Interview: Kennedy Publishing

Catching up with: The experts in children’s magazines!

Sophie Rowlands, Licensing Director at Kennedy Publishing fills us in on the expertise, history and values of the company that keeps it thriving in challenging times

Tell us a bit about Kennedy!

We’re now official veterans of the children’s magazine category, having been publishing our bestselling titles for over seventeen years! We’ve seen phenomenal growth in the past decade, particularly over the last few years. In fact, since the company’s infancy in 2005 with a portfolio of just two titles, we’re extremely proud to be able to say that we’re now the third-largest children’s magazine publisher in the UK, with a portfolio that boasts not only a successful range of inhouse titles, such as Pink, but also standalone licensed magazines for some of the most well-known children’s brands, including Barbie, Peter Rabbit, Baby Shark, Fireman Sam, Mr Tumble and WWE. Our young readers are at the core of everything we do and ensuring that we produce content for them that is engaging, educational and exciting is the driving force behind our business.

How has business been over the last couple of years?

We’re really proud of how we’ve pulled together as a team and weathered the turbulence of the past few years. Not only has our industry faced the challenges of the pandemic like everyone else, but we are also dealing with the continued squeeze on space for magazines at retail. Combine that with shipping delays and paper and print increases and you have a perfect storm! However, whilst the sector may be down year-on-year, at Kennedy it’s a different story. We remain ahead of the market with a growing portfolio that continues to thrive both for new in-house launches and acquisitions. This wouldn’t have been possible without the resilience, agility and dedication that is achieved by all areas of the business pulling together. Our willingness to innovate in a rapidly changing market will continue to underscore our success for years to come.

And what are your plans at BLE?

We’re sending an extended team to BLE this year and can’t wait to see all the new brands being showcased! We’ll be devoting time to catching up with our existing partners on new enterprises in the pipeline, as well as forging relationships with new licensors to discuss potential ventures. We are always on the hunt for the next big breakthrough characters which we can bring to our readers in magazine format. The magazine market continues to be hugely competitive so we will be looking for those characters that will truly stand the test of time, with the power to entice and excite our readers with great storylines.

What do you find are some of your most successful lines at the moment?

Pink magazine has been at the forefront of our portfolio for the past 17 years and it’s as loved by readers today as it was when we launched. Ensuring every issue has the most popular character content combined with gifts that encourage children to use their imaginations to play creatively has been key to the title’s longevity. This success gave us the confidence to expand our Primary Girls portfolio and it now includes 19 titles. Barbie magazine is another standout success in this category. When we acquired it back in 2018, it was seeing double-digit sales declines. We immediately refreshed the design, editorial and gift offering, tapping into Barbie’s key themes of imaginative and aspirational play to ensure the title appeals to girls living in today’s world. And it’s clearly paid off as we’ve seen 90% sales growth! Parents will always be keen to reduce the amount of screentime for their children and the magazines in our Primary Girls portfolio use children’s favourite characters to encourage them to explore and learn through a variety of imaginative activities. Magazines can be such a vital tool in encouraging children to engage with reading and writing, so we’re passionate about ensuring all our titles deliver top quality educational content combined with innovative design to support and entertain children in equal measure.

Brand Central, the exclusive global licensing agency for Bored of Directors, has announced it has appointed 7 leading international sub-agents for the Bored Ape NFT collective. Working together with Licensor, NFIP Holdings, Brand Central and the network of sub-agents have already begun signing partners and engaging global retailers. The Bored of Directors’ Sub-Agents

include Asembl Brands Pty Ltd for Australia, New Zealand, Bulldog Licensing for the UK, Asiana Licensing for South Korea, Plus Licens AB for Europe, Mediogen Ltd for Israel, PPW Sports & Entertainment for China, and The Business Hub Group for Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Central America (Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras) & Dominican Republic. Bored of Directors has already developed and implemented a global consumer products strategy, marketing

campaign and a full style guide of creative, showcasing the Bored of Directors lifestyle. “We put together a phenomenal network of leading agents in their territories who have best in class relationships with both licensees and retailers and understand how cutting edge, pop culture brands can drive successful consumer products,” said Ross Misher, CEO of Brand Central. “Our goal from the outset was to put together a team with the best of the best in their respective expertise. From my co-founders, Jamie George and Harris Lipton who have been active in Web3 since its inception to the Brand Central team, everyone has provided their unique voice and experience which has been pivotal in bringing the Bored of Directors to where it is now. I am extremely excited to grow the team to include such great partners around the world and look forward to bringing the Bored of Directors lifestyle across the globe.” said Alex Locke, Co-Founder & Managing Member of Bored of Directors. Brand Central and their sub-agent partners will be announcing the first of many licensees shortly.

FIRST FILM FOR CHARLOTTE M

MDL in Italy report that the first film from the hugely popular YouTuber and TikTokker Charlotte M. is on its way! The young content creator, who has been a hit on the web since 2016 with numbers exceeding one million on TikTok and YouTube, is now the star of the soon-to-be released Charlotte M. - The Flamingo Party film. Produced by Notorious Pictures and directed by Emanuele Pisano, the film, to be released in early 2023, tells the story of young Charlotte, in her first year of high school, dealing with adolescence and much more with her hallmark creativity and spontaneity. In the film the flamingo oasis near her grandmother’s country home, a place she loves, is about to close due to lack of funding. So, together with her inseparable companion Sofia and other friends, she decides to organize a fundraising event to save the oasis: a school dance. But things don’t go entirely to plan – especially after the arrival of a new boy in town. Like the content that has made her popular, the film is about the real life of teenagers, dealing with themes such as great friendship, intense first loves, and above all self-acceptance. These reflect the themes that Charlotte M. herself deals with in an accessible, relatable way for her young audience, not just in her social media content but also in the books and comics she has written and devised, and of course her songs. In fact, the film will include two new music tracks performed by the influencer herself. This project is the latest triumph in a year full of successes that include the release of Charlotte M.’s latest single “Best Friend”, a real fan favourite, and her third book “La Mia Vita Segreta,” published by Fabbri Editori. She’s also a licensing star. Giochi Preziosi has created a line of backpacks, pencil cases, a diary and stationery based on Charlotte’s unmistakable style for the back-to-school 2022 market, while Easy Shoes has launched a spring/summer 2022 collection of sneakers in four different colours; a new collection is due for the autumn/winter season. Mitama meanwhile has launched a collection of Charlotte M. accessories under the heading Glitter, with stationery items that include notepads, a transparent glitter case and six-colour pen, a slime kit in two colours, a secret diary (with lock), a water bottle and a super fashion bag. Salati Prezios has brought special Charlotte M. crisps to supermarkets; inside each bag are colourful Charlotte M. stickers; Cerealitalia, with the Dolci Preziosi brand, came out with an Easter egg for Easter 2022 and already has plans for an Epiphany stocking in January 2023. In addition, last May Charlotte M. was a guest at Leolandia, the children’s amusement park, for a very exciting special appearance for her fans – known as flamingos – including songs and meet-andgreets.

NEW PAW PATROL PLAY POUCH

The Australian creators of the original Play Pouch, in partnership with Imagination Entertainment, have announced they have secured licensing rights for Paramount’s hit animated preschool series PAW Patrol. The brand-new PAW Patrol Play Pouch provides a place to play, is easy to pack away and offers a compact and portable toy storage solution, perfect for PAW Patrol pup figurines and rescue vehicles (sold separately). The PAW Patrol Play Pouch features the adorable faces of the PAW Patrol pups on the outside and the action packed village scene from Adventure Bay on the inner. When open for play, the roads that loop around the beach, buildings and lookout tower of Adventure Bay, spark imagination and prompt engagement through play. Kids will be delighted to live out the adventures they are familiar with from the Paw Patrol episodes and movies on the Play Pouch. When the action is over and the rescues are complete, pack up is easy: by simply pulling on the ropes, the pups and their vehicles are gathered neatly inside and easily stored away inside the Play Pouch. The natural synergy between Play Pouch and the PAW Patrol brand is supported by the collectible toys that inspire self-guided play for children. “We are delighted to partner with Paramount and we are so pleased that the Play Pouch will encourage young children to further explore the themes of teamwork, community service and rescue that are presented in the Paw Patrol content.” say Kate Campbell and Kate O’Donoghue, co-founders of Pouch Australia. “As the North American distributor for Pouch Australia, we are proud to be working with the Paramount Consumer Products to bring together the massively popular PAW patrol brand with the brilliant Pouch Australia product offering. The product will be available in North America to customers this summer and sure to be a hit with kids and parents” says Shane Yeend, CEO of Imagination Entertainment. “PAW Patrol has been a force in the kids’ licensing business since the series was launched in 2013,” says Venetia Davie, Vice President UK, Ireland, Israel, ANZ, of Paramount Consumer Products. “These beloved pups continue to drive excitement for new products in every aisle and with Play Pouch, we now offer a PAW Patrol storage solution that doubles as a play mat – this is sure to please parents and children alike!” Consumers can expect to see the PAW Patrol Play Pouch at retail in all key territories this year.

PANINI BRAND LICENSING PROGRAM LANDS IN BRAZIL

In the near future, a broader range of licensed products from Panini will be available in the Brazilian market. This is the first result of the representation agreement signed between Panini S.p.A. and Vertical Licensing, the designated agency representing the Panini Brand in the territory. Four deals were closed and a few others already under negotiation will bring Panini licensed products to Brazil from mid-2022. Grupo Dass, one of the biggest sportswear and sporting goods company in Latin America, will develop a Panini collection of apparel and accessories with the brand Umbro. The collection will feature a wide range of items such as shirts, pants, sneakers and bags, and will be launched in Brazil and Argentina in November. Festcolor, company specialized and leader of the party goods market, has launched in July a dedicated Panini party kit with more than 60 items varying from balloons, flags and decorative supplies. A colorful and joyful line for a Panini birthday experience. Ofner, a company specialized in manufacturing sweets, snacks, chocolates and ice cream, being also a reference for introducing remarkably perfect packages ideal for gifts, will launch a promotion with a gift-with-purchase mechanic, gifting Panini branded footballs with 4 different exclusive designs. The promotion is set to launch in September. Owned by the largest company in the sector of luggage repair in Brazil and with 100% of its products made by recycled plastic bags, Kameleon is also a new Panini licensee in Brazil for bags and travel bags, which became available at the end of August. Moreover, the representation agreement with Vertical Licensing has been renewed with the aim to increment and widen the presence of Panini merchandising products in Brazil.