Touching Base - Hot Properties

Personal property

Licensors pick their favourite property and tell Toy World what it has to offer and what makes their company a good licensor to work with.

Marianne James - VP, EMEA and Asia, Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro

What makes Peppa Pig so special is its enduring affinity with pre-schoolers and families alike from across the globe. For 20 years, Peppa has been a lifelong friend to kids and encourages them to jump into life and explore the world around them, giving them the confidence to treat every first step as a new adventure, from the everyday to the epic. This sense of friendship Peppa cultivates with fans can be seen through the brand’s widespread footprint, from toys to location-based entertainment offerings and more.

Over Hasbro’s 100-year history, we’ve built an impressive portfolio of more than 1,500 iconic brands and franchises that attract a diverse and multigenerational fanbase. Our consumers are at the centre of all that we do, and we’re making an all-in bet to be the best in the business at understanding them. That’s why we’re investing in state-of-the-art consumer insights and data analytics capabilities, supported by a network of partner-based data feeds. Informed by these insights, we’re expanding our leading play brands through a blueprint of storytelling, experiences, licensed merchandise and digital games, with valued partners that add value to our brands. We not only want to work with best-in-class partners, but we want Hasbro to be a partner of choice for the top inventors, licensors and retailers in the industry. Togetherness and collaboration lead to successful programs, not just for us and our partners, but for the fans.

Alex Gomez - Senior director, Licensing and Partnerships, Sega

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the biggest and most well-known brands in the world. With roots as a pioneer in the early days of gaming, Sonic today continues to reach fans of all ages with new content across multiple platforms including games, mobile, film, TV and metaverse. Today’s fans see Sonic not as a legacy brand, but instead a triple-A family-friendly brand that they regularly engage with through various media. With a near 35-year history, the brand continues to be a pioneer in the gaming and entertainment space.

A top performer across dozens of categories, Sonic connects with boys, girls and fans of all ages, from kids to adults who played the original games. We like to say Sonic is “edgy, but safe”, which gives our licensees a lot of creative freedom when it comes to planning and development. Unlike other entertainment brands, Sonic also has a large cast of characters that have high awareness with fans and allow us to develop a wide variety of products within any category.

As a licensor, Sega offers a partnership that I believe few others can offer. We like to lean in with our partners at every step of the way, from strategic ideation, to development, to go-to-market planning. We want to be part of the process and provide the support that will give our programmes the best chance of being successful in every aspect. We are also very creative-focused and not afraid to push the limits with the brand to break new ground or reach fans in new ways. We like to build programmes that will drive buzz, headlines and create cultural topspin. With a huge slate of content planned for Sonic the Hedgehog in the next few years, not to mention Sega’s other great IPs, it is a great time to be a Sonic the Hedgehog licensee.

Luca Schnetzler - CEO, Pudgy Penguins

Since Pudgy Penguins is a new brand, we have a lot to prove. With that, we have a unique willingness to collaborate and go above and beyond for our partners. Our influence in the digital world, both as a collectible item and social media powerhouse, allows us to bring awareness and eyeballs to our partners that few people can give.

More importantly, we can also add layers of technology to products and experiences that simply make what we're selling a better value proposition than what's out there.  It's for this reason that I think partnering with us is better than partnering with almost anyone else.

Andrew Carley - Global Licensing Director, BBC Studios

First and foremost, Bluey’s storytelling is brilliant. It transcends age groups, cultures, and most interestingly gender. 50/50 gender splits on viewing audiences are relatively commonplace, however it’s rare, if not unheard of, to see that translate onto product. For example, our apparel offering is split evenly across both boys and girls.

Bluey’s storytelling is engaging with adults, parents and carers at a level rarely seen with a pre-school property. We have first-hand experience of swathes of adults on social media dedicated to discussing the various elements of Bluey.

At BBC Studios, we are always focused on building for the long term, and this translates into building deep partnerships with our licensees that balances brand needs and commercial needs. At the same time, our direct control of marketing, social channels, TV distribution and consumer products across our global structure means the business and our partners are completely aligned.

Rob Bentley - Regional Director UK, MENA and RSA, Universal

I am in no doubt that Gabby’s Dollhouse will continue to rise in 2024, underpinned by significant cross studio investment in new content and themes, consumer products and retail. Less than two years since its EMEA launch, the brand has established itself as a pre-school franchise of the future, setting new standards in the highly competitive category which has been dominated by a small pool of the same brands for decades. This year, we will continue to expand the licensing programme into new categories, working with existing partners including Spin Master which will be refreshing its range to reflect the new content theme around celebrations for 2024. We will continue to be responsive to what parents and kids want, whilst always prioritising the quality of our partnerships over quantity.

Gabby's Dollhouse is a brand that possesses that rare alchemic ability to capture the hearts of pre-schoolers. Its growth has been, at least in part, organic and in my experience, it’s often the brands that kids feel like they’ve discovered themselves which are the ones they love the most. Gabby is of course the hero of the show, but it also has cats, unboxing and a miniature world. In a sense, Gabby is a gateway into these current and cool consumer trends, and a first experience of these aspirational aspects of pop culture. We’ve worked hard to secure broadcast platforms that meet families where they are today, and we have the full suite of Netflix, local free to air partners and YouTube. This ensures not only that we’re fully on demand, but that we also can continually update the content stream and create demand for official licensed products too.

Laurent Taieb - Head of Licensing, Princess Sam Consumer Products

The Tara Duncan animated show was produced relatively recently and has already been released on a large scale to an excellent response. That means we are at the early stages of the consumer product programme of a property that has enormous potentialit’s an attractive situation to be in.

That said, as far as Tara Duncan is concerned, we are still on something of a learning curve. We are therefore keen to exchange ideas and strategies with our TV partners. With their help, we aim to ensure strong visibility for the show, which in turn will support our growing roster of local agents selling into their various markets.

We are looking at licensing development with a local and regional focus. We want to be near our core target audience and ensure that the products they want and need are close to them too. A strong network of local licensing agencies can make this happen, is helpful for licensees, and is being developed.

That’s why we’re a good licensor to work with. We already know we have a great property with a massive potential market. Our aim now is to be licensee-friendly – to avoid over-complicating things. In short, we want to do deals that please fans and delight our licensing partners.

Aidan Taylor-Gooby - Head of Licensing - Magic Light Pictures

Our aim is to bring wonderful stories to the screen that will be cherished for years to come and Pip and Posy fits that bill, continuing our strong history of producing quality family entertainment. The show has been proving hugely popular with viewers since its launch in 2021 and is now in its second season, available on Milkshake!, Sky Kids and Nick Jnr. Based on the wonderful and much-loved illustrations from Axel Scheffler, the series focuses on the importance of friendship and play and helps young children forge lasting friendships of their own.

When it comes to developing consumer products, we put quality and authenticity at the heart of everything we do. We’re known for our work on The Gruffalo and Friends, which has a thriving and dynamic programme of over 50 licensees in the UK, with all of our licensing and marketing managed in-house. For the launch of Pip and Posy this spring, we have appointed a group of best-in-class licensees and with Bandai as Master Toy partner, we are certain that the Magic Light mark of quality will be at the centre of our Pip and Posy licensing programme as we grow through 2024 and beyond. We will always balance commercial imperatives with creativity and sustainability to ensure we deliver a range of products that we and our audience can be proud of, and we want to match with partners who share our values.

Francesca Gianesin - Head of Consumer Products, EMEA ANZ, Moonbug

CoComelon is a fantastic property to work with. Not only has it captured the imagination of its target audience and is hugely popular, but it is also very versatile and fun. The diverse nature of its characters and their rich backgrounds and stories allows us to incorporate great storytelling into our consumer products offering. High awareness, high affinity and the fact that little ones can see themselves reflected in the characters and experiences portrayed in the show, all adds up to guarantee a strong affection for the brand.

We also need to remember that this show helps kids learn and supports them in their foundational years through creativity. These two qualities, educational and creative, are key elements when it comes to product development and planning. We know that these qualities are important amongst parents when choosing the right toy or product for their kids.

Our internal team of licensing experts is a key ingredient in the success of this brand and the rest of the Moonbug portfolio of IPs. We all have a passion for our properties and a deep knowledge of the licensing industry. We love to innovate, push boundaries and think outside the box, and always look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver best in-class results.

Moonbug is a next generation global kids entertainment company, and we pride ourselves in our ability to innovate and be agile when required. With our content always-on and visibility across the world 24/7, we are well positioned to respond to trends and feedback in a seamless way to ensure we meet our customer needs.

Pietro Pinetti - CEO, Studio Bozzetto

The Game Catchers is rich and diverse in characters, worlds and stories, giving it exceptional potential in the licensing market by opening the door to the creation of figurines, interactive games and much more, all inspired by the stories in each episode. The endless merchandise possibilities merge both education and entertainment, further expanding the opportunities presented by collectible toys and offering a lasting bond with consumers.

Studio Bozzetto stands as legacy, guaranteeing the reliability and excellence of creativity to ensure that the vision of the show is embodied and reflected in these products. Our successful global partnerships through the years demonstrate our growth mindset when it comes to relationships, while our licensing deals see our innovative vision rendered in physical form.

Having enjoyed a successful performance on Cbeebies and Rai Yoyo, The Game Catchers acts as a well of inspiration from which licensees can draw endless inspiration and provide fans with the consumer products they really want.

Liesa Dornan - Acting international managing director (VP, International Licensing & Brand Management), Retail Monster

Without doubt, my favourite property has to be Pudgy Penguins. This brand is the most universal, inclusive and friendly brand in web3 and offers a truly enhanced experience for the consumers, no matter the product, by bringing the digital to life in physical form and then back to the digital once more. Not to mention it's super cute and allows you to associate yourself with a brand that’s all about positivity, uplifting people and making a difference.

What makes Retail Monster a good company to work with? Well, it's in the name - our retail experience, not only in the UK, but our vast European and International experience as well. We’re experts in developing and delivering family brands to retail shelves across the world, and that’s exactly what we’re doing right now on Pudgy Penguins, focusing first on the Toys & Games category, followed by other key categories such as Stationery, Fashion, Apparel and Accessories, then Homeware and FMCG. We’re so pleased to be part of the huddle.