, while series 1-3 are also available on Universal Kids and on demand on Amazon Prime and YouTube Kids.

Rocket will initially be targeting toys, apparel, publishing, gifting, homewares and food.

“Floogals has a uniquely attractive blend of live action and animation and its appeal can be seen in its huge success as a broadcast programme,” said Charlie Donaldson, joint md at Rocket Licensing. “This success gives us great scope for developing consumer products and promotional campaigns.”

Thomas & Friends gets new 2D look

Above A new creative direction will see the series animated in 2D.

Mattel Television has revealed a new co-production partnership with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio, which will see Thomas & Friends given a new creative approach and reimagined for a new generation.

Mattel has given the greenlight to 104 11-minute episodes and two 60-minute specials for the Thomas & Friends television series over two seasons.

It has partnered with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio to co-produce the series starting with Season 25, which will premiere beginning in autumn 2021, and will introduce a new creative approach to the show, contemporising the series for today’s families.

The new creative direction will see the series animated in 2D. It will also build upon the creative elements that have resonated with Thomas & Friends fans over the years by featuring comedic, playful stories and lessons told from Thomas’ point of view.

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17-19 NOVEMBER 2021 ExCeL London

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE ANNOUNCES NEW DATES AND FORMAT Join the licensing community for an in-person event from 17-19 November at ExCeL London, followed by an online event on 30th November - 1st December.

FIND OUT MORE AT www.brandlicensing.eu

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STATE OF THE NATION: PRESCHOOL & NURSERY

Smiffys boosts preschool portfolio

Inset: Smiffys’ costume for The Gruffalo will launch in

time for World Book Day. Smiffys has added Animaccord’s Masha and the Bear preschool property to its roster.

The company will now create officially licensed costumes which are due to launch at the start of 2021. This will then be followed up with Masha and the Bear tableware. The deal was brokered by Lisle Licensing.

In addition, Smiffys is collaborating with Magic Light Pictures on a range of dress-up costumes for Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s properties.

The deal includes The Gruffalo, The Highway Rat, Stick Man, Zog and Room on the Broom.

The Gruffalo costume will be available in time for World Book Day in 2021, featuring a deluxe all-inone with a novelty hood. The other costumes will launch later in the year, in time for Australia’s Book Week 2021.

Licensees feeling Blue

Below: A host of UK licensees have signed up for Blue’s Clues & You.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products has confirmed a raft of new UK partners for Blue’s Clues & You. The news follows on from the partnership with Just Play, which will be the property’s master toy partner.

Additional partners for the preschool brand include Kid Designs for consumer electronics; Imagine8 on accessories and Kimm & Miller for novelty food gifting.

Fashion UK – which also partners with VCP for PAW Patrol: The Movie – will cover daywear, while Character World will focus on bedding and Amscan on costume and dress-up. In the publishing space, Egmont has acquired the UK rights for Blue’s Clues & You! themed magazines and Signature Gifts on personalised books.

Products will begin to hit shelves from July 2021.

Below: 2021 is shaping up to be a busy year for CoComelon in the licensing space.

CoComelon programme grows The Point.1888 and Moonbug Entertainment have revealed a further 11 licensees have come on board for CoComelon.

The new licensees include Poetic Brands (daywear); Misirli (branded socks); Egmont Books (master publisher for story, board, novelty, activity and sound books); Character World (bedding); Crayola (colouring and activity books); Alligator Products (complementary colouring and activity books); RMS International (wooden puzzles, arts and crafts, bubble kits and sensory toys); YWOW (collectable mini cube puzzle); Danilo (greeting cards, calendars and giftwrap); Sinco Creations (accessories and playmats); and Zak (lunch boxes).

The new licensees join CoComelon’s existing partners Jazwares and Bandai, as well as WOW Stuff, Ravensburger, TDP Textiles, Aykroyds & Sons and Egmont Magazines, which will all be launching for SS2021.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW: POETIC BRANDS Inset: The Baby Club range will include layette and fashion daywear, plus nightwear, snow suits, sleeping bags, accessories, towels and changing bags.

Bottom: “We have received incredible support from our customers and licensors” says Poetic Brands’ director, Anne Bradford.

Well versed Already well established within the adult apparel space, Poetic Brands unveiled its plans for a babywear and childrenswear division over 12 months ago now. Since then, it has steadily grown the licences it works with in this space, while also continuing to add new brands for older age groups - as varied as Van Gogh to Fender. LSB checks in with director Anne Bradford to find out more.

I

t’s been well over a year now since apparel licensee Poetic Brands set out its stall to establish a baby and childrenswear division, complementing its successful adult offer.

“When I walked through the doors of Poetic Brands for the first time

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over a year ago and someone had said that it was going to be a tough year, I would have agreed with them without having a heads up on what was to come,” offers Anne Bradford, who joined the licensee to head up the new division, bringing with her a wealth of experience from her time at Blues Clothing and TVM Fashion Lab. Despite the difficulties of 2020, however, Poetic Brands’ new arm has got off to a solid start. The end of last year saw it announce a slew of signings including The Baby Club, Brambly Hedge, Tiny Tatty Teddy, Gigantosaurus and Early Learning Centre. At the same time, it’s continued to build its older portfolio, too, with Sunny Side Up’s Let’s Get Lyrical, Van Gogh Museum, FIFA and Fender among the new additions.

“We have received incredible support from our customers and licensors alike who have taken time to listen to what we are doing as a business and we have subsequently taken on a number of licences that we truly believe in and are committed to delivering,” Anne tells LSB. “We are growing licences into categories that they may not have

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THE BIG INTERVIEW: POETIC BRANDS

been in before and creating cohesive ranges and Trend spotting collections. As a new business everything that Numerous trends emerged through the prolonged we sign is ‘big’ to us. We won’t commit to lockdown period of 2020, which Poetic Brands anything without truly believing that we can believes now present a number of opportunities.

“Gaming is still key to so many, but in addition to this deliver it and create something commercial there has been a huge amount of engagement in around it.” other areas as children and adults have reconnected Anne continues: “We have been thrilled to have with board games and books and are generally feeling nostalgic and looking for feel good properties the opportunity to work on some incredible to engage with,” says Anne. “We know that content is properties going forwards and are very much being constantly streamed and watched 24/7, looking forward to seeing these launch at retail.” allowing children and adults alike to connect with Talking more about the setting up of the new what they want to when they want to.

“Launching a new show is no longer at the mercy of division, Anne explains that the company a limited amount of broadcasting channels and as identified gaps in the supply chain and product such the landscape is growing at a huge pace. There offerings that it could fulfil. “Poetic Brands will always be much loved evergreens, but there are now a huge amount more out there to choose from adults business was already set up with all and this will continue to evolve.” major high street retailers with active factories Anne continues: “Families have also re connected so there was no need for us to be set up as a with each other. I personally love the fact that most new supplier, so we were able to start trading nights we are able to sit down together around a table and talk about anything and everything. Life is immediately,” she says. “Our factory base is vast normally so fast paced with juggling work, travel, kid’s and we can produce all categories and articles clubs and activities.” from babywear, daywear, outerwear and People have identified the importance of families and friends and there are many positives that will swimwear across adults and kids. We also have come from this. the capability to produce accessories and luggage, so there are a huge amount of opportunities for product extensions with any licences that we sign.”

Anne acknowledges that Poetic Brands will be facing the same challenges as everyone else in 2021 – “retailers actually being able to trade and goods being able to move” – but all it can do is continue to be as agile as possible and navigate the way through.

“We have been hugely fortunate to be able to grow over the course of 2020,” she offers. “This year I’d like us to be recognised for the team’s design excellence and ability to deliver beautiful, fun, commercial and cohesive ranges. I have worked with a number of team members over the years and it’s been incredible to bring them all together again.”

Having started her career as a buyer, Anne is in the key position of understanding what it’s like from a retailer perspective. “It’s imperative that we deliver on each and everything that we say we will,” she concludes. “In an ideal world there would be no issues, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case. The integrity of how we work with our customers and factories Righ: Gigantosaurus children’s apparel, outerwear and has always been incredibly swimwear, as well as luggage important to me personally and will is being planned. continue to be for years to come.”

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IN CONVERSATION WITH: BANIJAY BRANDS

From Peaky Blinders to MasterChef, Simon’s Cat to Mr Bean, and also taking into account a host of hit quiz and reality shows, plus a strong children’s portfolio from Zodiak Kids, the Banijay Brands’ roster is certainly an enviable one. LSB catches up with the company’s Jane Smith to find out how it fared in 2020 and what it’s serving up for 2021.

Show of strength “The strength of our IP has allowed us to weather the storm,” begins Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing at Banijay Brands. “The pandemic has changed the industry, but this business is adaptable, and we are seeing a new retail landscape emerge.”

Banijay Brands – which was officially formed in September 2020, following the completion of the acquisition of Endemol Shine Group in the summer – has an enviable roster, with Jane saying that she is “incredibly proud of the resilience of our brand portfolio”.

2020 saw a number of highlights, as she explains: “The launch of a Peaky Blinders wine with Maison Bardet, maintaining a strong MasterChef loyalty business with TCC in the grocers, expanding our ecommerce business with the MasterChef finalist Claire Fyfe product range, successful Simon’s Cat plush launches and the debut of a Peaky Blinders branded store on Amazon were all significant achievements.”

And this is just a fraction of the activity which happened across the portfolio last year, with 2020 also including the 30th anniversary of Mr Bean, a sell-out pet product range in the US and across 16 markets with Lidl for Simon’s Cat, plus growth for

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Inset: The launch of Peaky Blinders wine with Maison Bardet was a highlight from 2020.

Left: Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing, Banijay Brands.

Below: A Simon’s Cat range on Teespring saw huge social engagement.

MasterChef across various categories and territories.

2021 will see Banijay looking to engage with potential commercial partners to identify the right brand for promotions and branded content deals, as well as continuing to adapt to the new retail landscape and seeing more focus on sustainability.

When it comes to IP, there are plans afoot for all those already mentioned, while the company is also starting to look at what it could do with the Banijay IP such as Survivor, Temptation Island, The Inbetweeners, Crystal Maze, Tipping Point and the Zodiak Kids portfolio.

Jane confirms that numerous discussions on cookware and food products are taking place for Ready, Steady, Cook, while there are also opportunities in the lifestyle space for Your Home Made Perfect and Your Garden Made Perfect.

Jane adds: “There is an amazing pipeline of content from almost 30 production companies in the UK so watch this space for more IP.” However, Jane admits that continued uncertainty is impacting everything for the whole industry, from store openings and travel to product manufacturing and shipping. “It’s very tough for

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IN CONVERSATION WITH: BANIJAY BRANDS

Inset: The MasterChef brand saw growth across various categories and territories last year.

Below centre: Opportunities are being explored for Survivor.

the recovering retail sector as they work to acclimatise to change in consumer buying from brand choice to online habits. As an industry we need to adapt and be flexible, smaller businesses will need continued support to survive and we need to take a longer term outlook.”

Jane points out that the strength of brands will not change, but rather how the industry brings them to market. “It’s important we continue to leverage the power of entertainment brands by experimenting, using data and adapting to different ways of consumer engagement, whether physical or online,” she says. “To build business, close collaboration with licensees and retail commerce partners is key. Partnerships are so important; all parties must align on the goals and outcome to create 360 licensing programmes.”

Jane has some clear goals for what she would like to achieve in 2021, from a business and personal ambition point of view. “Working with our colleagues in local markets, to successfully launch new IP and for our existing brands to cement their presence in retail, basically to

broaden our global footprint both in physical distribution and online,” she offers. And personally? “To see a MasterChef food range and a cooking school offering of some kind in multiple markets; for Peaky Blinders to celebrate the end of this series with a bang; for Simon’s Cat to grow into a mass market pet brand; for Mr Bean to keep everyone laughing; for us to enter the kids’ world with the amazing series from Zodiak Kids and for Survivor to replicate its on-air success with innovative off-air licensing programmes - so a busy year!”

Ultimately, the goal is about stretching and expanding the portfolio in the right way off-air to give consumers a deeper engagement with brands to build trust and create longevity in multiple markets. “Working in partnership with our content creators to reach new audiences across all platforms and outlets with innovative products is at the heart of Banijay Brands,” Jane concludes.

Right: Banijay Brands expanded its ecommerce business with a product range from MasterChef finalist, Claire Fyfe.

Getting social

“The best way to match product offerings with target consumers is through a combination of content channels such as YouTube, brand websites and social channels,” explains Jane. “Simon’s Cat on Teespring saw huge social engagement, as did the Peaky Blinders print on demand webstore, driving sales.”

Mainstream talent, as well as influencers, is increasingly important, especially in the area of ecommerce where social channels are a key element of consumer engagement, Jane adds.

“This area will continue to expand, with growing marketing spend allocated to influencers and talent in this space. Our deal with MasterChef finalist Claire Fyfe and her range of products based on designs of her favourite foods is a great example of how we look for opportunities to partner on-screen faces with creative consumer offerings.”

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INDUSTRY ISSUE 2021 OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunity knocks Last year showed that licensing is an industry which can move at speed, adapt and still keep delivering amazing products and programmes. Against this backdrop, LSB asks some key licensors and licensing agents for what they think will be some of the biggest opportunities for the industry in 2021.

Casey Collins, gm and svp consumer products and licensing, Hasbro “In 2020, the importance of digital content and ecommerce platforms really came to the fore and that continues to be a key strategic focus for us and a great Above: People will opportunity for the licensing seek out new exciting, safe business in 2021 to explore new experiences to share ways to engage with consumers. with family and friends, says Casey.

Theatrical releases will also provide a huge opportunity for the licensing business in 2021 as the movie industry begins to normalise once again. Additionally, we expect that the huge growth in location-based experiences in the past five years will continue to be an opportunity for the licensing business as people seek out new, exciting and safe experiences to share with friends and family.”

Venetia Davie, vp, Viacom CBS Consumer Products, UK & Ireland

“Once the words ‘lockdown’ and ‘bubble’ are resigned to a time capsule, I believe families will be focusing on going ‘out, out’. Families will be escaping home, looking for shared multi-generational experiences and great days out. I think licensed brands can really benefit from this. In 2021, experiences will be the new craft kits, sticker books and trampolines.

From a brand and IP perspective we have so many reasons to be cheerful. In 2020, with kids and families spending more time at home, we saw record levels of content being consumed across linear TV, streaming services and YouTube. We are seeing awareness and affinity figures for brands like PAW Patrol strengthen and new brands like Blue’s Clues & You establishing a fan base and audience really quickly. On the back of this we’re seeing stronger listings and sell through and greater retailer commitment and confidence around new consumer product launches.”

Left: Venetia believes that families will be focusing on going ‘out out’ once restrictions lift.

John Taylor, vp Northern Europe & md UK and France, WildBrain CPLG

“Fuelled by consumers interacting with brands via social media more than ever before, one of the biggest opportunities will be the lifestyle brand sector. There will certainly be new avenues for lifestyle fitness brands, and also food and drink properties, which have both had significant spikes in growth.

Additionally, we’ve already seen a trend for museum and art licensing rapidly increase over the last year. Fashion brands will also present some compelling opportunities as they look at diversifying their offering to help mitigate from the extended store closures.

The acceleration of licensed brands coming from SVOD players has also been shaking up the entertainment property market recently, and I think they will provide some really exciting retail and licensing opportunities in 2021. I also think recent shifts in consumer purchasing habits will provide significant opportunities for the industry this year and give brand owners the chance to dive into categories they had not previously considered.”

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Left: There will be new avenues for lifestyle fitness brands, plus food and drink, says John.

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Will Stewart, founder and md, The Point.1888

“I think the big one is that brand extension/licensing is so important to build brand love, loyalty and engagement. We allow consumers to engage Above: Licensing is with their favourite brands in new perfectly placed to exciting ways. We help brands appeal to Gen Z, says Will. improve their narrative.

And Gen Z prioritise brands that have a good story, are ethical and making a positive impact.

Gen Z are the future consumers, so we as an industry are perfectly placed once all this is over.”

Rob Wijeratna, joint md, Rocket Licensing

“One of the biggest opportunities this year is with classic brands, as the current uncertainties continue to bring out a sense of nostalgia and want of the familiar among consumers.

The rise in online and grocery sales of licensed products means that there are new targeted retail opportunities for our brands. While we are all missing meeting face to face, we see a good opportunity in 2021 to stay more connected and coordinated with our partners than ever, with virtual licensee meetings and catch ups, virtual slate presentations and regular updates with both local and international licensors over the likes of Zoom and Teams. Moreover, as we move out of these difficult first few months of the year, we hope to be met with a renewed enthusiasm from both venues and consumers to get out and about again and make experiences even more memorable than before.”

Left: Classic brands have a big opportunity this year, says Rob.

Below: Companies are getting better at using social media and digital marketing to engage with consumers, says Ian.

Ian Downes, md, Start Licensing “I think one thing that has emerged from our current situation is the fact that licensees, agents and licensors have had to reflect a bit more about the business of licensing. Specifically, when I first started working in licensing (over 25 years ago...) we always talked about the audience, the fans and consumers. I think over the years the industry has lost sight of the consumer and also has forgotten that there has to be a demand for licensed products. I think often properties are brought to market that aren't mature enough and don't really have a consumer demand. I sense people are being a little bit more selective now and acting in a more focused way.

Connected to this I think companies are getting better at using social media and digital marketing to engage with consumers. This has created new opportunities and momentum. That said, brand owners and agents need to do their bit to better understand their audiences and to create platforms to communicate with them.”

Chris Taday, director, Licensing Link Europe

“This year will be a bumper year for licensed sport event products – with the European Championships, Olympics, Paralympics, Lions tour and Rugby League World Cup due to take place, fans will want to own a piece of merchandise to highlight support for team and country.

Significant attention will continue to build across the lifestyle brands where there is no reliance on external factors - plus these continue to be relevant all year round so should offer retail comfort in their ability to deliver consistent sales.

There will be tremendous opportunities within the digital gaming space, in particular integrating brands and characters into the standard gameplay. Finally, there will be opportunities for licences and products to enjoy visibility and share of voice across the digital space - taking emphasis and reliance away from those bricks and mortar bastions that don’t have online presence. This is certainly great for competition and great for those licences that could otherwise struggle to present themselves to consumers.”

Right: Significant attention will continue to build across lifestyle brands, believes Chris.

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Below: We can expect a ‘freedom bounce’ as people begin to spend, says Rob.

Rob Corney, md, Bulldog Licensing

“2021 provides a huge opportunity for the licensing world - once restrictions begin to be lifted - and one which will help to level the playing field from previous economic shocks.

There’s a key different from the 2008 financial crash this time round there is an external influence forcing the downturn which will abate once the vaccination programmes take effect. We can expect a ‘freedom bounce’ as people begin to spend. Where last time round, retailers all flocked to support the same hackneyed properties leaving price as the sole refuge for competitive advantage, this time around there are wiser heads, experienced from a recent tough market and well aware that consumers have experienced branded content in greater quantity than ever before.

There will be a mind-set shift among consumers looking for brands which build upon key themes of caring and the betterment of lifestyle. Undoubtedly home working is likely to become more the norm than ever before and corporate brands which are able to lend creativity or quality to this area will thrive. The world will simultaneously be looking for a muchneeded injection of fun having escaped from such a challenging period, so products which are capable of working with character brands to deliver a humorous consumer engagement will perform very well through the second half of this year.”

Daryl Shute, brand director, Magic Light Pictures

“Trusted characters that provide familiarity to customers have gained shelf space without a doubt, and I’m confident this will continue.

The increase in sales of books, puzzles, games and crafting activities will also continue to provide areas of growth for licensed characters this year.

But as things open up and attractions, shopping centres and retail parks need to pull back their customers, I see huge opportunities for properties and characters to be licensed for live events, activations, meet and greets, etc.

There have been many benefits for grocers who traded throughout, but gaining new customers for products in non-essential categories along with the weekly food shop, both in-store and online, has seen a huge uplift.

With licensed entertainment and sports brands again offering security and assurance working closely with these retailers to maintain those customers is a great opportunity for 2021 and beyond.”

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Rachel Clarke, svp UK, licensing and retail, The Copyrights Group “Although no one underestimates that there will be more challenges in 2021, there will also be positives to build on for the future.

This includes fulfilling consumer demand for online shopping through accelerated ecommerce Above: Rachel believes there are many positives strategies that allow brands, to build on for the future. big and small, to engage with consumers through online branded destinations, while supporting licensee manufacturers and promoting licensee products and experiences.

As an industry, we also have the opportunity to continue to drive sustainability and harness consumer interest in both brands and products that demonstrate kindness both in their actions and to the planet.”

Rob Goodchild, commercial director, Aardman “2021 brings opportunity for evergreen properties, which can offer stability and consistency in a world of uncertainty. Ecommerce has been the lifesaver of many businesses and those in the right space at the right time have benefitted enormously. However, there is a lot of pent-up demand for people to go out to shop, eat and play as restrictions lift, so we hope to see some balance restored across the economy and a strong recovery of family venues such as attractions and hospitality.

On a B2B level the forced lessons in video conferencing and flexible working have been invaluable and this will continue to greatly enhance the way we do business together, Left: There is pent up demand alongside the for people to go out to shop, eat real life meet ups and play as that makes the restrictions lift, says Rob. licensing industry so special.”

Left: Trusted characters have gained shelf space, says Daryl.

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INDUSTRY ISSUE: 2021 OPPORTUNITIES

Louise Simmonds, head of UK licensing and merchandising, Acamar Films

“The industry needs to see which new consumer habits and behaviours are here to stay and how they will truly impact business for the longer term.

There is more importance placed on the purpose behind a purchase. A brand needs a clear set of values that are consistent across all consumer touchpoints and authenticity is a statement that will have more emphasis than ever. Brands that have this clear message will help build retailer loyalty by supporting deeper connections with their consumers both online and in-store.

The continued shift into the digital and ecommerce space increases ways for brands to make and maintain connections with new and existing consumers.”

Ashley Holman, md, Riverside Brands “Those that are able to react quickly and work in new areas are going to be the winners this year.

Channels of distribution, especially capitalising on the increase in online and personalisation is going Above: Differentiation will be key, believes to benefit a lot of smaller brands as Ashley. more traditional shelf space is taken up, and working with brands that while newer to the licensed market, have proven success in other categories already so are much less of a risk for licensees and retailers to support.

Differentiation is also going to be key - giving a retailer a reason to support a range that is special to them versus available everywhere to entice customers to shop with them rather than elsewhere is likely to allow the brand/product to get increased support.

Also, price will be more important than it ever has been. With so many people’s livelihoods affected by COVID, everyone will be looking for as much value as they can get.”

Kate Schlomann, evp brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios “While there are still obvious challenges at retail, with the vaccine now being rolled out globally we hope it will not be too long in 2021 before life returns to some semblance of normality. With this in mind we are optimistic about our new ‘prewestoric’ animated Above: We will continue to see greater diversity, on and off screen, says Kate.

Above: More importance is being placed on the purpose behind a purchase, says Louise.

preschool show Dino Ranch which features a combination of dinosaurs and ranchers.

I think that we will continue to see greater diversity both on and off screen throughout 2021.

From a licensor perspective we all need, now more than ever, to be mindful of changing consumer attitudes and realise how the pandemic has affected purchasing behaviour. We have seen the introduction of brand new categories, while other existing ones have thrived and there has been a similar outlook at retail. With clear insight we can determine which categories will, certainly in the short-term, deliver the best returns.”

Gemma Witts, European md, Retail Monster “I don't like the word ‘pivot’, but it is a word that I think best describes the reaction of many of our partners in 2020.

For licensees, it was the speed of product development to reflect the new world and how quickly Above: Gemma saw a determination from they changed their retailers to come back infrastructure. For brands, it was bigger and better for 2021. those in the digital space which were able to move the fastest and saw the biggest benefits. But it was retail, where we witnessed the most monumental shifts - we all know that 2020 was the year that ecommerce came of age.

Many retailers were more engaged, and the new way of home working meant that we could build stronger relationships. We seemed to have a little more of their time, and they were more open to opportunities for 2021. There was a determination with many retailers to ‘get through’ 2020 and plan to come back bigger and better for 2021.”

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Frankie Lisle, md, Lisle Licensing

“We see one of the main opportunities for the licensing industry is to be creative and really think how we can get product to market. Understanding where and how the consumer is apportioning their various spending, particularly in the first half of the year while we are in a third lockdown with no finite timescales, is also important.

Ultimately the consumer will still follow their favourite brands irrespective of the type of licence, but getting product to market is not as straightforward as it once was. Working with licensees and retailers who can offer points of difference and also working with licensees and manufacturers who can source/manufacture locally is also a key advantage - especially with the challenges we are all seeing with increased freight costs/delays at ports, etc.”

Right: Consumers will still follow their favourite brands, says Frankie.

Kaye Hunter, licensing manager, This is Iris “We’ve looked at the lockdowns as a time full of opportunities. An opportunity to network, all be it, by video; to spend more time to work with our artists to develop new, exciting artwork; to reAbove: Lockdown was a evaluate and look at our time full of opportunities for Kaye and This is Iris. plan of attack for when things get back to ‘normal'.

As a licensing agency known for developing

art-based programmes, we’ve been able to sit with our partners and create new collections and expand current ranges; this has been an exciting, creative time for us.

This is a time we all hope is never repeated, but we would be foolish not to address how we work and how we support others. It’s a time to look at exciting new partnerships, try something different, to come together to build thoughtful and exciting collections.”

Talia Tester, licensing manager, Carte Blanche

“Certainly the drive to consume and purchase online has been fast-tracked more than ever before, so this is encouraging brands who have less online presence to get creative and explore new ways of showcasing their assets and products.

As a brand we have enjoyed the renewed interest in what consumers class as evergreen brands. The ‘stay home’ message has also led to alternative categories experiencing growth, such as crafting which offers great brand extension opportunities. It’s also fantastic to see that a year into the pandemic our industry is still very much pulling together and supporting one another every way we can.”

Right: The ‘stay home’ message has led to alternative categories experiencing growth, says Talia.

Matt Winton, global head of partnerships, The Smiley Company “I’m fortunate to talk to so many varied people in the industry every day. The big message I get from them all is that brands need to project optimism for a better future for their consumers regardless of the tier and segment.

This is particularly important in the face of the constant bombardment of negativity and polarised opinions that we have been hearing 24/7 for a long time now. Consumers are currently suffering from negativity fatigue, which creates ‘New Optimist’ consumers, as outlined in WGSN’s 2022 Future Consumer Forecast, who want to celebrate the good things in life.

While we may face lots of challenges, these also create unique opportunities - how can we be more sustainable, purposeful, equal and optimistic for our consumers and how can we help make the world a better place.

Because we oversee communities, employees and customers, we have to stand up for what they believe in. That’s why we are seeing so many businesses leading the way in dealing with these challenges.”

Right: Brands need to project optimism for a better future for their consumers, believes Matt.

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LSB invites five industry experts to discuss five major issues which should be at the top of the licensing business’ agenda this year – sustainability, retail, inclusivity and diversity, the return of live events and Brexit and supply chains.

“Brand owners need to make bold decisions to evoke change”

Talking points “2020 was meant to be the year in which we all focused on climate change, especially with the UN Climate Change Summit (COP26) due to take place in Glasgow in November 2020,” writes Rikesh Desai, licensing director for merchandise, partnerships and interactive at BBC Studios. “However, in the wake of the pandemic, it has been pushed back to November 2021. With the continuing health crisis at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts, the big question is – what will we do in 2021 to address the climate crisis?

There are parallels between the pandemic and the climate crisis. We had pre-warning of both climate change and the potential for a new coronavirus, but due to an unwillingness to modify our behaviour, the warnings weren’t heeded, meaning we’re now left to deal with the consequences whilst working to prevent similar events, or, in the case of climate change, to mitigate and limit its effects.

However, there were some positives that came from lockdown.

We’ve changed how we do business, the way we travel, what, where and how we buy, how we even interact. When the lockdown is finally lifted, I am optimistic that some of these new behaviours will remain - that our renewed care for the planet will be a long-term and not just a short-term response.

Similarly, as an industry we have started to realise that

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we’re all in this together and the time is now for us to not revert to a ‘business-as-usual’ approach. As we plan for life post pandemic, this is vital if we are to make significant progress in the limited time we have left to act.

There is a risk we become shortsighted in what we want and set short-term goals linked to only the bottom line, which in turn has a big impact on the decisions we prioritise. This is where initiatives, such Products of Change come in, helping to provide the knowledge, know how and connections that individuals and businesses require to motivate them to take action, and thus lead the way to wider change.

As our industry wakes up to the severity of the environmental destruction, we must collectively demand more urgent action from our business leaders and work together as a global community to achieve this. We must acknowledge that now is the time our industry needs to commit to real positive change. More consumers than ever are making an effort to buy greener, healthier, ethically sourced and more environmentally sustainable products.

As an industry we need to adopt a more deliberate and ambitious approach with brand owners making bold decisions to evoke change. This is certainly something we are focused on at BBC Studios and we are committed to working with our partners to help create a more sustainable future.”

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“Doing more of the same is not an option” Inset: Retail is up against an extremely challenging and unique combination of circumstances, says Julia.

Bottom: Gymshark is one of the businesses which has built its success on the back of social media and platforms like Shopify.

“There is no feelgood way to say this… retail is facing its toughest time in living memory,” begins Julia Redman, founder of BuyersEye (and experienced retail buyer). “We are up against an extremely challenging and unique combination of circumstances. Nothing will ever be quite the same again, and we are going to have to use our ingenuity, creativity and flexibility to embrace and facilitate ongoing change, to cope with the ‘new normal’. Doing more of the same is not an option, as has become very apparent, with the demise of so many formerly successful businesses.

It is also a very exciting time to be in this industry, a time of regeneration, newness, bravery and evolution in new product development, technology and processes.

An increased online presence will be essential for most in maintaining growth. Globalisation will also continue to be key – retailers like ASOS and Zara have driven sales through increasing their online presence in overseas markets. Diversification and/or changing the product mix has, for many businesses, protected some revenue, for example moving out of occasionwear and into loungewear or sportswear, in line with the trends through lockdown. Adding new categories, such as homeware, beauty, or accessories, has also broadened the appeal of some fashion businesses over 2021. Speed to market will also remain critical, requiring flexibility in the supply chain, quicker

decision making and calculated risk.

Retail value is no longer simply about price vs quality, it is also about inclusivity and sustainability.

At every point in the decision making process of the product lifecycle we should be asking ourselves about the impact on the environment, and the people involved in the supply chain.

The demise of the old guard in high street retail will naturally encourage the birth and growth of new businesses. This is already evident with the success of online brands like Gymshark, Glossier and Sosandar. All have built their success on the back of platforms such as Shopify, and marketing through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and now video content on TikTok, Reels, IGTV and Twitch.

However, Primark has shown that it is still very possible to have a successful bricks and mortar business if you get the formula right and never stand still.

What all of these successful businesses have in common is that they have a deep and thorough understanding of their customer, and are quick to evolve with a changing consumer mind set. Their connections with their customers are highly targeted, encouraging them to engage on a deeper level.

Retail is built on people and relationships, conversation, and the ability to share ideas and creative processes. With the vaccine comes a light at the end of the tunnel. We will have to maintain our optimism, resilience and downright dogged determination to succeed in the meantime.”

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THE BIG ISSUES FOR 2021

“We opened European offices in Germany and France” Inset: Pyramid’s new European offices will pay huge dividends, says Mordy.

Below: New Harry Potter products are among Pyramid’s new Q1 launches.

“Back in April 2020 when we went into lockdown it was a dark and worrying time for all of us,” explains Mordy Benaiah, licensing director at Pyramid International. “A lot of staff were placed on furlough and small teams within the business pulled together to action plans for survival. As time went on we realised that with great spirit, determination and innovative product, we could find ways of landing business, exploiting online as the true growth channel.

Pyramid pushed itself to buy in stock for the latter part of the year at great risk knowing that at some point sales would trigger. That fighting spirit worked and we clawed our way back to ending the year on a positive note with some amazing sales.

Now we face new problems with difficulties in moving goods from Asia to the UK and the shortage of containers. This is causing delays and backlogs for all manufacturers coupled with Brexit. The UK docks were in meltdown with suppliers trying to bring as much stock into the UK before the deadline.

Pyramid took steps a long time ago to prevent Brexit from harming our business. We had the foresight to open European offices in Germany and France to manage continental Europe more

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effectively. This will pay huge dividends now the UK has finally separated from the rest of Europe.

Other concerns are how will the high street ever recover? Online retail has forged ahead making life so simple for buyers who have become used to purchasing at the click of a button and sitting back. It spells bad news as buying trends have changed forever and we have seen powerhouse retailers like John Lewis suffer, not to mention the loss of Top Shop and many others. Are we missing live events? When I look back and see the huge cost savings made on travel attending events, exhibition costs it is huge. Do we need to do them going forward? I think the answer is yes, but maybe to a lesser extent. The ability to showcase and network face to face has been missed and can’t be replaced by a computer screen.

One positive note to end on is sustainability. Less packaging, plastic use and reduction on our carbon footprint is in everyone’s focus going forward. Retail is starting to understand that they have to play a part in perhaps paying more for goods if it comes to them more environmentally packaged and supplied. That can only be a good thing.”

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“This is not a trend – it’s essential for organisations to thrive for the future” Last summer saw ViacomCBS Networks UK reveal a series of new measures to strengthen its diversity and inclusion drive in the territory, accelerating diverse representation on-screen, off-screen and within its organisation.

Putting transparency and accountability at the heart of a reinvigorated inclusion strategy, the company has introduced a range of new initiatives. These include implementing a ‘no diversity, no commission’ content policy for suppliers; creating a new ‘Promotion Opportunity Project’ which will identify and support the promotion of BAME talent in the UK production sector; embedding inclusion into its strategy and leadership decisions with the creation of an Inclusion Board allying its senior leadership team with its Employee Resource Groups; plus creating a BAME Talent Sponsorship Programme, which will pair senior leaders with diverse talent.

“We’re making sure that inclusion is at the heart of our organisation and ingrained in our DNA,” Wincie Knight, vp global inclusion strategy at ViacomCBS explains to LSB. “We’re embedding diversity in everything we do as a company, creating policies and having conversations at the right level and really making sure that all our suppliers know our mandate and holding them to account.”

Wincie believes that businesses should all be implementing diversity and inclusivity strategies, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the smart thing to do. “There is so much evidence which highlights how diversity and inclusivity breeds creativity and innovation –

Below: Diversity and inclusivity breeds creativity and innovation in business, says Wincie.

why wouldn’t you want your business to be more creative?” she asks. “You need to keep your mind open… if you get it right, it makes organisations sustainable and appealing to a diverse audience and consumers. This isn’t a trend, it’s essential for organisations to thrive for the future.”

Wincie says that getting started is as simple as sitting down with your team and beginning the conversation. “Think about a strategy… how can diversity and inclusion be ingrained within it, what it means for your business and the benefits it will bring,” she says. “Open up your eyes. Who are you not appealing to? Just think about that and be open to more ideas of diversity and inclusion within your team and the products you are trying to sell. But do it authentically and with the right intent – think of it as how can it help your business rather than it being an add on.”

Wincie sums up by saying: “We’re on a journey and our main objective is togetherness, with all of us achieving our set goal, working in a way that makes everyone feel like they belong. It’s about creating content and products that make people feel they’re part of something – inclusion is about the feeling.”

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THE BIG ISSUES FOR 2021 Inset: Rainbow created Adapted Character Experiences so they could still be managed safely with integrity.

“2020 gave us time to reflect, reset and invest”

“As we move towards a less tier-ful future all of us fact, many have experienced previously within the live events and live experiences sectors unimaginable benefits - hourly footfall levels have have reason to radiate positivity,” writes Simon flattened out, queuing tensions have been eased Foulkes, md of Rainbow Productions. “After almost and visitors have enjoyed less congestion. Incredibly, a year, we will be able to turn around the sign on the some smaller visitor attractions have actually seen door and put into reality all those months of increases in daily attendances. planning and innovations. Organisers of live Location-based entertainment has enjoyed experiences have spent time and resources tremendous growth over the last decade or so with adapting to the unique requirements of the IP owners, operators and venues all benefiting from pandemic. Here at Rainbow the creation of the a positive symbiotic alignment. These powerful Adapted Character Engagements and the Global influencers perform a pincer movement on Experiences (characters appearing within giant audiences with entertainment top of the agenda, inflatable snow globes) meant that, when F&B costs far lower and journey times practically permissible, character appearances could still be irrelevant. The leisure industry, especially here in the managed safely with integrity.

UK, is all over ‘staycations’.

Emerging, with trepidation from bubble bunkers, The coupling of venues to brands and vice versa the post-pandemic landscape for immersive and continued to develop during 2020 and, although interactive experiences will focus on building up the venues themselves have largely visitors’ confidence and assuaging their fears. remained closed, the wave of interest Social distancing, elbow bumping, mask-wearing and investment for the future is towards and hand washing will continue as a matter of physical entertainment that is closer to personal responsibility and choice. the audience’s homes. The benefit to Logistically, a fundamental change will be the the owner/operator is such that they way the audiences will need to register and are able to create a much more book beforehand to attend venues and packaged, wider-appealing and costexperiences. Some UK leisure effective experience which attractions have been encourages local repeat visits. lambasted, pre-pandemic, for 2020 vision has given all of us employing a zero walk-up within the live events category ticketing process. However, time to reflect, reset and invest as all experiences have in putting the joy of had to adopt this policy congregating back in people’s during the pandemic, to lives and, most importantly, control reduced Inset: The post-pandemic landscape for prepare for the Rainbow after capacity levels, it has immersive and interactive events will focus on building visitors’ confidence, says Simon. the storm.” become the new MO. In LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021

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PRODUCTS OF CHANGE

Change

makers

Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of Products of Change and conference director of the Sustainability in Licensing Conference, on how the licensing industry has taken its first steps on the road to becoming more sustainable and why 2021 will be the year of further action.

Inset: Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of Products of Change and conference director of SILC, at the inaugural conference last year which was broadcast virtually over two days.

A

s we have closure on a year like no other, we start 2021 feeling more positive, refreshed and with a clear focus on what we need to achieve in the coming years to build a better future.

We are all aware that climate change, pandemics and our dwindling natural resources are all interlinked, but how can we positively address this?

It’s because of these questions and the need to build our sustainable knowledge that we launched the first Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SILC) and the Products of Change Sustainability Platform (POC) in 2020 to support and help transform the industry to be more sustainable.

SILC 2020 was the first step on this long voyage.

Due to COVID-19 we pushed the conference back to November (from June) and had to host it virtually.

Though this presented its challenges, it also created Inset: POC’s biggest challenge in 2021 is to take an idea that seems abstract (e.g. sustainable development) and turn it into a reality for business.

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a huge opportunity. It meant we could reach a global audience across continents and host the content digitally that was streamed post event. So, rather than being confined to 250 people in the four walls of the British Library, the audience was 500+ via the platform with a further 50 streaming content post event.

It’s important to highlight these numbers, as it shows an ambition from the industry to understand how to build sustainable practices into their business.

During SILC 2020 a poll revealed that only 22% of the audience was aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations by the end of the two-day conference this was 100%.

The SILC platform also enabled attendees to connect during the event and we have seen companies benefit already from these connections.

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Right: The Products of Change Hub launched in December 2020.

For example, Rocket Licensing has signed up to the Ecologi programme to start planting trees.

The focus on sustainability is picking up pace, as the latest report from global accounting firm KPMG highlights. It has uncovered monumental changes and dramatic shifts in the number of companies reporting on sustainability in recent years. This shift is driven by new laws and regulations, as well as increasing recognition that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues impact financial performance.

To bridge the knowledge gap across the industry as well as facilitate shared learnings we launched the Products of Change platform in December 2020, a membership organisation anchored by a digital hub to support and perpetuate sustainable change within the industry. This membership hub is crammed with research findings, news, webinars, podcasts, educational content as well as providing the wherewithal to directly message members and share best practice on how to build sustainable change within business.

The Products of Change Hub divides its content by category, as well as by theme to make the information easy to navigate.

The POC set up also involves several dedicated workstreams each of which focus on key topics, such as how to achieve carbon neutrality, a group led by June Kirkwood of Sustaineers Consultants and Nutmeg Licensing. Another workstream focuses on building sustainability guidelines for licensing agreements to gain parity across our legal and governance structure as an industry. Led by Rikesh Desai, director of licensing at BBC Studios, this significant area of change is being supported by several other leading organisations, including ViacomCBS, LEGO, Natural History Museum and Asda.

Products of Change is also endorsed by Licensing International. “We proudly support the important work POC is doing,” says Maura Regan, president of the trade body. “Our industry is deeply committed to doing well by doing good. We know that sustainability in products is an imperative for our members. POC will help provide the knowledge and resources our licensors, agents, licensees, retailers, creatives and marketeers are seeking.”

PRODUCTS OF CHANGE

A recent industry report said that 77% of consumers are more willing to purchase from a company which has a CSR pledge, and 73% of investors agreed. Business leaders know it, too.

According to a study, nine out of ten business leaders said they recognised that consumers would hold them accountable for the environmental impact they make through their business.

It is our responsibility as business leaders and brand owners to make sure that we are responsible with how we produce and the end of life for our product.

Our biggest challenge in 2021 is to take an idea that seems abstract (eg sustainable development) and turn it into a reality for business, on the commercial as well as the environmental fronts.

There are many businesses within the industry that have made a pledge to become carbon neutral, reduce all single use plastic from packaging and educate their workforce, such as Hasbro, LEGO, Unilever, Asda, Walmart among others which is extremely encouraging.

If 2020 was the year of making sustainable statements, then 2021 will be the year of action. I’m hoping that by becoming a member of the Products of Change platform (www.productsofchange.com) and attending the next Sustainability in Licensing Conference, which is due to take place at The British Library (on June 24, 2021) and simulcast to reach a global audience, we take our industry into the future.

The philosopher Howard Zinn once said: “We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” We, at Products of Change, pledge to help you on your sustainable journey.

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ONES TO WATCH Inset: The style of Monty & Co means it offers something different for licensees and retailers.

LSB catches up with four companies which are either newly formed, have a new brand making an impact on the licensing space or have been pushed further to the forefront of the industry in last 12 months.

New faces

The preschool brand: Monty & Co The brainchild of Pipkins Productions – the team which created Pipkins back in the 1970s, introducing a generation to characters including Hartley Hare – Monty & Co made its debut on CBeebies in summer 2020, with an initial fiveyear commitment from iPlayer, too.

The show – which has also been picked up by US streaming service, Kidoodle, making it available to its 10 million active platform users – focuses on a wallaby called Monty and his friends, learning, working things out and getting along all under the roof of a recycle/up-cycle shop.

For Ian Wickham, director at Licensing Link Europe – which is handling the global L&M programme – the style of the show means that it offers something very different versus existing predominantly animated content.

“It’s a really wholesome, traditional format of television that delivers to children as well as at an adult level, too,” Ian explains to LSB. “The cast of puppets have very definite characteristics/mannerisms as they interact with each other in an appealing, humorous and engaging way, but at the same time are participating in ‘mini dramas’ that have a strong storylines, positive messages and great songs that offer something very different for the preschooler.

“The strength in show structure does mean both the consumer and purchaser engage with Monty & Right: Toy, publishing and apparel are among the initial targets, says Ian.

Co, making it ripe for a licensing programme.”

Toy, publishing and apparel are among the initial targets, with Ian saying they have seen strong feedback on digital channels from consumers looking for toys and other merchandise already.

He continues: “We are almost there with our first toy deal, we have a category of publishing already signed (which will see product to market in March 2021), so it’s currently going to plan. We’re also looking for a nightwear partner as at the end of every episode, Monty sits in bed at the end of the day to recap on his version of the day’s events.”

Ian fervently believes there is opportunity out there for new brands, especially ones with a point of difference like Monty & Co. “Retail is breaking up into different areas on the back of high street challenges seen not just in 2020, but which were already happening before this,” he says. “It means that more and more online retailers are looking for points of difference and are looking to be able to deliver programmes around some of the smaller properties to enable them to achieve this. Retailers need to look elsewhere and look wider than just at the usual suspects, which means there is opportunity out there.”

2021 is about making sure that key categories are covered, setting Monty & Co up for a successful 2022. “Bespoke retailer programmes is something we are keen to deliver with Monty, as is having the capability to be masters of our own destiny with PoD activations delivered across our digital sites,” Ian concludes.

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THIS YEAR’S SILC CONFERENCE TAKES PLACE ON 24 JUNE 2021, FOLLOWING ITS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL DEBUT IN NOVEMEBER 2020.

Breaking new ground in the licensing industry, the Sustainability In Licensing Conference will be staged as a dual-cast, hybrid event on 24 June 2021.

The live event is scheduled to take place at The British Library in London, alongside the digital stream which can be viewed globally.

SILC was successfully launched in November 2020 and saw attendance from over 20 countries. In a delegate survey, 100% of attendees said they would join the 2021 conference, whilst 96% said that they gathered knowledge they were otherwise missing. Further, 100% also confirmed the conference was good value for money, too.

Chaired by Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and ceo of Products of Change and the ProductsofChange.com web hub, SILC 2021 will inspire and inform via it’s line-up of expert industry speakers, there to help businesses of all size innovate and grow on the sustainability front.

Find out more at www.SustainabilityInLicensing.com – where you can also purchase live and/or digital event tickets, priced at £245 and £100 respectively.

Alternatively call the Box Office – Createvents – on +44 (0)118 334 0085.

For sponsorship enquires please contact Rob Willis (robw@max-publishing.co.uk) or Ian Hyder (ianh@max-publishing.co.uk) .

Join with SILC 2021 to help future-proof our industry and our world.

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ONES TO WATCH

The retailer: Vanilla Underground

Like many businesses, Vanilla Underground originally started from a spare bedroom, in this case belonging to husband and wife team, Jason and Deniz Yarnell. While this was back in 2010, until last year the online retailer had been somewhat light on press coverage. Then two things happened: it hired Laura Kelly - a familiar face in the licensing industry thanks to her tenure at Fashion UK – as brand marketing and licensing manager, and it appeared in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, which recognises Britain’s top 100 privately owned companies with the fastestgrowing sales over their latest three years.

“2020 certainly had its moments and threw many challenges our way, but in reality owning an online business throughout the effects of the pandemic has been a real blessing and, fortunately, we were able to grow due to the increased demand for our products online,” Deniz tells LSB. “Our USP is that we are a one stop licensing destination online. We always want to keep our product offering fresh and exciting for our customers while being able to provide licensed products for the whole family, where customers can come to our store and find something for everyone. This means covering all bases, from hugely popular licences to up and coming brands, or even ones that have smaller cult followings.”

Inset: Deniz (left) and Jason Yarnell want to further strengthen the awareness of the Vanilla Underground brand.

Vanilla Underground currently stocks products from over 150 licensed brands across TV, movies and gaming. Deniz explains that numerous projects are underway with licences the retailer felt had bigger potential or that had generally been uncatered for when it comes to licensed merchandise. “You will start to see the new promotions and licence activations trickling through as we move into Q2 this year,” she says.

Continuing to successfully navigate the challenges from the pandemic and Brexit are undoubtedly key for 2021, but Deniz also shares: “Mostly it would be to continue strengthening the awareness of our brand as a destination for licensed merchandise and certainly injecting some fun into that journey, for both ourselves and our customers along the way.”

The envelope pusher: TOIKIDO

“We want to do things differently. I have been in the entertainment business for 20 years having bought and sold rights, watching amazing companies succeed and grow, some fail and others go public. All of this has led me to this point,” explains Darran Garnham on the creation of his new company, TOIKIDO. The company – which came about during a brainstorm between Darran and his friend, Jeff Hall – will aim to have an ecosystem across licensing, gaming, sport, music, live events and entertainment, partnering with existing studios and developing its own brands, games and content.

First out of the blocks will be collectables, plush, action figures, dress-up and “a few other surprises” for Among Us, the hit online multiplayer social deduction game developed and published by US game studio Innersloth, which notched up over 264m downloads in 2020. “Among Us offers such a magnificent variety of colourful character and dress-up combinations,” says Darran. The demand for product from the fans is so high. The game is amazingly inclusive so there will be something for everyone.”

The focus for Darran and the TOIKIDO team this year will be on Among Us and laying the foundation for fans to access “amazing products” in every market globally. In addition, Darran also hints at a couple of additional “unique” opportunities to announce as the year progresses, with its next step to develop TOIKIDO IP. “We’ve a wide range of ideas that we are researching and building right now; all based on robust consumer and commercial insight and each one is just phenomenal,” he says. “But, we’re going to be very strategic about what we launch when and we’re going to use our agile infrastructure to maximise every opportunity.”

Left & above: The demand for Among Us product from fans is high, says Darran.

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Light Fund 3-Pack Face Covers

Available now at uk. .com

All proceeds raised from the sale of these face coverings will be donated directly to The Light Fund, registered charity no 1145596, which raises much needed monies to fund various worthwhile charity projects that help children, women and men.

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find your fandom

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ONES TO WATCH Below: Gemma and Charlotte want Style Sisters to be the ‘go to’ for anything to do with the home.

The lifestyle brand: Style Sisters Style Sisters – otherwise known as long-time friends, Gemma Lilly and Charlotte Reddington – have over 15 years of collective experience in the fashion and interiors industries. They teamed up in 2018 and since then have become known for revamping an ever growing list of clientele’s homes, including a host of celebrities.

Lisle Licensing revealed it had secured the UK licensing rights to the lifestyle duo in November 2020, having identified the growth they were experiencing thanks to an increased interest in home improvements, both at home and abroad.

“Gemma and Charlotte are so current and accessible because they have built up their following on social media, mainly Instagram, and clearly they are trusted and recommended by their celebrity clientele which also makes them super desirable to the consumer,” explains Frankie Lisle, md of Lisle Licensing.

The initial focus for Lisle is on categories including storage solutions, home accessories, furniture, kitchenware, candles/fragrance and home textiles, with Frankie saying the reaction from potential licensees and retailers has been “super positive”.

She comments: “The great thing about the Style Sisters is they are instantly recognisable because of all their media coverage, so even if a buyer or licensee isn’t on Instagram they have likely seen them on the TV. There isn’t really a brand quite like it in the market.

“The girls’ offering is quite unique in that they

offer a full service on how to live an organised and stylish life. Because of the increased demand from the consumer spending more time at home, and working on home improvements, but also because the girls’ following has grown so significantly, we believe the demand is there.”

Gemma and Charlotte said they have definitely experienced an increased amount of interaction and interest from people who want their advice and style inspiration, after 2020 saw people spending more time than ever at home.

“The business has grown so quickly over the last few years since starting and is only gaining more and more interest,” the duo tell LSB. “We are asked daily for our advice on products and for links to items that we are using; people want to make sure they are investing in the products we are specifically using. It makes the most sense to be selling these items ourselves. We know exactly what works in people’s homes and the products people are most interested in.”

Ultimately, Gemma and Charlotte envision Style Sisters to be like an umbrella: “We intend to grow the interior and fashion side, employ more organisers so we can expand the home organisation. We want to be the go to people for anything to do with the home.”

And what would they highlight as the key style trends which the licensing industry should be keeping an eye on this year?

“Practical home living solutions, neutral earthy tones, texture and 70’s vibes,” they conclude.

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STATE OF THE NATION: GAMING

Inset: Shadowlands became the fastest selling PC game of all time last year.

The video games business was one of the success stories from last year’s lockdowns and now publishers, developers and licensing companies are poised for this to continue in the physical space, too. LSB rounds up some of the latest news.

Top of their game

World of Warcraft continues to break records Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft franchise ended 2020 on a high note, with its hotly tipped eighth expansion – Shadowlands – becoming the fastest selling PC game of all time globally, while the consumer products programme is also enjoying success.

As of the first full day of Shadowlands’ launch (November 23), more than 3.7 million units had sold through globally, enabling it to stake the fastest selling global claim. World of Warcraft is continuing to see strong engagement from the global community franchise-wide, too. In the months leading up to the expansion’s release and the time since launch, the game reached and sustained its highest number of players on monthly

or longer term subscriptions compared to the same period ahead of or following any WoW expansion in the past decade, in both the west and the east.

This success is also expanding into physical products. The WoW brand has grown into the fast fashion retail space with successes at Pull&Bear – notably, the collection sold out online within two weeks of launch – as well as the launch into Russia with Tvoe.

In addition, partners including Logitech and Secret Labs have seen high take up for gaming accessories such as the latter’s Alliance and Horde Edition chairs, while the board game partnership with Asmodee is going from strength to strength.

And the Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group is keen to expand the WoW franchise – along with other Activision and Blizzard franchises – into other CP areas, too, with this being a key focus for 2021.

It’s game on for apparel in 2021, says Erve Europe

Tom Fabes, gaming manager at Erve Europe, has been sharing how the company is dealing with the ever changing world of gaming.

“Gaming licensing constitutes a fully-fledged third pillar alongside our character licensing and brands,” commented Tom. “Recent collaborations we’re excited about are with Sony PlayStation and Blizzard Entertainment.”

Tom explained that with lockdowns intensifying demand, gaming is evolving into a long-term Above: Erve Europe’s experience and is no longer a one-off commitment which is completed within a month.

Tom Fabes says a key “The challenge is keeping up with gaming trends,” he said. “Given the lead times for apparel, challenge is keeping up predicting a licence’s long-term success can be tricky. We constantly monitor Twitch, YouTube with gaming trends. and Steam, and spend many hours trying to predict which games will be popular which season. We then relay this to customers so they stay up to date on relevant licences.”

With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles now available, Tom is expecting a raft of “cool new games” to hold fans’ attention. He concluded: “I also expect greater gender inclusivity, as people finally realise that gaming and its apparel - has broad appeal.”

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STATE OF THE NATION: GAMING

Curve Digital continues growth

UK video games publisher Curve Digital – which enjoyed success last summer with licensed video game, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind – has welcomed a new ceo as it looks to drive ahead with its global growth ambitions.

John Clark joins the team from Tencent where he was vp partnerships Europe. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at SEGA Europe, ultimately serving as evp publishing.

The news comes hot on the heels of Curve being named Publisher of the Year for the second year running at the 2020 TIGA Awards, and follows two key acquisitions of Brighton-based Runner Duck, developer of Bomber Crew; and of Vancouver studio IronOak, the development team behind For The King.

LEGO Group marks 25 years of gaming December 2020 saw LEGO marking a quarter of a century in the video games space.

From the small-scale release of a SEGA Educational game, LEGO Fun to Build, in Japan December 1995 to global blockbuster titles LEGO Harry Inset: LEGO Harry Potter: Potter: Years 1-4 or LEGO Star Years 1-4 is among the company’s top five best Wars: The Complete Saga, the selling games. last 25 years has seen the iconic LEGO System in Play come to life digitally in over 80 commercial games.

The company has sold over 200 million games globally with the top five best selling LEGO games over the 25 years (in no particular order) including LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, LEGO Batman: The Video Game and LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.

To mark the anniversary, a new podcast series – Bits N’ Bricks – is launching, delving into the company’s video games history and exploring the many facets of LEGO gaming, from unreleased projects and bestsellers.

Inset: John Clark (left) with Dominic Wheatley, Catalis Group ceo.

EA and UFC extend partnership

Electronic Arts is continuing its successful partnership with mixed martial arts brand, UFC. The two companies have confirmed an extension to their existing deal – which saw the EA Sports UFC franchise first launched in 2014 – to 2030.

The new agreement comes as fans are watching and playing more EA Sports UFC than ever before, as MMA fandom continues to grow.

Fans played more than 64 million simulated UFC fights during the EA SPORTS UFC 4 launch week, a 125% year-over-year Inset: EA’s deal with increase compared with the UFC now runs to previous edition.

2030.selling games.

Cam Weber, evp and group gm at EA Sports, said: “This agreement will allow us to push the creative boundaries of mixed martial arts video games and connect millions more around the world to the culture of the sport.”

Champion levels up with Super Mario Bros

Champion Athleticwear has teamed up with Nintendo and Super Mario Bros on a new capsule collection.

The limited edition drop celebrates 35 years of the hit video game and includes anoraks, crews, hoodies, joggers and t-shirts featuring retro Japanese box art graphics which were created for the original Super Mario Bros.

Each item offers a new twist on classic characters including Mario, Bowser, Princess Peach and Toad. Graphics include a monochrome Toad jumping onto Champion’s cloud dye tee. There is also a small quantity of the red super fleece 3.0 overalls which resemble Mario’s instantly recognisable outfit.

David Robertson, director of global brand marketing at Champion, said: “Champion is a brand that celebrates teams, in any shape or form, and we’re excited to welcome the whole Super Mario Bros. crew to ours.”

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FOR LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT: Jason Rice

Toby Rayfield

Director of Brand Licensing Email: jason.rice@sega.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4568

Senior Licensing Manager Email: toby.rayfield@sega.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4494

© Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2018. Warhammer, the Warhammer logo, GW, Games Workshop, The Game of Fantasy Battles, the twin-tailed comet logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by SEGA. Creative Assembly, the Creative Assembly logo, Total War and the Total War logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of The Creative Assembly Limited. SEGA and the SEGA logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Holdings Co., Ltd. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.

©SEGA

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STATE OF THE NATION: GAMING

Bossa Studios moves into physical products London-based independent games developer and publisher, Bossa Studios is making the move into physical products, starting with a strategic relationship with PowerStation Studios.

The new tie-up follows on from the success of the Surgeon Simulator franchise.

From its viral internet meme roots in 2013 through to the recent launch of Surgeon Simulator 2 on the Epic Games platform, the series is a global cult hit known for its physics-based pandemonium and a complete disregard for medial accuracy.

“The rise in consumer product success within video and mobile gaming has been something we have been tracking for some time and we are excited to begin the journey with Bossa IP,” commented Marina Mello, chief commercial officer at Bossa. “With our new title, I Am Fish, we will continue to expand the Barnardshire universe, England’s quirkiest fictional county, home to Bob and a certain infamous piece of Bread.”

Difuzed connects gaming with sustainable fashion Apparel licensee Difuzed has teamed up with Swedish sustainable clothing brand, Dedicated, on a new Nintendo collection.

The range connects Inset: Dedicated is a gaming with sustainable Swedish sustainable clothing brand. fashion, while featuring cute and nostalgic prints and embroideries of the Nintendo Entertainment System and characters from the Super Mario franchise.

Products available include t-shirts, sweaters, activewear, caps, jumpers and scarves.

Dedicated was established in 2006 and manufactures its products with ethical and sustainable values, using its voice to push for sustainable development in the clothing industry from cotton fields to politics.

It uses GOTS and Fairtrade certified cotton, as well as natural fibres, while the polyester used is made of recycled plastic bottles.

Inset: Surgeon Simulator 2 launched last year on the Epic Games platform.

World of Tanks marks decade with licensing growth Video game and geek culture specialist, Bits and Pixels has brokered a number of new deals on behalf of Wargaming and its mid-20th century armoured combat phenomenon, World of Tanks.

With over 160 million players around the globe, World of Tanks is one of the most popular MMOs of all time, and after ten years, continues to enjoy growth and success in the gaming charts across the globe.

To mark the ten-year milestone, Wargaming has partnered with Cook & Becker to create a tenth anniversary book entitled The Art of World of Tanks, in both a limited collectors’ edition and a standard edition.

Hornby Hobbies has come on board, with its Corgi die-cast brand creating 1:87 miniatures – from the Sherman to the King Tiger, tankers can collect many of the legendary vehicles that they command in-game.

In addition, Bits and Pixels has also welcomed Gale Force 9 as the tabletop partner.

The company has released a starter set for the World of Tanks Miniatures Game with expansions to follow.

Inset: Gale Force 9 is on board as the tabletop partner.

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OVERSEAS FEEDBACK

LSB chats to a selection of licensors and agents based outside of the UK to find out their takeaways from 2020, what the biggest challenges and opportunities are for licensing moving forward, their main aims for 2021 and what word they would use to describe business in both the year just gone and the new one just beginning.

World in motion US: Russell Binder, president, Striker Entertainment “Speaking from an agency vantage point, 2020 was a roller coaster year with a great deal of uncertainty and negative impact that was complemented by new opportunities and uplift. It was the most difficult year we have had in 2020 was a business by way of navigation, but we Above: roller coaster year, says Striker’s Russell. definitely see smoother waters ahead and a dynamic crew ready for any future challenges and opportunities.

In entertainment licensing, one of the biggest challenges is the backlog of franchise film releases and the way they will dominate the calendar towards the back half of 2021 and the first half of 2022. That said, there are break out hits coming from all directions and what appears to be a greater appetite for risk across all areas of the business.

My word to sum up 2020 would be ‘disruptive’ and the word I hope will encapsulate 2021 is ‘emergent’.”

Germany: Marco Hüsges, ceo, the emoji company

“Business in 2020 was still very good. We saw a shift in revenues and developed business in brand new categories such as antibacterial products and face masks. 2021 will be an exciting year for the emoji brand with lots of news. We used our time wisely during the pandemic and focused on new business areas and analysed business potentials.

In 2021 I expect a lack of footfall with the standard retailers. Retail needs to focus on increasing online sales and offering new online business models. A strong social media presence and online product promotions will be essential, alongside smart online marketing activities to raise the awareness for products and services.

For 2020 I would use the term ‘surprising’ - no one would have ever thought that something like this would happen to mankind and that we are that powerless.

‘Gratitude’ would be the term I hope we can use at the end of 2021 that we have been able to stick together as a society and to overcome this unexpected global Inset: Marco believes retail should focus on increasing pandemic.” online sales and offering new online business models.

US: Carole Postal, president, Spotlight Licensing

“2020 was all about adapting to the new normal of Zooming and virtual events, but we are looking forward to getting back to the ‘old normal’ once we can.

Our goal [for 2021] is to work with clients, licensees and retail partners in order to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new opportunities, as consumers and the retail and manufacturing environments adjust and recover from 2020.

The biggest opportunities are always the least expected. We always have our eyes and ears open for great new properties and more opportunities for existing licensors.

We have been hearing hints about a Downton Abbey movie sequel, for example, talking to clients about upcoming television seasons for The Last Kingdom and Call the Midwife, and enjoying the recent re-appreciation for Precious Moments as a brand Inset: The biggest which offers inspiration, hope and togetherness in difficult times. opportunities are always 2020 was the year for ‘humility’ and that is going to be my word for 2021 as well. the least expected, says Carole.

We’re going to need to remember the lessons learned in 2020 in order to move forward in 2021 with more understanding for what was and what still could be.”

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OVERSEAS FEEDBACK

France: Lionel Marty, md, APC Kids

“Despite the initial uncertainty, 2020 turned out to be better than expected as APC Kids continued to grow and our turnover increased 8% during the year. We managed to adapt and make the most of the online events and markets, while finding new ways to keep in touch with potential buyers and partners.

We will be continuing Kid-E-Cats consumer products roll out in 2021. For Little Tiaras, we will keep building our international broadcasting plans, fuelled by the success of the series in Russia, where it is the second fastest growing brand, while we will be also kickstarting the DinoCity rollout while gaining broadcasting exposure following deals already secured in 2020 including Above: APC Kids saw Russia, UK, Poland, Greece, Finland and the Balkans. its turnover increase The biggest opportunity is that kids are spending more and more time on portable devices, 8% during 2020, while we believe the biggest challenge for the licensing sector will be the retail recovery says Lionel. from COVID-19.

For both years, our word would be agility: APC Kids’ boutique approach as a company has been, and will remain, our advantage as we tackle the challenges of an ever-changing market.”

US: Marc Rosenberg, president of global brands and cmo, Genius Brands International “2020 was a year of change and breakthrough for Genius Brands. As did everyone around the Above: Retailers have globe, our team adapted to done a “remarkable working through challenges as job” meeting their customers’ needs, we laid the groundwork to says Marc. become a leader into the future in children’s and family content.

Our production team is moving mountains to develop our Superhero Kindergarten series, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, while we are thrilled to add Shaq’s Garage, with Shaquille O’Neal starring and executive producing. Our team has also been busy imagining the next chapter in the Stan Lee Legacy through our Stan Lee Universe deal and we have been full speed ahead on rapidly building our Kartoon Channel App. We have also acquired Chizcomm/Beacon Media.

The key retail challenge has been made very clear. We are in transformational times, with more and more buying migrating to online.

Fortunately, the remaining retailers have done a remarkable job meeting their customers’ needs.

The upcoming year will be exciting as we have the chance to extend the online plays being made, while optimistically getting people back in the stores where we can reignite much of the retail and experiential magic in and out of aisle.

Words of the year – 2020, ‘mind-numbing’; 2021, ‘transformational’.”

GAS: Sibylle Gondolf, md Germany, Austria and Switzerland, WildBrain CPLG “For us, 2020 was better than expected, especially on the new business front which was very strong. In these unprecedented times, the diverse retail landscape in Germany has helped us to balance our business and keep it stable.

Thankfully, key suppliers of essential retailers were also not affected by the lockdown.

One of the biggest opportunities at the moment is definitely the ecommerce business, and I expect this will continue to grow and become more prevalent over the next few years. On the other hand, we need to be mindful of how this shift to online will create challenges for bricks and mortar businesses. In terms of challenges, we will inevitably see huge changes within movie licensing, following the shift towards releases going straight to streaming platforms.

Physical retail will require some rethinking and adaptation, but we’re hopeful this will offer up some interesting opportunities for innovation. Words of the year – 2020, ‘digital revolution’; 2021, ‘optimism’.”

Right The diverse retail landscape in Germany, helped WildBrain CPLG to balance its business and keep it stable, says Sibylle.

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OVERSEAS FEEDBACK

Inset: Molang will be ‘taking off’ as a strong global brand for all ages in 2021, says Lise.

France: Lise Cosentino, marketing and communications director, Millimages “2020 proved to be a very successful year for Millimages and Molang in particular. We found that during confinement, our audience was more connected than ever, super engaged and reactive online.

We also reached a number of groundbreaking milestones - we’ve hit four million fans on Molang’s social media (all networks combined), 12 billion views on GIPHY (one of their top IPs), as well as the launch of Molang.com, our first-ever ecommerce shop and hub.

In 2021 the team will be redefining the Molang strategy for our three target audiences (Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials), reinforcing our content production, going after strong collabs and hopefully growing even more than in 2020. To top it all off, season five will be released in 2021.

The challenges moving forward are probably similar challenges to most businesses in the current context - the transition to a post-COVID

market, adapting as much as possible on the digital scape and continuing to captivate our audience with engaging content.

2020 in one word would be ‘ignition’ as we’ve been putting in place all of our pieces in order to best approach our future strategy and the future of Molang as a 360-degree lifestyle and worldwide brand. 2021 represents ‘take off’, when we will be using all our tools to launch Molang as a strong global brand for all ages.”

Singapore: Sashim Parmanand, ceo, One Animation “COVID-19 was definitely a catalyst in terms of driving business to become more digital than ever before. At One Animation, we closed the year better than expected for a few key reasons: a focus on animation, we have a large technology team which helped us make a seamless transition to the work from home model; focus on ecommerce, developing a range of toys (including plush) for sale at Amazon and Walmart.com in the US; focus on gaming, renewing our partnership with SEGA/GoGame; and focus on digital distribution, with our Oddbods channels on YouTube amassing a cumulative 24 million subscribers and 21 billion views.

One of the biggest opportunities for brands is building a strong DTC presence - it’s a chance to really ‘know’ who your customers are and create products and services that they are really looking for. A major challenge is the uncertainty surrounding traditional business models and assessing how to understand long-term consumer behaviour after the changes brought about

by COVID-19.”

Inset: One Animation’s focus on digital distribution was a key driver for Oddbods, says Sashim.

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OVERSEAS FEEDBACK

US: Ilana Wilensky, president, Jewel Branding & Licensing “There were definitely many months of stress and uncertainty [in 2020]. The royalties from sales in the second quarter were down significantly which was to be expected given lockdowns and store closures. But we were pleased that the following quarter was considerably better. We definitely needed to adapt quickly and shift our focus, but we are optimistic that the worst is behind us and are hoping for greater stability in 2021.

Some of the biggest opportunities we see include cause-related brands – we’re excited to announce that Rachael Hale has joined forces with the Humane Society to develop a co-branded collaboration.

We are also launching Showcase, a new virtual show on February 1617, that will bring the art licensing community together. I also think 2021 will be a year that spotlights diversity.

Words of the year – 2020, ‘turbulent’; 2021, ‘recovery’.” Inset: Ilana sees

Italy: Maurizio Distefano, founder and president, MDL Licensing

“All in all, 2020 was positive given the circumstances, thanks mainly to our ability to adapt. We have been using digital marketing activities to overcome the lack of trade shows and face to face meetings and we have been able to continue servicing our licensors and licensees full-time.

Our main goal [this year] is to consolidate 2020’s results for entertainment properties and to launch new properties we now represent. We also aim to expand our target audience to include teenagers and adults who we feel will respond favourably to the new brands and properties we represent.

Most of our traditional bricks and mortar retailers are suffering. The fast development of ecommerce and online sales has disrupted their business model as they are not equipped to fight this new battle. Licensees, meanwhile, are figuring out how best to juggle business as usual – sales to traditional retailers – and ecommerce, which is still seen by some licensees as a threat to their traditional way of doing business. Words of the year – 2020: resilience, 2021: change.”

Right: 2021 will be a year of transition says Maurizio.

cause-related brands among the biggest opportunities in 2021.

US: Natalie Setton, vp commercial, content distribution and licensing, Herschend Entertainment Studios

“2020 was everything from adapting production needs, shifting key timelines, editing and advancing priorities or even non-priorities. It forced us to re-evaluate and look at all aspects and functions of our business and fortunately, overall, we feel we ended the year in a good place.

We’ve polished our planning and have been able to build on our previous relationships and cultivate new relationships where we may have not looked in the past. This all gave us a more powerful pathway to our franchise future and is leading us into a very strong year of planning and commitments in 2021, particularly for the start of the year as Chuggington continues its roll out around the globe.

It is always challenging introducing or re-introducing new preschool brands to audiences and retail in a highly competitive market environment. That said, in times of uncertainty, there is value in proven, feel-good and evergreen properties. Being a previously proven brand which delivers positivity and nostalgia warmth, I feel, gives us an edge and an exciting opportunity.

While the destructive nature of 2020 has been damaging and heavy, forcing us to tear things down, it’s also an energy that has pushed us to have great strength and fury in reinventing and breaking glass ceilings and walls. For 2021, destructiveness lays the beginnings of a new foundation built off the balance of great loss and great strength.”

Inset: Chuggington will continue its roll out across the globe this year, offers Natalie.

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STATE OF THE NATION: FOOD & BEVERAGE

The food and beverage category is one which has seen significant growth over the past year – and, with more people discovering new brands throughout lockdown, this success could soon be transferred into the CP space. LSB takes a look at some of the latest news.

Below: Rose has already secured key retail listings for the products.

Tasty morsels Pusheen’s confectionery move

Freedom Confectionery is launching the first chocolate-coated vegan gummy bar as part of a new partnership with the Pusheen brand.

The 54g strawberry flavoured vegan gummy bar – named Vegumi – will be coated in dairyfree chocolate and wrapped in a designed film featuring Pusheen.

“After being in the business for five years, this is by far the most exciting launch Freedom Confectionery has been a part of,” commented Elvin Willgrass, sales director of Freedom Confectionery. “To have a brand licensing partnership with Pusheen is an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to hear what our customers think of it.

“As a business, we believe in 100% allergy-free, no product leaves our factory without being thoroughly tested and packaged accordingly and we’re delighted that Pusheen want to be part of our business journey.”

Cate D’Allessandro, director of licensing at Pusheen, added: “Our team is excited to partner with Freedom Confectionery to bring our fans a delicious new sweet treat to enjoy.”

Below: The vegan gummy bars are wrapped in Pusheen designed packaging.

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Rose Marketing readies SLUSH PUPPiE line

Rose Marketing is looking ahead to the warmer months with the latest addition to its roster, SLUSH PUPPiE. The company has been working closely with Pink Key Licensing and will launch SLUSH PUPPiE Freeze Pops from April. The brand joins an impressive stable of licences held by Rose Marketing including Robinsons, Fruit Shoot, Tango, Swizzels and Vimto.

Key listings for the range have already been secured with the likes of Iceland, Food Warehouse, B&M and Home Bargains. The Freeze Pops will be available in various product formats including standard Squeezee Freeze pops and the popular 2 in 1s.

“For us, this is a no brainer - we are so pleased to work with such an iconic brand and for SLUSH PUPPiE to become a part of our Eezzy Freezzy range,” said Steven Watt, md of Rose Marketing. “Our team works diligently to ensure the key elements and characteristics of the brand are seamlessly transferred to the products. It’s also a real pleasure to work closely with UK licensing agency, Pink Key Licensing. The product range looks fantastic, with customers already making commitments to stock.”

Richard Pink, md of Pink Key Licensing, added: “Rose are a great partner for us on SLUSH PUPPiE - they have all the experience in product development and distribution that we need to make this a success and complement our existing range.”

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STATE OF THE NATION: FOOD & BEVERAGE

Walkers and KFC brands partner

The Walkers and KFC brands have collaborated on the launch of two new crisp flavours.

The Walkers Max Kentucky Fried Chicken and Walkers Max Double Crunch Zinger flavours are available in a variety of formats including single bags and a multi-pack of six. In addition, an on-pack promotion will be running, giving consumers the chance to win a two for one KFC meal with every pack.

“The new Walkers Max and KFC flavours offer the ultimate fulfilling snack, delivering the epic KFC signature taste that people know and love, with the familiar and satisfying crunch of Walkers Max,” said Katherine Cook, senior brand manager for Walkers Max at Pepsico.

Right: The two brands have collaborated on two new crisp flavours.

Twisted appoints Golden Goose

Golden Goose has been appointed by Jungle Creations to develop licensed products under its Twisted brand.

Recipes and video content for “unserious food that tastes seriously good” has made Twisted the UK’s number one food brand on social, acquiring over 30 million followers since 2016.

Award winning marketing campaigns for brands including Baileys, Heinz, Hellmann’s, Birds Eye, Walkers and McDonald’s saw Above: Golden Goose will build out the Twisted programme.

Twisted sponsored content generate 55 million views in 2020.

Now, as a brand that influences the purchasing decisions of Gen-Z consumers, Twisted is now looking to leverage its market intelligence onto its own branded products across multiple food and non-food categories.

“As the UK’s number one food and drink brand on social we know the engagement we can deliver with Twisted digital content and, working with Golden Goose, we look forward to making Twisted branded products widely available for our growing audience to enjoy,” said Olly Johnson, md of ecommerce at Twisted.

Subway eyes licensing

The well-known Subway sandwich brand is looking to expand its licensing footprint across the globe.

Broad Street Licensing Group has been appointed to represent the brand, with the new partnership focusing on the creation of Subway-branded licensed products in the food and lifestyle spaces.

“Our collaboration with Broad Street Licensing Group enables us to connect fans to the Subway brand in new and unexpected ways,” said Mike Kappit, chief operating and insights officer at Subway. “With BSLG, we will grow our presence beyond our natural borders into other retail environments and strengthen our positioning as a food and lifestyle brand.”

Guinness 232 Coffee returning

Following its success during the Rugby World Cup, speciality coffee roster Tiki Tonga has confirmed the comeback of Guinness 232 Coffee.

The company has become the official coffee roaster and partner of Guinness 232 Coffee, following a deal brokered by Beanstalk, Diageo’s global brand extension licensing agency.

During the roasting of the coffee blend, special adjustments have been made to the coffee roast profile, briefly increasing the temperature to Above: A special temperature adjustment during roasting helps 232 degrees C. unlock the Guinness flavours.

The temperature adjustment unlocks the smooth, creamy, dark malty flavours of Guinness in the coffee.

Brandgenuity says cheers to Kahlúa

Brandgenuity has been selected as the exclusive licensing agency for popular coffee liqueur brand, Kahlúa.

Kahlúa is the central ingredient in a variety of classic cocktails including the Espresso Martini, White Russian and Cold Brew Soda.

Kahlúa currently has two licensee partners – White Coffee and Keurig – and Brandgenuity is now planning to build upon their success, taking the brand into new categories.

Teri Niadna, md of Brandgenuity Europe, said: “We love Kahlúa – its taste profile and its playful positioning.

Above: Brandgenuity will be looking to take the Kahlúa brand into new categories.

Above: The Subway brand is moving into the licensing space.

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B&LLA

BOOKING FORM These annual awards reward excellence in product innovation, brand licensing management as well as retail execution.

The 2021 awards will take place during a lunch time ceremony at the luxurious London Hilton on Park Lane, London. The awards afternoon takes place on Wednesday 7 July 2021 where the winners will be announced at a spectacular awards lunch that includes a cocktail reception, lunch, the awards ceremony and entertainment.

To confirm your attendance, please carefully complete this booking form and return to Createvents.

Allocation of tables are made on a first come first served basis.

For table bookings & event logistics: Contact: Clare Hollick, 01183 340085 Email: clare@createvents.co.uk

Please reserve the following:

For entry nominations & sponsorship enquiries: Contact: Ian Hyder, +44 (0) 207 700 6740 Email: ian@max-publishing.co.uk Visit: http://www.thebrandlicensingawards.co.uk Please note that tickets will not be sent out Until payment has been received.

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£2,628.00

Single Places

£219.00

£262.80

Please note: price includes drinks reception, three course lunch and celebrity hosted awards ceremony. All other beverages including table wines are additional which are ordered with and charged by the venue directly. Full details in your confirmation email which will be provided following receipt of a signed booking form.

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Purchase Order #: Please note: ALL INVOICES MUST BE PAID BY RETURN, TICKETS WILL NOT BE SENT UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED. This means that we can only process bookings that require us to issue invoices until 31 May 2021. For bookings made after this date either a cheque or credit card is required.

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Bookings will be confirmed upon receipt of a completed booking form. By signing this form you authorise Keystone Comms on behalf of Max Publishing Ltd to proceed with your booking, and you acknowledge and understand the cancellation policy as follows: • Notification of cancellation must be made in writing to: The B&LLA Awards, c/o Createvents, 450 Brook Drive, Reading, RG2 6UU • No refund will be made/full payment will be required for Cancellations received after 31 May 2021.

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Max Publishing Limited will use your information for administrative purposes and analysis. We may share your information with carefully selected third parties. We, or they, may send you details of other goods and services which may be of interest to you. The information may be provided by letter, telephone or other reasonable method of communication. [ ] Please tick this box if you do not want your details to be shared with carefully selected third parties. Max Publishing, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP

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THE ONLY AWARDS TOTALLY DEDICATED TO AWARD BRAND AND LIFESTYLE LICENSING THE AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES.

THEY ARE FREE TO ENTER AND DONE SO ENTIRELY ONLINE DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS 7 MAY 2021

The 2021 winners will be unveiled on Wednesday 7 July 2021 A lavish afternoon event at Hilton Park Lane, London The B&LLAs bring together retailers, licensees, brand owners and representatives to celebrate excellence in brand and lifestyle licensing.

For information on reserving tickets or tables to the event, please contact:

Clare Hollick at Createvents Ltd using clare@createvents.co.uk or calling +44(0)1183 340085

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STATE OF THE NATION: BRANDS

The power of the brands and lifestyle sector is continuing to grow as we settle into 2021, with a host of new collaborations and product launches.

LSB checks out some of the latest deals.

Brand loyalty

On demand for Pink Key

Right: The Laughing Cow

is among the brands with Pink Key Licensing has secured print on demand sites. partnerships for a number of its brands with online retailer, Iconospheric.

The licensee has created dedicated print on demand sites for Pan Am, The Laughing Cow and Vimto. Consumers will be able to obtain a Below: The collaboration includes some of wide range of print on demand products Mulberry’s most iconic silhouettes. including wall art, cards and gifts featuring vintage art from each of the brand collections. In addition, Iconospheric will also be selling wall art featuring a range of Vintage Kellogg’s posters on its main print on demand site.

“We are really pleased to be working with Iconospheric on this project; it gives us the V&A teams with Mulberry opportunity to have an all year round presence In celebration of its exhibition, Bags: Inside Out, the V&A for merchandise that will support and augment has collaborated with British brand Mulberry on a capsule collection of leather bags and accessories. the retail programme for these brands,” Inspired by a 20th century floral furnishing fabric held in commented Richard Pink, md of Pink Key the museum’s archive, the opulent chinoiserie-style pattern Licensing. “We hope that the designs on this features on some of Mulberry’s most iconic silhouettes platform will inspire consumers, but also help our including the Bayswater tote.

The collection will be available at the V&A and online at licensees demonstrate the brands popularity vam.ac.uk/shop and mulberry.com. when they are presenting to retailers, too.”

Clogau continues to sparkle

Historic Royal Palaces licensee, Clogau Gold is launching a new jewellery collection in spring 2021, inspired by the Fife Tiara.

Created in 1889 as a wedding gift for Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Louise, the tiara – which is permanently housed at Kensington Palace – contains nearly 200 carats of diamonds.

Clogau’s Kensington Fife Tiara pendant and earrings launched exclusively on QVC in December 2020 and has sold well. The full collection – which includes a ring – will roll out across the company’s range of distribution channels from March. This will be accompanied with a Tudor Court red garnet key pendant, an extension to the successful Tudor Court range, inspired by the quatrefoil design in Anne Boleyn’s gateway at Hampton Court Palace.

“These new items, inspired by the Fife Tiara, are another example of how Clogau interprets items from our vast historical collections to create successful and commercial product for today,” said Jenny Smyth, licensing manager at HRP. Left: The full Kensington Fife Tiara collection rolls out in March.

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STATE OF THE NATION: BRANDS

NHM adds childrenswear

2021 is off to a strong start for the Natural History Museum, with it having developed its first childrenswear collection with John Lewis.

The gender-neutral range – created alongside Bro Global Group – is for ages 3-13 and consists of t-shirts, sweatshirts, long-sleeved tops, leggings and joggers.

Items feature graphics that encourage a love of the planet, a message which is mirrored by the sustainable fabrics used to create the collection. BCI Cotton was used across the range with only waterAbove: The new childrenswear line builds on NHM’s momentum from 2020. based print techniques and non-hazardous dyes utilised.

Having launched in January 2021, the full collection is available in 12 stores and online at John Lewis. The launch builds on the momentum which the Museum enjoyed in 2020, including a brace of wins at the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards and a further win at The Licensing Awards for its Colour by Nature paint collection with Farrow and Ball.

Left: Miss Sixty was inspired by four female portraits from the National Gallery.

Eye opening The National Gallery Company – with its master licensee Alfilo Brands - has collaborated with denim fashion brand Miss Sixty as it continues to reach new audiences in China.

Inspired by the masterpieces from the National Gallery, the exclusive apparel collection combines on-trend modern elements with imagery from select paintings. Skus include shoes, sweaters, trousers, hats and coats, with the range available in 200+ stores in seven cities in China, as well as online.

In ancient Egypt, the eye of Horus is a symbol that represents protection, royal power and good health, with Miss Sixty using this as the concept of design, choosing four female portraits from the National Gallery to use as inspiration, recreating and rearranging them to a new graphic by accentuating and highlighting their eyes.

High hopes from LMI

Below: A dress perfume is among the new products for Highclere Castle.

LMI is continuing to build up programmes around its portfolio of heritage brands.

These include Highclere Castle which has capitalised on its TV and movie exposure as the ‘real Downton Abbey’ with programmes including Silent Night group for bedding in the UK, US and China; Gascoigne Designs for furniture and a range of dress perfumes, diffusers and towels from SD Biotechnologies in Korea.

In addition, a unique gin under the Highclere Castle name and a fine cigar made in Nicaragua have also picked up awards.

LMI will also be looking to further grow the programmes for International Space Archives, BSA, British Motor Heritage, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Schönbrunn Palace in 2021.

Royal Museums Greenwich licensing growth

Royal Museums Greenwich is collaborating with Warner House.

Inspired by a set of 19th century constellation cards, Warner House is launching the striking prints, comprised of the 12 zodiac signs, as cushions and wallpaper.

Royal Museums Greenwich comprises the National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark and the Queen’s House, all located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich in London.

Other new product launches include PlayPress’ pirate cove in its signature biodegradable and recyclable plastic-free play series, and Kite clothing’s third RMG-inspired range of planet-friendly children’s clothing for SS21.

2021 will also see the launch of Ecliptic, an astronomy-themed board game from Inside the Box, as well as the Royal Observatory’s first brand licensed telescope with Celestron.

Right: Warner House has taken inspiration from 19th century constellation cards.

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STATE OF THE NATION: BRANDS

English Heritage makes licensing move English Heritage has appointed Golden Goose to build up and manage its lifestyle, home and garden licensing.

“As the custodians for 400 sites, many with stunning gardens, that receive 10 million visitors a year, we are looking forward to working with Golden Goose to create an exciting range of licensed products that will capture our expert team’s passion for authentic storytelling alongside the hugely recognisable English Heritage brand,” commented Kingston Myles, head of commercial development at English Heritage.

Adam Bass, director at Golden Goose, added: “We love the passion, authenticity and history behind the English Heritage brand, and can’t wait to develop the quality of products that this prestigious programme deserves.”

Right: English Heritage is the custodian for 400 sites.

Moleskine’s Frida inspiration

Inset: CAA-GBG will drive lifestyle and consumer product development worldwide.

CAA-GBG drives ahead

CAA-GBG has secured a new long-term partnership with Jaguar Land Rover.

The agency will be responsible for lifestyle and consumer product development worldwide for Jaguar and Land Rover.

The partnership will enable both brands to expand their international reach and build brand awareness and loyalty through fashion, CPG, STEAM and experiential categories.

“Jaguar and Land Rover are known all over the world for their unparalleled performance and design,” said Perry Wolfman, ceo of CAA-GBG. “We very much look forward to leveraging our expertise and global resources to build on these brands’ respective heritages to help them grow their consumer audiences and businesses in exciting new ways.”

Poetic Brands makes an impression

Moleskine has launched a collection of three luxury notebooks inspired by Frida Kahlo, following a deal with Art Ask Agency.

Each notebook in the collection – which is designed to inspire fans to seize the creative moment and ‘express their own truth’ in words or drawings – reflects Frida’s vibrant artistic approach and introspective nature.

“This launch is truly one of my dearest dreams come true,” said Maria Strid, owner of Art Ask Agency. “Moleskine is the height of quality and heritage when it comes to notebooks.”

Simona Sbarbaro, brand Above: Three luxury notebooks are in the range. and communications director at Moleskine, added: “Frida Kahlo was truly a legendary woman and her legacy reverberates to this day, as her work and life continue to inspire and touch the lives of so many.”

Right: Retail reaction has been “overwhelming” to the proposed lines, says Poetic Brands.

Poetic Brands has inked a deal with the Van Gogh Museum for men’s and women’s apparel, along with a number of travel accessories.

The new range – which is due to launch in the UK in 2021 – has already garnered strong interest from retail. The deal was brokered by Licensing Link Europe, which manages the rights for Van Gogh Museum in the UK and Ireland.

“Van Gogh is universally recognised and we are excited to create a brand new range for the property, bringing it further into the lifestyle of the modern consumer,” said Elliott Matthews, executive director at Poetic Brands. “It is unique in our portfolio, and we have already been overwhelmed by the reaction of retailers to the proposed lines.”

Chris Taday, director of Licensing Link Europe, added: “We’re thrilled to have Poetic Brands on board for this prestigious property.”

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30 YEARS OF WITHIT

Art and design brand Withit is marking 30 years in 2021, with a new website and style guide, new agency in the form of Centa IP and fresh product all celebrating the milestone and helping to catapult the brand back into the focus of licensees and retailers. LSB finds out more.

Inset: Dolph (left) originally met Brad at Spring Fair, with the two going on to form a business partnership in 1996.

Below centre: Withit is celebrating 30 years in 2021.

A modern CLASSIC

2021 marks three decades of the Withit brand – a major achievement for the art and design brand, and one which is being celebrated with a raft of activity.

Founder Dolph Zahid and creative director, Brad Caines, are working with Centa IP to reengage with retail. A new style guide, courtesy of Watermelon Creative, has created a fresh look for characters such as Cheeky Monkey, Glamour Puss, Chocolate Moose and Top Dog, while Norton PR is on board to help the company fully capitalise on the relaunch.

A new website (withitstudios.com) has been built to showcase Withit’s many achievements, its brands (which also include Phizzogs, DoodleBoos, Kitties in the Cities and Joey & Joy) and its products. And, speaking of product, a new bag range – focusing on Above: Nightwear and Cheeky Monkey and loungewear has been

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key for the company.

LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021

Glamour Puss to start with – has been created with a past licensee based in Hong Kong. Eight bags for each character will initially launch in the UK and US, before rolling out into Europe and Asia. A selection of social stationery will complement the bag collection, while a limited edition premium apparel range (hoodies and t-shirts) is also in development.

Other categories have also been earmarked, as Brad explains to LSB: “The three mainstays of Withit have been stationery, bags and apparel, in particular night/loungewear,” he says. “However, with our original fanbase much older now, we see areas such as homewares being viable, like kitchen accessories, tea towels, storage jars, mugs, lunch bags, drinks bottles, etc. The style guide has a more mature and on trend palette and pattern offering to tap into that.” Room décor (for nurseries and kids’ rooms), plus toiletries, greeting cards and gifting are also in the mix.

The new website will also throw more light on the company’s retailer projects,

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30 YEARS OF WITHIT

DTRs and promotions which it has done over time around the world, making licensees fully aware of all that has been achieved with the brand.

“We’ve done bespoke character work as well for retail, as well as product development so we’ve many strings to our bow as it were,” Brad points out.

At its heart, the Withit brand has a simple message, but it’s certainly an effective one. “The word play has been key in its success, along with the graphic styling it’s just an easy look to absorb as an idea,” Brad continues.

“The viewer puts the word and image together to make the phrase and it just makes you smile. It’s gender neutral in its appeal and the simple words have enabled it to be understood in over 30 countries.

“All that said, you have to keep yourself out there - trade shows, networking, going to meetings and building relationships in business are as important as ever.

Dolph has been a big advocate of that drive to keep Withit out there.”

Looking further into the future, Brad says Withit will build on a three-pronged sales approach: licensing, making its own ranges and direct to retail bespoke offerings. “Licensing is Above: Cheeky Monkey, Glamour Puss always an area we have worked and Mad Cow are just in and will continue to. We have three of the characters in Withit’s portfolio. very keen royalty rates and a wealth of art to work with that’s very adaptable.

With a new UK agent in Centa IP we are already starting to get some good interest.”

Speaking of the biggest lesson that they’ve learnt over the past 30 years, Brad

Inset: Stationery has been one of the mainstays of Withit.

The road to success

Dolph opened his first Withit t-shirt shop back in 1991 in Brighton. At the same time, Brad was making hand-painted t-shirts and selling them on street and craft markets in Bristol. They met at Spring Fair when Dolph became Brad’s first wholesale customer, and by 1996 a business partnership had been formed with Brad focusing on design and production and Dolph covering sales and retail.

With the appeal of characters, including Cheeky Monkey, Glamour Puss and Mad Cow growing, a further seven shops followed and by 1998 the duo had moved into wholesale. Boosted by events such as Clothes Show Live and its UK-made apparel, Withit also developed other brands as part of its portfolio.

Licensing came knocking in 2001, with a last minute decision to exhibit at Brand Licensing Europe leading to a meeting with WH Smith and a back to school range being launched from 2002. Other product areas followed including nightwear, apparel and fashion bags to name a few, while promotions with Burger King, a DTR with C&A in Europe and expansion across South America, Russia, the US, Poland, Australia and South Africa cemented Withit’s success.

More recently, the company has been developing an animated TV show for one of its other brands, Kitties in the Cities, which is currently in production with an animation studio.

concludes: “Take your time. It’s a well-used phrase, but it is a marathon and not a sprint… for art/design brands like us anyway. We started in retail back in 1991, wholesale in 1996 and licensing in 2001, we certainly didn’t rush. It’s a long road and we’ve had a great time travelling along it, learning as we went, but we are not stopping now.”

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ART & DESIGN LICENSING TRENDS

From pent-up new hedonistic ‘roaring 20s’ to a yearn for travel, urban gardening, diversity and homespun crafts are just some of the trends highlighted by the leading artists agencies and picture libraries that are likely to be reflected in certain licensed categories over the coming year.

LSB listens in.

Design for life

Inset: Drifting, 2019 © T.S. Harris/ Bridgeman Images.

Right: Paola Fumagalli.

Paola Fumagalli, marketing manager, Bridgeman Images Travel: “The desire to escape, to travel abroad, to explore the world, to discover new cultures and immerse ourselves in new colours, will be key to 2021.”

Green Awakening: “The desire to connect with nature everywhere. This need for making peace with Mother

Nature is expressed with bold colours that fill our senses with strong emotions and inspire us to a more sustainable future.”

Sustainability: “A more sustainable lifestyle will become more and more popular: from going green and making eco-friendly life choices to the very basic shop-local and supporting our communities.”

Mindfulness and Wellbeing: “We discover the importance of connecting with others, the understanding of mental health issues and the importance of movement and exercise.”

Luci Gosling, head of sales and research, Mary Evans Picture Library Parties and Hedonism: “There has been some suggestion that, when normal life resumes, the world will experience an elation similar to the post-war years of the 1920s. We think there will definitely be a hedonistic aspect to card designs, too. Think posters by Toulouse Lautrec and Jules Cheret, the risqué illustrations of Joseph Kuhn-Regnier in La Vie Parisienne, 1920’s cabaret programme covers, glamorous types drinking cocktails - and party scenes with lots of people.”

The Simple Things: “Conversely, the home has been such a focus of this year, we think that designs that convey this, as well as the associated themes of family, security and peace, will be popular.”

A New Nostalgia: “Now that early adopters are decorating their homes in a new tasteful version of the 1970s aesthetic, the nostalgia for the period can be Above left: Luci Gosling. encapsulated by some of the retro card designs we Inset: Celebration with Champagne.

(Mary Evans Picture Library) have through the Medici Society.”

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ART & DESIGN LICENSING TRENDS

Hannah Curtis, director, Creative Sparrow

Alpine: “This trend combines a multitude of themes we have been seeing throughout 2020 and before, balanced between the ongoing need for mindfulness and calm, the care we have for all things environmental and sustainable and the growing need for the outdoors. Alpine takes us further into the world of adventure and exploration.”

Immersive Ambience: “A holistic approach sees spiritual symbols, as well as star signs and the current astrology trend enter our home aesthetic, with a dark and magical palette mixed with vibrant pastels and matte metallics. Global inspiration and distant shores make an appearance, with laid back island vibes, tropical leaves and florals.”

Sartorial Fantasy: “The trend for maximalism as we curate Above: Hannah Curtis.

Inset: A design by Lucy Hadley ourselves and our interiors sees us seeking vibrant colour palettes and a frivolous aesthetic, a trend for the superfluous (from Creative Sparrow). yet gorgeous luxuries in life. Sequins are also making a daring comeback.”

Jehane Boden-Spiers, md, Jehane Urban Garden: “There will be an increased shift towards depicting gardens in urban environments. This is a trend I have already encouraged my own artists to embrace in preparation for 2021/2022 and we have already seen a positive response from licensees.”

Relatable: “The many months we have spent at home are not only having an impact on how we relate to each other, but also on design trends.

Relatable illustrations which reflect everyday experiences will be increasingly popular.”

Around The World: “I predict an increased popularity of artwork featuring maps, different cultures and countries, and famous cities around the world. Travel has long inspired design. Travel enthusiasts will find creative ways to weave reminiscences of travels into their homes and daily lives.”

Above: Jehane Boden-Spiers.

Below: Urban Gardening © Caroline Bonne Muller (from Jehane).

Amy Fitzgerald, agent, Bright Art Licensing Feelgood Colours: “The rainbow motif was adopted as the symbol of hope in 2020, and I think it will continue to dominate in 2021 through bold colour palettes and joyful designs. Designers such as Versace and Christopher John Rogers are embracing mood-boosting prints and stripes in their spring/summer collections.”

Elements of Nature: “I believe we will see a growing interest in imagery inspired by nature.

This trend could manifest itself in leafy patterns and indoor plant illustrations, earthy tones, bold florals or even beautiful exotic vistas as people dream of their next holiday.”

Authentic Representation: “Agencies, publishers and retailers are taking steps to ensure their card and stationery offerings better reflects and Inset: A Sarah celebrates the Long design that celebrates diversity diversity and (from Bright).

Above: Amy uniqueness of Fitzgerald. today’s society.”

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The GreATesT COLLeCTiOn OF GreeTinG CArDs in The WOrLD

“We are looking forward to PG Live returning in 2021. We missed not having a major summer showcase opportunity this year - PG Live has become a vital part of the trade calendar for the Danilo team over last 10 years. It’s an important show and the summer timing works exceptionally well for us as we launch new ranges around the show dates.

We are very much looking forward to getting together with other publishers, welcoming retailers to our stand and enjoying a return to normality.

We can’t wait for PG Live 2021!”

Daniel Prince, managing director, Danilo

The FuTure OF GreeTinGs Last few stands remaininG www.progressivegreetingslive.com

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PG Live 2021 Tuesday 8 - Wednesday 9 June Business Design Centre, London +44 (0) 1635 297070 www.progressivegreetingslive.com @PGLiveLondon #PGL2021

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ART & DESIGN LICENSING TRENDS

Sue Bateman, director, Yellow House Art Licensing Craft Appeal: “Our new found fascination with home crafts will endure and tastes will continue to move away from digital art towards handcrafted images. Textures, painting, printing and mark making will be important, as will an increased interest in the artist who actually created the image.”

Comfort & Support: “It would be good to think that the pandemic has reinvigorated our social conscience and we are now more aware of our community and the need to support each other.

I think we will see more type-based designs with sentiments that reflect our changed lifestyles.”

Colour Pop: “We need bright colours to cheer up our lives and remind us that summer and travel will be back before long. Over the last couple of years, colours have been gradually asserting themselves in a sea of neutrals, especially in the world of interior design.”

Above: Sue Bateman.

Inset: Sarah Campbell’s work is an explosion of colour, pattern and joyfulness © Sarah Campbell Designs (from Yellow House).

Bhavisha Vadgama, art director and senior agent, Advocate Art Bonne Fetes: “After COVID, we think that celebration will be a big thing for everyone, and swanky cocktail parties, glitter and glamour paired with elegant muted tones will be a trend. With pops of colours to add contrasting accents.”

Boogie Wonderland: “This retro look is making a comeback and it's all about projecting positivity. We love the graphic, bold patterns, bright colours, integrated type and vector style. It's a celebration of type and delivering empowering messages which ties in well with how big of a trend mindfulness has become too.”

Blazing Hotchpotch: “This trend is also very graphic and stylised, that makes the kitsch look trendy. The colour palettes revolve around the Pantone colours of the year; PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating. We think more contrasting, minimal colour palettes will be leading the way in design and be more texture focused, too.”

Right: Bhavisha Vadgama.

Above: Dramatic contrasting colours from Charlotte Pepper (from Advocate).

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Bright is an award-winning talent-management agency. Our global roster of artists and authors create original illustrations, branded content, and characters for use in every sector.

From best-selling children’s authors and illustrators, to innovative art brands, we represent over 500 artists, and offer clients and partners with global access the opportunity to license and work with all rights retained by the agency.

AWARDS

Bright Agency_muk.indd All Pages 078-079_LSB_Spring 2021.indd 78

C

05/02/2021 18:12

SECTORS: Publishing Film & TV Theatre Advertising Branding

Greetings Cards Toys & Games Stationery Home & Gifts Fashion Packaging

Amy Fitzgerald amyf@thebrightagency.com thebrightagency.com +44 207 326 9140

CLIENTS 79

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STATE OF THE NATION: SPORTS

Ahead of the

game It’s the start of a new sporting year, but it’s also a fond farewell from an LSB stalwart.

LK Bennett under starter’s orders

Ascot Racecourse has secured a global deal with British luxury brand LK Bennett to launch a 2021 apparel and footwear collection inspired by its flagship race meeting, Royal Ascot, in a multi-year agreement brokered by IMG. Specially designed for the 2021 summer racing season and social calendar, the new ladies ready-to-wear collection features silk dresses, jumpsuits, skirts, tops, trousers, jackets, courts and wedges.

Inset: Ready for the summer season.

Right: Pashers has left the building.

Bottom: Killie’s Conker.

Hanging up his boots 11 years after LSB’s editorial director, Jakki Brown, asked “if he could write”, Keith Pashley has penned his last sporting pages for the magazine.

Keith commented: “11 thoroughly enjoyable years and 11 years that has seen the sports licensing sector grow, both in terms of the revenues generated and the importance placed on it by manufacturing licensees and retailers alike.

“I hope that we’ve shown that sport can be inspirational, adaptive and ultimately commercial – I can only assume from the sheer array of sports brands and associations now actively licensing out their IP, it very much is. I’ve attempted to help open the eyes of the licensing industry to the opportunities

that abound in the world of sports. Whether major sporting occasions such as World Cups or Olympics, key sporting events such as Ryder Cups or 6 Nation Championships, some of the biggest associations in the sporting world including FIFA, UEFA, NFL or MLB, or some of perhaps the more niche sporting names such as Professional Darts, PADI or the Barmy Army, hopefully a small light has been shone on the potential.

“Whether the growth of the women’s game in professional sport, the use of sport as a lifestyle and the global influence of major European and American sporting brands here in the UK, I’ve hopefully suggested that sport licensing is very fluid and that it simply won’t stand still.”

Keith concluded: “Moreover, I hope that my love of sport and licensing has kept at least a few of you entertained.”

Going bonkers for Captain Conker

On the back of a competition at local schools to design the new club mascot for Kilmarnock FC, Rainbow Productions has been commissioned to bring to life the winning entry, Captain Conker.

Since the debut in July last year, miniature toys are now available to buy in the Killie Shop, with the club now looking to develop a Captain Conker clothing line.

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STATE OF THE NATION: SPORTS

Park slam dunks Harlem Globetrotters

Park Agencies - under licence from He Studios - will be launching capsule collections of Harlem Globetrotters (HGT) apparel through the first part of this year.

Tying into HGT re-commencing its worldwide tour this year across the US and Europe, the collection, designed to appeal to basketball fans around the world and people who have grown up watching the iconic HGT, is an inspired range toward the USA Dream Team of 1992.

Inset: Available early 2021.

Left: Get the party started.

Juventus goes East No Scotland, No Party!

After 22 years Scotland has qualified for a major tournament, the 2020 Euros, now being held in 2021.

With the tag line ‘No Scotland, No Party!’ ready to go, Steven Romeo, head of retail says licensees have been quick to react with stock available and indeed, selling out, on the official retail partner, JD’s, website just a few hours after qualification.

“A number of our licensees also utilised the tag line,” Steve commented. “The team at FOCO was quick to retail with face masks and snoods. Arena imaging had the celebration photos up that evening and were available to be applied to mugs, key rings, jigsaws, post cards, canvases and much more.”

Danilo roars

Right: A first for Danilo.

To tie in with The British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa later this year, Danilo is publishing for the first time the official calendar for The British & Irish Lions rugby union team.

IMG signs Brady TB12 - the global health and wellness company co-founded by six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and business partner Alex Guerrero - has signed with IMG for licensing and brand collaborations.

The deal will see IMG expand the brand’s presence by leveraging traditional retail and ecommerce, in addition to digital and experiential channels; creating new consumer touch points that bring the TB12 method to more individuals and organisations.

Right: IMG to represent.

In deals brokered by IMG - Juventus’ exclusive licensing representative in Asian territories, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – the club and Shinyoh, a Japanese trading company, will be launching a 2021 five-piece New Year gift set featuring junior apparel and accessories. Additionally, Juventus has also recently launched a children’s umbrella with Come Across.

FA adds to the team sheet The FA has revealed two new licensing partners as it bolsters its Below: Unique gifting. licensing team sheet ahead of this summer’s Euros.

Nerdy Banana is now producing Official England Mini Me cushions, creating unique personalised gifts. In addition, Affinity Brand Partners is launching a range of tech accessories including branded straps for watches, covers and cases for ear buds, plus headphones and covers for wireless speakers and virtual assistants early this year.

Below: Record breaker.

Signature Gifts continues to score

Signature Gifts - through its sister company, Historic Newspapers has access to the largest archive of newspapers in the UK, including the full back catalogue of Daily Mirror content dating back to the 1900s.

This wealth of material provided access to the full history of sports reporting from the last century.

Signature continues to create memorabilia including Football Team History books for over 60 teams, World Cup celebration books, plus special editions including the commemoration of Liverpool FC’s first league title in 30 years. COVID has stopped much of play across a lot of sports, but content has not stalled. Yearly updates have gone ahead for all teams and, new for this year, a book honouring Lewis Hamilton’s’ record breaking Formula 1 title.

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10 - 12 AUGUST 2021 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas.

Expose Travel has been taking clients to Licensing Expo for the last 13 years and have some excellent flight and hotel o° ers.

If you are able to make your plans and book your flights and hotel now, the savings are fantastic.

Virgin Atlantic fly direct out of Heathrow and Manchester to Las Vegas during the Licensing Expo, and we have some great fares in all three classes. We also have some excellent fares to o° er on BA direct from Heathrow.

We will demonstrate excellent savings against the airlines own cheapest fares.

How about hotels? We are pleased to o° er you several good, well-known hotels on the Strip, and if you have a favourite please let us know and we will be happy to give you the rates and availability.

Remember – by booking with us you have the added security of knowing that, in the current conditions, we are there to help should there be a need to make changes due to no fault of yours!

Now is an excellent time to work with a small, experienced team like ours – you do not want to be on hold to a major airline for 3 hours if things go wrong!

Please remember that the flight and hotel prices are bound to go up as it gets nearer to the Show dates. Save by making your reservations now.

Contact Paul at paul@exposetravel.uk or Zoe at zoe@exposetravel.uk or call us on +44 (0)1883 349576 or via our website www.exposetravel.uk

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Exposé Travel 82 Whyteleafe road, Caterham Surrey CR3 5EF

03/02/2021 12:06

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TEAM GB’S OLYMPIC PREPARATIONS

Olympic heights It seems an age ago that we heard the news that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – the world’s biggest sporting event – was to be cancelled.

With the Games now scheduled to take place in the summer, LSB chatted to Team GB’s Paul Ellis about how the delay has impacted licensing plans and what we can expect to see off the track.

L

ooking back on the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympic Games last year, Paul Ellis, head of licensing and retail at Team GB, is quick to praise the commitment and efforts of Team GB’s licensing partners.

“While it was a blow to everyone involved, I think it got to the stage where it almost became inevitable and as we came to terms with it, it was important to reset and re-focus as quickly as possible and try to build positives and opportunities out of an initially difficult situation,” says Paul.

Ahead of its official roll out this year, Team GB launched a new style guide at a virtual licensing workshop in November. Looking beyond the track and with focus on heritage, Generation Z and children, the guide introduced new graphics and assets supporting core guidelines.

It was important that from a licensing perspective, Team GB got out on the front foot and utilised the extra time that the postponement provided to continue planning and if anything, plan even better for when the Games came round again – the Winter Olympics in Beijing 2022 follows six months after Tokyo. Paul notes that has provided an opportunity to review every area of the licensing programme including kit launches, collaborations, ecommerce and design development. “As a 100% privately funded organisation, it’s vital that Inset: Generation Z is a focus. every potential revenue stream is working to the

Left: Team GB’s Paul Ellis.

Inset: Minting it.

best of its ability and no opportunity with licensees and retailers is missed,” he says.

It’s been a difficult landscape for a variety of sectors in the UK during the pandemic, and that’s been no different for Team GB’s licensing and retail partners.

Positivity, empathy and communication has been key throughout. “It was really important to us that we worked closely with our agency, ThePoint.1888, to be supportive of our licensees and retail partners as projects had to be paused and in some cases ripped up and started again,” Paul continues.

Team GB has worked with licensees to get product ready for 2021 with shorter lead times, so allowing retailers to be able to work with it in 2021 in a swift and focused fashion if they couldn’t make commitments in 2020. Paul also notes that with the proximity of summer and Winter Games, it has provided an opportunity to cover both: “A real positive for us and a further opportunity to grow the already popular standing of the Olympic Winter Games.” Team GB currently boasts approximately 30 licensees, but this is growing. “We’ve recently added five more to support the programme with kids and gifting new additions,” advises Paul. From a retail perspective it is also a strong offering across sports, lifestyle, grocers and specialists.

Much like the team at Games time, Team GB prides itself on diversity and likes to think its licensee base follows a similar vein, with an ability to talk to the whole fanbase through product. “Be it our Royal Mint coin in 2020 or the outstanding fine art from two amazing artists in Peter Blake and Frank Bowling courtesy of Counter Editions, all the way through to drinkware with Zak or kid’s guides with Egmont, we feel it’s a really strong line-up across the product board,” concludes Paul.

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LA LS

LICENSING AWARDS BOOKING FORM The 2021 Licensing Awards will take place during an evening ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane London on Tuesday 14 September.

The 2019 awards were a great success and attracted over 1300 people. The Awards event itself will be an extravaganza that befits the dynamism of the industry. The Licensing Awards have really become accolades to strive for; their integrity is unquestioned as an endorsement of excellence.

To confirm your attendance, please carefully complete this booking form and return to Createvents Ltd. For table bookings & event logistics

Contact: Clare Hollick +44 1183 340085 Email: clare@createvents.co.uk Mail: The Licensing Awards c/o Createvents Ltd 450 Brook Drive, Reading RG2 6UU

For entry nomination & sponsorship Contact: Ian Hyder +44 207 700 6740 Email: ianh@max-publishing.co.uk Website: www.thelicensingawards.co.uk

Please reserve the following:

EXCL VAT

Table/s of Twelve (12) ☐ £2,976.00

☐ £2,480.00

Table/s of Ten (10)

☐ £248.00

Single Places

INCL VAT @20%

£3,571.20

£2,976.00

£297.60

Please note: price includes drinks reception, three course dinner, celebrity hosted awards ceremony and entertainment. All other beverages including table wines are additional which are ordered with and charged by the venue directly. Full details can be found in your confirmation email, which will be provided following receipt of a signed booking form.

PAYMENT OPTIONS ☐ INVOICE ME Purchase Order ♯

Please note: ALL INVOICES MUST BE PAID 30 DAYS FROM INVOICE, TICKETS WILL NOT BE SENT UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED. This means that we can only process bookings that require us to issue invoices until 9 August 2021. For bookings made after this date either a cheque or credit card is required.

☐ CHEQUE to the sum of £

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Made payable (Including VAT) to: Max Publishing Ltd Please send to: The Licensing Awards 2021 c/o Createvents Ltd 450 Brook Drive Reading RG2 6UU

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Bookings will be confirmed upon receipt of a completed booking form. By signing this form you authorise Createvents Ltd on behalf of Max Publishing Ltd to proceed with your booking, and you acknowledge and understand the cancellation policy as follows: • Notification of cancellation must be made in writing to: The Licensing Awards, c/o Createvents Ltd, 450 Brook Drive, Reading RG2 6UU • No refund will be made/full payment will be required for Cancellations received after 9 August 2021.

• Cancellations received on or before the 9 August 2021 will be accepted and refunds will be given less a 15% administration charge.

• Please note all attendees must be 18 years or older.

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LA LSB A5 2021.qxp_Layout 1 02/02/2021 10:21 Page 1

Licensing Awards the industry can be really proud of...

The UK Licensin Licensing A Awards d 2021 Tuesday September 14 2021 The Great Room, Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, London, W1K 7TN

For more information please contact Ian Hyder, Director of The Licensing Awards T: +44(0)725 634306 E: ianh@max-publishing.co.uk FOR INFORMATION ON RESERVING TICKETS OR TABLES TO THE EVENT PLEASE CONTACT: Clare Hollick at Createvents Ltd using clare@createvents.co.uk or calling +44(0)1183 340085

OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET OR TABLE ONLINE GO TO - WWW.MAX-TICKETS.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE AWARDS GO TO:

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SPORTING INSIGHT

Heavy hitters The speed of change in the sports sector has been immense in the past 12 months, as like all industries, it adapted to the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Simon Gresswell, md of sports licensing consultancy SGLP, takes a look at how things played out and what to watch for in 2021.

I

n the early months of the pandemic, I wrote about adaptability and creativity as the watch words for sports licensing. Here, I pick out just a few examples of how licensing played its part in these challenging times and how it might play a bigger part in future, inspired by some of the proactive initiatives of sports licensees and major rights holders.

Above: Simon Gresswell, founder of Quick-thinking licensees and football clubs and sports licensing consultancy SGLP. Right: Marcus Rashford was awarded their licensing and retail teams showed great Campaigner of the Year by GQ. ‘bouncebackability’ (thanks Ian Dowie) and launched into new areas of product. Examples of early successes in a genre we could now call #maketheUturn lobbying campaign, resulted in ‘lockdown leisure’ products included colouring school meal vouchers being made available over books and player-favourite cookbooks, knitwear the school summer holidays to around 1.3 million and gnomes. Football merchandise was funkier, families. Not content for this to be a one-off, his too, with Premier League team Hawaiian shirts further efforts later in the year led to a bigger striking a chord in summer and those gnomes government commitment of £400 million, which staying the course deep into Q4, selling as club Rashford confirmed would help 1.7 million children colour-wearing Santa gnomes, in a year when over the next 12 months. online retail and gifting dominated, not just in the So, in a year where run up to Christmas. Hat tip to the purpose over profit became hardworking FOCO team here. a popular and recurring Athlete/team-generated mantra for big brands and content hit a peak with The businesses, sport and Last Dance, but individual sports people sports people also stood up retained and probably as spokes people, with recruited new ‘fans’, by global and national social putting the interests issues coming to the fore in and emotions of the such reflective times. fans and people first, in Most notably for me in the UK, Marcus Left: FOCO’s football club gnomes Rashford’s selfless work were a hit in 2020, with popularity extending into the Christmas season. with FareShare and his

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much the same way. Using his fame and own life story to cut through the ‘digs and politics’ as Rashford called them, marks the young man out as a genuine role model, rather than just an exceptional footballer.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see what activations Jay-Z’s ROC Nation has planned for Marcus and other star signings such as Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s Rugby World Cup 2019 winning captain and England Rugby’s, Maro Itoje. I would hope they will be predominantly cause-related, more than brandrelated. If so, licensed products that carry meaningful donation mechanisms for those causes, might justifiably play their part in these initiatives.

Sports rights holders pivoted into new avenues of activation - potentially giving food for thought for future licensing opportunities - and some moved location altogether, Right: F1’s Esports Series helped to further widen sparking myriad challenges, fan engagement. but with them still contributing to opportunities for the future.

F1 came high up the sporting chameleon chart, with its seamless flip into esports, also bringing other famous sports people like Ben Stokes into virtual GP races, resulting in record viewing figures of 30 million, with 20+ million being via digital platforms alone. Such smart fan engagement/recruitment actions, might well have planted the seed for wider licensed promotions or brand partnerships in the future, with competition winners from around the world but from home if necessary, racing as would-be Lewis Hamiltons against other F1 drivers.

FIFA was one of the first rights holders to delve into its archive and provide football fans with classic matches when lockdown loomed. So many great moments from tournaments gone by might provide opportunities for nostalgic or retro merchandise, while existing and recently Right: The Indian Premier signed-up licensees like League saw 200m people tune in for the opening Poetic Brands, will also be match of Chennai Super particularly pleased to learn Kings versus the eventual winners, Mumbai Indians. that FIFA also looks set to

launch an OTT channel, with initial content likely to include junior tournaments and esports, following in the footsteps of UEFA in 2019.

The Indian Premier League boldly moved lock, stock and barrel to the UAE, found a new title sponsor in Dream 11 and created unique bio-secure environments in cooperation with its eight stakeholder franchises, all seemingly within weeks, with some astonishing results. Overall viewership was up 24% and 200 million people tuned in for the opening match of Chennai Super Kings versus the eventual winners, Mumbai Indians. With the postponement of the Dubai Expo 2020, the IPL ‘show’ coming to town bolstered ad revenues by an estimated 10%, with Disney-owned Star Sports upping the ante shortly before the event and recognising the IPL’s power to act as the gateway to the Middle East, in the absence of the Expo. And with all the US and Asian tech giants fighting for big slices of the commercial pie in India, just imagine how big licensing and merchandising could be, if certain market challenges can be overcome in the Indian market and the brand and franchises can be expanded internationally in the way that US sports league have done globally. Watch out for Major League Cricket, due to launch in the US in 2022.

Some amazing things have been achieved physically, virtually and remotely in the business of sport this last year, for sure. Whatever curve balls sport receives, a combination of tech, money, brands, product and ecommerce, seem to be able to resolve. The speed of change has been immense and isn’t slowing up as we head into 2021.

LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021

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FAREWELL TO A LICENSING LEGEND

Remembering Kelvyn Gardner Inset: Kelvyn was a friend to many in the licensing industry and he will be much missed.

Tributes from the industry flooded in for Kelvyn Gardner following his passing in January. Former colleagues, his peers, friends and licensing family – reeling and in shock at the sudden passing of a man who had done so much to grow the licensing industry into what it is today – have shared their thoughts, sympathies and memories.

LSB highlights just a selection.

Caroline High, licensing director, Boat Rocker Studios “I feel very privileged to have spent time with Kelvyn at many Light Fund dinners and he always provided huge entertainment! Always very supportive of every brand that I worked on, always taking the time to meet and hear all the plans.”

Saphia Maxamed, founder, London Entertainment Inc “What a humble, kind and gentle man. I have worked with Kelvyn for a very long time. He has looked after me over the years. He has been my fundamental support system throughout my licensing career. I am heartbroken, shocked, sad and at loss with mixed emotions. Kelvyn was family to me.”

Paul Hodgson, md, FOCO “Kelvyn was an incredibly charismatic, insightful and inspiring person. He had many endearing qualities but above all, he always had time for everyone. I feel lucky to have known him. Rest in peace, Kelvyn.”

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Graham Saltmarsh, md, Licensing International UK “When I was offered the role at Licensing International, the first person I called was Kelvyn, who said how pleased he was and asked how could he help. He continued to touch base and with his fantastic dry wit would give insights on the industry which were always accurate, but not always repeatable! Now we must bid farewell to an industry guru, a friend and a rock God.”

Richard Pink, md, Pink Key Licensing “It’s hard to imagine a licensing world without Kelvyn. He was the most generous of people with his advice, and his opinion was always of value, delivered without malice and always with a sense of humour and twinkle in his eye. And by god did he know his stuff.”

David Scott, treasurer, The Light Fund “I consider it a privilege to count myself as a friend of Kelvyn’s. It was always a pleasure to meet him, he was such a genuine and delightful character, ever-helpful, widely versed in languages, politics and any other subject under the sun and it was a given that he would be a good man to turn to if ever advice or a sounding board were needed. He was a one-off, irreplaceable and unrepeatable, and our industry is unquestionably diminished by his loss.”

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Ian Downes, md, Start Licensing “I had the pleasure of knowing Kelvyn for over 30 years. He was an ever present in the world of licensing and at the core of the industry. His passion for licensing was infectious and the industry owes him a big debt for his advocacy about licensing.

Licensing will miss him. I will miss him, but will remember him as a man who made the most of his opportunities, enjoyed his life, pushed himself to try new things, but also remembered other people and tried to help where he could.”

Pindy O’Brien, licensing and retail development director (UK & Europe), Walker Books “Kelvyn was a great ambassador for our industry who oozed positively! He was charismatic, kind, positive and a true people’s person. We all felt we had a personal connection with him. That’s because he always made time for you. A true gentleman who will have a special place in all our hearts. He’ll be missed dearly and his efforts and dedication to keep the licensing industry growing globally will always be appreciated.”

FAREWELL TO A LICENSING LEGEND

Inset: Kelvyn with his fellow License This! judges for the 2019 competition.

Anna Knight (on behalf of Team BLE & the Global Licensing Group @ Informa) “I remember when I joined the Global Licensing Group in 2016 I was told that I had to meet Kelvyn first, because he’d be a great support but also because he’d help me get to know people quickly.

He did so much more than that. He taught me so much of what I now understand of the industry, he connected me to wonderful people, several of whom I now count as friends, and he was always there for me. There won’t ever be another Kelvyn and that says everything to me.”

Rachel Wakley, general manager, consumer products UK & Ireland, WBCP

Inset: Kelvyn was a huge advocate for the UK licensing industry, hosting numerous panels during his time at Licensing International.

Trevor Jones, chairman, The Light Fund “Kelvyn may have been known for his exuberant dress style and ready smile, but he had that special ability to make people feel at ease and chat as if they had known him forever. He was passionate about licensing and in particular the UK industry. His own vast licensing experience enabled him to understand the most complex of situations and was always ready to offer advice whenever asked. He was a friend to all us in licensing and will be sorely missed.”

“Kelvyn holds a special place in the heart for so many of us. He’s not only an industry legend, but has been so unbelievably generous to so many of us over the years. I really can’t imagine a trade show without his many jackets, or a Light Fund event without sharing a beer, let alone the gap that his presence will leave for so many of us in his knowledge, experience or charm.

He will be very sorely missed indeed.”

Hannah Mungo, ceo, Sutikki “Kelvyn has been a constant throughout my career and not only an amazing and very generous mentor but a friend, too. A man who will be greatly missed by me and so many in the industry. My thoughts go out to his family.”

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands “A true gent through and through. A genuinely lovely man who will be remembered with such fond and happy memories by so many people.”

LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021

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Get in touch to join the celebrations, which include new product, partnerships, experiential, special edition comic, and year-long marketing and PR support.

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Property: Miraculous :Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Property: ZAG Animation Studios TM

Contact: Rob Corney E-mail: info@bulldog-licensing.com Website: www.bulldog-licensing.com

Top rated show on POP, Disney+ and Netflix in the UK. Exciting new master toy line by Playmates Toys, distributed by Bandai, launched in 2020.

Excellent rates of sale across the toy range which includes fashion dolls and playsets.

Dress up and fashion dolls in Amazon best-sellers.

Globally over 22 billion views on YouTube and over 130 million game downloads.

Licensing programme in the UK continues to grow with partners across apparel, nightwear, accessories, homewares, dress-up and toys.

www.miraculousladybug.com Miraculous

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@BeMiraculousLB

miraculous

Miraculous Ladybug

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M

ug

Miraculous™ is a trademark of ZAGTOON - Method. © 2021 ZAGTOON - METHOD ANIMATION - TOEI ANIMATION - SAMG - SK BROADBAND - AB INTERNATIONAL - DE AGOSTINI EDITORE S.p.A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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EURO

Jason Emai Tel: +

www.

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Over $1B in Franchise Revenue to Date

Over 1.14B Games Sold and Downloaded

Sonic The Hedgehog Movie $310M+ Box Office to Date

Celebrating 30 years in 2021

FOR LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT: EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA:

US, CANADA & LATIN AMERICA:

REST OF THE WORLD:

Jason Rice Email: jason.rice@sega.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 4568

Alex Gomez Email: alex.gomez@segaamerica.com Tel: +1 (747) 400 2410, ext.203

Shigefumi Tanzawa Email: s_tanzawa@home.segasammy.co.jp Tel: +81 3 6871 7122

www.sonicthehedgehog.com/uk

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@Sonic

@sonic_hedgehog

/sonicthehedgehog

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107 ©SEGA

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Celebrating 30 years in business, retail, wholesale and licensing. Withit creates unique character based designs and product ranges for a global audience.

The Withit brand started in 1991 and has sold extensively across the UK, Europe and Internationally with retail sales exceeding $40 million.

CONTACTS

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WITHIT

International Licensing/Sales Brad Caines brad@withitstudios.com

LICENSOR Withit Studios

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SILC 2021 Sustainability A5 advert.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2021 14:25 Page 20

THIS YEAR’S SILC CONFERENCE TAKES PLACE ON 24 JUNE 2021, FOLLOWING ITS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL DEBUT IN NOVEMEBER 2020.

Breaking new ground in the licensing industry, the Sustainability In Licensing Conference will be staged as a dual-cast, hybrid event on 24 June 2021.

The live event is scheduled to take place at The British Library in London, alongside the digital stream which can be viewed globally.

SILC was successfully launched in November 2020 and saw attendance from over 20 countries. In a delegate survey, 100% of attendees said they would join the 2021 conference, whilst 96% said that they gathered knowledge they were otherwise missing. Further, 100% also confirmed the conference was good value for money, too.

Chaired by Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and ceo of Products of Change and the ProductsofChange.com web hub, SILC 2021 will inspire and inform via it’s line-up of expert industry speakers, there to help businesses of all size innovate and grow on the sustainability front.

Find out more at www.SustainabilityInLicensing.com – where you can also purchase live and/or digital event tickets, priced at £245 and £100 respectively.

Alternatively call the Box Office – Createvents – on +44 (0)118 334 0085.

For sponsorship enquires please contact Rob Willis (robw@max-publishing.co.uk) or Ian Hyder (ianh@max-publishing.co.uk) .

Join with SILC 2021 to help future-proof our industry and our world.

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LICENSEES

Ă“

Licensees

LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2021

LICENSEES

Licensees are partners (usually manufacturers or retailers) who obtain a licence from the licensor to make and sell products bearing the licensed character or brand.

The following section is devoted to purveyors of licensed products and those whose products might be suitable for licensing.

If you are a retail buyer reviewing licensed products available or a licensor looking for new products for your licences, read on.

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Light Fund 3-Pack Face Covers

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All proceeds raised from the sale of these face coverings will be donated directly to The Light Fund, registered charity no 1145596, which raises much needed monies to fund various worthwhile charity projects that help children, women and men.

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Apparel

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Apparel

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Apparel

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17-19 NOVEMBER 2021 ExCeL London

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE ANNOUNCES NEW DATES AND FORMAT Join the licensing community for an in-person event from 17-19 November at ExCeL London, followed by an online event on 30th November - 1st December.

FIND OUT MORE AT www.brandlicensing.eu

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Bedding

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Children’s Publishing

P

© 2019 Rovio Entertainment Corporation and Rovio Animation Ltd. Rovio, All Angry Birds logos and characters are trademarks of Rovio Entertainment Corporation and Rovio Animation Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Avengers © 2019 Marvel. Baby Shark © Smart Study Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Pinkfong® Baby Shark™ is a licensed trademark of Smart Study Co., Ltd. Captain Marvel © 2019 Marvel. Dumbo © 2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Fingerlings® and all product names, designations and logos are trademarks of WowWee Group Limited. Copyright 2016-2019 WowWee Group Limited. All rights reserved. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2019 The LEGO Group. The Lion King © 2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. © MGA Entertainment, Inc. L.O.L. SURPRISE! TM is a trademark of MGA in the U.S. and other Countries. All logos, names, characters, likenesses, images, slogans and packaging appearance are the property of MGA. Mary Poppins Returns © 2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Match Attax © TOPPS Europe Limited, 2019. All rights reserved. © 2019 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. NICKELODEON, NELLA THE PRINCESS KNIGHT are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. © 2019 Spin Master PAW Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved. PAW Patrol and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Spin Master Ltd. Nickelodeon and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Shimmer and Shine © 2019 All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, trademark of Viacom International Inc. Spies in Disguise™ and © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Property of Fox. Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse © 2018 Marvel © 2018 SPA & CPII. © 2019 Super Wings™ All Rights Reserved. The Nutcracker And The Four Realms © 2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Secret Life of Pets is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All rights reserved. DreamWorks Trolls © 2018 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved. TM & © 2019 Ugly Industries Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Wonder Park TM & © 2019 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

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Shark © Smart rademarks of King © 2019 Mary Poppins tional Inc. mer and Shine 2018 SPA & icensing LLC.

Children’s Publishing

Publishing for a new generation

Centum Books 20 Devon Square, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2HR, UK. Office: +44 (0)1626 337736 • Fax: +44 (0)1626 334580 • Books@centumbooksltd.co.uk

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Dress Up

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Dress Up

C MYK

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©2020 & TM Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler.

Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

The Tiger Who Came To Tea

©2020 Kerr-Kneale Productions Ltd. Licensed by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Proof Colour Check

©2020 Kerr-Kneale Productions Ltd. Licensed by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

©2020 MATTEL.

New for book day 2021 UK: Freephone 0800 590 599 / sales@smiffys.com

Export Sales: +44 1427 619 799 / export@smiffys.com

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Gifting

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Giftware

Contact; wendy.addison@enesco.co.uk wendy.addision@enesco.co.uk to to discuss discuss licensing licensing opportunities opportunties

To stock our licensed collection contact…

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ENESCO LIMITED LIMITED, Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, Cumbria, England, CA3 0EN. UK Customer Services Telephone: 01228 404022 Email: uksales@enesco.co.uk Overseas Customer Services Telephone: +44 (0)1228 404066 Email: eurosales@enesco.co.uk BEATRIX POTTER™ © Frederick Warne & Co., 2021. ©2021 Jim Shore Designs, Inc. © GUND 2021. GUND is a division of Spin Master Inc.

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At an already magical time, Disney is the perfect way to transport ourselves into a world beyond our wildest imagination. Disney Christmas brings all of your favourite and most timeless characters to a collectable range of decorations and gifts for children and adults of all ages.

Broadgate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 9XE UK T: +44(0)161 688 1226 I F: +44(0)161 682 6808 I sales@widdop.co.uk I www.widdopandco.co.uk

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B&LLA LSB a5 Advert 2020.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2021 09:11 Page 1

THE ONLY AWARDS TOTALLY DEDICATED TO AWARD BRAND AND LIFESTYLE LICENSING THE AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES.

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For information on sponsorship or any other enquiries please contact: Ian Hyder, Joint MD of Max Publishing on +44 (0)7525 634306 ianh@max-publishing.co.uk

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2020/2021 Guide to Services & Suppliers W

elcome to the Licensing Source Book’s new dedicated ‘Guide to Services and Suppliers for the Licensing and Retail

Industry’.

The aim of this guide is to shine a spotlight on the essential companies that help to join the dots and fulfil vital roles to fully bring to life amazing licensing campaigns, products and retail executions.

From the very beginnings of the lifecycle of a licensing programme, with the creation of dedicated designs and style guides, through to imaginative packaging and retail point of sale to ensure products stand out on shelf, plus the retail executions themselves – be they shop-in-shops, short-term pop-ups or online stores. These companies are important cogs in the business of licensing.

Quite frankly, the industry couldn’t operate without them, but these companies don’t necessarily get the attention or exposure they deserve – which is why we’ve made sure that this dedicated guide really showcases their talents and services.

The Licensing Source Book is published by Max Publishing United House, North Road, London N7 9DP Ian Hyder - Joint Managing Director Jakki Brown - Joint Managing Director and Editorial Director Fiona Pavely, Keith Pashley, Samantha Loveday and Michelle Board - Wordsmiths Extraordinaire Rob Willis - Publishing Director Tel: 020 7700 6740 Fax: 020 7607 6411 E-mail: hello@max-publishing.co.uk Web: www.licensingsource.net Copyright 2020. The publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text.

www.licensingsource.net

From design, public relations and marketing, through to the important ‘behind the scenes’ work in logistics, auditing and software, financial and legal services, plus consultancy and third party agency representation – you’ll find them all in the next 50+ pages.

As well as having a full 12-month shelf life in print, the guide will also have a permanent standalone presence on LicensingSource.net, generating further reach and exposure for these often unsung heroes of the business.

And if you’re a supplier or service company which would like to get involved in the guide, simply contact Ian Hyder or Rob Willis on the details below and they can help you spread the word.

Samantha Loveday Editor, Licensing Source Book

PUBLISHERS OF

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LicensingSource.net is the go-to resource for finding out what’s happening in the global licensing industry.

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Aid to Brand Owners and Retail Buyers

INTELLIGENT BUYING FOR LICENSED PRODUCTS FOR BRAND OWNERS A virtual shop window directly onto retailer buyers desktops ■ View popularity of products via your unique dashboard ■ Aide licensees quest to place products in front of retailers ■ Products displayed in via photos and descriptions controlled by you

FOR RETAILERS It’s a secret weapon for buying the right product at the right time ■ Browse products by powerful search tools ■ Consider timely buying by our brand populated calendar of events ■ Buy safe in the knowledge that all products are officially licensed

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Brand Extension and Licensing Agent

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Buying and Sourcing for Retail

HELPING YOUR TEAMS TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS Julia Redman owns and manages retail buying and sourcing consultancy BuyersEye, empowering brands, retailers, suppliers and licensees to maximise their potential, as well as delivering education for fashion students.

Buying is a passion, but every retailer, large or small, needs buyers with the skills to make their passion work for the good of the business. From implementing new buying strategies to ultra-efficient work processes, and supporting the wellbeing of your teams through mentoring and coaching, BuyersEye is ready to tackle any challenge and put you on the path to success.

The pace of change in retail and its supply chain is relentless, and by sharing our knowledge and experience we can help ensure that your buying teams are well prepared to meet the future.

BuyersEye is helping clients by delivering services and training that transform the way they do business.

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Business Multimedia Publishing & Events

MAX PUBLISHING The leading specialist publishing house for the licensing and consumer products sectors, o˜ ering high-quality, content-rich publications to an unrivalled database of over 100,000 licensors, suppliers, licensees, retailers and everyone inbetween. Our titles cover all core product areas, whilst our contract publishing business has seen specialist publications for companies including Universal Studios, Warner Bros,.

Disney, Entertainment One, Hasbro, Sanrio and many more.

MAX MEDIA VENTURES The digital studio within the Max group owns and operates numerous exciting digital news channels including LicensingSource. net. The studio also o˜ ers full-service digital development from websites to apps, social media programs, audio visual creation, company re-branding, 3D modelling, with clients including Licensing International, LDN Fashion and more.

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Business Multimedia Publishing & Events

Get in touch: hello@max-publishing.co.uk +44 (0)207 700 6740 www.maxmediagroup.co.uk

MAX LIVE EVENTS Not only does our award-winning production company organise the highlycoveted Licensing Awards, Progressive Preschool Awards and all others in the Max group, it also organises events for a myriad of third party clients from small conferencing and licensee days to major live events for names including Toni & Guy, Licensing International, The Negotiator Awards and hundreds more.

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Creative Consultancy

With clients across the globe and experience spanning three decades, we’ve built a reputation as the ‘go to’ creative and strategic partner for entertainment industry brand extension.

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Data-Driven Licensing

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Design Agency – Product, Packaging & Style Guide

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Tango and the Tango device are trade marks of Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd. © Disney Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All Rights Reserved. DreamWorks Trolls © 2019 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Design, Design Reprographics and Print

‘Proud to be the graphic reproduction and printing company to The Licensing Awards, Licensing Source Book and Max Publishing’ Some of the great people we’ve worked with...

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STRATEGIC BRAND LICENSING LTD HELEN WEBSTER

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Email: strategicbrandlicensing@gmail.com Mobile: +44 7309 260391

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Fryday Brands develops, sells, negotiates, markets, and implements complete brand licensing strategies and programs including:

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A proven track record in the strategic development and commercialisation of brands from the entertainment, digital, lifestyle, toy and publishing industries in the UK and international markets.

Launched & monetised some of the UK’s largest properties, including; Thomas the Tank Engine, Fifi & The Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car, Clangers, & Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, through licensing, brand partnerships, digital and live events.

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Licensing Relationship Management For the collaborative creative Sending content as attachments and manually granting access to folders is so yesterday. The Flowhaven solution automates asset sharing (and un-sharing) fully based on agreement terms, alerts managers if a partner has not downloaded materials, and provides detailed analytics about your most downloaded assets. Our platform even sends automatic notifications to your partners anytime new assets or style guides become available.

For the data-driven leader Say goodbye to the days of fragmented views of your licensing business. Flowhaven’s customizable, data dashboards allow you to oversee the full scope of your licensing programs, monitor efficiencies, track sales, and drill down on details, allowing you to make more informed business decisions and continuously lead your teams towards greater success.

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Travel Expert For The Licensing Industry

10 - 12 AUGUST 2021 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas.

Expose Travel has been taking clients to Licensing Expo for the last 13 years and have some excellent flight and hotel o° ers.

If you are able to make your plans and book your flights and hotel now, the savings are fantastic.

Virgin Atlantic fly direct out of Heathrow and Manchester to Las Vegas during the Licensing Expo, and we have some great fares in all three classes. We also have some excellent fares to o° er on BA direct from Heathrow.

We will demonstrate excellent savings against the airlines own cheapest fares.

How about hotels? We are pleased to o° er you several good, well-known hotels on the Strip, and if you have a favourite please let us know and we will be happy to give you the rates and availability.

Remember – by booking with us you have the added security of knowing that, in the current conditions, we are there to help should there be a need to make changes due to no fault of yours!

Now is an excellent time to work with a small, experienced team like ours – you do not want to be on hold to a major airline for 3 hours if things go wrong!

Please remember that the flight and hotel prices are bound to go up as it gets nearer to the Show dates. Save by making your reservations now.

Contact Paul at paul@exposetravel.uk or Zoe at zoe@exposetravel.uk or call us on +44 (0)1883 349576 or via our website www.exposetravel.uk

Exposé Travel 82 Whyteleafe road, Caterham Surrey CR3 5EF

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ly.

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St fr an o d H m ou er th t d e !

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PR Agency

The Licensing and Broadcast PR and Marke˜ ng Specialists TRADE PR CONSUMER PR WEBSITE COPY SOCIAL NETWORKING TALENT MANAGEMENT CHARACTER TOURS REGULAR COLUMNS PRODUCT PLACEMENT PLACED FEATURES SPEECH WRITING COPYWRITING COMPETITIONS

Tylers • 1 Mallows Green Road • Manuden • Herts • CM23 1DG T 44 (0) 1279 887 101 E jgarner@kgmpr.com • W www.kgmpr.com S57

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PR Agency MCPR is an award-winning PR agency based in London that has worked with some of the world’s most renowned kids, family and entertainment brands for 15 years including Disney, Mattel, Fisher-Price, KIDZ BOP and National Geographic.

We have a successful track record of industry-leading communications campaigns with a family focus that consistently delivers unparalleled earned media coverage and positive awareness for our clients, keeping them top of mind with parents and kids and helping to positively shape consumer choices.

Our work includes taking charge of some of the most talked about and widely covered kids brands stories, product launches, PR stunts and partnerships across UK, EMEA and globally.

Star Wars

Disney Descendants

Thomas & Friends

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PR Agency

WE DO… ★ CONSUMER PR ★ TRADE PR ★ INFLUENCER MARKETING ★ MEDIA RELATIONS & NEWS GENERATION ★ TALENT MANAGEMENT ★ PRODUCT PLACEMENT CAMPAIGNS ★ EVENTS ★ CONTENT CREATION ★ PR CONSULTANCY & STRATEGY ★ BRAND PARTNERSHIPS ★ CSR ★ PARENTS & KIDS RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS ★ REMOTE PRESS OFFICE SERVICE

1 Lyric Square, London, W6 ONB +447974 215334 | www.markcollinspr.com S59

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Product integrity Licensed Character Products Imagine8 specialise in Licensed Character Merchandise.

Promotional Merchandise

QA/QC Logistics Extension to our partners team

Retail cross category licensee across EMEA Accessory licensee

Preferred Promotional partner One stop solution from concept to delivery.

Creative Sourcing Manufacturing Licensed Character Products Imagine8 specialise in Licensed Character Merchandise.

Supply Chain Packaging Product integrity QA/QC

Retail cross category licensee across EMEA

Logistics

Accessory licensee

Extension to our partners team

Contact Information: Norman Thompson Imagine8 Ltd Unit 8, Palatine Ind. Est. Causeway Avenue Warrington Cheshire WA4 6QQ Tel: +44 (0) 1925 444 474 Mob: +44 (0) 7768 414304 Mail: norman@imagine8.com

Preferred Promotional partner One stop solution from concept to delivery.

Creative Sourcing Manufacturing Supply Chain Packaging Product integrity QA/QC Logistics Extension to our partners team

Contact Information: Norman Thompson Imagine8 Ltd Unit 8, Palatine Ind. Est. Causeway Avenue Warrington Cheshire WA4 6QQ Tel: +44 (0) 1925 444 474 Mob: +44 (0) 7768 414304 Mail: norman@imagine8.com

Contact Information: Norman Thompson Imagine8 Ltd Unit 8, Palatine Ind. Est. Causeway Avenue Warrington Cheshire WA4 6QQ Tel: +44 (0) 1925 444 474 Mob: +44 (0) 7768 414304 Mail: norman@imagine8.com

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Norman Imagine8Th Lt Imagine8 Lt Unit 8, 8, Pala Pala Unit Imagine8 CausewayLtA A Causeway Unit 8, Pala Warrington Warrington Causeway A Cheshire Cheshire Warrington WA4 6QQ 6QQ WA4 Cheshire WA4 6QQ Tel: +44 +44 (0) Tel: (0) Mob: +44 +44 (0 (0 Mob: Tel: +44 (0) Mail: Mail: Mob: +44 (0 norman@im norman@im Mail: norman@im S44_LSB_Autumn_2020.indd 254

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Royalty Auditing

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Sustainability

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SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION T NE O ZER

CI EC RCU ON LAR OM Y

SH VA ARE LU D E

CE IEN SC SED BA GETS TAR

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Sustainable Licensing

Are you interested in ‘building back better’, but are not sure how?

Do you keep hearing jargon but don’t know what it means?

As the world evolves, so too is Nutmeg Licensing, with the focus firmly on sustainability within the licensing industry.

As a licensing agency, this means not only developing licensing programmes with sustainable brands, but also offering support to those companies looking to take their first steps towards a sustainable future.

To learn more, please contact: June Kirkwood Tel: 020 8992 3345 Email: june@nutmeglicensing.co.uk

www.nutmeglicensing.co.uk

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Sports Licensing SPORTS LICENSING, MERCHANDISE, RETAIL, PROMOTIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

Business built on sporting values WORKED WITH T 30+ Events & Federations T 15+ Football Associations T 50+ Sponsor Brands & Retailers FAVOURITE SPORTING MOMENT (TV) T Jonny’s drop goal FAVOURITE SPORTING MOMENT (LIVE) T Europe Ryder Cup win, 17th green, Celtic Manor FAVOURITE SPORTING EVENT (TV) T London2012 FAVOURITE SPORTING EVENT (LIVE) T RWC 2019 SUPPORT/SPONSOR T Wasps T Man Utd T RC Toulon T OHRFC T Wealdstone FC

TOP 10 SPORTING VENUES (NO ORDER): T Wimbledon T Lords T Principality Stadium T Stade Mayol T Croxdale Road, OHRFC T Old Trafford T Parc des Princes T The G T Nou Camp T GMLTC TOP 10 SPORTING HEROES (NO ORDER): T Serge Blanco T Bryan Robson T Mark Spitz T Franz Klammer T Daley Thompson (should be Sir) T Nadia Comaneci T Sir Ian Botham T Sir Steve Redgrave T Serena Williams T Roger Federer

Contact: Simon Gresswell simon@sglp.co.uk SGLP.indd 1 000_LSB_Autumn_2020.indd 100

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SGLP

Trade Association for Licensing Globally

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Technology Service Provider

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Technology Service Provider

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Technology Service Provider

What What do do youyou look look forfor in ain a licensing licensing management management software software provider? provider?

EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE SinceSince 2003,2003, MyMediabox MyMediabox has witnessed has witnessed the evolution the evolution of of the licensing the licensing biz and biz its and many its many nuances. nuances.

Our 100% Our 100% in-house in-house team team of fullofstack full stack developers developers have have built our builtsolutions our solutions for this for this industry industry and from and from the ground the ground up, since up, since the beginning. the beginning.

FINANCIAL FINANCIAL STRENGTH STRENGTH Don’tDon’t risk everything risk everything on a startup on a startup with limited with limited venture venture capital capital and aand lot aoflot promises. of promises.

Mediabox Mediabox is backed is backed by by the financial the financial fortitude fortitude of our of parent our parent company, company, JonasJonas Software Software USA, USA, Inc., Inc., a subsidiary a subsidiary of Constellation of Constellation Software Software Inc., with Inc., awith CADa $13+ CAD $13+ billionbillion market market cap. cap.

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SECURITY SECURITY AND AND TRUST TRUST “What“What 3rd parties 3rd parties will bewill able be to able access to access your data?“ your data?“ Be sure Be to sure ask! toAt ask!

MyMediabox, At MyMediabox, we own weall own ourallsoftware our software and hardware, and hardware, outright. outright.

We are WeGDPR are GDPR compliant compliant and and certified certified withinwithin the EU-US the EU-US and Swiss-US and Swiss-US Privacy Privacy ShieldShield Frameworks.

Frameworks.

We ensure We ensure your data your is data ultra is secure. ultra secure.

FULL FULL SERVICE SERVICE PARTNERSHIP PARTNERSHIP We never We never call them call them our clients. our clients.

We think We think of the of the companies companies who choose who choose us, asus, ouraspartners. our partners.

We learn We learn from from themthem and include and include themthem in thein conversation, the conversation, whenwhen deciding deciding what what new new features features to add to to addthe to the development development roadmap. roadmap.

5-STAR 5-STAR CUSTOMER CUSTOMER SERVICE SERVICE Our Our partners partners ratedrated the the Mediabox Mediabox Customer Customer Support Support TeamTeam with top withscores top scores in a recent in a recent customer customer satisfaction satisfaction survey! survey!

FromFrom your your dedicated dedicated Account Account Manager Manager to thetoexperts the experts who answer who answer your your support support queries, queries, our support our support team team is theis best the in best thein industry. the industry.

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Technology Service Provider

RM Contract Management Manage the full contract life cycle, automate your workflow and track IP rights

Style Guide Delivery

Royalty Tracking Users upload sales data via the Royalty Portal.

Track royalties and identify trends to increase profits.

RM

Manage all your digital assets in colorful, custombranded environments your licensees will love!

TM

Security Tag Management Turn-key security tag software, with product integration, ordering, payment and tracking.

SM

DAM

PA

Product Approvals Manage the entire process, from the licensee approval form and concept stage, through completion.

TRUSTED BY MORE LEADING LICENSORS AND AGENTS 125+ COMPANIES USE MYMEDIABOX PRODUCTS

MOST WIDELY TESTED LICENSING SOFTWARE 55,000+ USERS IN 120+ COUNTRIES

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Travel Expert For The Licensing Industry

10 - 12 AUGUST 2021 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas.

Expose Travel has been taking clients to Licensing Expo for the last 13 years and have some excellent flight and hotel o° ers.

If you are able to make your plans and book your flights and hotel now, the savings are fantastic.

Virgin Atlantic fly direct out of Heathrow and Manchester to Las Vegas during the Licensing Expo, and we have some great fares in all three classes. We also have some excellent fares to o° er on BA direct from Heathrow.

We will demonstrate excellent savings against the airlines own cheapest fares.

How about hotels? We are pleased to o° er you several good, well-known hotels on the Strip, and if you have a favourite please let us know and we will be happy to give you the rates and availability.

Remember – by booking with us you have the added security of knowing that, in the current conditions, we are there to help should there be a need to make changes due to no fault of yours!

Now is an excellent time to work with a small, experienced team like ours – you do not want to be on hold to a major airline for 3 hours if things go wrong!

Please remember that the flight and hotel prices are bound to go up as it gets nearer to the Show dates. Save by making your reservations now.

Contact Paul at paul@exposetravel.uk or Zoe at zoe@exposetravel.uk or call us on +44 (0)1883 349576 or via our website www.exposetravel.uk

Exposé Travel 82 Whyteleafe road, Caterham Surrey CR3 5EF

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17-19 NOVEMBER 2021 ExCeL London

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE ANNOUNCES NEW DATES AND FORMAT Join the licensing community for an in-person event from 17-19 November at ExCeL London, followed by an online event on 30th November - 1st December.

FIND OUT MORE AT www.brandlicensing.eu

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