7 minute read
Susan Bolsover’s Lightbulb Moment
Lighting up the Industry
Susan Bolsover Managing Director/Founder
Susan Bolsover reflects on her 20 years of award-winning industry experience and how this lead to the creation of Lightbulb Licensing
Susan, tell us what lead you to found Lightbulb Licensing?
Like most people the licensing industry was something that I discovered by accident, but I am so glad I did! It has given me some amazing opportunities over the years and I have been fortunate enough to work on some incredible IP from film and TV properties to literary and heritage brands and even sports. I wanted to use that rounded experience to help clients both big and small on their licensing journey and now felt like the right time for me to do that. I feel my experience coupled with the enthusiasm I still feel for the industry have somehow aligned and so, Lightbulb Licensing was born.
And for those who don’t know, a bit of your industry history.
My first encounter with licensing wasn’t even in the entertainment space, but while I was working in legal publishing. I had to negotiate a license with the Financial Times on behalf of the Law Society who jointly published an annual directory of expert legal witnesses; a far cry from where my career then took me, but I learned what a license was, how a contract was negotiated and what the basis of an agreement was. My first move into anything entertainment and character related was a short stint with BBC Worldwide where I was lucky enough to work in the Global Brand Development team and see how licensing and broadcast / home entertainment content worked in tandem to create a brand. I then moved to Italian publishing company, DeAgostini, where I was fortunate enough to work with some big licensors including Lucas Films, Disney and New Line Cinema on some huge franchises including Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. I honestly learned so much ‘on the job’ through that experience before mov-
ing to the UK Licensing University of CPLG! I think on day one I was thrown into a call with DreamWorks Animation (we were working on Shrek at the time) and Sony Pictures (on Spiderman 2) as the “publishing expert”. That really felt like such a big deal, but I loved the sink or swim feel of it and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by some amazing colleagues, many of whom have gone on to do amazing things, lead global teams and become good friends. After almost 10 years there I left to set up the Penguin Ventures team which I was so incredibly proud to head up for nearly another 10 years. Getting to work on, and shape, publishing IP such as Peter Rabbit and The Snowman has been a real privilege, plus I got to see my name on a Hollywood movie as an Executive Producer, which was something I never thought I’d ever see! So, all of that amazing experience, exposure to lots of different and diverse projects; some of them with no roadmap at all, led me to where I am now.
What is the significance of ‘lightbulb’?
I am so glad you asked this question! I spent a long time thinking about what to call my company as I wanted it to reflect both how I felt about licensing as well as my own personal values and way of working. I really value clarity; I’m a “tell me as it is” kind of person! I think once you can illuminate something, make it clearer and less daunting it’s so much easier to then see what needs to be done or how something can be improved and what better
way to do that than through shining a light on something – hence lightbulb! Lightbulbs are also often used as a universal visual symbol for ideas too and that really appealed to me. So, I like to think that there is a light for every situation. Whether you need a candle or a small torch to get you started on your journey or a giant arc-light to show the way it’s possible to find the right light for the job.
And what, in your opinion, does your personal skillset bring to clients?
I would hope my varied experience means that I can be flexible and offer clients the right level of service and expertise to help them in their licensing journey. Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to make some amazing connections both in the UK and internationally, a network I also hope I can tap into to help my clients. I’m a pretty chatty and curious person by nature as well and love to solve a problem and connect the dots which means I don’t feel phased by there being no defined path to get something done which I think is really exciting.
Tell us what kind of relationship clients can expect with Lightbulb!
Well hopefully an open, transparent, and fun one! Building a trusting relationship with clients is key and I hope this is something I’ve done over the years. Also, starting out on this journey as a solo business owner means I can hopefully bring a more personal level of service that can sometimes be more challenging to do in a corporate environment. I really want to forge a partnership with my clients so that they feel in control of their own licensing journey with my help and support. Plus I love a road trip so it’s great to be able to have clients around the UK and internationally and to meet them in their own working environment, it really helps me get a sense of who they are, what they are looking for and above all how I can help support them.
What services do you offer to the industry?
When I started out in my licensing career, I was very much on the licensee side, primarily in publishing and early gaming content, and so I have a real understanding of what a licensee needs to create compelling product. Once I became an agent working in the same broad category areas, I often reported into a totally different team on the licensor side to my colleagues, because publishing, gaming and so on is seen as an extension of the core content and not necessarily a “licensed product.” This brought me so much closer to the creators themselves and it was a real privilege to be on calls with writers, directors and producers (many of whom I was a fan of anyway) and to be able to hear about their process. When I then became a licensor I had the opportunity to put all of this together and to think about strategy and building a brand and a licensing programme. So in terms of what I can offer to clients I can work on either individual projects, such as finding the right partner for a specific category or supporting a partner with targeting a retailer, or help someone new to licensing get their IP ready for market and build a strategy or, as I am with Licensing Link, work more as an agent and provide sales services. Basically, I can think like a licensee, an agent or a licensor.
And what are the core beliefs behind creating the company?
Bringing clarity, flexibility and a can-do attitude are really at the heart of what I want to bring to Lightbulb Licensing. I love helping someone take their idea, vision, or dream and trying to make that a reality. I have been so fortunate in my career to largely work with like-minded blue-sky thinkers who come up with crazy ideas and then turn them into something, it’s what keeps me motivated. I’ve often said to colleagues, licensees, and licensors “what about if we did X” sometimes with truly no idea of how to do it, but I think that’s when the fun starts, is figuring out how to do it and seeing what happens!
