TOTAL LICENSING
Interview:
Jazwares’ new Chief Brand Officer Total Licensing caught up with Jeremy Padawer, who was recently appointed Chief Brand Officer at Jazwares.
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Congratulations on your role as Chief Brand Officer! What will the position involve? Thank you. As CBO, my role will help conduct the cross-divisional symphony with a passionate, remarkable team in one of the most trend-driven categories in consumer products! Can you tell us a little of your career history to date? My career has been a mix of entrepreneurial and executive pursuits. I have over 20 years’ experience in toys including brand management at Mattel; EVP brand / marketing at Jakks Pacific; and Co-President / partner at Wicked Cool Toys. In October 2019, we sold Wicked Cool Toys to Jazwares and I
stayed on. Prior to the toy business, I was an internet entrepreneur, and student (The University of Texas at Austin BA ‘96, University of Tennessee JD ‘99,Vanderbilt University MBA ’01). You must have seen many changes in the toy industry over the years. What do you think are the most significant changes/ movements of the moment? The most significant changes I have seen have been in retail, licensing and marketing. Retail has changed tremendously from a fragmented universe of brick and mortar to a much more consolidated brick with an internet presence, to internet and brick being symbiotic - and next, a mix of digital and analog goods. Licensing has fragmented from primarily the big few kids channels to today where great ideas can come from anywhere – social, digi-
tal, and big network alike. Marketing has gone from almost all TV to a mix of social, digital, influencer and other content that’s just complex enough where there’s never been more need for experts in that field. How do you intend to grow brand strategies at Jazwares? To further complement our remarkable portfolio of licensed properties, with internally developed and inventor IP that we own. Is this role covering the whole globe? The role is global, but like any global team the true experts are in their territories. Jazwares has some top toys in their remit. What are you looking to concentrate on in 2022? Taking content from all platforms, from all regions, very seriously. More than ever before, content and the potential to sell toys and collectibles is not platform specific.
