Company Profile - Warner Bros Discovery

A super year ahead for Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing for yet another big year, with James Gunn’s new take on DC’s caped superhero resulting in what fans are calling the ‘summer of Superman’ and soaring demand for Kidult products offering unparalleled opportunities for the company’s licensees. Philippe Roucoule, senior vice president of EMEA Consumer Products at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), sat down with Toy World’s Rachael Simpson-Jones to chat about all things licensing, the importance of working with the best CP partners in the business and the power of growing up with brands.

Previously vice president, Category and Retail Business Development for Warner Bros. Discovery, Philippe says the 12 months that have passed since he took on his new role have been ‘a whirlwind’. He’s a warm, engaging interviewee with a delightful sense of humour – all good traits for someone whose main remit is relationship building. Speaking to me at an antisocial hour from Burbank, California, where the company is headquartered, the Frenchman tells me that despite its vast scale and success to date, WBD has never underestimated the complexity of the licensing industry, or underestimated the value of strong, lasting partnerships with licensees.

“Some people still think licensing consists of just putting a logo on an item and saying: ‘that’s it’, but most of us are thankfully aware that it’s so much more intricate than that – it’s a vital part of the Consumer Products landscape and an incredible marketing tool for the wider organisation,” he explains. “Every year, hundreds of millions of licensed products are sold, whether in Toys, Fashion, Apparel or Homewares. Since becoming SVP EMEA CP, I’ve mainly been focused on building out and strengthening my relationships, both internally with the incredible team around me, but also with senior execs at some of the region’s biggest toy companies. Most were already in place – I’ve worked with Hedley Barnes at Spin Master and Andy Oddie at Funko for a long time, for example - but I’d say our conversations have become even more strategic this year.”

As the beating heart of the business, WBD’s IP slate boasts some of the world’s best-loved brands and franchises, from Harry Potter, Batman and Superman to Tom & Jerry and Friends. All have stood the test of time despite the company having seen its fair share of ups and downs, while ongoing storytelling or fresh content within each offers licensees new opportunities, year after year, to produce category-leading consumer products. DC’s Batman and Superman benefit from huge fanbases - the dark knight himself comes in at No. 5 in the global ranking of popular superheroes, while Superman is currently No. 7 (and there’s all to play for this year) – while brand awareness sits at around 94% for both. The Harry Potter franchise is even more impressive. As a character, Harry Potter enjoys 98% brand awareness (yes, even amongst Muggles), a figure that had been climbing steadily since the very first book was published 26 years ago, but really took off in 2001, with the release of the first feature film.

We can’t forget the likes of Tom & Jerry either, which, believe it or not, is actually WBD’s No. 1 for brand awareness across EMEA. The iconic cat and mouse duo celebrates its 85th anniversary this year and continues to entertain fans with the characters’ love-hate relationship and cartoon antics. And if you weren’t feeling old enough, bear in mind American sitcom Friends celebrated its 30th anniversary in September 2024. This, too, has stood the test of time – it remains one of the UK’s most streamed shows, cementing its place in pop culture and our every-day life. Funnily enough, only the other day was I likening my husband’s approach to food to Joey’s, as seen in episode nine of Series 10, The One with the Birth Mother. (Joey doesn’t. share. food.)

For Philippe, working with IP such as this is both an honour and a responsibility. We’re talking about globally beloved heritage brands with hundreds of millions (arguably billions) of fans across the globe – like a priceless antique, they require careful safeguarding to ensure they can be enjoyed long into the future. Philippe adds: “You can’t assume that we should continue doing things the way we always have. WBD has a big role to play in securing the legacies of its properties. A lot of properties come and goand there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that - but we offer a very strong bedrock of evergreen IP which remains a staple of global licensing programmes year after year.”

It’s worth noting that Warner Bros. is something of a heritage brand itself. April 4th, 2023, marked the company’s milestone centenary, which was celebrated across consumer touchpoints with special programming and content, exclusive products and home entertainment releases, a dedicated programming page on HBO Max, omni-channel social media campaigns, live events and screenings, and fan-focused activations around the world that appealed to all consumers.

This breadth of appeal is one of the biggest USPs of WBD’s portfolio. It’s a source of immense pride for Philippe and his team that the company’s IPs offer something for everyone, from the youngest kids to ‘more mature’ grownups, across all interests and social demographics. Over the past few years, WBD has also started to adopt what Philippe calls a one studio mentality. Teams from Streaming, Gaming, Home Entertainment and other sectors have begun collaborating far more closely on projects, providing enhanced tools and fresh perspectives on how best the company can cater to its audiences. For example, the company was keen to ensure that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

(the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic) arrived in cinemas at the beginning of September 2024, well ahead of Halloween on 31st October, giving licensees and retailers a good run at product. This approach garnered much praise from grateful partners that benefitted from a double-dip effect: a sales spike at the point of the movie release, and a second one around Halloween, when the movie’s gothic, comedy themes struck a chord with families looking to celebrate the annual occasion by investing in toys, dress-up costumes and more.

Beetlejuice also appealed strongly to Kidults. As we all know, Kidult is one of the strongest (in fact, one of the only) growth categories within Toys & Games at the moment and heading into 2025, it looks like demand for relevant consumer products will only increase. Philippe notes that even though there’s been a period of readjustment from the days of lockdown, when Kidult sales were ‘artificially’ inflated because many consumers had more in the way of expendable/disposable income, Kidult sales now account for around a third of the total Toy market. WBD’s IP slate is perfectly positioned to cater to Kidult audiences and the company works very closely with key partners in Toys & Games to ensure its licensed products resonate with fans. Funko has worked with WBD for many years, as have The Lego Group and Hasbro, and all have uncovered new product pathways leading to older consumers by celebrating the stories, locations and themes within decades-old franchises such as Harry Potter in innovative, fresh ways.

Anniversaries, such as the 30th anniversary of Friends or the 40th anniversary of Gremlins, have also provided WBD with plenty of opportunities to bring classic and Kidult brands back to the fore. After all, a 20-, 30- or 40-year-old brand is likely to have an existing adult fanbase that will appreciate new, yet nostalgic, product launches.

“I think licensors and retailers used to be a bit cautious about moving into the Kidult category, but they’re now realising what a huge opportunity it presents, as long as you connect with the consumer in the right way,” Philippe says. “This shift has required us all to reimagine and reinvent a sector of the marketplace many of us didn’t think had scope to grow. Kidults have the money to buy and display these toys, and just as many want to play with them as collect them.”

He adds: “Very often, a grown-up’s happiest childhood memory will be related to a brand, property or toy; one of mine is of playing with my Playmobil pirate ship. In fact, I went back to France recently and found some of my very first Star Wars figures which brought back some memories. In case anyone is wondering, no, they weren’t in their boxes; they’re toys, so they’ve been played with! Never forget that that’s what a toy is for – they are vehicles of storytelling and should have a special place in everyone’s heart, not just on a shelf.”

At the other end of the spectrum, we’ve seen WBD reposition some of its brands among younger age groups. In 2024, Rainbow Designs launched its Harry Potter collection of nursery toys featuring Harry Potter, Hedwig and Dobby across infant plush, rattles, comforters and activity toys, while the eight Harry Potter films (and three Fantastic Beasts films) can currently be streamed on Netflix. Batwheels, meanwhile, which is also on Netflix as well as HBO Max, has invited pre-schoolers to Gotham City, with toys from Fisher-Price driving the licensing programme. First and foremost, WBD’s strategy is to meet audiences with accessible content on the best platforms. The next step is to gain an understanding of who’s buying licensed product. Rainbow’s Harry Potter range, as well as baby and infant apparel from other licensees, is unsurprisingly immensely popular among parents and grandparents who want to show off their love of the property (and which Hogwarts house they feel their offspring belongs to).

But, as Philippe explains, there’s then a gap between the age at which children have these kinds of products bought for them, and them becoming interested in the property themselves. Infants won’t be reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone any time soon, even if they have been clad in Gryffindor baby-gros since the day they were born; the books are typically recommended for kids aged 9-12. Philippe’s own daughter is nine and is just starting to read them herself. And so another fan joins the fold.

“Our audiences have grown up with our brands and want to introduce their children to them,” Phillipe continues, highlighting how WBD is able to home in on the core elements of a brand’s DNA to ensure consumers continue to find them relevant as they grow up. He adds: “This approach works: Harry Potter, Looney Tunes and DC fans stay with us for decades. But you also have to accept that with some brands, there will be a gap between the parent buying for the child, and that child becoming a fan in their own right. You simply cannot force these things. We’ve had many partners come to us with lucrative Infant and Pre-School licensing deals, based on properties that aren’t Infant or Pre-School. We’ve turned them down because we just can’t make the product bridge that gap, and it’s not worth the risk to our brand trust and consumer perception to try. But when they’re old enough, when those kids become fans… we’ll have product and content ready and waiting for them.”

So, onto the biggest news for 2025 – Superman. (Here, Philippe does a magnificent Superman impression, one arm held out in front in the superhero’s trademark pose.)

James Gunn, CEO of DC Studios and arguably best known for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, is at the helm for this summer’s blockbuster Superman movie. Starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, the new film stays true to the property’s core themes of justice, hope and generosity of spirit. Philippe holds James in incredibly high regard, praising his enthusiasm and the way he engages with fans across social media. During our interview, he also waxed lyrical about the film’s score, by British composer John Murphy.

Arriving in cinemas in July, the movie is generating a huge amount of excitement among consumers, licensees and retailers. The film skews younger than previous iterations have, making it a firmly family-friendly affair featuring comedy, drama and jeopardy – as well as the return of Krypto the Superdog, Superman’s beloved pet. Indeed, James Gunn’s Krypto might just steal the show. Based on his own dog, he’s scruffy yet cute, he’s mischievous, he’s… perfectly toyetic. 2024 might have been the year of Dogpool, but 2025 looks set to be the year of Krypto.

“Since Covid, we’ve seen consumers really reaffirm their love for pets, be them dogs or cats or otherwise, and feedback has indicated that Krypto is a standout character,” Philippe enthuses. “He obviously lends himself perfectly to the Pet and Homewares categories, as well as traditional Plush and more. For now, the studio is keeping its cards under its cape regarding product reveals and other news; at the time of writing, fans were still (impatiently) waiting for the first teaser trailer to drop.

At this point, we head off on something of a tangent, but an important one. Philippe says the Dress-Up category has changed significantly since the days when he’d begged his mum to sew a Superman logo onto his favourite t-shirt. Nowadays, consumers can choose from ready-made, high quality outfits and accessories that actually look like the real thing (Philippe’s aforementioned favourite t-shirt was white – not quite the authentic colour scheme). But a number of respected Dress-Up specialists have gone into administration in the past 24 months, significantly impacting consumer choice – and opening the door to unsafe counterfeit product. This is something Philippe (and presumably many others) finds concerning, and which is why WBD is so keen to champion successful, trusted partners such as Rubies UK.

When asked about the company’s CP strategy for this year, Philippe tells me WBD’s licensing partners remain crucial to the company’s plans. The Lego Group has worked with WBD for decades and the relationship continues to grow and expand, particularly across Kidult ranges such as Ideas and Technic, while Funko and MGA Entertainment are key partners on Collectibles. It also works with Spin Master and Mattel for Action Figures and Play Sets, and Ravensburger, Clementoni and Trefl on Games & Puzzles. The companies Philippe highlights here are, as he puts it, ‘some of the best in the business’. WBD also wants to expand the presence of its brands in toy-adjacent Kidult categories such as Homewares this year, with the help of key partners such as Paladone and Pyramid International.

WBD also remains more than open to approaches from speculative licensees. The way kids play and engage with brands is always changing, especially within the fast-paced world of Toys, and innovation – true innovation – is key to staying ahead. And despite its size, Philippe says WBD is actually quite an agile licensor that can move quickly in reaction to emerging trends and consumer trends, thanks to its straightforward decision-making process.

“We may already work with some of the biggest toy companies out there, but you have to remember that even they were little at some point and that innovation turned them into the successes they are today,” he notes. “We’re always looking for new licensing partners that can bring fresh ideas and concepts to the table, even whole new play patterns. It’s very difficult to introduce what I would consider to be genuinely new innovative toys, because innovation goes hand in hand with failure, but innovation is what WBD (and other licensors) needs. You can never stand still, and you must not assume that what you’ve always done is good enough. We are always moving forward.”

“I think 2025 may be another tough year, but the nice thing is that Toys & Games, as a category, is always so resilient,” he finishes. “WBD is open for business and I’m so looking forward to broadening our CP footprint this year. We’re always keen to hear from people that understand our IP and our heritage and want to transform it into groundbreaking product, and we’re very proud to be part of the Toy industry - even if it is by proxy!”