Start Licensing’s Ian Downes spots examples of timing and placement being spot on this week.
Timing and placement are two things that are important to get right in licensing. Of course lots of other factors come into play, but if you get both of these things right it is more likely you will succeed. I saw a few good examples of these two factors in the market this week.
Whether you love it or loathe it, Halloween seems to be here to stay and it is a ‘retail moment’ that licensing is playing a part in. I saw a good example of a licensee and retailer seizing that moment this week in WHSmith. Publisher Dorling Kindersley (DK) had secured at till space for its LEGO Halloween book. The book was LEGO Halloween Ideas and was competitively priced at £6. Being placed at till points during Halloween week made a lot of sense – good timing and good placement. I’m not sure how difficult something like this is to coordinate and deliver, but it is a good template for other ‘retail moments’ that licensed products can feature in. When you are heavily involved in the cut and thrust of licensing it is easy to forget that licensed brands can be useful tools for retailers and that it is getting easier for licensed brands to be themed to suit particular opportunities.
Indeed this is something I reflected on last week during the panel discussion I was part of. I was joined on the panel by three retailers who all owned independent gift shops. We discussed licensing and licensed products in general. Some independent retailers can be nervous about licensing in regards to how licensed ranges might fit their aesthetic and also around pricing (fearing they may be undercut by bigger retailers). These are legitimate concerns. One counterpoint I put forward was that brand owners and licensees are normally keen to support all retailers and actually there could be opportunities for independents to use licensed products to help bring consumers into stores.
I used an example of a campaign that card retailer Between the Lines ran last year with our client Nadiya Hussain and card publisher Woodmansterne around Mother’s Day. Between the Lines featured an oversized Mother’s Day card from the Nadiya range in its windows along with the wider range. This was eye-catching and impactful – it also generated some noticeable social media traction.
I noticed this week that the gift shop at Gilbert White’s House in Hampshire had created a display focused on artist Angela Harding’s stationery and card range. Angela has a very distinctive style and I have noticed a range of independent retailers focusing on her products with dedicated displays. This is, of course, because the product fit the aesthetic, but also because it can build multi product displays. I also think Angela and her licensing partners help with support materials for retailers.
In a similar vein I noticed independent gift retailer Dragonfly, which is located in Cheam village, was making the most of the opportunity that the Paddington in Peru film had created. It had a FSDU from Rainbow Designs prominently displayed in the window – the FSDU was full of product and made a very effective display piece. Yes these products will be available elsewhere, but by making it clear they were in stock Dragonfly was doing its best to ride the Paddington wave. The local high street location will also make it convenient for consumers to pop in and buy one. Of course, Rainbow Designs has done a great job in supporting a local independent retailer.
There definitely seems to be a trend for retailers to invest in FSDUs to increase selling space and to grab consumers attention in store. Licensing and licensed products are well suited to this way of selling. To this end I spotted a FSDU in a Tesco Metro branch in Waterloo selling Character Roll Wrap and Bags (read that quickly and it sounds like a firm of accountants). The FSDU was filled with Christmas product and included characters like Bluey and Elf. It is a great way of selling pick up items and a good use of popular characters. It is also a reminder that when thinking about supermarkets it is worth remembering the growing importance of the smaller format Local and Metro formats. Consumers are shopping in different ways, at different times and in different locations.
It is also interesting to see how brand owners are bringing their brands to consumers through experiential campaigns. Monty Bojangles is a fast growing chocolate brand. It focuses on Chocolate Truffles in particular. I have worked with it over the years where it has been both a licensee and a licensor. It is in a highly competitive category and it can be a challenge to stand out. It has used a range of techniques to grow the business and brand. The most recent campaign centred on creating a ‘pop up’ brand experience at London’s King’s Cross station. Running from Friday to Sunday the ‘pop up’ included an opportunity to experience the brand and sample some products. I visited on Friday and the event was well attended. I am sure that was the case through the weekend. It is a great example of a brand taking control of ‘timing and placement’ to help build their brand’s consumer profile and fire up consumer engagement. As we know licensing is doing well in the experiential sector and there is scope for licensing to play a fuller role in this space.
On a final note, as I have reported before I am a great fan of street art and always take time to take a look out for it on my travels. My unscientific research is telling me that street artists are being ‘inspired by’ well known characters more and more. Maybe this is a sign of the ongoing growth in ‘pop culture’. There are more and more consumers out there who have been exposed to ‘characters’.
This week I spotted a really charming street art rendition of Charlie Brown. I spotted it in the Undercroft on London’s South Bank. It is always interesting to see which character brands have made onto the wall. If you have the time the South Bank and Waterloo’s Leake Street are great locations to go street art hunting.
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.
