Further new deals in the FMCG category catch the eye of Start Licensing’s Ian Downes this week, along with some early back to school activity.
It seems the food and drink industry’s appetite for licensed products hasn’t been satiated yet. Last week I wrote about new deals in the FMCG category for Wallace & Gromit and Nadiya Hussain, citing these as examples of the sector’s increasing interest in licensing. Hot on the heels of these deals I was reading about Jamie Oliver’s latest moves in the category.
Jamie Oliver is a good example of a personality who has generally flourished in the licensing sector. Specifically Jamie Oliver has a track record of high profile activity in food aisles. His brand is propelled by his personality which is underpinned by his books, TV and digital media activities. It is also important to recognise that Jamie Oliver is also a celebrity who uses their profile to speak up about issues that they feel strongly about.
This can be a double edged sword and divide public opinion, but generally I think the public respect someone who uses their position to try to influence things. In Jamie’s case it is generally around diet and health, topics that are important ones worth debating. I’m sure that Jamie Oliver having a voice in debates like these is seen as a positive by commercial partners who choose to work with him. His views and opinions on these topics are well documented so partners have good visibility around them before entering any partnership.
This week it was announced that Jamie Oliver is launching a new frozen ready meal range into Iceland and Waitrose. I initially read about the launch in The Grocer. It reported that the new range will launch in Iceland in September. It will include main meals and side dishes. Subsequently it will be listed in Waitrose from October. The products are in part linked to recipes featured in Jamie’s books which is a smart move and brings his product portfolio together nicely. The range features main meals like cottage pies and chicken tikka masala, plus a selection of side dishes.
These lines are joined by a 27 strong range of pastes, grains and meal pouches which are being pitched as products that can be used in tandem with other ingredients consumers might have to hand in their food cupboard. The ethos behind the range seems to be convenience, creativity and value. Jamie Oliver was quoted as saying his “… dream has always been to inspire more people to cook, but I know time and inspiration are the biggest barriers for busy people”. This new range moves on from a longstanding partnership Jamie had with food company Fiddes Payne and is seemingly part of a strategic reset in the food category for Jamie Oliver.
It is perhaps not a surprise to see the range launching in Iceland. Iceland is a great supporter of brand licensing and its product offering features a number of branded ranges developed under licence. Iceland has recognised that brands resonate with its customers, not least because of the trust brands bring with them. In many ways this desire to buy into brand’s they trust is even more acute for consumers when shopping for food. At the moment it appears to be a winning strategy for Iceland and one I’m sure its retail competitors are eyeing up with interest.
As I’m sure most of us know the Olympics are on in Paris. This has sparked some licensing and partnership activity of course. Staying with the theme of food and drink, I was having a morning stroll in London last week and passed the wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd. The window display caught my eye. It featured a Team GB display with Nyetimber Estate products at the centre of it. Nyetimber has developed a limited edition Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage. The focus of this product is on celebration and in the context of Team GB (hopefully) celebrating medal success. A nice addition to the range is a limited edition Nyetimber silk scarf which features the same design as that used on the bottles and ties in with Team GB. This adds to the overall range and creates an additional marketing moment for Nyetimber.
I would imagine the motivation behind this partnership is in part to create an opportunity to engage with new consumers and create a fresh conversation around Nyetimber’s products, not least planting the seed that celebrations can be had around a range of accomplishments or events. It is also a great opportunity for retailers to add some theatre to their offering. Given the positioning Berry Bros & Rudd has – physically and market wise – I imagine Nyetimber is delighted to appear in the window. It is a great showcase for the brand.
Personality driven licensing isn’t confined to FMCG. It spans a lot of categories and retail sectors. I saw a good example of this reach this week in Robert Dyas. It was selling a Lynsey branded carpet cleaner – Lynsey is also known as the Queen of Clean, who has built up a following through social media and her TV appearances on shows like ITV’s This Morning.
Swan Electrical has worked with her to launch a range of home electrical products like the carpet cleaner. The products take their creative cue from her cleaning hacks, insights and advice. Working with an influencer like Lynsey gives Swan the chance to offer retailers new product ranges and a point of difference in the market. She has the potential to deliver a new audience as well. Given the reach she has and her relationship with her followers she also has a lot of ‘real world’ category knowledge to impart. This would be a valuable asset for Swan in its NPD. Products can be carefully targeted to reflect her audience’s lifestyle, life stage and budget.
This is quite an unusual category to see licensing in, although it should be acknowledged that fellow cleaning guru Mrs Hinch was very active in licensing a few years ago. Of course, Swan is launching into a very competitive category which has a lot of well established brands in it. It will be a tough market to crack, but having an influencer on their side should of course help, not least in building a well-targeted, cost effective marketing campaign.
I noticed that a couple of retailers – WH Smith and Primark – were promoting back to school ranges in-store and in their windows this week. Some might say children have only just left school for the summer and it is too early to be thinking back to school, but in the current market you can’t blame retailers for launching campaigns like this one as early as possible. I presume one motivation is to give parents and carers the opportunity to budget their expenditure and plan their purchasing accordingly. Plus I’m sure there is a desire to be first to market with new ranges.
Licensing and licensed products feature in both retailers’ back to school ranges. Featured brands include Spider-Man, Pokémon, Stitch and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Products included back packs, pencil cases and pens. It is good to see licensing playing such an active role in these campaigns and a reminder that there are a number of moments in the retail calendar that licensing can play a part in.
It definitely feels that licensing is now much more on the retail radar when it comes to campaigns like this and part of the planning process.
Ian Downes runs Start Licensing, an independent brand licensing agency. His X handle is @startlicensing and on Instagram he is @iandownesphotos – he would welcome your suggestions for what to look out for.
