We delve into the licensing life of Mothercare’s head of character and licensing.
Barbara Robinson,
Head of character and licensing, Mothercare Group
My route into licensing went something like this…
Along with most people, my route into the licensing industry was pretty accidental; my involvement dates back to joining Mothercare as a senior merchandiser on the Kids Essentials, Hosiery and Footwear area. I joined at around the same time as my erstwhile companion, Emma Baker, and we soon realised that our range selections could be better informed if we knew more about the licences. It coincided with a time when licensors and licensees were starting to engage retailers more proactively and we embraced it.
How many years in the industry?
That was more than 12 years ago now, and I never looked back.
When I was growing up, I had no idea licensing was an industry so I wanted to be…
I had no idea what I was going to do with my life after Uni – I fell into merchandising (itself a little known career path at the time ) on the back of taking a summer job at Debenhams and talking to the buying & merchandising team at their head office. That led to a career in merchandising and category planning for Debenhams, House of Fraser, Woolworths and latterly Mothercare.
The deal I am most proud of is…
I am proud of the fact that at Mothercare we were one of the earliest adopters of Peppa Pig and then George. Recently, I am particularly proud of the success of the Baby Character programme that goes from strength to strength. I am very much looking forward to the imminent launch of our beautiful and exclusive Peter Rabbit range to coincide with Beatrix Potter’s 150th Anniversary. That will be followed by an exciting new partnership with Nurture Rights and the Natural History Museum to range Dinosaur Roar clothing, accessories and toys over the summer.
My most interesting experience in licensing has been…
Over the years, I have enjoyed so many unique opportunities and experiences thanks to this great industry – it’s so hard to choose, but among the highlights has to be taking part in the Coronation Street spoof episode for the Licensing Awards – even if it did mean playing dead under a pile of rubble!
The best piece of advice I have ever received is…
Choose your battles – you can’t win them all, so only use your energies on the ones that matter. That, and park the things you can neither control or influence. There’s no point stressing the things you can’t affect.
Who do you admire most in the industry (and why)?
Those who take things in their stride and, having always held down a full time career while raising three children, those women who have to do it on their own.
If I wasn’t in licensing, I would be…
One of the things I enjoy most about the licensing industry is the mix of high profile women working in it. The same can be said of retail in general, so if I wasn’t in licensing, I would be doing something equally as motivating and interesting somewhere else within the retail business.
In a film of your life, which licensed character would play you?
I would like to think Lisa Simpson would represent me – I love her attitude. However, anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Toy Story, so it would have to be Jessie.
If I could change anything about the industry, it would be…
To find a way to allow the smaller properties to get a fair share of shelf space. Too often, it is survival of the biggest and some lovely properties get squeezed out. We need to find a way to work alongside licensors and licensees to trial more and test things out.
