Touching Base - BLE 2022

As BLE approaches, Sam Giltrow speaks to the great and the good in the field of Licensing as they share their latest news and look ahead to upcoming developments for their properties.

Julian Moon - Senior vice president, Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA

We are very excited about Warner Bros.’ merger with Discovery. It will open up some incredible opportunities and has come at the optimal time as we prepare for our centenary year in 2023 and the raft of global celebrations which will mark it. The power of Warner Bros. and our iconic franchises – DC, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes and classic animation, Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty, The Powerpuff Girls -- coming together with Discovery and its powerhouse global brands expands our footprint exponentially, helping us to reach more consumers in more markets around the world.

The nostalgia trend that began during the pandemic is still going strong and we’re seeing tangible results from that; all of our classic properties continue to perform incredibly well. For instance, Batman continues to be a kids’ favourite, supported by the success of the theatrical release of The Batman movie earlier this year. Later this year, we’re extending the brand into pre-school with Batwheels, the first ever animated Batman series aimed at younger viewers, which will allow us to bring the excitement of the Caped Crusader to a whole new demographic. Shipping costs and inventory problems have eased slightly but now we have inflation and the cost-of-living issues layered on top. These pressures are going to have a potential impact on consumption at least until the end of the year, and it’s not just confined to the UK but is happening in all major markets. However, we know that in challenging times, consumers look to the familiar franchises that they know and love. Overall, we’re cautiously optimistic and with the new Warner Bros. Discovery organisation, we have the chance to engage with more audiences than ever before.

Lisa Macdonald - SVP of Commercial and Franchise Development, Silvergate Media

The Creature Cases is a new animated pre-school series which is generating a huge buzz with incredible ratings since its global launch on Netflix last spring.

Our talented creative team in New York has joined forces with TeamTo, the animation studio behind PJ Masks to deliver a truly stunning show that is being enjoyed by children around the world.

The Creature Cases has an exciting pace, great characters and is hugely toyetic, whilst also providing educational content that is genuinely fascinating to kids and endorsed by parents. The first series launched worldwide on Netflix in April and went straight into the top three in the US and other key markets worldwide which has been very exciting for us. There are more episodes set to launch at the end of this year and into 2023, and we’re looking forward to announcing a master toy partner shortly. For licensees, there’s a great mix of elements to draw on, from brilliant detective action, vehicles and gadgets alongside natural world and zoological themes.

The changing content landscape led by the growth of streaming and social platforms has really altered the way that families engage with brands. As a result, the speed to market has accelerated in recent years, shortening that period from screen to shelf, which means that lead times and conversations need to happen a lot earlier to meet consumer demand. Of course, Octonauts has 10 years of broadcasting success but our latest toy launch with global master toy Moose Toys saw the Octonauts Above & Beyond toy line hit shelf within 10 months of Netflix’s launch of the spin off-series. That window will continue to get smaller and smaller, so companies that can react quickly and deliver on those expectations will be in a strong position.

The ability to showcase content across so many touchpoints has also created a lot of opportunities to reach wider audiences. In this climate, high quality programming really does shine through, which is why a show like The Creature Cases, with no previous awareness, can gain momentum and a global fanbase in a very short space of time.

Pindy O’Brien - International Licensing and Market Development director, Walker Books

We are excited about taking three of our brands to BLE this year, but the single property that is our crown jewels – Guess How Much I Love You - has now sold 55m copies worldwide.

Big and Little Nutbrown Hare have captured the hearts of children and adults alike for over 25 years and the property has become a staple brand across the UK market that continues to grow.

We are releasing our new hardback this month, l Love You All Year Round: Four Classic Guess How Much I Love You Stories, and this is the message we will be echoing on our stand and in our meetings. Guess How Much I Love You works all year round.

During the current cost-of-living crisis, we are fortunate to have IP which appeals to all demographics. It’s a classic and low risk, with beautiful artwork which is able to cut across so many product categories.

As always, we will be displaying a selection of products on the stand and for the first time, we are planning to have a Guess How Much I Love You nursery which we are really excited about. We are also in the process of developing homeware products with retailer Thalia in Germany which will be launching in spring 2023, so we will have so much to share with potential homewares licensees in the UK. To top it all, we are also developing a permanent visitor attraction in honour of our author Sam McBratney who sadly passed away in September 2020. This will be launched in autumn in his hometown of Lisburn, Northern Ireland. We have also just finalised a deal with the market leader in pre-school theatrics, Fiery Light, who are planning a tour across the UK from AW23. In addition, at BLE we will be sharing new artwork and a new style guide which works “All Year Round”, so we have lots to talk about and so many opportunities to grow our brand further.

There are many challenges which retailers, licensees and IP owners are facing. The supply chain issues have led to stock issues; delays in stock arriving on time then leads to over-stock issues, which is particularly challenging for apparel licensees that are season driven. The cost of living crisis is contributing further and compressing all our margins. Retailers and manufacturers are having to be more open and flexible and work within new business models. These can, of course, be seen as opportunities.

We have seen retailers becoming more of a marketplace in-store. As a result, retailers and brands are merging to get to the consumer. Businesses are investing hugely in e-commerce and direct to consumer is becoming hugely important.

During the pandemic, consumers were forced to change their buying habits and shop online more. This is now normal consumer buying behaviour; we are a lot more confident about buying online and returns are so much easier to process too. The challenge is getting the marketing mix right to persuade the consumer to buy. Manufacturers need to ensure the product being offered is good value and high quality and this means marketing effectively to get your consumer’s attention. Digital marketing is playing a huge role.

David Sprei - Commercial director, Penguin Ventures (Penguin Random House Children’s)

The property I’m most excited about showcasing has to be The World of Peter Rabbit. 2022 marks 120 years since The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first published and our anniversary celebrations have seen the launch of our second collaboration with Cath Kidston and an incredibly successful DTR with Marks & Spencer as well as a new immersive experience at Blenheim Palace. Internationally, we’ve launched a multi-city touring exhibition of original Beatrix Potter artwork in Japan and seen amazing sales in North America with Pottery Barn. We still have even more to announce this year and will use that momentum to head into 2023 which is the Year of the Rabbit – we couldn’t have scripted it better if we tried.

Retailers continue to consolidate in what is already a highly competitive and crowded pre-school space. Fortunately for us, as licensors of classic brands, the pandemic has shown us that parents and gift givers continue to turn to classic, literary properties as a reassuring and trusted purchase. Therefore, we are in an enviable position with regards to our licensing portfolio. However, I am always interested in investigating new and exciting channels that enable us to go direct to our highly engaged fans in the form of subscriptions, social commerce and print on demand offerings. The latter is an opportunity led by the changing retail landscape, the need to consider sustainable options and the consumer demand of wanting things yesterday. It allows us to have an always on mindset with the ability to focus on the typical seasonal peaks as well as being able to react very quickly to new trends and opportunities alongside our trusted licensees and partners.

Frankie Lisle - Managing director, Lisle Licensing

Specifically focusing on the toy sector, BLE is going to be particularly key for two of our clients; firstly, Rainbow Group’s Pinocchio and Friends launched earlier this spring on CBeebies and has already proved to be a hit with young audiences. In May we announced the appointment of GP Flair as master toy partner for Pinocchio in the UK and we’ll be at BLE talking to potential partners about building the overall brand awareness around the toy launch in spring 2023.

Secondly, Milo burst onto Channel 5’s Milkshake! in autumn 2021 and is consistently high in the ratings due to its fresh and innovative role-play content, and recently announced confirmation of a second season for 2023. With Bandai leading on master toy for summer 2023, along with a variety of marketing initiatives which will take the brand through to the toy launch, BLE should be a great platform for discussions with interested partners.

With runaway inflation and so much economic uncertainty, there is already a negative impact on volume of licensing sales and, it would appear, across all sectors. This crunch will become even tougher as we head into our industry’s key winter sales season which will coincide with further cost rises in utilities. I don’t think we’ll be looking at a bright economic winter in 2022, but against this negative backdrop is the opportunity to be flexible and creative, offering value to the consumer in tight economic times; if we can achieve this for our clients we will win through long-term.

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

We’re really looking forward to talking to people about Pip and Posy, our first-ever TV series which launched last year on Channel 5’s Milkshake!, and is also available on Sky Kids. We’re seeing very strong engagement for the show, with almost 4m UK TV viewers plus another 10m plus on YouTube. Pip and Posy has also secured several major broadcast partners internationally, and series two is already in production. The response from licensees has been enthusiastic with a number of leading names already signed and exciting opportunities across further categories.

Packed with warmth and humour, the series is a joyful celebration of the friendship between Pip and Posy, whose lives revolve around a wonderful world of play. Young children can recognise their own experiences as the pair work through the up and downs of their relationship through their creative play.

The current growth in our toy sales is really encouraging and we’re looking at increased expansion in 2023. Mindful of the increasing cost of living challenges consumers are facing, we are working with our partners at Wow! Stuff to ensure our Gruffalo master toy range covers all price-points, from pocket money to premium. We’re also taking every opportunity to bring environmental awareness closer to the consumer audience with a strong push on sustainability, which runs right across the company. Our experiential events are designed to show children how to engage with the natural world, explore their surroundings and connect with the environment, inspiring them to treasure it, be aware of their impact and how they can play their part to help on issues such as global warming.

Obviously, we also feel we have a responsibility to do what we can to minimise the impact of our products on the environment, especially as they are created for young children. Our conversations with licensees increasingly centre on sustainability, whether that’s in reducing packaging, switching from plastic to better options, using organic fabrics and so on. We’re really heartened with the response from licensees to this escalating and important trend in retail which so many consumers are now demanding.

Rachel Clarke - SVP, Licensing & Retail UK, Copyrights Group

We’re particularly excited about showcasing Paddington at BLE this September as it has been an incredible year for the beloved bear who continues to delight children and families around the world.

The Adventures of Paddington Series 2 launched this year, with the third series in development. In the UK, fans could get their paws on the first Paddington McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion and there were new experiential offerings. New major brand partnerships and collaborations will be announced for launches later this year and into 2023. Paddington’s partnership with UNICEF expands to seven countries, raising vital funds for children around the world with Paddington’s Postcards approaching 50K sign-ups in the UK. Paddington will enter British and Irish classrooms to help children learn about healthcare as part of UNICEF’s Outright campaign this autumn.

There continues to be more competition with emerging properties coming from the digital and streaming space, combined with a squeeze on space in bricks and mortar. But equally the growth of online retail continues to broaden opportunities for more properties to be included and available to consumers.

In this changing landscape, Paddington benefits from being a classic brand and a modern hero, and consumers continue to be drawn to known and loved characters with strong roots. Indeed, as well as offering a multi-level content plan, in 2023, Paddington will be celebrating the 65th anniversary of the original publishing.

We’ve turned the changing retail landscape into more opportunities for the Paddington brand and our licensees by adapting our own retail offering during the pandemic with the creation of the official Paddington online store. Plus, when the world re-opened, we expanded the Paddington Destination (Shop and Store.com) with the Paddington Café, a unique brand space to enjoy at Paddington Station.

Mathieu Galante - Licensing director, EMEA , The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International has only one property – Pokémon – but the iconic brand’s continual innovation and dynamism keeps us constantly excited about it and its future. Having complete focus on Pokémon allows us to explore a wide variety of new avenues to keep it fresh, relevant and at the forefront of global entertainment. From new releases and innovations in the wide-ranging Pokémon portfolio - including video games, apps and animation, the Trading Card Game etc – to bold new collaborations across a fantastic and varied range of categories from both the mass-and luxury markets, Pokémon remains a true 360-degree franchise that continues to achieve exceptional results.

After a sensational 25th anniversary year which saw Pokémon become the fifth biggest licensor in the world, we’re gearing up for the release of next generation video games Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet later this year, which feature three new starter Pokémon and a new region.

As an evergreen brand, Pokémon has experienced huge changes at retail over the years but has sustained its appeal, demonstrating its popularity and adaptability, so we’re confident of responding with panache to today’s evolving retail landscape. Having maintained its broad retail reach – from high end to high street, from mass chains to independents, both bricks and mortar and online – the brand is in a strong position going forwards.

We’ve had huge success this year with our toy partner Jazwares, which launched its biggest ever Pokémon range including a host of innovative new products, which puts us in a trusted position with our retail partners.

We’re also eagerly embracing the opportunities being created by innovative new technologies, which enabled Pokémon to enter the metaverse for the first time recently in a ground-breaking collaboration with Yahoo Ryot Lab, Selfridges and designer Charli Cohen. The campaign created an innovative virtual store, Electric/City – a first-of-itskind immersive video experience giving exclusive access to the Charli Cohen x Pokémon collection, which was heavily featured across social media.

IRL, Selfridges London exclusively showcased the collection in a dynamic space for two weeks from launch, including a digital treasure hunt. We’re excited to explore further innovations like this – or something completely new – as eCommerce becomes increasingly important, while also creating destination pop-ups in physical stores such as our recent collaborations with Harrods and Hamleys.

Venetia Davie- VP Consumer Products & Experiences, UK, IRE, ANZ & Israel, Paramount

A property I am looking forward to showcasing at BLE is one with almost 40 years of history, a number-one best-selling action figure line and over $8b dollars in retail sales since Paramount acquired the brand 10 years ago - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I’ve worked on the brand many times over the years as both a licensee and now as the licensor. What’s so exciting is we have activations in place that will appeal to both the adult fans that grew up with the brand as well as introduce a whole new generation of fans to Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello (plus a few new villains along the way). What better way to bring Turtles back to the cultural Zeitgeist than a theatrical movie produced by super-fan Seth Rogan, known for cult movies like Superbad?

From Brexit, to Covid to inflation, it’s certainly been a challenging two years for retailers, the repercussions of which will still be felt through the end of this year and beyond. Stock availability and delivery timings still seem to be a challenge and I think nothing demonstrates this better than walking into retail stores and seeing promotional planogram end caps with missing product lines.

Retailers are also having to adjust to shifting consumer shopping habits and maintaining the balance of on-line versus instore sales. Even the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, is adjusting as stores re-open and consumers’ spending habits shift.

We cannot talk about retailer challenges without touching on the inflationary pressures hitting consumers’ pockets across all categories. While media headlines have focused on gas prices, we’ve also seen the struggle between retailers trying to hold retail prices and suppliers trying to pass costs increases onto retailers. The widely reported Tesco and Heinz price row demonstrates this challenge perfectly and we are hearing the same discussions are happening across multiple licensed product categories.

Conversely, times of challenge also bring with them opportunities; it forces retailers and suppliers to think smarter, to innovate and to drive change. I’m excited to see new retailers emerge and established retailers test new opportunities. Primark trialling click-and-collect is a great example.

Vanessa Andreis - Franchise Planning & Partnerships director, Beano Studios

2023 is going to be an incredible year for Beano as it celebrates not only its 85th anniversary but huge milestones for Minnie the Minx, Rodger the Dodger and The Numskulls. There’s huge excitement for the amazing events and celebrations we’re planning to celebrate this momentous year, with a range of partners both in the traditional and experiential space who are planning real stand out activity.

Loved as much by readers today as those who grew up reading the comic, Beano is a very recognisable brand with a huge fan base who will be looking forward to participating or owning their own piece of Beano history. Together with Rocket Licensing, we are in the midst of creating and developing exciting partnerships and programmes that will allow us to continue bringing mischief and laughter to the world for the next 85 years.

The biggest challenges post pandemic are the change in consumer behaviours towards retail and the rise in the cost of living. There was a huge shift with customers steering towards online shopping and being less reliant on the high street, which accelerated retail and licensors to adopting a more direct to consumer model.

The costs of resources, materials and shipping are all increasing dramatically and outpricing certain lines out of the retail environment. In turn, consumers have become more cautious and are looking for value for money purchases. As licensors, we have had to adapt and look at eCommerce as a mainstream retail outlet and understand what our data is telling us in terms of our consumers’ demographics, buying trends and expectations from a brand point of view. But there are also great opportunities with bricks and mortar brand experiences becoming more and more important once again, as retailers put the oomph back into retail; this can be linked with digital possibilities and offering increased engagement above and beyond a retail purchase.

We have also experienced a resurgence in adults rediscovering children’s pastimes and products and bringing together family play. We have become more open to digital experience and opportunities, with NFTs and the metaverse becoming more and more integral, enhancing consumer engagement offering collectability and driving brand relevancy across ever-evolving digital platforms. Finally, sustainability has now moved from a cause to standard practice. Consumers, particularly Gen Alpha and Z, are no longer looking for businesses to do the right thing – they expect it.

Emmanuelle Cadet - licensing director UK, AUS, EMEA, Boat Rocker

We’ve been thrilled at the fantastic reaction to our pre=school animation Dino Ranch. It’s been a huge hit with audiences worldwide and we are excited to be working with best-in-class licensees to bring the franchise to life off screen.

The hotly anticipated Jazwares toy line has now launched in the UK, with story and activity books from Scholastic also available. We’re layering in a new app, puzzles, bedding and dress up in Q4, and there are exciting opportunities across additional categories for 2023.

We’re undertaking a huge marketing blitz across TV, digital, PR, influencer and social media as we head into Christmas, including some special activations.

Dovetailing with all the marketing momentum around the CP launch is the arrival of all-new content. Disney + will be dropping the first episodes from Season 2, and Tiny Pop, which launched the series with great success in April, is set to premiere the back half of Season 1 this autumn.

Our theme for ’23 is ‘Aim high and fly’, as we launch an exciting tentpole special in which the young ranchers team up with new flying partners. This will introduce new flying pterosaurs, new outfits, vehicles and locations, and with additional flying episodes across the series, it presents exciting opportunities for a host of line extensions.

Ecommerce continues to grow, and this is an area we are investing in with initiatives such as our recently launched Boat Rocker-managed Amazon Dino Ranch store. Featuring a wide selection of products from toys and puzzles to books and homewares, it also contains video content and information about the series along with dino facts to add value for shoppers and give them a more immersive experience.

The inventory challenges retailers have been facing continue to impact getting new brands/product onto shelf, however, bricks and mortar remains key and so we are taking a parallel approach, combining our online presence with securing strong listings at specialist and mass retailers, supported by special in-store promotions and marketing activity.

Marianne James - VP, Licensed Consumer Products, EMEA & Asia, Hasbro

With an upcoming 40th anniversary in 2023, we’re most looking forward to showcasing My Little Pony. This nostalgic brand continues to prove its appeal to consumers across the globe and, to this day, stays fresh among the pop culture sphere through a diverse range of consumer offerings, from toy and fashion to entertainment. By mixing nostalgia with current trends, My Little Pony has cultivated a dedicated community of fans and collectors that embody the core themes of friendship, exploration, selfexpression and most importantly fun. And the future is bright, with exciting new ventures.

The past year has seen an abundance of new content partnerships and product launches. 2022 Entertainment offerings have burst into the forefront for fans on YouTube and Netflix, with over 500 minutes of original animation. Looking ahead, the My Little Pony: Make Your Mark special sets up the action to come in a new 44-minute Holiday Special, titled My Little Pony: Winter Wishday, which premieres in November. We anticipate continued interest in the brand based on the success of the Netflix movie and additional entertainment offerings this year, and in turn the ongoing impact on consumer product categories including toys, games, apparel, digital gaming, publishing, accessories, food & beverage, health & beauty, housewares and fashion.

My Little Pony is also looking to hit the runway soon with new strategic partnerships coming out of the UK to elevate the brand among apparel and footwear offerings. New partners such as Fabric Flavours, Irregular Choice, Skinnydip and more will join in the 40th anniversary celebrations with exclusive products including a three-piece collection later this year from Skinnydip consisting of a phone case, makeup bag and wash bag with retro artwork.

The retail landscape has shifted tremendously in the past few years. Every day the tides shift and seemingly a new external factor arises, ultimately impacting licensing decisions and business goals. The challenge is for partners and brands to strategically anticipate consumer wants and expectations before these external factors make that decision for them. Ultimately, this is an opportunity to improve consumer connections and get more in sync with consumer aspirations. At Hasbro, our mission is always to create the best play and entertainment experiences for fans and families across the globe and by anticipating what consumers want we can make smarter licensing deals.

Bethan Garton - CCO, The Point.1888

We have multiple amazing properties to showcase at this years’ BLE and are particularly excited about Super Sema and Toad & Friends. They are two new properties with very meaningful reasons for being and offer toy companies an amazing breadth of creative options to develop unique and wonderful products. We can’t wait to debut them and show what they offer.

As a retail first agency, we are always listening to the needs of our retailers, and the changes happening to consumers. Post pandemic, there is certainly a real customer shift in wanting to experience the brands they love. This is an opportunity for us in licensing to bring real licensed experiences to consumers both through products, and activations.

Brands need, and can, bring a real positive quality of life to consumers – so The Point.1888 is always thinking of new and innovative ways to deliver this, via purpose-led products. We are also hearing and working with our retailers on solutions in licensing around the cost-of-living crisis. More so than ever, we need to support our retailers in ensuring every licensed product offered at retail is offering both true value and an amazing experience for the customer.

Lastly, customers are also evolving in the way they are consuming brands. For example, the huge emergence of YouTube properties in the kids’ space, away from the traditional linear and movie properties, means we need our products and brands to mirror this way of being, by being agile and accessible.

Paul Bufton - Vice president Consumer Products, EMEA, NBCUniversal

Obviously, at this year’s BLE, we’ll be celebrating our blockbuster franchises such as Jurassic World, Minions and Trolls but the property we’re really looking forward to sharing with everyone is our new TV show for pre-schoolers – DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse.

It has such a fresh, modern feel, and it embraces so many things pre-schoolers love – unboxing, doll-house play, adorable cats and catchy songs. It’s performed incredibly well on Netflix and YouTube and is launching imminently on free-to-air networks across the region. Consumer appetite for official merchandise has been huge. In the UK, Smyths had to bring forward the launch of Gabby’s Dollhouse toys to June this year to meet demand and trailed the launch of the product on its website from March onwards. This is a great example of Universal’s expertise in building a completely new property in a category where we previously didn’t have a significant presence (pre-school), and we’re delighted it’s had such a fantastic response. We’re excited to build on this success in 2023 and will be expanding Gabby’s Dollhouse into new EMEA markets and categories including fashion, home, publishing and more.

Retail is undoubtedly in a difficult spot, but the optimist in me believes the opportunities are greater than the challenges we’re facing. Supply delays, shipping costs and the price of raw materials are still major concerns, but the main thing on everyone’s mind now is the cost-of-living squeeze and rising inflation. None of us can predict with any accuracy how high it will go. However, if previous recessions and the pandemic taught us anything, it’s how to deal with the unexpected. Lockdown helped us to future-proof the business in many ways; we had to work even more closely with our retail partners and licensees to embrace all the opportunities provided by the exponential growth of eCommerce. We’ve become a lot more data-driven; our ability to track and collect information and then use it to communicate with our partners has improved significantly and made us much more proactive and nimble.

Tough times are often a spur to innovation and out-of-the-box thinking, and we’ve been inspired to reach new markets, such as pre-school, and further expand our kidult/adult offerings. One key focus for us has been developing products for the adult market to celebrate the 40th anniversary of E.T. this year, and the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park in 2023 – there’s a lot of equity in both brands, especially in apparel. And for kids/kidults, there’s a wealth of innovative, imaginative products making waves at retail such as Wow! Stuff’s Jurassic World RealFX Baby Blue animatronic dinosaur. We’re expecting bumper sales during the festive season for this item. The great thing about the Jurassic World franchise is that it’s timeless. The appetite for new products is consistently strong and not just limited to when new content releases.

Duncan Tate - Global head of Hardlines, Consumer Products, Moonbug Entertainment

Since the launch of the licensing programme in 2020, the business has already developed a strong portfolio of over 300 licensees globally. This has enabled us to tap into local market nuances.

At Brand Licensing Europe our main focus will be CoComelon, Blippi and Little Angel. In addition, we will preview some of our exciting new and existing properties including Little Baby Bum, Lellobee and Oddbods.

CoComelon continues to go from strength to strength and the master toy line from Jazwares launched in late 2020. Since the initial launch we have expanded our offering with many new brands and categories. The programme has delivered several top product awards, culminating in CoComelon being awarded the Best Licensed Brand (entertainment, character) at the 2022 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

Blippi has incredible momentum with continued distribution expansion bringing the content onto new platforms as well as the launch of new content formats, such as the Blippi Wonders animated show. We have been working closely with Jazwares, our master toy partner, to ensure we reflect this momentum back into the product line as well as expanding selected products and categories that have worked well to date. We are extremely excited about what’s to come for Blippi as we continue to expand our partner base and grow our global footprint.

Little Angel is Moonbug’s first acquisition since becoming part of Candle Media and is one of the fastest growing kids’ channels on YouTube. As a company we are continuing to create and acquire popular IPs and subsequently turn them into global entertainment franchises. We are close to announcing our master toy partner for the brand and will be developing an innovative and truly unique pre-school offering that ties to the core themes and attributes of the show. We are excited to launch the brand and continue the development across new categories through 2023 and beyond.

We have a number of new and existing brands that we plan to launch a consumer products programme for in 2024 and beyond and we recently signed Just Play as our global master toy licensee for some of these much-loved IPs. The agreement will see Just Play develop an extensive range of toy products and the portfolio of brands will include pre-school favourites such as Little Baby Bum and Lellobee City Farm. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to bringing new opportunities for our fans to interact with our beloved characters and extend the storytelling to the home environment through imaginative play.

Emma Russell - Senior Licensing manager, Natural History Museum

There’s something magical about entering through the doors at the Natural History Museum. For each person that visits the South Kensington or Tring sites, that spark of magic comes from something unique to them - whether it be the impressive architecture, the colossal blue whale ‘Hope’ in Hintze Hall, or the world’s most diverse collection of dinosaurs and fossils - including the beloved Dippy the Diplodocus.

One of my new favourite things to do in the Museum is to walk through the halls on a standard busy day. It’s a joy to see your consumer interact with and immerse themselves in the brand. Children observe their surroundings with giddy delight; for them it’s a place of wonder and curiosity. For the grown-ups, there’s a special bond; a warm fondness and nostalgia that conjures up vivid memories of days spent making new discoveries.

Over 5m visitors walk through those magical doors every year, with 73% of them stating that dinosaurs were the main reason for the visit. I guess you could say we’re the home of dinosaurs – in fact, the museum’s founder Sir Richard Owen was responsible for coining the term “dinosaur” back in 1842. Although our dinosaur collection has timeless appeal, there are a staggering 80m specimens within the broader collection; there’s something for everyone to form a connection with.

It doesn’t matter whether they attended with their family, school, or not even at all; but for our end consumer, there’s value and respectability behind the NHM name. When you see NHM product on shelf, you can be assured it’s been considered, checked and approved for scientific accuracy.

The average five-year-old will be more than happy to pull us up on any errors. In addition, we’re committed to prioritising environmental sustainability – not just at the heart of museum’s operations – but across every milestone of a product’s life.

Sustainability is one of the first discussions we have with any new potential partners, and we’re looking at new and innovative ways to minimise the impact we make on the planet.

I’m excited to meet with our licensees – both existing and potential – at this year’s BLE. There are significant opportunities within the toy sector, and we’re prioritising meaningful conversations that lead to strategic and successful partnerships.

Andrew Carley - Director of Global Licensing, BBC Studios

The property we are most looking forward to showcasing at BLE is, unsurprisingly, Bluey. We have a really strong licensing programme in place which we’ve been able to grow thanks to an amazing pipeline of content, including the recent release of series three on Disney+.

We have great partners on board including Penguin Random House, Moose, VTech, Hasbro and Crayola, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start in the UK and across EMEA, which we’re looking to grow and build upon in the next year. The crowning achievement for me has been the US launch; to get a non-US show and licensing programme off the ground in the US speaks volumes.

I believe the licensing landscape changed about three to four years ago and the challenge for us now is working with partners and stakeholders to offer a more diverse experience than simply going shopping to buy a product, or going to a theme park, or going to the cinema. All these elements have merged, so we’re trying to create combined experiences. Everybody’s thinking about what experiential looks like in this sense – it could be in-store theatre, or it could be standalone experiences which merge these elements together. For example, new Moose Toys’ Bluey products were launched with Camp in LA hosting a dance party and meet and greet in a re-creation of Bluey’s bedroom and backyard.

There are many opportunities to think about these things creatively. People want to experience the brand in different ways, and these ways have to be merged in quite a subtle and sophisticated manner. It’s no longer simply a case of going to the theatre and exiting through the gift shop.

The closure of some major retailers has left a lot of space on the high street and that space can be used imaginatively and creatively. Rather than filling it with yet another retailer, there’s a chance to create experiences. BBC Studios did this with The Green Planet AR Experience powered by EE 5G, which took over a space in central London to present an immersive augmented reality experience, hosted by Sir David Attenborough, which was inspired by the series.

Shopping can be quite one dimensional which is all very well if you’re an adult, but if you’ve got a family in tow, to just walk in, buy something and walk out can be quite a difficult experience. Trying to think creatively around what shopping will look like in the future is, I think, an exciting challenge. I don’t want to suggest that bricks & mortar shopping will disappear, far from it, but now there’s an opportunity to layer in other activity. Such experiences can be really powerful and long-lasting in cementing that allimportant relationship between consumers and brands.

Rob Goodchild - Commercial director, Aardman

It’s such an exciting time for Wallace and Gromit as we head into production on a brand-new film, which will release on BBC and Netflix in 2024. Leading up to this we will be releasing a new VR adventure on Meta Quest as well as celebrating 30 years since the release of The Wrong Trousers. We have high hopes that we will develop some cracking partnerships.

We’ve really missed the high street in the past couple of years and we hope that footfall and spend will continue to recover. Categories such as licensed toys, apparel and gifting still rely heavily on pick-up lines and impulse purchase, so any growth in these sectors will present an opportunity for licensed products. Our biggest obvious challenge will be the economic headwinds which, as well as taking cash out of consumers’ pockets, may also impact overall retail space as general retailers and supermarkets focus more on commodity items