Start Licensing’s Ian Downes returns from a productive two days at Autumn Fair at Birmingham’s NEC and highlights some exhibitors who were using licensing to their advantage.
I spent a couple of enjoyable and productive days last week at Autumn Fair at the NEC. The show was much reduced in size and scale but from my perspective which is, of course, centred on licensing I thought it was worthwhile. Times have certainly moved on and it is a very different show from years gone by – like all trade shows I think the show organisers are reflecting on things with an eye on adding some new elements to the show. I guess the modern trade show needs to be a business hub with a range of activities taking place in and around the show.
One thought I had was to create more of a focus on start up businesses, early stage businesses and businesses from under represented sectors. There are elements of this already in the show, but potentially this could be dialled up more. Indeed there could be a link here to licensing with a focus on businesses using licensing to help them get started. Licensing has a good track record of working with new businesses. A well chosen licence can bring momentum and instant credibility.
I had this thought in my mind when catching up with a couple of licensee companies at the NEC. Willsow is a great example of a young company that has embraced licensing and has used licensing to help it build the business in its early stages. Willsow was successful on Dragons’ Den and has the backing of Sara Davies (Sara is a keynote speaker at the forthcoming BLE). Willsow has developed plantable seed books and cards. It has developed its own range of books and cards, but has added licensing to its portfolio initially with Shaun the Sheep and, more recently, with the addition of a RHS licence for plantable cards and a calendar. For a company like Willsow having a RHS licence should help it unlock more distribution in the garden centre sector. Indeed it recently benefitted from a Shaun the Sheep art trail at RHS gardens – the Shaun the Sheep books were listed in RHS shops. Willsow is a great example of a company bringing energy and enthusiasm to the market. Licensing has helped give it momentum, but I also think licensing has benefitted from its new ideas and fresh thinking.
It was good to see another licensee making progress with a new venture. Phil King who successfully built Trademark Products into a noteworthy company in the licensed apparel market left that business about six months ago, and very soon after set up a new venture, Character Wear.
The company is focused on licensed apparel particularly t-shirts with an emphasise on fan driven franchises, cult properties and pop culture. The company and its products were featured on parent company Get Retro’s stand. It was good to see the progress Phil has made in six months. The Character Wear portfolio includes Naruto, Haynes, Seasame Street and Godzilla. Autumn Fair suits Phil and his distribution which is focused on specialists, independents and ecommerce. Character Wear has created and designed a portfolio which suits this market well. It is a welcome reminder that the retail landscape is changing, not least in response to demands from fans seeking out more specialist merchandise. This is a ‘gift’ retail strand and dynamic that Autumn Fair could build on.
Progress can come in many forms. Long-term licensee William Lamb was at the show and had an eye-catching stand which was well presented, full of its core products of bags, rucksacks and footwear. I was very impressed by how William Lamb has progressed and kicked on in a traditional category. It has embraced contemporary design, used new materials and invested in its product. It is a great example of a licensee which is adding value to licensing through design and attention to detail.
For example it has invested in 3D zip pulls and shaped rucksacks. It has also created new formats like mini bags. Licensing is a business that can’t and shouldn’t stand still. William Lamb is a great example of a licensee which has used licensing to add momentum to the business. In the context of Autumn Fair, its stand would have been a must visit for any retailer that stocks bags and footwear. It can be tough to bring something new to licensing and specifically to highly successful brands like Bluey, but I think William Lamb has succeeded in driving a traditional category forward through the creativity.
It is also good to see the progress made by gift company Widdop & Co. It is a big supporter of the Spring and Autumn Fairs with prominent stands at both shows, blending licensed and non-licensed lines. What I found interesting at Autumn Fair was Widdop featuring a number of licences that wouldn’t be regarded as mainstream but have been added to Widdop’s portfolio, arguably because they deliver a hard to reach audience or add a new dynamic to a traditional gift giving category like men’s gifts.
A good example of this was the range of ‘officially licensed’ RAF glassware. Featuring aircraft like the Vulcan bomber this range brings something new to a conservative category and makes good use of a well targeted licensed brand. It is good to see licensees like Widdop recognising that well chosen though less heralded licences can deliver an audience.
It is always good to see a licensed brand being used creatively and with imagination.
Professor Puzzle’s use of the Einstein licence is a great example of a licensee matching brand to product really well. It has developed a Letter Block Challenge featuring Einstein’s name and also a board game. The Letter Block Challenge product is available in a countertop box making it an easy item for gift shops to sell and display. In this context an on brand ‘brand’ can really help retailers. A consumer looking for a pick up gift will recognise the Einstein brand and understand the appeal of the product quickly as well.
Finally, and returning to the theme of progress, it was also great to see the progress made by toy company Left Field Toys. A feature item on its stand was the Blokees Transformers construction toys. Presented in branded FSDUs, this was a range that was retail ready. You can imagine buyers in the pop culture, comic and toy space seeing this as a great pick for them. Well presented product with a proven licence that combines collectability and construction well. I also liked the fact that Left Field Toys’ stand was open and welcoming. It also had a product expert on hand to explain the range and its ‘product benefits’. I think this latter point is particularly important when talking to buyers from specialist retailers. They are dealing with fans of franchises and it is important that products deliver for fans. I think the Transformers Blokees range will definitely deliver for fans and its is great to see Hasbro embracing this category with a licensee.
Autumn Fair may not be what it was, but I still found it worthwhile not least as it was good to see the progress being made by a number of companies who have licensing at the core of their businesses.
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.
