The magic dust for any successful sports licensing programme is making fans feel part of something, according to Simon Gresswell from IMG Licensing in his seminar on the opening day of BLE 2015.
In the first seminar in the Brands and Lifestyle Theatre at BLE 2015, Simon Gresswell, European vice president of IMG Licensing shared with the audience his top 10 tips for sporting brands to succeed in licensing.
Awareness
Simon’s first tip is to create awareness of the brand for all parties, being careful when it comes to commercialising that brand. Many heritage sporting brands have a great history and are very selective about the types of partners they want to work with.
Assets
As with all brands, creating usable assets is an important part of the branding process. Logos and style guides are part and parcel of this, but Simon also suggested going through archives to find old photos, quotes and AV – all of which can engage with fans on a more emotional level.
Support
“Make you partners feel like part of a club,” says Simon. “It doesn’t just stop with the signing of a licensing agreement. You need to make them feel part of the team.” Simon talked about speedy approval processes, social media and keeping partners in the loop with information about other agreements.
Inclusion
“This is the magic dust of sport licensing,” according to Simon. “You need to immerse yourself fully in the brand and experience the brand first-hand.” He suggests going to the sporting event, observing the fans, buying a drink and really taking in what makes the fans tick.
Product
A relevant product range that caters for all fans is vital to any sporting brand’s success. Sporting events often only last a couple of hours, but a good quality licensing product can be in a fan’s home for years and years, reminding them of that particular event.
Marketing
Think about marketing at all levels, from trade through to consumer, and on all platforms. Simon described fans as ‘dabblers, temperates and devoted’, each with a different marketing strategy.
Mascot
The mascot is often a figure of fun – it is tricky to have a mascot with gravitas that looks good on a pencil sharpener! Getting the mascot right can be difficult says Simon: “It has to appeal to all fans, from children to adults, reflect local culture as well as looking good as a life-size costume character.”
Promotion
Think about intangible fan engagement, before, during and after the event. Experiential events are a great way to engage with not just fans but the wider community. In 2015 a very successful Brazilian-themed street party in Trafalgar Square during the build up to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil attracted a wide audience, engaging with football fans and non-football fans.
Distribution
As with any brand, distribution channels are key to the success. As well as all the usual channels, Simon flagged up social media, digital apps and fashion DTRs.
Rights protection
“Be serious about protecting yours and your licensees equity,” says Simon. “This is much more than product labelling security. Have a clear infringement policy and work with customs on training for spotting counterfeit products.”
