Start Licensing’s Ian Downes picks his six of the best from this week’s show.
Another week , another trade show.
This time, like many of my licensing industry colleagues, I visited the UK Toy Fair at Olympia. The licensing and toy industries are closely intertwined with many toy companies using licensing to create product ranges and also toy companies using licensing as a way of growing the reach of toy brands. As a visitor it is hard to draw firm and informed conclusions on overall trends, but my snapshot analysis was that the presence for licensing and licensed products at the show was slightly down on previous years. This may be more about how exhibitors are presenting ranges rather than absolute numbers. But I guess it is a timely reminder that the licensing industry shouldn’t take the toy industry for granted – toy companies need to be ‘sold’ licensing and licences; there is a new generation of companies and personnel in the sector, some of these may not be so closely wedded to the business of licensing.
Like many shows the value of attending is seeing what is happening in an industry, spotting new opportunities but also listening to what colleagues and companies are saying. Lots of good information and insight can be gained in an exhibition hall aisle or coffee queue – sometimes people seem to forget they are standing next to people who are in the same industry! Loose lips sink ships – that was always one of my favourite bits of propaganda.
In terms of my Lookout I thought it would be worthwhile to pinpoint my six of the best at the show – six good examples of licensing or companies using licensing in a new, progressive ways.
In my own work, it was encouraging to see Sinco Creations showcasing its Shaun the Sheep range. Sinco is new to licensing but a company with a lot of experience. The pleasing aspect of this deal is that a new company has decided to get involved in licensing. The industry needs new players: a common complaint I heard from others selling licences was the difficulty in getting companies to commit to new licences or deals.
The other thing that was satisfying about this deal was the speed to market that Sinco achieved. It has moved quickly with Aardman to make sure product was available for trade show season. This is partly due to Aardman preparing the market in design and sourcing terms before doing a deal, but also because Sinco was determined to make the most of the opportunity as quickly as possible.
It is also good to see a licence and brand with longevity in the market. I spotted the Horrible Science range on the GALT stand. It was well promoted on the side of the stand. The range is based on the successful book series from Scholastic. I am not sure how long it has been in the market, but it seems quite a long-term licence to me.
It is a good example of how a well chosen and focused licence can allow a toy company to build a long-term range. I am guessing Galt has added to and refreshed the range along the way. This is a reminder that successful licensing in toys isn’t always about the newest or hottest licences. It is also a good example of how a solid and traditional category such as science can benefit from the application of a well chosen licence.
Book properties are a good hunting ground for licensees. Publishing to product seems to be a growing trend. Another good example of this trend was to be found on the Fiesta Crafts stand. It was showcasing a new range of Roald Dahl hand puppets and finger puppets. It has developed products featuring characters such as Willy Wonka, Matilda and The BFG. All classic characters that have been developed in other media beyond books, but at heart are literary characters.
Fiesta Crafts is not a heavy user of licensing but it has recognised these characters fit well with the products and customer base, while also offering them the potential to open up new accounts such as book stores. It has been mindful of the fact that new accounts may not be used to selling this kind of product and may not have dedicated space so it has created branded counterpacks that can be filled with a product assortment. This should make it easier for retailers to say yes while also maximising the visual value of the licence. It is good to see classic characters like the Dahl characters being used by toy companies.
Another concern being raised in the market is the challenge in getting a new property off the ground. It seems harder to do so these days, particularly if it is not one owned or operated by a ‘big’ media player.
So in this context it was reassuring and encouraging to see the non-media based property Hamsta World launching a range of feature plush via Posh Paws. These characters are ones that are very much founded in the digital world with exposure from platforms like YouTube and Instagram. They are modern ‘social expression’ characters – reaching the licensing market in large part because of their cute appeal and potential for social media sharing. In that respect it is a modern property.
The licensee sees potential in the characters because of its origins and has shown some flexibility by not being wedded to the usual ‘is it on TV?’ approach to licence acquisition. It is nice to see fresh faces, even Hamsta ones, on exhibitors’ shelves in a core and competitive category like plush.
Likewise Brands with Influence should be applauded for its tenacity in bringing Bush Baby World to the market. It was showcased on the Golden Bear stand with a fabulous range of plush products which Golden Bear had really presented well with a large space on the booth, a throne for selfies and frequent use of a very visible costume character.
My understanding is that Brands with Influence has created its own content for the property and has built momentum for the property by its own efforts rather than waiting for things to happen. This proactive approach seems to be paying off. Golden Bear clearly believes in the property and has invested in a range that retailers can really build on.
I think this is good news for the industry as a whole as it shows things can be done differently. Also it should encourage others to think about their approach to selling and brand management – there are different ways of doing things and maybe the straight down the middle licensing deal has to sometimes change.
Finally, and returning to the publishing world, Mr Men and Little Miss featured on a fantastic range of wooden toys by Jumini. Mr Men and Little Miss seem well matched to the wooden toys category not least because of the colours, shapes and simplicity of the characters. It is a publishing brand that has longevity and recognition – two qualities that are useful in a category like wooden toys.
Jumini was located in the Greenhouse area of the Toy Fair – it is good to see a relatively new business putting its faith into licensing. As an aside I am quite surprised that more start up businesses don’t consider licensing as a tool to help them gain credibility and momentum. Apparently this deal started at Toy Fair last year when a member of the Sanrio team coldcalled Jumini. Again this is encouraging that a direct approach can pay off. There is always a balance at trade shows – exhibitors are there to sell, but I think in a controlled way a polite cold call or enquiry can be appropriate.
Jumini seems to have embraced the property well and captured it well in its category. I can see the range selling well and sitting alongside the iconic Mr Men and Little Miss books (and book spinners) in retail. Also to its credit it was good to see Jumini and Sanrio bring some theatre to the show. Mr Men artist Adam Hargreaves was on hand to draw Mr Men and Little Miss characters for visitors – this proved very popular.
In a busy show having some added value on a stand can make a difference. It also allowed me chance to catch up with Adam – someone I first worked with over 25 years ago and invite him to draw a character for me. He drew Mr Clumsy… fortunately I managed to leave the stand in one piece!
I should say he also drew Mr Happy for my great nephew Dexter – a gift that has been very well received by Dexter and his mum. A sure sign of a character with cross generational appeal.
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.
