A trip to PG Live was on the ‘cards’ for Start Licensing’s Ian Downes this week.
I spent two days at the Progressive Greetings Live Show this week. Rather like the London Stationery Show which runs at the same venue, PG Live is a really focused show concentrating on the business of greetings cards. I think this focus benefits the exhibitors and visitors.
Licensing was a feature of the show, with a number of exhibitors showing licensed ranges and also examples of greetings card ranges that have been the launchpad for outbound licensing programmes. In the latter category, one of the most noteworthy examples was Carte Blanche’s Me to You. They had a very impressive stand which showcased their own products which were centred on cards, plush and giftware; Me to You is a great example of how a greetings and gift brand can fire up a licensing programme. Me to You has been a great success in licensing terms and the Carte Blanche stand at PG Live gave a good indication that we haven’t seen the last of the grey bear in the licensing market.
An advantage of working with a brand that has its core business in the card and gift market is that it has established retail distribution, lots of useable artwork and a well defined consumer market. A challenge is keeping the brand fresh and moving it into new categories in a credible way. I think in the case of Carte Blanche they have majored on soft lines such as bedding and home furnishings, plus spreading out into other gifting lines such as confectionery.
A lesson here is to build from your core area and brand strength – a well ordered licensing campaign can be more long lasting than one which takes a scattergun approach. Sometimes licensors can make the mistake of trying to play in product categories that aren’t best suited to their brand.
Danilo, one of the biggest players in licensed greetings cards and calendars, showcased their Ladybird for Grown-Ups greetings cards and calendar range. I declare an interest in this as Start Licensing are acting as a consultant to brand owners Penguin on this brand.
What impressed me about the range was the way Danilo had used the design and adapted it well to their product category. A lesson here is that it is worth working on design with an emphasis on making it work for the product category concerned in a specific and bespoke way. I think Danilo’s range is also an excellent example of quick work in licensing. Sometimes licensing can be criticised for taking too long over product development which means momentum can be lost.
In this case product has been developed quickly with an eye on opportunities like PG Live and Quarter 4 sales. Clearly a category like greetings cards can be moved more quickly than other product categories because of the production process and sourcing involved.
That said, it is worth bearing in mind that there is a virtue in responding quickly to opportunities and perhaps as licensing opportunities emerge more rapidly from non – traditional sources licensing has to get better at working more quickly.
The beauty of greetings cards in licensing terms as shown at PG Live is that it reflects the industry as a whole with a diverse range of licences and types of licensing on show.
Noteworthy licensed ranges I spotted included Card Mix’s Kirstie Allsop range and I was very impressed by Museums & Galleries use of licensing, in particular the V&A and Matthew Williamson ranges. The greetings card industry shows clearly that licensing is a very diverse industry. Companies like Danilo, Gemma and Portico have shown the way in character licensing, but even they have diversified to capture other opportunities.
I particularly like Danilo’s use of comedy programmes and comedians to create a humour range – a natural fit – their Tommy Cooper range being a prime example of how ‘real’ humour can translate well into greetings card. A stand out card being How Do You Open This Magical Card ? … and you open it to see a grinning Tommy saying “Just Like That”.
Maybe not one for those under 30, but great use of a classic comedian and an unforgettable line. In a way I am surprised that they aren’t more card ranges based on ‘real’ comedians.
Greetings cards are also a relative low cost entry point to licensing for companies – yes there will still be the cost of a licence, but the production costs in the category are relatively modest.
With this in mind this allows engagement with a wider pool of companies and perhaps card companies should consider using licences more often (although I acknowledge many card companies quite rightly want to own and create their own IP).
I thought Dry Red Press’ use of legendary football artist Paul Trevillion’s artwork to create a greeting card range based on his You Are The Ref series was great to see. Good to see this artwork getting a second life through licensing. The range was well presented on Dry Red Press’ stand and was enhanced by a visit from Paul himself.
I would also applaud licensee Roy Lowe & Sons. They are a long-standing licensee that specialise in socks. Not necessarily an obvious candidate for PG Live – not least as I noted earlier based on the fact that PG Live is a very focused show.
However, Roy Lowe are seeking to develop the idea of giving socks as a gift – which I am sure we all do already but probably in a traditional way at Christmas for example. Roy Lowe are looking to develop and build on this ‘habit’ by securing distribution into greetings cards shops, gift shops and the independent trade. I think one aim is to develop impulse ‘pick up’ purchasing for the product.
They thought PG Live was an efficient way of getting this message across and they have developed ranges of ‘collectable’ and gift socks using licences such as Shopkins and Trolls. They have worked on specific gift packaging and sales materials. Their packaging is neat, easy to pick up and displays well. I understand Roy Lowe had some encouraging meetings at PG Live – I think they should be applauded for exploring a new sales channel and also looking to use licensing in a new way.
I think we all agree that as an industry we need to think about innovation and developing distribution to push licensing onwards. We can’t stand still – as retail and consumer behaviour changes our industry needs to shift with it.
Outside of PG Live I popped into the London Transport Museum Shop this week and was very impressed by their Paddington range. A clever choice for the Museum given its subject matter and location in Covent Garden. There was a mix of products including books, plush and gifts that had been very well coordinated.
This is a great example of licensees, agent and licensor seeking out new retail opportunities and nurturing those. I think museum shops are a great outlet for licensed products if there is a good match between brand, product and museum.
As I mentioned earlier Museums & Galleries use licences in the main sourced from that sector really well – their product range is another illustration of the opportunity that exists in the heritage sector for licensing.
Ian Downes runs Start Licensing, an independent brand licensing agency. His Twitter handle is @startlicensing – he would welcome your suggestions for what to look out for.
