Nicole Scherzinger makes interiors debut with the Nalu collection

Celebrity Nicole Scherzinger has launched her debut luxury interiors and bedding collection, Nalu.

Designed personally by Nicole over 24 months, the Spring/Summer ’22 Nalu range is inspired by Nicole’s love of art and culture, and connection to her own heritage.

With fourteen options in total, the line consists of bedding [duvet sets and pillowcases], throws and cushions. Starting from £40, Nalu by Nicole Scherzinger is available from Next, Very and Bedeck Online.

During the design process, Nicole used cultural and personal inspiration including beautiful Hawaiian influences and nods to her Asian heritage. The collection includes florals and abstract patterns alongside simplistic woven bedding for those seeking soothing textures for a serene bedroom setting.

Hero pieces include the Dalisay Duvet Cover Set [from £70], with sophisticated silver and fresh white tones, brought to life by a beautifully detailed all-over paisley print. The Palawan Duvet Set [from £70] captures Nicole’s passion for art, featuring watercolour interpretations of Palawan cherry blossoms set against a crisp white canvas.

Nicole has included accompanying accessories such as soft, feather-filled cushions [from £45], warm chunky throws [from £95], lined curtains [from £110], towels [from £14] and robes [from £85] to create a relaxing haven.

Nalu by Nicole Scherzinger has been produced by bedlinen and traditional textile craft specialist Bedeck. A family brand with global appeal, Bedeck specialises in detail and design, which conveys the perfect synergy with this latest partnership.

Nicole Scherzinger says: “I am so excited about the launch of my debut lifestyle collection with Bedeck. My bedroom is my sanctuary – the inner calm I feel when relaxing there is serene and keeps me balanced. This very feeling I wanted to convey when designing my collection. Every colour, texture and stitch has been chosen to calm and rejuvenate your space. The use of delicate patterns in subtle colourways balance and ground. I see Nalu as the ultimate personal luxury for moments of tranquillity and I hope you adore it as much as I do.”

“Nalu brings a beautiful addition to our brand portfolio with products including bedlinen and accessories, curtains, towels and robes – each piece exquisitely designed to capture Nicole’s signature style,” added Bedeck Managing Directors Gary and Andrew Irwin in a joint statement. “Patterns including native florals, traditional kapa block prints, paisley and understated leopard prints all feature. The development of Nalu Nicole Scherzinger has been a collaborative labour of love between Nicole and our design team, resulting in a calming collection for moments of contemplation.”

 

Licensing International appoints nine new board members

Licensing International has announced that nine executives – Casey Collins, Hasbro; Michael Connolly, Retail Monster; Javier Garza, Warner Bros. Discovery; Alexandra Heyd, BurdaVerlag Germany; Tanya Isler, Netflix; Stuart Pollock, Segal Licensing; Marc Schneider, Beanstalk; Kalle Törmä, Flowhaven; and Angell Xi, Jingtian & Gongcheng – have been elected by the Licensing International membership to serve three-year terms on its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2022.

Steve Scebelo, president of NFL Players Inc., will serve as chairperson and Veronica Hart, EVP of global franchise planning for Paramount Consumer Products & Experiences, will serve as vice chairperson.

“I am so pleased to welcome the nine new members of our Board, whose diverse experiences and invaluable knowledge will help Licensing International support the expansion of brand licensing around the world,” says Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “I want to thank outgoing chairperson Jay Asher and outgoing board members Sol Armada, Juli Boylan, Omar Fajer, Elias Fasja Cohen, Simo Hamalainen, and Ed Labay for their time and dedication.”

Casey Collins – Head of Licensed Consumer Products & Business Development, Hasbro, Inc.
Casey Collins brings decades of experience and leadership in the licensing industry. He is currently the Head of Licensed Consumer Products & Business Development at Hasbro where he is focused on creating and delivering the world’s best play and entertainment experiences across Hasbro’s Brand Blueprint, through toys and games, immersive entertainment experiences, digital gaming, and consumer products. Collins also oversees Hasbro’s Business Development Department that successfully negotiates and manages Toy & Game licenses with some of the most valuable properties in the industry. 

Michael Connolly – Founder & CEO, Retail Monster
Michael Connolly is Founder and CEO of Retail Monster LLC, an innovative, leading licensing agency with offices in the US and Europe. Retail Monster’s world-class client roster includes the likes of Electronic Arts, Sybo (Subway Surfers), Copyrights (Paddington), Crayola, Moonbug, Minecraft, Hasbro, Sega (UK), and Mattel (UK). Before Retail Monster, Connolly served as head of global consumer products for DreamWorks Animation. In this capacity, he drove the company’s worldwide consumer products business, overseeing a portfolio containing many of the world’s most beloved entertainment franchises including Trolls, Shrek, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Javier Garza – Head of Consumer Products Mexico, Warner Bros. Discovery
Javier Garza joined Warner Bros. in 2001, first serving as senior category manager at the Consumer Products Mexico office before being promoted in 2002 to category director Latin America, overseeing all promotional and branded food deals for the region. Due to his knowledge and experience, he was appointed general manager for the Mexico Office and, in 2006, he was promoted to licensing VP for Latin America & GM Mexico. Garza’s merchandising and retail experience spans many different demographics and includes franchises like Looney Tunes, DC Comics, Wizarding World, HBO, Hanna-Barbera, and Cartoon Network.

Alexandra Heyd – Head of Licensing | Brands & Acquisition, BurdaVerlag Germany
Alexandra Heyd started her career in 2001 in art licensing at ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE group where, throughout her 18-year tenure, she last spearheaded TV, lifestyle, and corporate brand activities. In 2019, Heyd joined German publishing giant BurdaVerlag, where she heads licensing with a focus on brands, acquisitions, and portfolio expansion endeavors. Her focus has always been to create 360-degree thematic worlds for each franchise opportunity through holistic cooperation, out-of-the-box thinking, and the most up-to-date digital assets and state-of-the-art technology.

Tanya Isler – Director of Licensing & Publishing, Netflix
A production assistant role in fashion led to Tanya Isler’s first licensing role. The mix of strategy, negotiation, product development and brand management ticked a lot of boxes for her and that job kickstarted a love of licensing and consumer products that has spanned fashion (Isaac Mizrahi, BCBG), entertainment (Disney), publishing (Time Inc, Conde Nast), Martha Stewart, and now Netflix. Isler believes a diverse membership base that reflects audiences and brands is key to making sure the industry continues to evolve. As a woman of colour who has navigated the licensing industry, she hopes to share her insights and experiences – both professional and personal – in order to help reach this goal.

Stuart Pollock – President, Segal Licensing
Stuart Pollock began his career at Paramount working in marketing at Canada’s number-one theatre chain, Famous Players. There, he worked with studios like Disney, MGM, and Sony to develop their in-theatre marketing programmes. Pollock also worked with WWE to develop a first-of-its-kind in-theatre programme to show their PPV in theatres across Canada. After Paramount, he was recruited by Microsoft to lead strategic partnerships for the launch of Xbox in the Canadian marketplace. In the 19 years that Pollock has been at Segal Licensing he has developed licensing programmes on properties such as Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Crayola, Spin Master, King Features, DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox and Marvel.

Marc Schneider – Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Beanstalk
Marc Schneider is responsible for Beanstalk’s global finance and operations, including management of the agency’s unparalleled financial platforms that ensure clients receive best-in-class financial and operational information and analysis. Additionally, Schneider oversees the U.K. office brand teams and facilitates short-term and long-range strategic planning activities across the company to grow Beanstalk in the U.S. and internationally. He started at Beanstalk in 2013 and has more than 35 years of experience in finance and operations, with a keen understanding of the licensing industry, having held prior finance and operations positions at CBS, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment.

Kalle Törmä – CEO & Founder, Flowhaven
Kalle Törmä has more than ten years of licensing industry expertise and a deep appreciation for the business model. He founded and serves as the CEO of Flowhaven, a globally renowned technology company bringing licensing to the 21st century by replacing slow progress and complexity with intelligent features and collaboration. Törmä has raised more than $20 million in funding and added the company to investor portfolios, including Canva and LinkedIn. He believes that innovation and education will unlock the next generation of brand licensing success stories. In the last two years, his company has opened offices across five continents and grown to include nearly 100 employees from diverse backgrounds.

Angell Xi – Partner, Jingtian & Gongcheng 
Angell Xi has 25 years of experience in the legal and licensing business, with expertise in IP licensing, art, luxury and fashion fields. For 12 years, Xi served as general counsel, Asia Pacific for GEIP and Ashland, leading compliance for Kering Asia and Michelin China Counsel, which equipped her with solid leadership and sophisticated cross-border business management skills. In licensing, Xi is proficient in providing legal and compliance solutions. For years, she has worked closely with property owners, licensors, licensees, agents, associations, and government agencies to safeguard clients’ interests and promote licensing as platform to empower.

 

 

 

Paramount Global strengthens its Consumer Products team

Paramount Global has announced new appointments and hires within its Consumer Products leadership across global toys, games, emerging media, franchise planning and CP marketing divisions.

“Staying focused on the consumer is at the heart of everything we do so we have made key updates to the leadership within the organisation to maximise our portfolio,” says Pam Kaufman, President, Consumer Products and Experiences, Paramount. “These new remits, along with our new hires, set us up to further grow our franchises, from SpongeBob to Star Trek, and deliver the best products and experiences for today and the future.”

Toys

  • Priya Mukhedkar, formerly Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, will now serve as Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Packaged Goods. In her new role, she adds global toys to her current remit over business development, brand marketing and licensing for consumables at Paramount. Mukhedkar has a track record for her inclusive leadership and building strategic alliances with major consumer product brands including P&G, Danone and Unilever as well as many other up and coming brands. Priya will report to Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President, Global Toys, CPG & Retail.
  • Stephanie Bailey, Vice President, Global Toys, who formerly co-led the global toys group, will now fully lead that division. An established force in the toy industry, she has been integral in bringing Nickelodeon hits to the toy aisle in an authentic way including That Girl Lay Lay, Blue’s Clues & You!, Baby Shark and the upcoming products for Santiago of the Seas. Stephanie will report to Priya Mukhedkar.

Games & Emerging Media

  • Rebecca Tatlock, formerly Vice President, Global Toy Licensing, will now serve as Vice President, Business Development, Games. In this new role, Rebecca is responsible for new partnerships and opportunities across all business models for Paramount’s global games group. With a wealth of deal-making experience across multiple categories, Rebecca most recently led the charge on key global toy partnership deals across major franchises such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek. Rebecca will report to Doug Rosen, Senior Vice President, Games & Emerging Media.
  • Erika Winterholler, formerly Vice President, Business Development and Licensing, Games, will now serve as Vice President, Business Development & Operations, Emerging Media. In this new role, Erika will focus on emerging media initiatives across Paramount, including its growing NFT business, AR, VR and new metaverse platforms. Recently, Winterholler played a critical role in Paramount’s partnership with Recur to launch Paramount.xyz, the company’s digital collectible portal for fans to collect NFTs across key franchises. Erika will also report to Rosen.

Global Franchise Planning & CP Marketing

  • Prima Chambers has joined Paramount as Vice President, Franchise Planning, Multi-Generational, reporting to Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, Global Franchise Planning. In this role, Chambers will lead the development of strategic long-range plans to support the growth of key priority properties within the Paramount Consumer Products division. She joins Paramount from Reckitt, with nearly two decades of consumer brand experience across roles in marketing and research & development at organisations like The Hershey Company and General Mills.
  • Shian-Li Tsang has been hired as Vice President, Consumer Products Marketing, where she will also report to Hart and oversee Paramount retail marketing, social marketing and brand go-to-market strategy. Tsang is responsible for representing Paramount’s brands through high-impact, omni-channel retail activations, social programming and IP launch campaigns. She has demonstrated success directing integrated omni-channel marketing strategies at companies like The LEGO Group, adidas and DICK’s Sporting Goods. Tsang joins Paramount’s Global Consumer Products division with over 15 years of progressive marketing experience.

 

Moonbug expands licensing and merchandise team with two senior hires

Moonbug Entertainment has announced the appointment of Janice Lam and Helen Genia as Global Hardlines Directors, Consumer Products. Helen will be based in the UK while Janice will work from Moonbug’s New York office. Both roles report to Duncan Tate, Global Head of Hardlines, Consumer Products.

In her newly created role, Helen will be responsible for overseeing all regional and global EMEA based partners, as well as identifying and driving new opportunities. She will work across all Moonbug properties, including hit brands such as CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum.

Helen has extensive experience in the lifestyle, entertainment and toy sectors and has a broad spectrum of disciplines from licensing through to product development, brand and channel management, as well as extensive knowledge of European and global markets. Prior to Moonbug she worked for Mattel for eight years, most recently holding the position of Head of Licensing UK, Europe, Middle East & Russia and Hardlines EMEA, where she was responsible for the licensing business. Prior to Mattel, Helen was at Hasbro Europe for over 18 years, where she held a variety of roles across different business segments.

Helen says: “I am extremely excited to be joining such an innovative company at the forefront of the children’s entertainment sector. I am looking forward to working with the team and our partners in order to create high quality, innovative and relevant products that will allow children across the globe to interact with their favourite characters and expand their imagination.”

Janice Lam is responsible for managing global master toy and hardlines licensing partners, predominantly based out of North America, as well as identifying and driving new opportunities. She will work across all Moonbug properties, including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum.

Prior to Moonbug, Janice was Vice President, Licensing, North America at eOne where she was integral in the strategic growth and expansion of global hit brands’ licensing business, across all toys, games and publishing. eOne was acquired by Hasbro in 2019. At Hasbro, Janice was appointed Senior Director, Licensing, and managed a team delivering year over year revenue growth across their softlines and collaborations portfolio.

Prior to her tenure at eOne and Hasbro, Janice held key licensing executive roles at the BBC, Zodiak and Chorion, with over 15 years’ licensing experience across global entertainment and lifestyle brands. Janice was a Women in Toys, Licensing and Entertainment 15th Annual Wonder Woman Awards finalist in the Licensing category.

Janice says: “Moonbug’s licensing and merchandise team is going from strength to strength and I am honoured to be joining the team at such a key time in their expansion. I am looking forward to working with our existing and future partners to create everlasting memories for our fans and bringing our much loved IPs to preschoolers and families across the globe through new and innovative product lines.”

“Both Helen and Janice have a wealth of relevant experience and expertise that I am confident will be invaluable for the growth of Moonbug’s Consumer Products business,” comments Duncan Tate. “Their roles will play a key part in our continued rapid expansion. I am very much looking forward to working with them both at such an exciting and important time in the Moonbug journey.”

For more information on Moonbug, visit www.moonbug.com.

NBCUniversal launches infant and toddler brand

NBCUniversal’s Brand Development division is celebrating all families and the happy chaos of parenthood with the launch of its infant and toddler brand, Welcome to the Universe Baby! – delivering modern, trend-driven collections inspired by fan-favourite NBCUniversal characters, stories and culture-defining moments.

“Welcome to the Universe Baby! embraces the joyful, light-hearted moments of parenthood and reflects the modern lifestyle and attitudes of today’s parents,” says Marc Low, senior vice president and general manager, global lifestyle, Universal Brand Development. “We’ve taken a fresh, uniquely Universal approach to the world of baby, offering style-driven designs that appeal to parents with irresistible character art and catchy editorial,  inspiring them to share their fandom and passion with their own kids.”

With a rich portfolio of beloved global brands under one NBCUniversal banner, Welcome to the Universe Baby! features collections inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World, E.T. the Extra – Terrestrial and JAWS; DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda; classic properties including Curious George, Felix the Cat and Woody Woodpecker, and much more.

Welcome to the Universe Baby! is launching throughout the summer and autumn in key international territories. In North America, a dedicated Amazon brand store will offer outfit sets and accessories from Bentex and Happy Threads, along with cosy blankets from Crown Crafts and an assortment of soft toys and books. In Europe, collaborations include trend-setting social brands such as Sleep No More and Cribstar, alongside apparel collections launching at major fast fashion retailers such as Kiabi, C&A and Reserved. In Mexico, El Palacio de Hierro is the exclusive launch partner, and in Brazil partnerships include offerings from Riachuelo, Grendene and Capricho, among others.

Bespoke collections will roll out in key international territories beginning spring 2022, with a global expansion across categories, retailers and partnerships continuing throughout 2023.

Licensing International releases first findings from annual Global Licensing Industry Study

Licensing International has released a topline preview of its seventh annual Global Licensing Industry Study. Available in full on June 24, the report, conducted by Brandar Consulting, shows some pandemic trends continue to strongly shape the global licensing industry.

The licensing industry has faced significant change over the past two years, both in terms of migration towards the product categories showing growth, and the partnerships built within those categories. The topline report showcases that there was a flight towards stable, evergreen properties with both consumer comfort and staying power being the key drivers behind this switch.

“The study highlights the impressive growth the licensing industry has seen over the past two years,” says Maura Regan, President of Licensing International. “With the constant emergence of new innovations and trends, there are some incredible opportunities to grow even further, some of which will be previewed at next week’s Licensing Expo.”

The global sizing study contains two years’ worth of economic data, country-level data, product market data, royalty rate data, and company-level financials, painting a full picture of what has transpired in the licensing industry. Notable findings from the early release of the study include:

  • Retail – An explosion of e-commerce emerged across the retail landscape, capturing 34% of global licensed sales as businesses fully embraced the move, noting a two-fold benefit of increasing distribution when physical shelf space was so compressed, while also increasing their profit margins.
  • Celebrities – Celebrity licensing saw significant growth (30.1%) because it served as a very close proxy to Entertainment properties, with established Celebrity brands being viewed as more evergreen with longer-term staying power at retail.
  • Sports – With Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) licensing becoming a reality for college athletes, the collegiate sports category was up 18.6%, showing even stronger growth than the overall sports category, which grew 8%.
  • Publishing – With the pandemic leading to a renewed interest in leisure reading, Publishing properties saw a resurgence in the licensing world growing share for a fifth year in a row, now accounting for 8.5% of the global licensing business.

The report dives further into additional categories, touching upon pressing topics within the industry including sustainability, royalties, counterfeiting, and more.

Further results from Licensing International’s 2022 Global Licensing Industry Study will be published in a complete report, including regional and country-by-country breakdowns for major markets.

The full report will be made available for free to Licensing International members on June 24 and will also be available for purchase by non-members.

 

Natural History Museum appoints TSBA as international licensing agency

The Natural History Museum’s mission to create advocates for the planet is set to be amplified to a global scale as the Museum announces it has appointed specialist brand agency TSBA as its international licensing agent.

The appointment of an international licensing agency will enable the Museum to expand its hugely successful programme around the world. Housing more than 80 million specimens, the Museum’s collection tells the incredible story of our planet’s natural history, which is also helping to unlock answers to the big issues facing humanity today. It is this invaluable IP and the Museum’s international reputation that TSBA will employ to build licensing partnerships that resonate with a global audience. The Museum will continue to run the UK licensing programme directly. 

Maxine Lister, Head of Licensing, Natural History Museum, says: “We are so excited to embark on this journey with TSBA. This is a significant milestone for the licensing programme as we seek to build brand awareness in international territories. We are delighted to be expanding the programme internationally to build relevant collections that will genuinely resonate with today’s consumers.”

Ian Mallalue, CEO, TSBA Group, says: “We are thrilled to be working with the Natural History Museum to extend their brand, and awareness of the invaluable work that they do, to a wider audience around the world. The calibre of partnerships already in place in the UK is a fantastic benchmark for the extension of the licensing programme into new territories.”

TSBA will be exhibiting at the Licensing Expo (booth F124) and available to meet with interested parties to discuss opportunities for the licensing of the Natural History Museum brand. Please contact enquiries@tsbagroup.com for more information or to book a meeting.

Rocket Licensing to rep Miffy in the UK and Eire

Mercis, which manages the works of Dick Bruna, has appointed Rocket Licensing to represent global icon Miffy in the UK and Eire.

Mercis has been keen to secure a new home for Miffy after previous manager DRI Licensing’s decision to wind down the company.

Marja Kerkhof, MD of Mercis, says: “Our mission is to share Dick Bruna’s work, and Miffy, with as many people as possible, but always with respect for art and the world of a child. It is never easy to make this kind of decision when working with someone’s oeuvre, but it is my belief that Miffy will be in good hands with Rob, Charlie and the Rocket team. We look forward to this collaboration and the exciting possibilities it could bring. But first let’s focus on 2023, Ýear of the Rabbit!”

Rob Wijeratna, Joint MD of Rocket Licensing, adds: “We are so excited to welcome Miffy on board at Rocket Licensing. She is a classic design brand and is instantly recognisable across generations, cultures and languages. Her iconic status is largely down to the simple, impactful design and the key core values of fun, imagination and simplicity.

“Miffy’s licensing programme spans all ages and categories and has featured some exciting collaborations and experiential events, and as we approach the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, our team is really looking forward to building on that and taking the consumer products programme to the next level.”

Place your bids! The Light Fund Channel Relay silent auction is now live

The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser silent auction site is now live, with a fabulous selection of event tickets, money-can’t-buy experiences, rare souvenirs and much, much more up for grabs.

From 16 May all members of the licensing industry – brand owners, licensees, licensors and all who work with them – are invited to click on this link and place their bids to support the two six-person teams braving the unforgiving waters of the Channel in only a few weeks – and help them to hit their £250,000 fundraising target.

Of course, to get the impressive bids the Light Fund is aiming for requires a fabulous selection of items to bid on – and the industry has heard the call and responded with some fantastic prizes.

Ever wanted a Manchester United shirt signed by Marcus Rashford? Or a day out on the track in some cool cars from some famous movies? Or a course in brewing (and testing) your own beers? Or an Original Star Wars stormtrooper suit and helmet? Those are just a few of the prizes on offer – now – in the Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser silent auction.

You can also bid for golfing experiences, family fun days – including a trip to Peppa Pig World – Swiss watches and trips to the beach. You can even bid for swimming lessons at Taplow Lake from Light Fund English Channel Relay team member – and famed open water swimmer – Stephen Gould.

All you have to do is click, bid and cross your fingers. The auction closes on Friday 3 June. Winners will be notified shortly after auction ends.

And don’t forget, it’s for a seriously good cause! The big swim is scheduled to start between 30 June and 3 July at around 2am on a day when conditions are optimal and, as the date and the Light Fund target of £250,000 get closer, there are still many opportunities to sponsor this brave fundraising effort as well, of course, as being name-checked in a film at the 2022 Licensing Awards.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. Individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams preparing for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Team captain Stephen Gould says: “We’ve been genuinely thrilled, not just with the number of prizes the industry has contributed to the silent auction, but with the range and quality. Who wouldn’t want a signed Premier League shirt, a high-class spa day or a visit to Morgan Cars, after all? Or, for that matter, a day’s open water swimming with me?! Our thanks to everyone involved. Now… please place your bids!”

LICENSING EXPO: Q&A with Rob Corney, Group Managing Director, Bulldog Licensing

Bulldog Licensing is readying for its second face-to-face trade show since restrictions were lifted, with an appearance at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas later this month. Licensing Biz asked Group Managing Director Rob Corney to talk us through some of the key brands that Bulldog will be showcasing, including Care Bears, as it celebrates a big milestone anniversary; the much-loved heritage brand, Sesame Street; the ever-popular Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir; sell-out Christmas sensation Magic Mixies, and new preschool animation Odo, among others.

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How has the last year been for Bulldog? Have you expanded the team at all?

The last year has been a good one for Bulldog. After the chaos of the pandemic, we were delighted to move back into our London Bridge offices; whilst we’re all set up to be able to function fully with the team all working from home, you can’t beat the efficiencies of being office-based to fully plan the roll-out of licensing programmes. Unless the team are able to be hands-on with the product and able to benefit from the cross-pollination of ideas, inefficiencies creep in and, whilst I think we’ve coped admirably throughout the lockdowns, it’s a much healthier environment to separate home from work and be able to function as a full unit once again.

What would you say is Bulldog’s USP/the main reason for its success? You’ve secured some pretty huge brands – how have you achieved that, and where do you see yourself positioned in the global market?

When Bulldog first launched in 2007, we were the first agency to take what we call a ‘retail first approach’ to licensing – starting with the retail proposition and working back from there. To this day, we remain unparalleled in our relationships with retail and this is key to our successes, but overriding this principle is the determination to always act with integrity. We enter every discussion believing it can be a win-win outcome and work hard to ensure that is the case. We don’t see the signing of a contract as the end game – it’s the point at which the hard work begins in order to ensure the signatories enjoy real success and rewards from it. Our partners recognise that we don’t frame an unachievable narrative around our brands and that honesty means that stakeholders throughout the value chain recognise us as a safe pair of hands for building world-beating brands.

Briefly, what can visitors to your stand at Licensing Expo expect to see/discover/hear about? 

We’ve seen strong growth across a number of properties in our portfolio over the last year, and Vegas provides the perfect platform to update our partners on plans for continued growth, as well as to continue to expand the opportunities for our more nascent brands.

Why do you think lies behind the evergreen (and cross-generational) appeal of Care Bears?

Care Bears has seen staggering growth over the last two years and that is set to continue over the next two. The brand has timeless appeal, bringing back fond memories for older fans; exuding strong fashion credentials thanks to our high profile collaborations with labels including Dolls Kill and Skinny Dip for young adults; delivering cuteness in abundance for today’s kids; and having the perfect brand values for newborns in our baby collections. The world needs a little more caring right now and Care Bears is the perfect solution for all ages.

What excites you about Magic Mixies? Can you tell us about any partners in the pipeline for the brand? 

Magic Mixies is one of the most exciting properties we’ve ever launched. Sales of the hero toy line through last Christmas were phenomenal and the surge has continued throughout this year, making it one of the hottest new brands on the market. Having launched the licensing programme at BLE last year, we’ve had a huge reaction from licensees and retail and are about to start announcing the first tranche of partners. This is set to be a big hit over the next few years.

Can you tell us a bit more about Odo? Do you think this property is going to take flight in a big way?

Odo is stunning and drives one of the most important messages there is in the preschool market. We’ve long been fans of the work of animation studio  Sixteen South and are delighted to be working with them on this beautiful show. With some of the world’s leading broadcasters on board, from Milkshake! in the UK to ABC in Australia and Kika in Germany, we have the platform to deliver a huge audience for a show whose primary driver is to encourage self-efficacy in preschool kids. With rates of anxiety and depression within the age group soaring, Odo is not only a vital piece of work to help in this area, but a hugely entertaining comedic journey with an incredibly compelling cast of colourful characters. With master toy and master publishing now in place, we have a lot of conversations underway across key categories in all major territories and Odo looks set to become one of the key preschool properties everywhere.

What do you think is the secret of Miraculous’s success? Are there any new/unexplored spaces, licensing-wise, that the property could expand into?

Miraculous is simply a beautiful show with an incredible storyline. The media pipeline is incredible, with huge amounts of content across linear, digital and on-demand channels, and the brand carries a huge fanbase. In the UK, we’re seeing astonishing sales growth on the toy (it was one of only two doll brands to show growth over the last 12 months) and this is translating into increased opportunities across the already-strong sales of softlines and accessories. Miraculous has always had great presence in fashion and we’re now looking to expand further across stationery, gifting and ancillary toy channels.

Do you think the proliferation of platforms on which kids consume content makes it harder, or easier, for new IPs to ‘break through’?

The fragmentation of content delivery mechanisms has created a hugely increased challenge for brand building. It has simultaneously made it easier for content to be delivered, but more challenging to build a loyal audience. In many ways the growth in dominance of remakes across action and super-hero franchises was a symptom of this fragmentation – it was a safer option to expand an existing universe into new media, shored up by traditional channels, than it was to create entirely new content which may or may not achieve penetration into a crowded market.

However, the world is changing as we’ve seen in the industry’s reduced reliance on some of the hackneyed ‘fan favourites’ over the last few years. New content creators approach the market with an holistic approach, well aware that delivering linear programming is not enough to build a content universe – the industry has adapted and great new creative is securing its place in the top echelons of the product sales charts at the expense of the traditional mega-brands which dominated for so long.

The increase in channels is both a threat and an opportunity, but where it was traditionally an opportunity for the big content owners, squeezing out the smaller guys through their spending power, it has now become a threat to the traditional big players as they struggle to adapt and develop new content where more nimble creatives are more capable of developing relevant brands, ready to disseminate across multiple streams and with a marketplace very receptive to their wares.

What are biggest opportunities in the licensing space right now? And conversely, what are the greatest challenges?

As nations around the world struggle with the post-Covid cost of living crisis, two of the strongest trends to emerge are brands which are driven by values which suit the current mood and those brands which are driven by a pricing architecture sympathetic to the squeeze on the pockets of consumers.

Brands like Sesame Street, which brings an abundance of both classic love for adults and relevance to the preschool consumer of today will benefit from a desire for the home comforts of the familiar whilst brands like Magic Mixies, which has a price point to suit all pockets across its core offering, will build strong opportunities thanks to its newness and excitement.

In 2008, after the financial crash, we saw retailers jumping on what they considered to be the ‘safe’ brands of the day before realising that they’d all jumped on the same brands, leaving their only refuge on price. As the challenges grow in today’s market, there is a more savvy reaction with buyers looking to innovate to drive sales. As the media market has adapted away from the traditional big players, so too must the consumer market change, supporting innovation and fresh ideas, in order to thrive in the current world.

Bulldog Licensing will be at Licensing Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, from 24-26 May 2022.