Total Brand Licensing

Total Brand Licensing is a magazine created as a direct response to market 

demand for a publication that fully serves the brand, brand extension and 

trademark sectors. The magazine was created by Total Licensing who have 

been publishing licensing information for more than 12 years. 

The magazine is a worldwide publication, with readers in 104 countries. It gives 

brand owners and agents the opportunity to highlight their brands, as well as 

establishing, protecting and managing strong brand extension and licensing 

programs. It is a unique forum and platform for the brand licensing sector. 

Through in-depth editorial, the magazine looks at best practices, innovative 

programs, new retail and merchandising opportunities and creates a forum for 

brand licensors to promote and enhance brands. It is also designed to highlight 

the opportunities available to trademark owners through a well-created and 

structured licensing program and brand extension. 

Brands from around the world are in the spotlight through features and case 

studies including trademarks, corporate brands, celebrities, sports, fashion and 

other brand sectors. 

The magazine also carries global news, research data and regular opinion pieces 

from experts in the industry. It is published as print and digital editions. 

Each issue focuses on key sectors including brands, trademarks and brand 

extensions including corporate/trademarks, celebrities/estates, collegiate, fashion, 

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APRIL 2016

TOTAL BRAND LICENSING 

TOTAL 

BRAND 

LICENSING 

A Total Licensing Group 

Publication 

CO-PUBLISHER 

Francesca Ash 

francesca@totallicensing.com 

CO-PUBLISHER 

Jerry Wooldridge 

jerry@totallicensing.com 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ 

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 

Rebecca Ash 

becky@totallicensing.com 

MARKETING MANAGER 

James Ash 

james@totallicensing.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

www.totallicensing.com/ 

subscribe.html 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Mickael Andreo • Elisabeth Dubost 

Elena Lockett • Marty Malysz 

Hal Worsham 

This special issue of Total Brand Licensing celebrates the inaugural Brand & Lifestyle 

Licensing Awards which take place on 20 April at London’s Dorchester Hotel. The event 

is significant, not just because it is the first time it has taken place but, mainly, because it 

is the first time that the brand sector has been recognised in its own right. 

Whilst often overshadowed by the higher-profile entertainment sector, corporate brand 

licensing and brand extension is a fast growing sector. 

Interestingly, the most recent LIMA Global Licensing Survey cites entertainment licensing 

as being worth around $107 bIllion at retail with corporate/brand worth $54 billion. 

However, when you add on other sides of the ‘brand’ world such as fashion or sports, 

these push the corporate or brand side up on a par with entertainment. 

The variety of properties within this sector is immense - as you can see from the varied 

nominees in our B&LLA preview. 

Of course, later this year will see the inaugural Brand Licensing Select, an event again 

specifically designed for brands to be held in New York at the end of September. This 

will, once again, put the spotlight on the sector and separate it from the entertainment 

side which so many brand agencies or licensors have wanted for some time. 

Beyond the B&LLAS and Brand Licensing Select, this issues carries a number of features 

- as varied as the licensing and marketing of Paris (the City, not Hilton!), a look at adult 

licensing, a Home & Away celebration and the build-up to this year’s UEFA Euro 2016 

in France. 

We hope you enjoy it - we look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Awards 

ceremony in London! 

6 News 

Brand news from around the globe 

CONTENTS 

27 Home & Away 

Sunshine from Summer Bay7 

Japan Agent 

Roger Berman, ZenWorks 

rmb@zenworks.jp 

HEAD OFFICE 

Total Licensing Ltd 

4 Wadhurst Business Park 

Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst, 

East Sussex, TN5 6PT, UK 

Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 

Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 

www.totallicensing.com 

Total Brand Licensing is published quarterly by 

Total Licensing Ltd in the UK. ©2016 Total 

Licensing Ltd. All rights reserved. 

No part of this magazine may be reproduced 

or transmitted in any form or by any means 

whatsoever without written permission of the 

publishers and owners. Although persons and 

companies mentioned herein are believed to 

be reputable, Total Licensing Ltd nor any of its 

employees accept any responsibility whatsoever 

for their activities. 

All images are reproduced with permission from 

their owners. 

14 Brand & Lifestyle Licensing 

Awards 

Property, Product and Retail nominees for 

the inaugural Brand & Lifestyle Licensing 

awards in London 

19 Licensee Engagement 

Capturing information to build a 

better business 

23 The Impact of Branding 

in an online digital marketing strategy 

24 Countdown to Euro 2016 

Europe’s leading soccer tournament 

26 A Capital Idea 

The branding and marketing of Paris 

28 Start Licensing 

A British update 

29 Adult Licensing 

Licensing with a grown-up focus 

31 Market updates: 

Fashion 


Homewares & Gifting 


Food & Drink 

34 Brand Business 

Being a good or rotten licensee has 

its ramifications 

PAGE 4 

TOTAL BRAND LICENSING

Winter 2016

BRAND NEWS 

THOMAS COOK PARTNERS WITH RAS AL KHAIMAH 

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development 

Authority (TDA) and Thomas Cook 

Group have announced a major cooperative 

marketing agreement aimed at promoting 

the Emirate as a premier destination for 

European leisure tourism. 

Initially running from March 2016 

to February 2017, the co-marketing 

partnership will help to raise awareness 

about Ras Al Khaimah in international 

markets and drive travel and tourism to the 

destination. 

A large proportion of the initiative, which 

will run simultaneously across the UK, 

Germany and Scandinavia, will be focused 

on the promotion of Ras Al Khaimah 

as a world-class tourism destination for 

authentic Arabian experiences. This will 

be marked by a high profile, co-branded 

marketing campaign that fully exploits 

the holiday company’s consumer and 

trade touch-points. It will include in-store 

promotions across Thomas Cook’s retail 

estate, along with creative development and 

production by the Ras Al Khaimah TDA. 

The agreement will also include intensive 

travel agent training, product awareness 

support on international PR outlets and 

social media channels and dedicated 

pages with special offers hosted on both 

Thomas Cook’s and Ras Al Khaimah TDA’s 

websites. 

“We are happy to be partnering with 

Thomas Cook and working with one of the 

leading leisure travel groups in the world to 

promote Ras Al Khaimah”, said Haitham 

Mattar, CEO of the Ras Al Khaimah TDA. 

“We are confident that this alliance will 

help spread the word about our Emirate’s 

unique selling points, rich offerings and 

stunning natural surroundings, which 

appeal to a wide range of travellers across 

the globe, and strengthen our position as 

the best place to be for genuine Arabian 

experiences, great beach resorts and exciting 

adventures.” 

Thomas Cook’s Group Head of Media & 

Partnerships, Stuart Adamson, said: “We 

are very excited to be partnering with Ras 

Al Khaimah, leveraging the full strength of 

Thomas Cook as an omni-channel retailer. 

We are looking forward to delivering a 

fully integrated campaign promoting this 

premier Middle East destination to the 

millions of holiday makers that engage 

with us on our channels and beyond, across 

several markets.” 

LMCA APPOINT DIRECTOR OF 

BRAND LICENSING 

LMCA recently announced that Kirsten 

Fallon was appointed to the firm as director, 

brand licensing. She will be located in 

the company’s New York headquarters and 

report to Alan Kravetz, company president 

and COO. 

Fallon’s background has a deep base in 

international licensing of major brands, 

having senior level experience working with 

the Food Network, Ben & Jerry’s, Kraft, 

ConAgra and other leading corporations. 

Allan Feldman, CEO of LMCA commented, 

“Adding Kirsten to our team emphasizes 

our dedication to providing superlative 

strategic service to our corporate clients, 

both domestic and international. Kirsten’s 

experience complements the brand extension 

licensing skills of our worldwide staff 

members.” 

Feldman added, “LMCA has been in a continuing 

steep growth phase. Hiring Kirsten 

helps ensure that each client, new and old, 

will have the same excellent service level for 

which we’re known. Strategy, service and 

program performance will always be our 

top priorities.” 

BAKE OFF TEAMS UP WITH GO JETTERS 

Great British Bake Off Winner Frances Quinn has teamed up 

with BBC Worldwide to create an array of bakes inspired by the 

Go Jetters. From Moustache Cookies, Ice Cream Cone cakes and 

Medal Biscuits, Frances has made sweet snacks for any Go Jetters 

themed parties. 

Commenting, Frances said, “I’ve had so much fun creating the 

Go Jetters bakes. These delicious treats will delight any fans of the 

show and are so simple to create. From baking bowl to Ubercorn’s 

glitter ball make sure you have some disco on while baking, it adds 

extra beats and magic!” 

PAGE 6 


BRAND NEWS 

BILLBOARD APPOINTS IMG TO HANDLE LICENSING IN ASIA 

Billboard, the leading global destination 

for charts, news, business, lifestyle and 

innovations in music, announced that it 

has appointed IMG as the brand’s licensing 

representative for products in Asia. 

The deal pairs IMG, a global leader in 

sports, events, media and fashion, with 

Billboard to develop a product-licensing 

portfolio across Japan, China, Hong Kong 

and Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, including 

Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia 

and Singapore. 

The program will cultivate a wide range 

of merchandise, including apparel and 

accessories, bags and backpacks, headphone 

and tablet accessories, electronics and audio 

programs, and skateboards, among other 

products. 

IMG’s licensing agreement is part of a 

larger push by Billboard to expand its international 

presence, with global partnerships 

covering product and retail, media content 

and licensing. Last year Billboard established 

a syndication partnership with Yin 

Yue Tai, China’s leading music video website, 

to create the first co-branded Billboard 

China chart. Also in 2015, Billboard Radio 

China became Asia’s first Billboard-branded 

Internet radio station. 

“Not only does this partnership align us 

with the largest licensing agency in the 

world, it now exposes Billboard’s content 

and branded product to its largest Asian 

audience yet,” said Francisco Arenas, Senior 

Vice President, Business Development 

and Licensing, Billboard and The Hollywood 

Reporter. “IMG’s global reach and 

local expertise will help us build upon our 

aggressive push into new markets.” 

“We are very excited about growing the 

Billboard brand in Asia,” said Miki Yamamoto, 

Senior Vice President, Licensing, 

Asia at IMG. “Our licensing program 

will draw on its youthful and fashionable 

image to develop products which resonate 

strongly with music fans. We have already 

held extremely productive discussions with 

local licensees and are confident we will hit 

the ground running.” 

Billboard was named the leading U.S. 

brand on Twitter, surpassing the NFL, 

ESPN, BuzzFeed and MTV, with 7.5 

million engaged actions in Q4 2015, and 

named an overall Top 10 U.S. Media Publisher 

in December 2015 with 11.8 million 

social actions. Billboard topped Shareablee’s 

list of U.S. publishers by engagement on 

Twitter in Q4, ahead of brands including 

Bleacher Report, BuzzFeed and The New 

York Times. The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard 

Media Group reaches almost 30 

million readers a month online globally, 

with a social footprint of about 20 million. 

In February 2016, the brand was awarded 

the American Society of Magazine Editors’ 

National Magazine Award for General Excellence 

in the category of Special Interest 

Magazines. The honor marked the second 

National Magazine Award win for THR, 

which was nominated the last two years 

for Magazine of the Year, and in 2014 for 

General Excellence in the Special Interest 

category. 

MY GYM AND HEDSTROM DEVELOP CURRICULUM PROGRAM 

My Gym Children’s Fitness Center partnered 

with Hedstrom Fitness, the world- 

The Bosu Sport for Kids is specially de- 

locations across the U.S. shortly. 

wide licensed manufacturer and distributor signed for the unique physical needs of kids 

of Bosu products, for a promotional program 

that will see the Bosu Sport for Kids, mentals of balance and sensory exercise 

ages 4 and up. It teaches kids the funda- 

integrated into My Gym’s curriculum. while strengthening the heart, lungs, and 

The program will begin at select My Gym muscles. The partnership was brokered by 

DENTSU TO LICENSE TETRIS IN 

JAPAN 

Dentsu Inc. will serve as the merchandising 

and advertising agent for the Tetris brand 

in Japan. 

Dentsu will pursue advertising, co-promotional, 

and licensing opportunities 

with Japanese companies that will create 

Tetris-inspired merchandise. This will bring 

a range of Tetris-branded home and lifestyle 

items, including party supplies, kitchenware, 

computer accessories, and apparel, 

to retailers and e-tailers in Japan. Under 

the agreement, Dentsu will also be licensing 

the rights for pachinko and pachislot 

machines. 

Dentsu plans to target style-conscious consumers 

through fashionable Tetris designs, 

DJ events, and other exciting initiatives. In 

addition, Dentsu will also pursue advertising 

tie-ins with its wide range of clients. 


Summer issue distributed 

at Licensing Expo. 

Editorial deadline: 

5 May 2016 

Advertising deadline: 

15 May 2016 

Mary M. Mueller, head of global alliances 

for My Gym and Suzanne Faber, president 

of Blue Sky Concepts, on behalf of Bosu. 

TOTAL BRAND LICENSING PAGE 7

BRAND NEWS 

LMA EXPANDS PROGRAMS WITH A NUMBER OF KEY PARTNERSHIPS 

Licensing Agency Lisa Marks Associates 

has expanded programs within its current 

portfolio of brands with key partnerships 

for brands including Perfetti Van Melle’s 

Global Lifestyle Brands Mentos and Chupa 

Chups. 

Two new Mentos-inspired 

scented programs will 

leverage the flavors and 

fresh positioning of 

the global leadership 

brand. In 

Q2, home décor 

and tableware 

manufacturer The 

Jay Companies 

will launch their 

aromatic assortment 

of Mentos 

candles, diffusers, 

tart burners and more. 

The program is planned 

for a range of retail channels 

including food, drug, mass, mid-tier and 

department stores. 

Rotuba Extruders is developing a line of 

scented and unscented pens, pencils with 

scented toppers, scented rulers, car air 

fresheners, and scented jewelry for mass, 

specialty, mid-tier, convenience, and other 

retailers across the United States and Canada, 

with a planned launch of Q3 2016. 

Desperate Enterprises has signed on to create 

a line of tin signs and magnets, which 

also launched in 2016. The US-made 

products capture the dynamic graphics of 

the Mentos brand and will be available at 

gift shops, specialty stores, mass and online 

throughout the US and Canada. 

Accessawear’s extensive Mentos electronics 

collection will include water speakers, 

power-banks, ear buds, headphones, 

thumb drives, selfie sticks, coin banks, cell 

phone cases and Bluetooth speakers. The 

design-led items will be in specialty stores, 

mid-tier department stores, mass and online 

in the US and Canada in 2016. Mentos® 

is the #1 global mint brand, owned by 

Perfetti van Melle Group, the third largest 

confectionery group in the world. 

LMA has signed on New York-based Taste 

Beauty to develop a broad beauty program 

for the Chupa Chups® brand. The collection 

will include lip care, lip balm and 

gloss, nail polish and accessories, cosmetic 

bags, gift sets and more, featuring the 

vibrant and colorful range of Chupa Chups 

art and graphics. Products will 

be available in the United 

States and Canada at 

mass, specialty, value, 

department and 

drug stores in 

Q3 2016. Chupa 

Chups, also 

owned by Perfetti 

van Melle Group, 

is the world’s most 

popular lollipop 

brand and the 5th 

largest confectionary 

brand worldwide, with 

approximately five billion 

Chupa Chups consumed each 

year in over 150 countries. 

In addition, LMA has signed on multiple 

partners in key categories for iconic pop 

culture favorite Pez Candy as the brand’s 

new licensing program gets underway. 

American Classics is developing infant, 

toddler, juniors’, women’s and men’s apparel, 

including t-shirts, hoodies and fleece. 

The program will launch this fall in North 

America. 

Headwear manufacturer and design house 

Covee will create a line of Pez headwear for 

young men, youth and juniors, and also 

a collection of knits, cold weather 

accessories and hosiery. The 

line, showcasing classic 

Pez graphics, will 

be available 

later this year in 

mass, mid-tier, 

specialty and 

other retailers. 

Personal care 

manufacturer Taste 

Beauty will create 

PEZ-themed beauty 

items for a Q4 2106 

launch in the US and Canada. 

Lip care, lip balm and gloss, nail polish and 

accessories, gift sets, and more are planned 

for mass, specialty, value, department and 

drug stores. 

Over and above these, The MoonPie 

licensing program continues to grow as 

licensees develop new programs and LMA 

develops new partnerships. Social game 

developer Zynga is creating additional 

MoonPie-themed non-wagering social 

casino applications with True Vegas, a new 

game platform due to launch in 2016. The 

new program expands Zynga’s partnership 

with MoonPie following the success of 

the brand’s inclusion in the original Hit it 

Rich’ game. 

Covee is developing a line for the MoonPie 

brand to include headwear for young men, 

youth and juniors, as well as a collection of 

knits, cold weather accessories, and hosiery. 

The line will launch mid-2016 in North 

America in multiple retail channels, including 

mass, specialty, value, department and 

drug stores. 

MoonPie will be celebrating its Centennial 

in 2017! Current partners including Lionel 

Trains, Desperate Enterprises, Trevco and 

Castline are creating special Centennial 

themed product for launch in 2017. 

Finally, two new partners have signed on 

to develop programs with the Smarties 

brand for US distribution. Apparel 

manufacturer American Classics 

will create Smarties t-shirts, 

hoodies and fleece for 

infants, toddlers, juniors, 

women and men. The 

collections will be distributed 

online, at mass 

and specialty retailers, 

with a planned launch of 

Q3 2016. Covee will launch 

Smarties headwear, knits, cold 

weather accessories and hosiery 

this fall as well. 

PAGE 8 


BRAND NEWS 

EXPANSION FOR BLACK & DECKER LICENSING PROGRAM 

Black+Decker, a global brand 

leader in power tools, outdoor 

yard care equipment, and home 

products, has announced the addition 

of two new best-in-class 

partners, Bradshaw International 

and W Appliance to its US 

licensing program. 

Bradshaw will introduce a 

line of Black+Decker branded 

non-electric cookware, bakeware, 

tools, gadgets and cutlery. 

W Appliance is set to develop a comprehensive 

line of compact appliances and air 

comfort products. Bradshaw and W Appliance’s 

Black+Decker lines will complement 

the brand’s existing licensed consumer 

products program that targets new homeowners 

with product offerings including 

small domestic appliances, garden tools, 

automotive products, and “how to” books. 

These two licensee partners were brought 

together with Black+Decker by Beanstalk, 

Black+Decker’s exclusive licensing agency. 

Bradshaw International is a leading kitchen 

prep provider and marketer of brands 

including Bialetti, Good Cook, T-FAL and 

Betty Crocker. Bradshaw’s new collection 

of Black+Decker products range from pots 

and pans to peelers, mixers, cutlery, barbeque 

tools and bakeware. These new range 

of products will be available at 

mass merchants, department 

stores, online and club retailers. 

W Appliance’s line of Black+- 

Decker compact appliances will 

include refrigerators, freezers 

and wine coolers, either built-in 

or free standing. The company 

will also focus on air comfort 

products, such as humidifiers 

and fans. Both categories are 

geared towards homeowners who 

seek innovative home appliance solutions 

with certain products ideal for small spaces. 

These include electric beverage cooling 

centers, portable washers and dryers and 

electric wine cellars. All W Appliance 

products will be available at mass, home 

improvement, ecommerce, department, 

mid‐tier, warehouse club, specialty, grocery, 

and drug retailers. 

KRISPY KREME UNVEILS BETTY CROCKER PARTNERSHIP 

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has announced a 

new Betty Crocker Cake Mix with Krispy 

Kreme Doughnuts’ Original Glazed flavor. 

This kit will be available in select Wal- 

Mart, Supervalu and Kroger stores in the 

United States. 

“Our fans are always trying to re-create 

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ classic glaze at 

home. With this kit, they don’t have to try 

anymore. Now they can really do it,” said 

Tony Thompson, President and CEO of 

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. “We’re excited 

to be able to bring this item to shelves and 

allow customers to have the iconic flavor of 

our sweet treats at home.” 

“We partnered with Krispy Kreme to develop 

a cake mix and glaze that fits closely 

with their famed Original Glazed doughnuts,” 

said Ben Irby, Director of Marketing 

for Betty Crocker. “We are excited that 

consumers can make a cake in their own 

home that tastes similar to Krispy Kreme’s 

sweet treats.” 

PUZZLER AND KING CREATE 

MAGAZINE FOR CANDY CRUSH 

Fans of Candy Crush, can now take the 

fun off-screen and apply their skills to the 

page in a brand-new, magazine, Candy 

Crush Puzzles, on sale now. 

Fans can complete puzzles, involving many 

of the characters, as the reader is taken on 

an adventure through the vibrant Candy 

Kingdom. To add to the fun they can score 

points for the puzzles they solve. However, 

no knowledge of Candy Crush is required 

so everyone can engage with the characters 

and relish the triumph of completing the 

puzzles. 

Produced by the UK’s Puzzler Media, in 

conjunction with King, the creator of the 

Candy Crush franchise, the new magazine 

replicates the fun of the game by combining 

authentic images and striking colours 

with all-new puzzle challenges. 

PETER RABBIT APPOINTS AVEC UK AS A LICENSEE 

Avec UK has recently been appointed as a licensee for Beatrix Potter, 

and has already signed off an exclusive range to coincide with nationwide in Hobbycraft stores from late summer 2016. AVEC 

designs to choose from, these hoop kits will be available from 

the 150th birthday this year. 

have also partnered with Visage to design and develop a range of 

In partnership with Hobbycraft, they have designed and developed fabrics for quilting. Visage will be the exclusive distributor of these 

a collectable heritage cross-stitch hoop kit range. With different fabrics to the independent trade. 


BRAND NEWS 

RHS TEAMS UP WITH ORIGINAL MUCK BOOT COMPANY 

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) 

has announced its endorsement of a new 

range of multi-purpose gardening boots 

and shoes from premium, innovative boot 

brand The Original Muck Boot Co. 

The range includes the Muckster II Ankle 

– which is ideal for any chore or task 

where there is mud, slush or rain – and 

the great-fitting, all-purpose light shoe, the 

Muckster II Low. Both are available in a 

wide variety of colours, sizes and styles for 

men and women. 

Announced in September 2015 at Glee, 

the UK’s leading garden wholesale buying 

event, the range is now on sale in RHS 

shops, as well as country and agricultural 

stores nationwide. The RHS endorsement 

is represented with a swing ticket on each 

of the products. The market for the range is 

all gardeners from young adult upwards. 

Cathy Snow, RHS Licensing Manager, says: 

“The Original Muck Boot Company has 

a reputation for offering shoes and boots 

that are both stylish and appropriate, and 

this gardening range is a fine addition to its 

selection of comfortable, high-performance 

footwear. We are delighted to endorse the 

Muckster range.” 

EB BRANDS PARTNERS WITH 

SKECHERS FOR NEW SAFETY 

LINES 

EB Brands Partners with Skechers for 

Fitness and Work Safety Lines 

Skechers USA Inc. and EB Brands will 

partner to launch a full range of Skechers-branded 

running, yoga, and fitness 

products as well as a line of workplace 

safety gear and accessories. 

The Skechers line will draw on an array of 

branded assets to capture the look and feel 

of Skechers. The line will focus on wellness, 

with products including yoga accessories, 

personal fitness gear, and running and 

walking accessories. Skechers fitness and 

wellness products will launch at retail in 

early fall. 

Brandgenuity represented EB Brands in 

this deal. 

IMPORTS DRAGON INKS DEAL FOR COLLECTIBLES WITH MLB AND MLBPA 

Imports Dragon signed a licensing agreement with Major League to celebrate the final season of the Boston Red Sox slugger’s career. 

Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players 

Association, allowing it to make lifelike 

Jay’s Josh Donaldson, as well as figures of past 

In addition, Imports Dragon will produce the 

collectible figures of MLB players. 

MLB superstars. 

At least 40 different players will be available 

These exclusive figures will be available at 

for 2016, with plans to increase the selection 

retailers and partners throughout North 

and include at least one player from each 

America, including MLB.com/shop. The new 

team in 2017. In 2016, the company will 

MLB Collectible Figures line is set to hit store 

release a limited-edition David Ortiz figure 

shelves in April. 

Brands at Licensing Expo 

A look at the brands on show in Las Vegas. 

The world of Celebrity Estates 

How death can be good for business 

American Brands and Americana 

Iconic American brands and their licensing programs. 

Travel 

Wunderlust licensing 

TOTAL 

BRAND 

LICENSING 

KEY FEATURES - SUMMER 2016 ISSUE 

Housewares and Homewares 

From Martha Stewart to the Great British Bake Off, housewares, 

homeswares and kitchenware form brand programs. 

Regular Features 

Company profiles, In-Depth Property Profile, Major Interview, Show 

previews including Brand Licensing Select, Autumn Fair etc. 

Bonus Distribution highlights: 

Licensing Expo 

Brazil Licensing Show 

Brand Licensing Select 

Autumn Fair 

DEADLINES 

Editorial: 6 May 2016 • Ad Materials: 15 May 2016 

PAGE 10 


BRAND NEWS 

GIFT RANGES FROM THE SHAKESPEARE 

BIRTHPLACE TRUST 

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has created and licensed a new range 

of skincare and bath treats, inspired by the life and works of Shakespeare. 

Shakespeare Inspired includes luxurious bath crèmes, body lotions and 

beautifully boxed gift sets. The fragrances in the range have been created 

with inspiration from the gardens of Shakespeare’s historic homes, 

and the romantic florals which feature in his plays. 

Created with Brand Packaging Solutions, the luxury range has been 

carefully designed using iconic works and places relating to Shakespeare. 

The elegant packaging design has been inspired by the embroidery 

on a Jacobean night cap in the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s 

collections, and the ‘WS’ seal featured in the design is derived from the 

seal ring believed to have belonged to Shakespeare. 

Adam Sherratt, Retail Development Manager at The Shakespeare 

Birthplace Trust comments; “We are delighted to present these exciting 

new products, which are already proving popular in our shops. We have 

taken inspiration from our unique collections and Shakespeare’s most 

iconic works to develop a range which reflects the genius of the world’s 

greatest playwright. It’s wonderful to be able to introduce the products 

in this special year, commemorating 400 years of his legacy.” 

There are three collections in the Shakespeare Inspired range of 

products; Romeo & Juliet; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage Garden; Love in 

Idleness. 


Summer issue distributed 

at Licensing Expo. 

Editorial deadline: 5 May 2016 

Advertising deadline: 15 May 2016 

NEW POLAROID SIGNINGS 

Polaroid instant cameras are amongst the most iconic 

product designs of the 20th century and boast 100% brand 

recognition in line with heavyweights Nike, Coca-Cola and 

Disney. 

From its start in 1937, Polaroid has now become a leader in 

brand licensing with ranges from consumer electronics to 

apparel. With half a million social media followers, Polaroid 

is a cultural icon steeped in vintage heritage with a fresh, 

modern take. Polaroid continues to elevate its trend status 

due to cultural relevance, social media, and a burgeoning 

array of new consumer products. 

This year sees the launch of new camera technologies including 

the Polaroid Snap instant digital camera, the Polaroid 

Zip instant photoprinter, the Polaroid Cube+ wifi action 

camera and the first line of Polaroid drones, which have video 

streaming capabilities to a smartphone or tablet. All this 

activity has ignited interest in Polaroid as a lifestyle property, 

drawing on its heritage and building upon its creative designer 

fan base. In the US, apparel has launched at specialty 

trend retailers Aeropostale, Forever 21 & Hollister, while 

in Europe similar programs have launched at Jules, Pull & 

Bear & Kiabi. Leading designer giftware company, Wild & 

Wolf will be bringing to market a range of photo frames in 

Q4 and a range of gift & stationery to all markets in a global 

deal set to launch in Q2 2017.The Sharpe Company handles 

the licensing program. 

PAGE 12 


BRAND NEWS 

DOGS TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP WITH 

SILENTNIGHT PET BEDS 

Silentnight, the UK manufacturer 

of beds and mattresses has 

recently licensed a range of pet 

beds. 

GHS Retail Ltd has been 

granted a license to develop and 

market an extensive range of pet beds by 

JELC, Silentnight’s licensing agency. The 

products incorporate the core brand values 

which have made Silentnight a market 

leader in the bed and mattress for category 

for decades. With an unprompted 

brand recognition amongst consumers 

of 85% Silentnight is a brand which the 

public trusts to deliver quality, safety and 

value for money and these values are incorporated 

into the pet bed range, including 

fire-retardant treatments of all the composite 

material - almost unheard of in the pet 

sector. 

The range is highly versatile with detachable 

bolsters which are sold separately to 

the main cushion and a large variety of 

fabrics, colours and sizes to suit all dog 

RUBIK APPOINTS SMILEY 

The Smiley Company has been appointed as the master licensee 

outside puzzles for Rubik’s Brand. This new venture will see the 

two companies work collaboratively to shape a licensing program 

to expand the iconic Rubik’s Cube concept into a new world of 

product categories and to develop this business globally. 

Rubik’s Brand had been looking for a partner to 

manage its growing non-toy merchandising 

categories and in particular find a 

company with the expertise to develop a 

wide area of merchandise and that shared 

a long term vision for the brand. 

The partnership will focus on building 

on Rubik’s DNA and heritage, tapping 

into its roots in art and intelligence to 

develop a wide range of lifestyle categories 

to support the brand extension, whilst 

introducing a new segmentation across 

three consumer profiles: heritage, urban and 

geeks. 

David Kremer, President of Rubik’s Brand Ltd 

has said of the partnership with Smiley, “We are 

delighted to have found a passionate brand owner with 

a massive track record to help take Rubik’s brand to the 

next level and widen the appeal across a number of sectors. 

breeds and fit in with all decors, whether 

it’s to match the Aga or the sofa! Pocket 

sprung mattresses give additional support 

to older or arthritic dogs and memory foam 

gives extra comfort to larger dogs. With 

Eco Friendly options and Micro-Climate 

Airflow to reduce doggie pongs the UK’s 

canine population should soon be sleeping 

more soundly. 

Jane Evans, Joint Managing Director of 

JELC commented, “this is a great example 

of when licensing makes perfect sense. The 

UK’s leading name in beds and mattresses 

adding the power of its name and core 

brand values to a range of pet beds is 

fantastic. 

Although the range has only just finished 

development we expect a great retail response 

and consumer uptake”. 

ALL AMERICAN INKS DEAL 

FOR KIM ALEXIS 

All American Licensing announced the 

inking of two new licensing deals for Super 

Model, Kim Alexis; Fortune Wigs has 

developed the Kim Alexis Collection of 

100% human hair wigs for women; hair 

extensions and pieces, and human hair 

accessories and Royal Items has a deal for 

fashion jewelry, hair accessories, novelties, 

hosiery and sandals. 

Kim Alexis said, “My mission is to inspire 

women around the world and to empower 

them to believe that true beauty comes 

from within. I chose Fortune Wigs for 

their high quality of human hair and the 

benefit wigs and extensions have to women 

who need to feel beautiful due to hair loss. 

Royal Items will take a creative direction 

towards affordable products with an 

emphasis on fashion and trends but with 

an eye towards everyday practicality and 

simplicity. I also intend to use my social 

media platforms toward helping sales.” 

Royal Items will launch its phase one Kim 

Alexis Jewelry Collection this Fall. 

Nicolas Loufrani and the The Smiley Company team are proven 

developers of innovative products that keep their brand as fresh 

and relevant today as when it first put a smile on our faces. I have 

no doubt that The Smiley Company’s skill, energy and enthusiasm 

will translate into a huge business opportunity for retail building 

on the world famous Rubik’s Cube, one of the most 

successful products of all time.” 

Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of Smiley 

Company added, “Rubik’s is a brand 

that I have admired for decades, similar 

to Smiley in that it has massive heritage 

and iconicity in 1980’s pop culture and 

that it has not only survived the course 

of time, but flourished. This represents a 

huge deal for us as it will be the first time 

we are taking care of another major brand 

other than our own. There is a great synergy 

between Smiley and Rubik’s and I feel 

we are uniquely placed to exploit the brands 

values and real essence. I’ve been hugely 

impressed by the team at Rubik’s and look forward to 

working closely with Professor Erno Rubik and the Rubik’s 

Brand in creating amazing new products and retail partnerships 

across the globe.” 


BRAND & LIFESTYLE LICENSING AWARDS 

With a stellar line-up of sponsors pledging 

their support, a stunning trophy revealed 

and a UK’s leading illustrator creating the 

official ticket, the anticipation and excitement 

is definitely building for the inaugural 

Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards, 

(B&LLAs) which culminate in a lunchtime 

awards event at The Dorchester Hotel, 

April 20. 

These Awards, hosted by actor and former 

brand managter Hugh Dennis of Outnumbered 

fame, mark the first time that 

the focus of an event is purely on brands 

and brand extensions and highlight the 

importance and stature of this sector of the 

licensing business. Total Brand Licensing is 

the event’s Media Partner. 

As Ian Hyder and Jakki Brown of Max 

Publishing, creators and organisers of the 

awards explained, “For industry awards to 

establish themselves relies on some of key 

elements – strong entries, a judging process 

with integrity and trade support and 

awareness. Add to this, a prestigious awards 

ceremony that befits the audience, committed 

sponsors and media backing to spread 

the news and you have a comprehensive 

tick box list.” 

The awards break new ground in recognising 

the dynamism and growth of brand 

licensing, with the awards program including 

categories to reward excellence in brand 

licensed merchandise, IP management as 

well as retail execution. 

Ian acknowledges that there has been some 

inevitable confusion between the B&LLAs 

and The Licensing 

Awards 

(which are also 

owned and organised 

by Max 

Publishing). 

“It is wonderful 

how The Licensing 

Awards have 

grown in size and 

stature and while 

brand licensing 

does feature 

within these, 

they are mainly 

focused on entertainment 

and 

sports licensing activities,” he explained. 

“The introduction of the B&LLAs, which 

are totally dedicated to brand and lifestyle 

licensing activity means we are able to do 

justice to this rapidly evolving sophisticated 

arena. You only need to consider how the 

‘upstairs’ area of BLE has grown, which is 

precisely the sector these awards cover.” 

The entry process for the B&LLA categories, 

whether for the product, property or 

retailing awards, was completely online 

via www.brandlicensingawards.co.uk. and 

decided by panels of judges. 

“We have taken all the industry feedback 

into consideration to ensure that entrants 

can include important background information 

which puts their entry into context 

for the judges,” assures Ian. 

Different judging panels have judged the 

different categories by individually considering 

the online submissions. For example, 

select retailers judged the product categories, 

while licensors and brand owners as 

well as licensees formed the retailer judging 

panel. 

The finalists in each category are detailed 

on the following pages and will be unveiled 

at the Awards ceremony on 20th April. 

In addition to property, product and 

retail awards, there will be a special Brand 

Licensing Ambassador Award given to an 

individual in recognition of their contribution 

to the brand licensing community. 

The event will begin with a champagne 

reception before a gourmet lunch in The 

Dorchester Ballroom with the official 

awards ceremony following this. 

Tickets cost £195 each and a few last minute 

tickets are available as we go to press. 

You can order individual tickets or book a 

whole table. 

To book tickets contact: Clare Davies of 

Createvents. clare@createvents.co.uk or 

+44 (0) 1183 340085 

PAGE 14 



PROPERTY CATEGORY FINALISTS 

LICENSED FMCG FOOD 

AND BEVERAGE 

BRAND OF THE YEAR 

Sponsored by: Kimm & Miller 

Baileys 

Britvic Brands 

Chupa Chups 

Coca-Cola 

Guinness 

Kellogg’s 

LICENSED LIFESTYLE 


Sponsored by: Brand Licensing Select 

Discovery Channel 

Happy Jackson 

Jeep 

The Smiley Company 

Stanley 

Volkswagen 

LICENSED HERITAGE 

OR INSTITUTION BRAND 

OF THE YEAR 

Sponsored by:Brand Licensing Europe 

Historic Royal Palaces 

National Gallery 

National Trust 

Royal Horticultural Society 

Science Museum 

V&A 

LICENSED TALENT 


Sponsored by:Spring Fair 

Emma Bridgewater 

Jamie Oliver 

Jane Asher 

Juilie Dodsworth 

Sophie Conran 

LICENSED 

FASHION BRAND 

OF THE YEAR 

Sponsored by: Hallett Retail 

House of Holland 

Joules 

Laura Ashley 

Orla Kiely 

Paul Frank 

Ted Baker 



PRODUCT CATEGORY FINALISTS 

BEST LICENSED BRAND 

GIFTING PRODUCT 

OR RANGE 

Sponsored by: Brands with Influence 

Guinness Giftware Collection 

from Newbridge Silverware 

Happy Jackson Gift Collection 

from Wild & Wolf 

Jamie Oliver Gift Range for Debenhams 

from Merison 

Kellogg’s Vintage Gift Range 

from Kimm & Miller 

The National Gallery Needlecraft Kits 

from DMC Creative World 

Science Museum Giftware Range 

from Wow! Stuff 


ADULT APPAREL PRODUCT OR 

RANGE 

Sponsored by: TLC/Global Brands Gorup 

Claudia Schiffer Collection 

from TSE 

Coca Cola Ashley Williams Collection 

from Ashley Williams 

Jeep 2015 Collection 

from FCA US 

Historic Royal Palaces Hobbs’ Collection No. 5 

from Hobbs 

V&A Oasis Collection 

from Oasis 

Wall’s Ice Cream x ASOS Summer Fashion Collection 

from ASOS 

BEST LICENSED LIFESTYLE 

OR FASHION ACCESSORIES 

PRODUCT OR RANGE 

Sponsored by: CPLG 

Coca Cola Sophia Webster Collection 

from Sophia Webster 

The Smiley x Anya Hindmarch Collection 

from Anya Hindmarch 

Innocent Little Hats Go Big 

from Oliver Bonas 

Pantone Personalised Photobooks 

from Photobox.com 

Ted Baker Cascading Floral Luggage Collection 

from Pelham Leather Goods 

V&A Clarks Collection 

from Clarks 


HOME AND GARDEN 

PRODUCT OR RANGE 

Sponsored by: Pringles 

Chupa Chups Car Air Fresheners 

from 151 Products 

Designer’s Guild Amrapali Range 

from Ulster Weavers 

Ted Baker ‘in Bed with Ted’ Bedding Collection 

from Ashley Wilde 

Ted Baker Portmeirion Rosie Lee Collection 

from Portmeirion 

Volkswagen Wallpaper Collection 

from SHH Interiors 

William Morris Strawberry Thief Collection 

from Briers 

PAGE 16 



PRODUCT CATEGORY (CONT.) 

BEST LICENSED 

CHILDREN’S PRODUCT 

OR RANGE 

Sponsored by: Start Licensing 

Cherokee Apparel 

from Argos 

The Makery Kids Craft Kits 

from Wild & Wolf 

My First JCB Children’s Furniture Range 

from Kidsaw 

Natural History Museum Range for M&Co 

from Fashions UK 

Roald Dahl Stationery 

from Portico Designs 

Science Museum Anti Gravity Magnetic Levitation 

from Great Gizmos 


FOOD & BEVERAGE PRODUCT 

OR RANGE 

Sponsored by: Those Licensing People 

Animal Planet Multi-Pack Lollipops 

from Chupa Chups 

Guinness Burt’s Potato Chips 

from Burts Potato Chips 

Jammie Dodgers Celebration Cake 

from Finsbury Foods Group 

Magnum Chocolates 

from Kinnerton Confectionery 

Magnum Chocolates 

from Kinnerton Confectionery 

Sharwood’s Takeaway Range 

from Kerry Foods 


HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCT 

OR RANGE 

Sponsored by: JCB 

Happy Jackson Gift 2015 for Boots 

from Hall & Associates Marketing 

Humble Bath and Beauty Range 

from Broadoak Toiletries 

Jelly Belly Lip and Nail Range 

from Amber House 

Kellogg’s Vintage Range 

from MAD Beauty 

Men’s Health Vitamins & Minerals Range 

from Omega Pharma 

Ted Baker Sugar Sweet Bath/Body Collection for Boots 

from KMI Brands 


CONSUMER ELECTRONICS OR 

ELECTRICALS PRODUCT OR 

RANGE 

Sponsored by: Golden Goose 

Energizer Lithium Polymer Jump Starters from 

Custom Accessories 

EXTREME Audio #Tunedforlife 

from Otone Audio 

JCB Trade Tools 

from The Kingfisher Group 

The Official Fifty Shades of Grey Weekend Collection 

from Lovehoney 

VW Rechargeable Bluetooth speaker 

from Blue Sky Design 



RETAILER CATEGORY FINALISTS 

BEST GROCER/ 

SUPERMARKET LICENSED 

BRAND RETAILER 

Sponsored by: IFL Science 

Asda 

Morrisons 

Sainsbury’s 

Tesco 

Waitrose 

BEST HIGH STREET 

FASHION LICENSED BRAND 

RETAILER EXECUTION 

Sponsored by: Beanstalk 

ASOS 

Hobbs 

Lipsy 

Next 

Oasis 

Primark 

Shop Direct/Very.co.uk 

Top Shop 

BEST DEPARTMENT STORE 

OR MIXED RETAILER LICENSED 

BRAND RETAILER EXECUTION 

Sponsored by: Happy Jackson 

Argos 

BHS 

Debenhams 

House of Fraser 

John Lewis 

Selfridges 

BEST SPECIALIST 

LICENSED BRAND RETAILER 

EXECUTION 

Sponsored by: Golden Goose 

B&Q 

Boots 

Halfords 

Homebase 

Poundland 

Specsavers 

Superdrug 

PAGE 18 


FEATURE 

Licensee Engagement 

Capturing more information 

to build a better business 

Historically, brand owners and agents have retained minimal 

information about the sales, products, and royalty income 

generated by their licensees around the world. The more 

information licensors and agents collect from their licensees, the 

more they will improve their business intelligence and, in turn, 

their strategies and day-to-day operations. In addition, sharing 

this information with the licensees, who must contribute to the 

data-collection process in order for it to be complete, helps them 

better manage your brands, which lifts the entire program. 

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change 

might be” 

Despite the truth in this quote from 

legendary collegiate basketball coach John 

Wooden, many licensors are still using 

the traditional method of calling licensees 

and agents to qualify them to represent 

the property owners’ brands. While there 

is no substitute for a conversation in some 

cases, the traditional method is a barrier 

to collecting and processing all the paperwork 

needed for the audit trail. Brand 

managers are salespeople and dealmakers, 

so they often neglect to capture the critical 

information the licensor’s legal team must 

keep on file. Collecting quality information 

across each prospective or renewing licensee 

is critical to running a consistent licensing 

program. One approach is to have prospective 

licensees apply online, providing 

information such as trade references, competing 

or complementary brands, financial 

information, credit ratings, and marketing 

plans. This data helps the licensor evaluate 

the strength of each partner. Online information 

collection is especially efficient on 

renewals, where the objective is to ensure 

that the information on file is current. Automating 

the licensee-application process 

gives each person in the licensor’s company 

who has contact with the licensee, as well 

as outside counsel, agents, sub-agents, and 

other licensees - no matter where in the 

world they are located—access to the information 

through a single system. This allows 

them to seamlessly add necessary data and 

easily view it later. Storing information centrally 

and having organization-wide access 

to it helps streamline workload, speed up 

deal approvals, and handle ad hoc cases efficiently, 

all of which contribute to improved 

business performance and better partner 

relationships. 

A picture’s worth a thousand words 

Now that the deal is done, or at least the 

deal memo is approved, the brand engine 

gets started, bringing products to market 

quickly and conforming to the brand’s 

rules. In this stage, licensors can maintain 

all of their approved artwork, images, logos, 

and brand information online. This process 

helps partners identify pre-approved 

images, products, and instructions, and 

is especially useful for new licensees who 

want to quickly get products through the 

approval process and to market. 

Many companies provide a licensee instruction 

manual, or style guide, that outlines 

how to use the brand properly and what to 

avoid. It provides important information 

about the brand’s main colors, position 

of characters, fonts, trademark notices, 

and any other visual details. Unnecessary 

approval steps can be eliminated. 

Putting the style guide with the online image 

bank also assists licensees in following 

those guidelines. Some brand owners even 

require licensees to read these instructions 

on their first visit to the licensor’s image 

repository, before they can access logos or 

other brand graphics. Maintaining a digital 

version of the style guide online helps you 

update images and instructions immediately 

and distribute it to hundreds of licensees 

simultaneously. 

Keeping all parties apprised of incremental 

updates - such as adding Season 2 of 

a TV show or sharing a newly created 

character - becomes an easy and up-tothe-minute 

task. And storing images in an 

online image bank is the best way to do 

so without clogging up your email servers 

with attachments. Images can be kept in 

folders to help organize new and historical 

information. While licensors can get by 

for a while using cloud storage back-up 

in dropbox.com or box.com, they should 

certainly upgrade to an industry-tailored 

digital asset management system once their 

brand becomes established. 

Approved with revisions – or is it? 

Once the deal is done and images are 

available for licensees, it is time for product 

concepts to start through the approval process. 

Typically there are many more prod- 


FEATURE 

ucts initiated by licensees than ever reach 

the market, adding to the total workload. 

Licensors and their agents need to move 

through each stage of the approval process 

quickly. Automation leaves a historical trail 

of comments from everyone involved. 

“The product approval process is the most 

important way to maintain control over a 

licensing program and the integrity of the 

property image,” says Frank Masterson, 

Licensing Business Enablement Manager at 

Hallmark Cards. “The more the automated 

system is able to track the entire product 

approval process - from concept to final 

approval - the better. An easy-to-use system 

is essential to ensure compliance, improved 

brand image, product quality execution, 

and overall improved sales, ultimately rewarding 

both the brand owner and licensee 

with continued financial success.” 

Once product approvals are initiated, 

licensors using an automated system can 

quickly check to see whether a given product 

is within the terms of the agreement 

and if there is enough time for it to get to 

the intended territory by the launch date. 

Validating concepts against the contractual 

terms online allows licensors and licensees 

to spend time on the products that have the 

strongest chance of success when presented 

to retailers, rather than spending time 

figuring out if it conforms to the terms. A 

great way to enforce the correct products 

being sold into the marketplace is to exclude 

unapproved products from recouping 

against the minimum guarantee. Licensees 

should not be rewarded by having sales of 

products that are not approved, or are sold 

through unapproved territories, channels, 

or retailers, count toward their guarantee. 

Who’s really making your products? 

Licensors need to track which companies 

are manufacturing the licensed products, 

especially if licensees are using overseas 

contractors. Quick access to this information 

is necessary for product-safety labeling 

required by retailers and governments 

and can be accessed in the event of any 

recalls or other safety issues. Licensors 

can monitor each approved manufacturer, 

including any agreements or corresponding 

PAGE 20 

documentation from testing companies or 

other outside firms. Links to the production 

source can be included, so that when 

an issue arises, each product can be traced 

directly to that source. 

Details about products, territories, rights 

granted, and approval dates are also 

needed for the licensor’s SKU catalog 

after a product has passed through all the 

stages of approvals. Many companies use 

this information to confirm that products 

sold during each royalty-reporting period 

have been approved, helping them ensure 

that the correct product is available in the 

marketplace. 

“Often licensees take licenses for multiple 

product categories, channels of distribution, 

and territories. Without a central database, 

the IP owner would have a difficult 

time determining if a licensee is exploiting 

all the rights granted by the licensor. 

Unexploited rights equal lost revenue to 

the licensor,” says Stan Lerman, COO of 

Evolution USA LLC. 

It’s all in the details 

Thanks in large part to the demands of 

Disney/Marvel, many licensees are able to 

provide royalty information by a variety 

of measurements, including retailer, SKU, 

sales type, channel, sales date, territory, 

units, sales price, royalty rate, and more. 

This information helps licensors gain the 

information they need to verify that all 

items sold are correct according to the 

contract. 

Many licensors ask licensees for information 

about the property, product description, 

and other details that already exist in 

their internal databases. Do not over-ask 

for data that you already have, which increases 

the licensees’ burden unnecessarily. 

In addition, the truest information comes 

directly from your licensees’ sales systems 

and not from being entered by hand or 

manipulated in a spreadsheet. Advertising 

commitments from licensees, whether handled 

as a required marketing spend or as 

an additional percentage of sales, represent 

another facet of the basic information that 

must be tracked by the licensee or agent 

and communicated back to the brand 

owner. Tracking these commitments helps 

the licensor measure how much money 

is spent in each region to maintain the 

brand’s profile in the marketplace. Today, 

advertising commitments may even have 

minimum guarantees associated with them, 

so capturing details on each contract is key 

to staying on top of this additional revenue 

stream. 

Finally, forecasting relies on good-quality 

information. Licensors can build better 

forecasts by applying various weighting 

factors to sales forecasts received from 

licensees or agents. Forecast quality is a key 

indicator of how well a licensee understands 

the market and manages its sales. If a 

licensee continually struggles to provide an 

accurate forecast, it may not be as involved 

in sales, marketing, or research efforts as 

it should be. For a licensor, being able to 

analyze forecasts versus actuals by multiple 

variables, in order to provide feedback to 

licensees, is extremely important. And the 

ability to efficiently analyze forecast data in 

one comprehensive system—a system that 

already contains the actual sales data—is 

essential for a large licensor with multiple 

licensee partners. Licensors and licensees 

who have a comprehensive discussion 

about forecasting, determining whether to 

look at forecasts in total, by sales channel, 

or by other relevant variables, are more 

likely to see the outcome both want: increased 

sales. 

Know where you stand 

Revenue recognition for the licensing 

business can be challenging. Is revenue 

recorded when the licensor is paid or is 

it amortized over a period of time? New 

revenue-recognition policies are currently 

being established by IFRS in Europe and 

GAAP in North America and are expected 

to come into force in 2017. With these 

changes coming to public companies first 

and then private companies later, licensors 

need to examine the way they book revenue 

from licensing contracts. Reminding licensees 

about reporting requirements and due 

dates periodically can help ease the reporting 

process. Automation allows licensors 


FEATURE 

to easily invoice licensees when guarantees 

are due and then again when any royalty 

overages are reported. Property owners 

can also send friendly reminders when 

minimum guarantees are due each period, 

when minimums are not met, or when 

invoices are not paid on time. For established 

brands, automated systems are vital, 

especially for licensors with high numbers 

of licensees around the world, in order to 

keep the royalty-statement backlog as low 

as possible and contribute to better credit 

control by allowing timely intervention if 

late reporting or payments occur. 

If licensees always report late statements or 

if each statement has the same sales, it may 

be time for the auditor to pay them a visit. 

Structured methodology helps licensors 

monitor licensee relationships each quarter 

or month as royalty reports are analyzed, 

locating problems early and pointing auditors 

in the direction of potential claims. 

Reliable licensing automation systems support 

desktop audits by providing detailed 

information, robust reporting capabilities, 

and other advantages. Such systems not 

only save a brand owner time in collecting 

and processing the monies owed, they also 

alleviate the need to visit each licensee, either 

to clarify issues such as business terms 

or to conduct an expensive onsite audit. 

Continuously measuring results through 

reports and dashboards also allows licensors 

to measure their success in meeting budgets 

and achieving their business goals, as well 

as helping licensees do more business with 

their brands. Licensors that keep track 

of where they stand at any given time 

benefit in a number of ways, aside from 

knowing which products are approved and 

whether guarantees have been met. They 

will have insight on everything from how 

well specific collections are doing for each 

licensee over time to where advertising and 

promotional resources should be allocated 

to achieve business goals. “Linked to the 

product approval process, your licensing 

administration system collects a great 

amount of data not only to help show outof-term 

sales but to automatically expose 

unknown or unapproved data directly 

down to the SKU level,” says Mark Lohse, 

Finance Manager at Global Trademark 

Licensing Ltd. 

Knowledge is the key! 

Ongoing training for licensees is critical to 

ensure that consistent and reliable information 

comes back on a regular basis. Licensees’ 

resources for tracking data typically 

outnumber the licensor’s internal brand 

resources, often greatly. Efficient information 

sharing will yield better data to benefit 

licensor and licensees alike. 

Many brand owners have embraced an 

annual licensee summit to share information 

about upcoming brand direction and 

strategy. These events offer a perfect opportunity 

to improve business practices and 

data-collection processes as well. Webinars 

are a great tool. Using online meeting tools 

such as WebEx, Skype, GoToMeeting, or 

Join Me, 25 attendees or more can share a 

conference line and online session. Webinars 

can be used to educate new licensees 

and new employees at existing licensees on 

how to deal with the licensor’s brands and 

report information consistently. 

Remember back in college when you had 

to go to class and listen to an instructor? It 

still works today. Some licensors look for 

classroom-based training courses or have 

private instructors teach their employees 

how to run the business better and how to 

encourage better licensee interaction. Structured 

training allows measured progress 

with milestones, while personal instruction 

ensures the message resonates with 

the licensing partners. Training presents a 

prime opportunity to expand the knowledge 

base in many critical areas, such as 

contract management, product approvals, 

royalty payments, and forecasting, both for 

licensees and licensors. The importance of 

training new and experienced team members 

cannot be overemphasized. Effective 

training of all team members results in 

employees who: 

• Know what they’re doing. 

• Are efficient and able to save time. 

• Have a good feeling about the system. 

• Get off to a good start if new to the 

company. 

Training and development provide licensees 

and licensors with benefits that make the 

cost and time an extremely worthwhile 

investment. “It is important for licensors to 

understand the licensee and agent perspective: 

they work with multiple licensors, 

each with their own systems and processes. 

When the licensors make the effort to really 

train licensees and agents comprehensively, 

it allows their licensees to focus on their 

business [rather than the system], which 

ultimately means better business for the 

licensor too,” says Kalle Sylvanne, licensing 

accountant at Rovio Entertainment Ltd. 

Another great idea is video training via 

Lynda.com, Kahn University, Vimeo, or 

YouTube. Here at DSI, we have made 

over a dozen training videos to help with 

step-by-step instructions on how to utilize 

specific functions of our systems. For global 

audiences, Google Translations provides 

close captioning in any language. Sometimes 

the best solution is a good old-fashion 

print manual, written by professionals 

that explain how something works with 

clear and concise teaching methods. As 

noted above, reference materials such as 

operational manuals on royalty reporting 

and approvals also can be stored online for 

easy licensee access. 

Summary 

By having the licensor and all licensees and 

other partners collect valuable data all the 

way through the licensing process, from 

contract negotiations through approvals 

through royalty-reporting, licensors will be 

able to easily verify rights, territories, and 

payments owed. Even more importantly, 

they will be able to have the information 

they need to make better business decisions. 

Sharing that information with their 

licensee partners will ensure that everyone 

is working together to build the brand. 

About the Author: 

Marty Malysz has 26 years of experience providing 

automated intellectual property licensing, 

approval, and royalty systems to hundreds 

of licensees, agents, and licensors in the music 

industry and in consumer product licensing. 

As President of Dependable Solutions, Inc., 

Mr. Malysz manages a team of 20 employees. 


FEATURE 

The Importance of Branding in an Online 

Digital Marketing Strategy... 

by Elena Lockett, Marketing Assistant, FM Outsource 

What comes to mind when you think of 

a brand? McDonalds? Nike? Red Bull? 

Sometimes it’s easy to associate a brand 

with the big boys of the business world, but 

understanding the importance of branding 

is something every business, big or small, 

should consider. 

A brand is defined as a “name, term, sign, 

symbol or design, or a combination of all 

intended to identify the goods and services 

of one seller or a group of sellers.’’ 

And even though you may consider branding 

to be more about logos and graphic 

design, it goes a lot further than that. Not 

only does branding matter in the physical 

world, it’s also essential for a strong online 

digital presence too. 

Digital Branding 

Digital branding is defined as “digital channels 

and assets that are used to communicate 

a brand’s positioning (or purpose) as 

part of multichannel brand communication 

or engagement programmes.” 

It involves tone of voice (when you read a 

tweet or article and straight away you know 

it’s from a particular business), showing 

the personality of your business and how 

you stand out in a multi-platform crowded 

experience. Even having a certain style to 

the way you layout articles and how often 

you post is important to branding. 

Here’s an overview of our top branding 

points to consider: 

Messaging 

Messaging is a primary part of branding. 

If your brand’s messaging is wrong and 

doesn’t support the product, service or customer 

values you are trying to get across, 

your branding will make little sense to 

them and may contradict the product you 

are selling. 

Making sure your brand’s message is the 

same online and in store is vital. Tesco are 

a great example of this, their main message 

being “Every Little Helps”. This is 

displayed online through easier and more 

helpful shopping, alongside a personalised 

experience as they suggest what they think 

would suit your shopping style. They also 

provide comparisons to other supermarkets 

prices, so you either save money on your 

actual shop or receive money off to spend 

on your next. 

Identity 

Identity is mainly seen as the physical 

marker for the brand, usually through a 

logo or colours. Physical images instantly 

relate us to brands, whether it be the Nike 

tick or the McDonald’s Golden M, and 

being able to know or even spell the company 

name is crucial. If a customer cannot 

spell your businesses name, how will they 

be able to search for it if they have heard 

of you by word of month? A great example 

is FM Outsource’s name change from 

Felicitas Media. Felicitas is an obscure word 

that people struggle to say and spell so by 

shortening it to FM Outsource it makes 

finding it a lot simplier. You want people to 

pick your brand over others, so don’t make 

it tricky to find. 

Your logo features in bookmarks, favicons 

on web pages, web apps on browsers, image 

results when searching and in-mobile app 

icons too. Because of this, making sure the 

logo is in line with your brand, that it is of 

good quality, simple and effective enough 

to help consumers identify your business 

online is essential. 

Product 

Lastly, the ability to showcase your product 

in various digital formats provides a new 

way to show, sell, share and deliver products 

online. Whether it’s ASOS displaying 

their newest clothes in their handy catwalk 

video, provided with every product, or 

allowing you to customize your new Nike’s 

using Nike ID. Digital formats provide 

endless possibilities to market your brand. 

So now we know why branding is so important 

to any digital marketing strategy; 

it affects messaging, identity and product 

in a big way. Developing an emotional 

connection with your customers is vital to 

help promote your brand and this is exactly 

what digital marketing can do. 

Sources: 

www.growthgurus.com/importance-of-branding/ 

www.smartinsights.com/online-brand-strategy/ 

brand-development/digital-branding-definition/ 

elena.lockett@fmoutsource.com 


SPORTS 

The countdown’s on... 

This year’s event has been expanded. For 

the first time, the European Championship 

final tournament will be contested by 24 

teams, up from the 16-team format used 

since 1996. Under this new format, the 

finalists will contest a group stage consisting 

of six groups of four teams, followed 

by a knockout stage including three rounds 

and the final. 19 teams (the top two from 

each of the nine qualifying groups and 

the best third-placed team) join France 

who qualified automatically as hosts; 

a series of two-legged play-off ties 

between the remaining third-placed 

teams in November 2015 decided 

the last four spots at the final 

tournament. 

Total Brand Licensing talked 

to Mickael Andreo, 

Licensing Director, 

France at IMG and 

UEFA Euro 2016 

Global Account 

Director, to find 

out more about 

the brand and 

the merchandising 

activities that 

surround the upcoming event. 

We are now a little over two months from 

the start of the tournament. How is the 

program looking in the run-up to kick 

off? 

Mickael Andreo, “To use a sporting 

analogy, we are now entering the ‘business 

end’ of our licensing program. In terms 

The 2016 UEFA European Championship 

will be the 15th edition of the four-yearly 

international men’s football championship for 

Europe that is organized by UEFA. 

It will held in France this June and July. 

of product sales, the busiest period is just 

beginning. Some licensees have already 

been offering certain products, but the 

tournament’s in-store presence is now 

increasing significantly and we expect sales 

to be strong right through to the end of the 

tournament.” 

The brand itself obviously has huge 

awareness - how do you maintain the 

reputation or do you find, by being such 

a huge tournament, the popularity is 

self-perpetuating? 

Mickael Andreo, “The 

worldwide exposure the 

tournament receives is 

phenomenal, and is a huge 

advantage to building a comprehensive 

program. Coupled 

with the fact it takes place 

only every four years, interest 

from licensees was 

high. Having 

said that however, 

there has 

been no room 

for complacency 

and our focus from the start 

has been to appoint specialists 

in each country and category 

who have been able to match such a high 

demand in a relatively short period of sale. 

We had to be sure that fans were going to 

have the right access to the right products 

at the right time and I think that we have 

achieved that. Furthermore, we are also implementing 

a dedicated marketing program 

to promote the licensing business.” 

This is going to be the biggest Euro to 

date - how many licensees do you have, 

in how many countries? 

Mickael Andreo, “Our licensees number 

50, with products being offered not only 

across Europe but also in those major 

international markets where European 

football is also very popular, such as China, 

Japan, Thailand, the United States and the 

Oceanian countries. 

The new larger format for this year’s event 

has allowed for a longer period of sale and 

has also led to increased demand in the 

form of new territories, which in turn has 

of course led to more products. By way of 

an example, we have validated a total of 

5000 stock keeping units, which means 

we are looking at around 6000 different 

products available on the market.” 

What categories are the most important, 

for the program? 

Mickael Andreo, “Apparel is by far the 

strongest category, which we continue to 

develop with a balanced mix of licensees 

and DTRs to ensure we are reaching 

all fans. Elsewhere, other popular items 

include the mascot plush and classic sports 

merchandising accessories such as mugs, 

key rings and magnets. 

In addition, as we’ve seen with previous 

Euros, video games and collectable stickers 

will also be items that are on top of the 

fans’ shopping list.” 

Do you highlight any particular players 

in your branding program? 

Mickael Andreo, “No, as individual player 

rights are held by the relevant national 

associations. We have developed the branding 

program in conjunction with UEFA 

through artwork connected to four main 

themes, consisting of the official logo, the 

national culture of the host country, national 

pride and the official mascot, ‘Super 

Victor’. 

PAGE 24 


PROFILE 

Sunshine 

from 

Summer 

Bay 

First airing in Australia in 1988, and 

averaging a million viewers per night, 

Home and Away has become a household 

program in Australian households and is 

a phenomenal overseas success, airing in 

more than 61 countries in 2014. 

Originating as the story of a family of 

foster children moving to a quaint coastal 

town, more than 6000 episodes later, the 

show and has evolved into a multi-generational 

drama that caters to young and old 

alike. Set against the backdrop of one of 

the country’s most idyllic and picturesque 

beaches, intrigue, drama, humour and 

pathos abound as Australia’s favourite characters 

tackle life’s most compelling battles. 

Multi-award winning, ‘Home and Away’ 

has received 41 Logies, 11 Writer’s Guild 

Awards (AWGIES) and 3 Director’s Guild 

Award and been nominated for many, 

many more. 

In 2009, ‘Home and Away’ entered the history 

books by becoming the only Australian 

serial to ever receive a NSW Australian 

Cinematographers Society Award (ACS) 

in the category of TV Series, Mini Series 

& Telefeatures. And the honor continued 

Home and Away – nearly 30 years on from when it first 

aired – has been a staple television favourite in Australia 

and the UK, as well as many other countries, for a long 

time. Now, with a dedicated consumer products and 

licensing campaign, the time is just right to catch some of 

the Summer Bay fever. 

with awards received in 2010, 2011, 2012 

and 2013 in the same category. 

Behind the scenes, the series employs a 150 

member strong crew and has launched the 

careers of a legion of successful overseas actors 

including Isla Fisher, Julian McMahon, 

Chris Hemsworth, Heath Ledger, Melissa 

George, Ryan Kwanten, Naomi Watts, and 

Guy Pearce – to name just a few. 

With the brand ethos appealing across categories 

such as outdoors, health, nostalgia, 

beachwear and lifestyle, Licensing Link 

is handling the licensing campaign in the 

UK. 


BRANDING PARIS 

A Capital Idea 

The Branding and 

Marketing of Paris 

A Total Brand Licensing Q&A with Elisabeth Dubost, Agence Arboresens 

Which French Brands are you working 

with? 

Arboresens first started to work with the 

Hall of Paris in early 2013. 

Arboresens is an agency specializing in 

brand platforms as well as brand licensing 

and co-branding which I created after 15 

years in charge of Mattel’s Brands Consumer 

Products for Europe. 

Specifically, the agency considers brand extension 

as a tool to extend the brand value 

with a long term perspective in addition to 

generating revenues. 

Since 2013, we have been the agent of 

Paris City, who initiated an innovative approach 

of valorization of its brand with the 

Velib’ brand followed by Ptit Velib’ (little 

Velib’ for kids), Ville de Paris and a content 

brand for kids called Raconte Moi Paris. 

Across these brands, we sell 200 products 

in more than 500 retails outlets. 

Paris Musée, which regroups 14 Paris City 

museums, has also initiated a licensing and 

co-branding program. 

The Carnavalet Museum (museum of the 

History of Paris), The Catacombes, the 

Museum of Modern Art, the Petit Palais or 

the Palais Galliera (fashion museum of Paris) 

are all part of Paris Musées and attract 

more than 3 million visitors per year. 

In close collaborations with the Paris 

Musées and museum curators, we have 

written the brand platform for these museums 

and determined which of them would 

PAGE 26 


BRANDING PARIS 

be part of the brand extension strategy 

through licensing and/or co-branding, 

which is a very different approach from 

products developed for the museum shops. 

We also work for other public institutions, 

around 10 which are either in the first 

step of the process (defining their brand 

platform and sharing it internally) or in the 

second one (validating the brand extension 

strategy) but for confidentiality reasons, I 

cannot share their names. 

Paris is obviously a city of history and 

culture, so this must work well with 

branding. How careful must companies/ 

institutions be when choosing partners? 

Paris is a strong brand synonymous with 

history and culture and when we started to 

work as their agent, the Paris City shared 

with us their objectives: 

- Protect and promote the intangible 

heritage of the Parisians through brand 

visibility and protection against counterfeit 

products. 

- Increase the visibility of Paris City with 

tourists as well as Parisians. 

- Develop through licensing and co-branding 

products bearing famous Paris brands, 

communicating the heritage and modernity 

of Paris. 

- Promote and help Parisian scompanies 

and artists 

- Generate revenues for the City. 

In order to implement this strategy, we 

must not only choose carefully the categories 

that we’ll develop per brand, but also 

select carefully the companies that we’ll 

approach, in order to ensure that they share 

the same values as the institution. 

For instance, when we decided to launch 

the licensing business model, the first Velib 

coffee in Paris - the first ever 

coffee under a municipal 

brand - we spent a lot of time 

defining the content of the 

coffee: 

- Offers added value and experience 

for Velib users 

- Encourage young people to 

eat natural and healthy food 

at a reasonable price 

- Promote the Velib bike sharing 

service. 

We also carefully selected the 

partners we would approach 

to ensure that the company 

would embody all these 

objectives. 

The company Exki, which 

promotes healthy food, fair 

trade and sustainable development 

at the right price came as an obvious 

choice. 

We opened the outlet in September 2014 

in the heart of Paris, close to the Opera and 

it is a huge success with 140,000 customers 

in 2015. 

You mention over 200 products in 500 

retail outlets - are these international as 

well? 

The majority of the products under one of 

the Paris City brands are sold around Paris 

but our licensees also start exporting their 

Paris ranges in Asia and Middle East. 

For more information visit 

www.agence-arboresens.com 


COMPANY PROFILE 

Start Licensing 

Start Licensing has recently licensed leading 

giftware company Half Moon Bay to 

create a range of giftware featuring iconic 

British comics such as The Hotspur, The 

Victor and The Wizard. The product range 

includes tin signs, tins, fridge magnets, 

notebooks and mugs. The collection will 

be marketed under the brand name Classic 

Comics and Half Moon Bay will make the 

product range available in spinners, counterpacks 

and FSDUs. The imagery includes 

themes such as football, cricket , motor 

sport , aviation and science fiction. One 

market sector that will be targeted from a 

retail point of view are Museums as many 

of the comic covers featured have imagery 

that would suit this sector. The design is 

based largely on comic covers from the 

1950s, 1960s and 1970s featuring iconic 

titles such as The Hotspur and The Victor. 

The quality and standard of the artwork is 

exceptional with vivid use of colours, high 

attention to detail and real excitement in 

the illustrations. Images were chosen and 

sourced from DC Thomson’s archive in 

Dundee. Ian Downes from Start Licensing 

commented: “Half Moon Bay 

have established a great reputation 

in the market for their work with 

vintage images and iconic brands 

we felt that they would be a great 

partner to develop a giftware range 

with for these comics. The artwork 

is wonderful and holds broad 

appeal. I am sure the products will 

prove popular and that we will be 

able to grow the range over time - 

the comic archive at DC Thomson 

is a rich and deep one.” 

The Spring Fair proves a hit for 

The Beano 

The recent Spring Fair at the NEC 

proved to be a success for The 

Beano and its licensee. Long- 

term licensees such as Lagoon Games and 

Hype Cards showcased their ranges which 

feature artwork from The Beano including 

a unique Beano alphabet made from 

letters sourced from Beano storylines. 

A theme that was picked up on by The 

Giftware association who used a set of 

Hype’s Beano Alphabet Cards to spell out 

Giftware association on their stand at the 

show. Other licensees such as Gibson’s used 

the show to present their unique Beano 

products in their case a jigsaw puzzle that 

features two styles of comic art showing the 

comic through the ages. New licensees such 

as Danilo who are developing a calendar 

for 2017 had a positive reaction to their 

products. Other licensees include Neviti for 

partyware, Rubies for dress up, Comic Art 

for screenprints and Wild & 

Wolf for giftware. 

Jacqueline Wilson Gets 

Puzzled 

Paul Lamond Games who has 

developed a Jacqueline Wilson 

boardgame, added four jigsaw 

puzzles to the range featuring 

character and cover art 

developed by illustrator Nick 

Sharratt. The boardgame is a 

trivia based challenge game and 

was developed with Jacqueline’s 

fan base in mind. Other 

licensees include Flametree 

Calendars, Dc Thomson and 

Top That Publishing. 

PAGE 28 


LICENSING FOR ADULTS 

An Adult Focus... 

The Powerhouse of Hustler 

A global empire, Hustler is one of the most powerful brands in adult entertainment. Spanning 

a lot more than just the magazine, the brand includes premium adult channels, 15 Hustler 

Hollywood retail stores, the popular Hustler Casino in suburban Los Angeles, Hustler 

Video, over 60 adult content Websites and 11 gentlemen’s clubs. 

Hustler has launched a range of merchandise focused on the core essence of entrepreneurship 

– what it really means to be a Hustler. Taking inspiration from founder Larry Flynt, whose 

penchant for aspirational luxury goods, including the only black Gulfstream jet in the world, 

epitomizes what being a Hustler stands for and aspires to achieve. 

In Europe, Hustler apparel has just launched at Selected, the fast fashion retailer, as well as 

the online retailer, ASOS. In North America, it’s found a consistent home at retailers, including 

Citi Trends, Bluenotes and Spencer’s. A hardcore, break-the-rules attitude has always 

made Hustler stand out from the crowd. Now, according to the company, “licensees have the 

opportunity to draw from the blend of sexuality, style and activism that the Hustler brand 

embodies, creating lifestyle products that celebrate the nonconformist and entrepreneurial 

risk taker in us all.” 

Playboy Continues Relationship with Joyrich 

Lifestyle brand Playboy has partnered with Joyrich yet again for a Playboy x Joyrich 

capsule Spring/Summer 2016 collection: 

The iconic L.A. streetwear brand of men’s and women’s apparel is known for producing 

wearable art worn by some of the biggest artists in the industry, including 

Rihanna, Rita Ora, Nicki Minaj, Jessie J, One Direction and Lil Wayne. 

Continuing their partnership, Joyrich and Playboy have reunited to release their 

second seasonal collaboration, following on from the first collection which launched 

in September 2014. The collection is comprised of a range of relaxed glam statement 

pieces, featuring sequins and bold graphics on tailored silhouettes – jackets, tops, jeans, bags, etc. 

The collection launched in the U.S. on February 19th and internationally on February 20th, and is available and in Joyrich retail 

stores in the U.S., Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong 

Bride of Chucky – Coming to Life 

Mezco expands its ever-growing line of Chucky action figures and collectibles with one 

of the most frequently requested characters: Tiffany. First introduced in the film Bride Of 

Chucky, Tiffany was the devoted girlfriend of killer Charles Lee Ray before his soul transferred 

into the Good Guy doll that would come to be known as Chucky. After Chucky 

ended up in a police evidence vault, Tiffany used her feminine wiles to rescue him. After 

Chucky electrocutes her in a bathtub, he transfers her soul into a bridal doll. Now trapped 

in a doll body, Tiffany joins Chucky on his quest to find the Heart of Damballa, the amulet 

that can transfer their souls into human bodies.Tiffany complements Mezco’s previously 

released 15inch Chucky figures as well as tgw upcoming 15inch Chucky Good Guy 

figure. Tiffany comes packaged in her own collector-friendly window box, for display. 


LICENSING FOR ADULTS 

Cartamundi Plays the Adult Game 

Cartamundi has extended its presence in the world of entertainment 

brands for adults. Magic the Gathering, Guess Who? Monopoly 

and Trivial Pursuit are among the games that Cartamundi 

has a hand in producing. 

By contrast, in its core business there seems to be a stronger 

emphasis on younger brands and names — until you take a closer 

look. 

James Bond for example is associated with an older audience — 

and, since Casino Royale, a poker-playing audience. Cartamundi 

has been an official Bond licensee since 2001, but has been producing 

professional poker cards, chips and plaques for casinos for 

a lot longer. The two skills came together first when Cartamundi 

co-designed and created all of Casino Royale’s poker props and 

then a number of Bond-branded products. 

As with many Cartamundi entertainment brands they include 

card decks with film images, in this case a James Bond Movie 

Poster Deck and a James Bond Spectre Deck, in which regular 

cards are adorned with stunning imagery from over 50 years of 

the Bond franchise. Retailing at well under five pounds, they have 

proved very popular. 

By contrast, at £99.99, The James Bond Luxury Poker Set is, as 

its name implies, a serious investment. It contains 300 professional 

quality poker chips, two decks of professional quality poker 

cards, and one dealer button, as well as the rules of the legendary 

Texas hold ‘em poker game in 12 languages. Delivered in a hard 

presentation case resplendent with the official 007 logo, it’s a classy 

and stylish set for serious enthusiasts of the world’s favourite game. 

Sometimes a brand that is part of childhood keeps its fans well 

into adulthood. That may be why one of Cartamundi’s long-term 

steady sellers is The Beatles Official Playing Cards — a regular deck 

of playing cards but one that features imagery associated with the 

band, recently refreshed to focus on the group’s famous hit singles. 

There are also football-themed playing cards such as the collaboration 

with RBFA, the Royal Belgian Football Association, that 

produced two popular decks of Red Devils (aka the Belgian national 

side) playing cards. Work is now under way with teams from the 

German and Polish football leagues. The Carta Magic range too, is 

definitely not just for kids. 

But Cartamundi has fashioned its own in-house card brands too, 

with a few that have a strong design that appeals to the youngadult-and-up 

markets. The arrival of Pitch Black, Death Poker and 

Calavera brought with it some striking designs for playing cards 

aimed at an older audience. The Calavera deck references the vibrant 

colours and smiling skulls made from sugar or clay used in the Mexican 

celebration of the Day of the Dead, while Pitch Black goes for 

a minimalist approach, one that combines a deep black background 

with thin lines and geometrical shapes in either white or red. The 

Death Poker range uses ornate illustrations of skulls and jewels. 

PAGE 30 


FASHION AND ACCESSORIES UPDATE 

Jean Paul Gaultier Popeye and Betty Boop 

Eaux Fraîches Fragrances Launch for Summer 

RBX Partners with Foundry Brands for Launch 

Into UK Market 

Foundry Brands has been appointed to represent the New Yorkbased 

active wear brand RBX in securing licensing and retail partners 

for a Spring 2017 UK launch. Since its launch in 2003 RBX 

has become one of the fastest growing active wear brands in the 

US, offering on-trend athletic apparel at the best value-for-dollar 

quality affordable quality collections in the volume retail sector for 

both women, men, and children. 

Happy Fashion with Smiley 

Smiley continues its long lasting collaboration with uber cool Italian 

brand Happiness to produce high end street-wear. With successful 

previous collections it is no surprise that the edgy collection 

has caught the attention of the press: The Smiley tracksuit bottoms 

were worn by pop queen and style icon, Miley Cyrus. 

Joshua Sanders also continues to champion the Smiley motif in his 

latest footwear collection. Bringing together the world’s happiest 

brand with an emerging fashion talent who crosses and connects 

couture with the street, combining Italian luxury with a cosmopolitan 

view of fashion. 

Jean Paul Gaultier Popeye and Betty Boop Eaux Fraîches fragrances 

have launched for Summer 2016. Developed under license 

from King Features, Jean Paul Gaultier created original character-based 

labeling designs for the iconic fragrances “Classique” 

(Betty Boop) and “Le Mâle” (Popeye) and their classic tin can 

packaging. 

Jean Paul Gaultier posted digital teasers during Paris Fashion Week 

on social media (#BettyLovesJPG and #PopeyeLovesJPG) as well 

as on strategically placed posters; and the Gaultier team revealed 

more at an exclusive boat party on the Seine. Accompanied by 

extensive point-of-purchase branding and promotion, including 

unique premiums and GWPs, the fragrances will be available 

in France exclusively at the Nocibé and Marionnaud perfumery 

chains from March 15 and then online and in top department 

stores and perfumeries worldwide from April-May onward. 

The deal was brokered by King’s agent in France, Biplano. 

Goodyear Launches its Collection of Luggage 

and Bags 

Goodyear is set to launch its collection of luggage and bags. 

The new Goodyear Luggage and Bags collection delivers a large 

variety of soft trolleys and hard case tough luggage for travellers 

who seek comfort and safety, as well as a collection of outdoor bags 

which provide smart technical features for voyagers planning long 

excursions. 

Useful accessories, such as wallets and waist belt/hip pack, complete 

and complement the Goodyear Luggage and Bags range and 

are designed to give consumers the confidence that their valuables 

are kept safe through reliable solutions. 

Y&R Team with Dennis 

King Features has announced new collaboration with lifestyle 

brand Y&R (Young & Reckless) and Hank Ketcham’s classic 

Dennis the Menace, which is represented for licensing by the 

New York-based unit of Hearst. “We are delighted to partner with 

Young & Reckless to bring this wonderful collection to fruition,” 

said Carla Silva, Vice President/General Manager, Global Head 

of Licensing for King Features. “The extraordinarily creative 

design team at Y&R has managed to seamlessly combine Hank 

Ketcham’s classic artwork with their own cool street-wear-inspired 

look. The results are totally on trend.” 


HOMEWARES & GIFTING UPDATE 

Inspired Gift Ranges from The Shakespeare 

Birthplace Trust 

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has created and licensed a new 

range of skincare and bath treats, inspired by the life and works 

of Shakespeare. Shakespeare Inspired includes luxurious bath 

crèmes, body lotions and beautifully boxed gift sets. The fragrances 

in the range have been created with inspiration from the gardens 

of Shakespeare’s historic homes, and the romantic florals which 

feature in his plays. 

Created with Brand Packaging Solutions, the luxury range has 

been carefully designed using iconic works and places relating to 

Shakespeare. The elegant packaging design has been inspired by 

the embroidery on a Jacobean night cap in the Shakespeare Birthplace 

Trust’s collections, and the ‘WS’ seal featured in the design 

is derived from the seal ring believed to have belonged to Shakespeare. 

There are three collections in the Shakespeare Inspired 

range of products; Romeo & Juliet; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage 

Garden; and Love in Idleness. There are plans to further extend 

the Shakespeare Inspired range to include limited edition prints of 

his works, chocolates, scarves and home wares. 

Spring Product Launches for The Country 

Diary of an Edwardian Lady 

It’s been an strong 

spring for The 

Country Diary of 

an Edwardian Lady 

with new partners 

and categories 

coming through 

globally. 

The Personalised 

Memento Company 

(PMC) 

launched a range of 

personalised gifts 

at Spring Fair to 

include stationery, 

ceramics, candles, 

Christmas decorations 

and more. 

In addition, 

Samuel Lamont 

launched their 

home textiles range to include aprons, oven gloves and tea towels, 

led by a festive product offering. The range will be expanded 

later in the year to include an everyday home textiles collection. 

The Great British Card Company has launched a new range of 

cards and formats for 2016. In the US, new partners have been 

signed by local agent RJM Licensing to include Rizzoli for English 

language books set to launch Worldwide Spring 2017, while new 

calendar partner Tide Mark will be launching later this year. 

Pantone and Jam Brands to Introduce the 

Pantone Universe to Canadian Licensees 

Pantone is partnering with Jam Brands Inc. to introduce the Pantone 

Universe brand to Canadian licensees specializing in fashion, 

lifestyle, home décor, giftware, and publishing. 

Working with global licensees such as Sephora, Case Scenario, 

Kravet, Barbour, Havaianas, and Converse, Pantone has established 

a proven record in lifestyle consumer licensing, with products that 

can be found at such leading retailers as Bloomingdales and Galeries 

Lafayette. 

Andrew Menceles, President of JAM Brands Inc. says “We are very 

excited to be working with Pantone and to introduce Canadian 

licensees to the wide range of appealing and relevant consumer 

products that can be created with the compelling inspiration of 

Pantone colors and graphics.” 

PAGE 32 

The New York Botanical Garden Releases 

Home Décor Range with Surface View 

Jewel Branding & Licensing has announced the launch of the New 

York Botanical Garden Collection with Surface View. Brokered 

by Jewel Branding, this collaboration between Surface View and 

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) brings to life a carefully 

curated selection of botanical, architectural, and horticultural 

works of art from the Rare Book Collections of the iconic living 

museum’s Metz Library. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Surface View on this very special 

project. A reverence for beauty, quality, and history are inherent 

in Surface View’s product range; the captivating collaboration is 

a welcome venue for sharing NYBG’s rare archival holdings with 

consumers. Each piece in the collection – from intricate wall murals 

to whimsical lampshades – is threaded in a rich heritage that’s 

been preserved for centuries,” said Meredith Counts, Director of 

Licensing and Product Development at NYBG. 


FOOD & DRINK UPDATE 

Unilever and Carousel Calendars Teams for 

Marmite 

Unilever UK is partnering 

with Carousel Calendars 

to create a new die cut 

calendar to the shape of 

the famous Marmite classic 

jar with a toast themed 

backboard design – one of 

the most innovative designs 

yet from the Exeter based 

company. 

Marmite, the iconic British 

brand from Unilever UK, 

has cemented its place 

in British culture with 

its award winning “Love 

it, Hate it” marketing campaign and continues to be the UK’s 

best-selling spread, with over 12 million jars sold annually. Its popularity 

means that it is supplied by retailers nationwide, including 

large grocers, department stores and over 300 independents. 

The deal was brokered by licensing agent, Hot Pickle. Hayley 

Payne, Senior Licensing Manager at Hot Pickle, comments: “Carousel 

Calendars are a fantastic new edition to the Marmite licensing 

programme. We hope their designs will appeal to all Marmite 

lovers for Christmas 2016.” 

Krispy Kreme and Betty Crocker In Joint 

Venture for Cake Mix 

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has announced a new Betty Crocker 

Cake Mix with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ Original Glazed flavor. 

This kit will be available in select Wal-Mart, Supervalu and Kroger 

stores in the United States. 

“Our fans are always trying to re-create Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ 

classic glaze at home. With this kit, they don’t have to try anymore. 

Now they can really do it,” said Tony Thompson, President 

and CEO of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. “We’re excited to be able 

to bring this item to shelves and allow customers to have the iconic 

flavor of our sweet treats at home.” 

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts partnered with Betty Crocker to create 

this cake mix kit. 

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and Ferrari Lifestyle 

Partnership 

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin was announced as the first lifestyle 

partner of Ferrari at the Geneva International Motor Show. The 

world-renowned champagne House and prestige automobile 

company have renewed their partnership under this new status; a 

first in Maranello history. After a successful three years of celebrating 

both brands’ legendary heritage in innovation and lifestyle, the 

new engagement will strengthen their communication and event 

activation platforms around the world. Veuve Clicquot will continue 

to support Ferrari in its international lifestyle events and will 

accompany Ferrari in its celebrations during their lifestyle events, 

Formula 1 races and new car launches. 

Global Icons to Represent Fatburger 

Global Icons has announced its exclusive worldwide representation 

agreement with Fatburger, the classic American fast-casual hamburger 

restaurant chain. With a successful base of licensed frozen 

burger patties sold nationally at all Walmart doors (for the last four 

years), Global Icons will complement the program by expanding 

into other food and product categories. 

Perfetti van Melle Signs with Unilever for 

Chupa Chups Frozen Treats 

In an agreement brokered by Beanstalk, 

Perfetti Van Melle, has partnered with Unilever, 

for a range of individually wrapped 

ice-creams under the iconic Spanish lollipop 

brand, Chupa Chups. The products, 

including Chupa Chups Calippo Shots in 

flavours Cherry Banana and Cola Lemon, 

are set to launch at out-of-home distribution 

channels across Western Europe in 

spring 2016, and will leverage the brand’s 

unique heritage with fans across the globe. 

The agreement was brokered by Perfetti Van 

Melle’s brand extension agency, Beanstalk. 


BRAND BUSINESS 

Being deemed a Good or Rotten Licensee 

It has ramifications! 

By Hal Worsham, Managing Director, Brand Licensing, LMCA 

The brand licensor looks at various criteria 

when evaluating its licensees. In fact, 

licensees with huge royalty payments are 

often surprised to find themselves on their 

licensor’s “rotten licensee” list! This piece 

will look at the ways of keeping on the 

positive side of the brand licensor. 

Let’s start by examining the reasons a 

company should want to be deemed a great 

brand licensee by their licensor: 

1. It makes getting a license renewal a 

simple procedure, as every good 

licensor wants to keep their best 

licensors as part of their licensing 

roster. 

2. Getting the support of the licensor 

may be necessary when working 

with retailers, other licensees within 

the same territory and licensees in the 

same category outside the licensed 

territory. These requests for support 

will be welcomed when made by a 

valued licensee. 

3. It gives the licensor reason to expand 

the product categories and territories 

within your license if the request to do 

so is reasonable. 

4. Product and advertising approvals can 

sail through the licensor with greater 

ease when the licensee is a trusted 

partner. 

5. Information flow from the licensor 

to the licensee will be increased when it 

is welcomed and used by the licensee. 

6. Participation in licensor’s company 

sales meetings and dealer and 

retailer meetings will be welcomed as 

PAGE 34 

the licensee will be viewed as a 

valuable contributor to content and 

important recipient of information. 

7. If some of the license agreement terms 

should become onerous, the licensor 

will be much more willing to listen and 

negotiate better/more appropriate 

terms as market conditions demand. 

8. The licensee’s licensed products are 

more likely to be included in the 

licensor’s own ads and literature. 

So, how does a company get on the shortlist 

of “best licensees” identified by the 

licensor? Here are some key factors to keep 

in the forefront: 

• Start-off on the right foot and stay there 

- In the negotiation process don’t keep 

secrets from the licensor. If the licensor 

finds-out points on which it might have 

been mislead after negotiations are concluded, 

the licensee’s reputation will suffer 

greatly. These points would include margin 

percentages, market shares, etc. 

• Seek frequent meetings with the licensor. 

(This could be monthly, quarterly 

or semi-annually as appropriate to your 

category of licensed products.) In these 

meetings, the licensee should: 

A. Get input on styling coordination for 

the licensed products so they 

seamlessly fit with the licensor’s own 

product line. This would be important 

for product, packaging, labels, hangtags, 

advertising, etc. If the licensor 

is in the fashion business, ensure that 

your merchandising schedule is in 

accord with the licensor’s own time 

frames. This will help licensee 

product sales immeasurably and 

enhance licensor product sales by 

featuring a large collection at retail. 

B. Request branding briefings to make 

certain every nuance of the branding 

strategy is understood and utilized on 

the licensed products. 

C. Receive and impart marketing 

strategies. The licensee must ensure 

that their licensed product marketing 

strategy perfectly meshes with 

the licensor’s own strategy. Both the 

licensor’s and licensee’s strategies 

must be fleshed-out and fully 

understood in these meetings to ensure 

there are no misunderstandings and 

that the full marketing impact/benefit 

is realized. This should include full 

discussions on advertising strategies 

(and coordination), media plans and 

expenditures. 

D. Coordinate retail strategy nuances with 

the licensor and discuss support from 

the licensor at retailer meetings. 

• Submit ALL products, literature, hangtags, 

labels, packaging, business cards, 

stationery, business cards, invoices, press 

releases, etc. to the licensor for approval on 

a timely basis, well before manufacturing 

begins. Often, this is best handled in the 

meetings recommended above. 

• Follow the licensor’s trade channel 

desires/restrictions most carefully. If in 

doubt, contact the licensor to ensure that 

a potential customer is in keeping with the 

licensor’s strategy. For the licensor’s most 

important retail customers, stay in constant 

contact with the licensor to ensure every 

relationship is leveraged and potential con- 


BRAND BUSINESS 

flicts are avoided. 

• ALWAYS ATTEND JOINT LICENSEE 

MEETINGS HELD BY THE LICEN- 

SOR! 

Lack of attendance is most dimly viewed by 

all of the licensor’s management. 

• Develop a close rapport with the licensor’s 

key employees (if the licensor’s 

licensing contact permits this). This would 

include the marketing, advertising, sales, 

QC, and technical areas, as appropriate for 

the category. Remember that EACH of 

these areas has an impact on the success of 

your product and program, so a positive 

relationship with each is critical. 

• Watch the simple stuff: make sure your 

royalty reports and guarantee and royalty 

payments are ON TIME. 

• Keep impeccable books. Make licensor 

audits easy, with easy identification of the 

licensor’s sales and related transactions. 

• Let the licensor know, in advance (as 

much as possible), of any important press 

releases, reorganizations or announcements 

relating to your company, even if they 

do not directly impact the license. Don’t 

let a licensor be surprised through public 

announcements or industry rumor mills. 

• Don’t be a complainer on minor (especially, 

non-contractual) points. If a complaint 

will have no affect on your licensed 

product sales (short or long term), you may 

want to consider not voicing it. Of course, 

important conflicts and complaints must 

be raised with the licensor, but try to avoid 

points such as, “I didn’t like the photo 

retouching in your last ad.” This will not 

enhance the long-term relationship. 

• Be responsive to licensor requests. Even 

with the most positive relationship, the 

licensor is bound to make many demands 

on the licensee. Wherever possible, each 

of these should be met with a positive response 

and expeditiously. Remember that 

the licensing department of the licensor’s 

company fields comments and requests 

from all of its various departments; each of 

these departments believes its request is the 

most important of all. … you never know 

when an unfulfilled request will result in a 

negative board room impression relating to 

the licensee. 

Of course, each licensor and relationship 

is different, but serving as an excellent 

licensee will result in the strongest return 

on investment in the short and long term. 

LAUNCHING OCTOBER 2016... 

TOTAL 

LICENSING 

The Guide to the 

Licensing World 


Winter 2016

Total Brand Licensing

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