Your children’s favourites –in store and in person!

While the High Street isn’t the only place you can buy licensed merchandise these days, its promotional potential as a place to directly address a live audience is hard to beat – if you have the right strategy. And a real-life children’s character in your local store can play a major role in making that strategy work –as Rainbow Productions knows only too well.

Start with appearances from favourite characters from shows such as Bluey, PAW Patrol and the Octonauts at an in-store event. Add quality marketing and tactical sales points. Properly managed, these ingredients will generate large increases in public attendance, as well as a spike in sales of licensed merchandise wherever the live events take place.

For consumers it’s a feelgood event with a touch of wonder that enchants the kids. For retailers, of course, it’s a major opportunity to create in-store theatre and boost footfall. Which is why Rainbow Productions, the UK’s official supplier of licensed children’s characters for appearances, is in such high demand.

But Rainbow Productions doesn’t just bring John & Blitz to a shopping mall with good-looking PoS material and assume Dino Ranch product sales will skyrocket. Events are planned with key dates and product launches in mind: school or public holidays, new series, new ranges of plush or playsets all need to be factored in. Some appearances will be part of a tour rather than a standalone event, adding to consumer anticipation.

And not only are the costumes made to the highest possible standard, but Rainbow also employs some of the best trained actors in the unique medium of costume character portrayal, so that personalities and signature movements for the chosen characters are delivered.

When everything comes together in this way, retail appearances really do have a positive impact on brand awareness and consumer spending.

If you’re looking for estimates of that impact, Georgina Huckle, Creative Marketing Manager at Rainbow Productions, points out: “As well as generating brand visibility, retail tours in recent years have directly boosted average sales of character-related merchandise, in some cases by as much as 200%.”

“Never underestimate the importance of in-person promotion,” says Simon Foulkes, Managing Director, Rainbow Productions. “Character appearances deliver high-quality experiential brand interactions with families, allowing children to see their on-screen heroes in person.”

A good example of this is Elfie and Elvie of hit brand Elves Behavin’ Badly whose Christmas EBB Tour of UK shopping centres was managed by Rainbow on behalf of owner and creator PMS International for the second year running in 2022.

“Not only did children have the chance to see their heroes in action – playing tricks and festive games and spreading Christmas cheer in true Pranksmas spirit – but the tour also helped to raise the festive brand’s profile and support retailers stocking Elves Behavin’ Badly merchandise.” comments John Costi-Mouyia, International Sales Manager at PMS International.

After a major boost from the return of consumers to the High Street in 2022, there’s also been stronger recent demand for such experiences from the public. And with high streets promising to be even busier in 2023, Rainbow Productions recently announced plans to ramp up character appearances at retail venues, as well as many other locations, throughout 2023.

It’s no surprise then that Rainbow Productions recently made two new appointments to support growing demand for its services and to help the company pursue new business opportunities: Magdalena Foulkes, who joined as Licensing Director, and James Barlow, who was promoted to Sales and Marketing Director.

Magdalena is responsible for the li- censing side of the business, working to strengthen the company’s relationships with licensors and build its portfolio with new and exciting brands.

James will be overseeing the company’s sales and marketing teams and will be responsible for helping to grow the business in terms of events and mascot manufactures, both in the UK and internationally.

Magdalena has almost 20 years of experience in marketing and event management, but it was in 2011, as Managing Director of advertising agency X5 Productions in Poland, that she began working with the licensing industry, managing licensing events and promotions, including using costume characters. She is now bringing these skills to the post of Licensing Director at Rainbow Productions. Coincidentally, it was through liaising with the licensing legend and previous Managing Di- rector of Rainbow Productions, David Scott, that Magdalena specifically had her first introduction to UK licensing.

James began working with Rainbow as a freelance road manager in 2007, joining the company as Exports Sales Executive in 2015. He was soon promoted to Export Manager, working on a number of projects for Rainbow, including the production of a mascot for every football club in the Saudi Professional League, the Mr P rebrand for Kellogg’s Worldwide, the supply of costume figures for LEGOLAND® Theme Parks and LEGO Discovery Centres, movie promotions, and, of course, licensed character promotions within retail and leisure attractions. James was nominated for the Licensing International Rising Star Award in 2021.

Of course Dino Ranch, Bluey, PAW Patrol, the Octonauts and Elves Behavin’

Badly are far from the only characters Rainbow Productions is licensed to manage the live appearances of. The company manages the personal appearances of over 140 famous children’s characters and is welcoming a number of new characters to its fastgrowing portfolio. They include True, the intelligent, fearless eight-year-old heroine of True and the Rainbow Kingdom who helps the whimsical citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom with their problems, and Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse, a live-action/animated/ interactive preschool series with an audience participation element that has already inspired a strong merchandising campaign.

Then there is Master Moley, the charming, optimistic young mole who lives deep in a burrow in the bustling city of MoleTown and Mia & Twinkle from the enormous hit CGI-animated web series Little Baby Bum, which supports the development of language in children through song and repetition.

Furthermore, the ever-popular Original Stormtroopers are on the way to thrill young fans too, while the continuing appeal of classic characters is underlined by the arrival of Elmo & the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Finally of course, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books are always a winner, and, joining Rainbow Productions favourites the Gruffalo, Zog, and Stick Man are now Janet & Bill from The Smeds and The Smoos.

All will be available to book for personal appearances. Simon Foulkes concludes:

“From established hits like Peppa Pig and the Teletubbies to modern classics like Bing and CoComelon, the demand for children’s characters appearing in person is stronger than ever – from kids, parents and retailers.”