Start Licensing’s Ian Downes heads to Lunch! this week and finds key examples of licensing in play.
Too soon?
Just as this year’s Licensing Awards have just been placed on sideboards and desks around the industry, I think I may have spotted an early favourite to win an accolade next year.
Thinking about the promotions category, there is much to admire about a really clever use of the classic gaming brand Space Invaders. A TV lead campaign uses the iconic Space Invader to convey a road safety message seeking to educate drivers to leave room between cars in traffic and not to invade the driver in front’s space. Simple but effective.
Visually, the Space Invader image is a perfect fit and will stay in people’s consciousness. It is good to see an iconic brand and character being used for good in this context. Age wise, Space Invaders will be familiar to drivers in their 40s and 50s which gives the campaign wider reach. I assume the campaign is using Space Invaders officially and as such it must be a contender for next year’s awards. Sadly William Hill hasn’t opened a book on the awards yet so I can’t back my hunch.
Public information campaigns like this one are significant and important. It strikes me that well established IP holds good potential in this category of marketing. Campaigns like the Space Invaders one might inspire other campaigns to consider tapping into the licensing market to help create their campaigns. There have been other examples over the years, but in the modern more cluttered media market a well known brand character or IP can help achieve cut through. I have always thought Wacky Races would be a good fit for an organisation like the DVLA in relation to car tax and insurance for example. Maybe that has been done already… as an industry veteran you start to forget things!
It wouldn’t be right if a week went past without visiting a trade show. This week I went to Lunch! This show – held at ExCeL – focuses on food on the go. As such it takes in categories like chocolate, popcorn, coffee, bakery, crisps, snack bars and, of course, classics such as sandwiches. It is a busy show full of interesting exhibitors including start ups and new brands. There are lots of opportunities to taste and sample products. Even so yet again I ended up buying lunch at Lunch!
While many companies were naturally pushing their own brands and were focused on building a strong brand identity, there were a few noteworthy examples of licensing in play.
POPS is a popsicle company founded in 2014. Its first product was a champagne-based popsicle. In 2017, it partnered with Diageo to develop a Pimm’s popsicle. Initially the product featured in retailers like Selfridges and Harvey Nicols but over time distribution has built up for the brand. The Pimm’s product is now available in Tesco, showing a gear change for the company and reinforcing the value of a well chosen licence. Of course, as always a licence has to be used well and, in the case of a taste driven brand like Pimm’s, the licensed product needs to deliver on brand. POPS seems to have succeeded in this.
Fruity Pot featured VIMTO in its range of jelly products available in traditional pots and newer pouch style packaging. This is a well established product using a strong brand. Flavour and taste is key here, not least as VIMTO is made to a secret recipe. It is interesting to see Fruity Pot using a show like Lunch! to promote its products, recognising ‘on the go’ is a good space to be in opening up diverse distribution which means it doesn’t have to rely entirely on supermarkets where competition with brands like Hartley’s and own brand can be intense, even when using a brand like VIMTO. VIMTO will resonate well in retail sectors like travel and convenience.
Crisp company Burt’s is taking a portfolio approach to licensing, featuring a range of licences which all seem to be centred on brands with strong visual identity and distinct flavours. Important for display and impulse purchase. The brands in its range were Levi Roots, Hobgoblin beer, Jim Beam and Guinness. These brands also fit well into the pub and bar market. Here Burt’s has also alighted on brands that stand out and can compete with supersized brands in the category.
Joe & Seph’s popcorn was also present and Marmite still features as part of its gourmet popcorn range. Marmite has helped create brand awareness for it and helped give it a point of difference in a competitive sector. Obviously other factors have come into play, not least the strong branding and pack style of Joe & Seph’s, but it is good to see Marmite remains part of the offer. Long-term licensing can pay off for all parties.
Another observation at Lunch! was how many of the brands had linked their products to good causes, with a percentage of profits flowing back to a nominated charity. This seems to be a go to tactic for many start up and younger brands. I think this is in large part because the brand owners think it is the ‘right’ thing to do and a natural course for them to follow. I think it reflects a shift in business and brands taking more of a ‘world view’. It is something licensing needs to be aware of as well.
As I left Lunch! I literally bumped into another show at ExCeL. This was the New Scientist Live show. It is a consumer show based on a magazine brand. There were lots of school parties in attendance. From what I could see it is very much a hands on show, coupled with demos and talks. It is a really good reminder that brand licensing has potential in a range of sectors and that in challenging times experiential licensing holds great potential for the industry.
I am not sure what basis the New Scientist show operates on, but the key point is that the magazine brand is being leveraged in the live space, not least as it is capable of delivering an audience and it is an offer that consumers can easily understand.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me, Paul Bufton and Simon Gresswell for our #hikeforcal – the hike in Cornwall was a 24 hour walk covering 40 miles. It was in aid of Mind and in memory of my son Calum. With your help we have raised over £7,000 – I am very grateful. Hopefully as well events like this encourage people to talk about mental health and well-being.
It is good to talk.
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.
