It is with great regret that LicensingSource.net announces the passing of licensing industry PR guru Jane Garner, after a short illness.
Jane had been at the heart of the licensing industry for over 35 years, starting her career – like so many stalwarts did – with time at CPLG.
Having honed her PR and marketing skills over two decades, she established her own public relations company, Kilogrammedia, over 20 years ago. Jane and Kilogram became key players in the licensing industry, representing among many others over the years Bulldog Licensing, Rocket Licensing and the RHS, as well as doing an extraordinary job in contributing to the success of both The Licensing Awards and the BELLAs via internal and external media contacts.
“We at Max Publishing are truly shocked and devastated with the tragic news of Jane’s passing. As well losing a colleague, we have lost a loving friend of over 30 years. When our business first ventured into the embryonic licensing industry all those years ago, Jane was there, offering advice and support and was forever opening doors for us. It was not just us that benefited from Jane’s advice and kindness – she was there to help anyone wanting to progress in licensing. Jane, we will miss you terribly.”
Further details around Jane’s memorial will be announced in due course.
LicensingSource.net joins the industry in mourning Jane, while also celebrating her great talents and long tenure.
Charlie Donaldson, joint md, Rocket Licensing
“Jane was always the ultimate PR guru, anything was possible. She was relentlessly positive and professional and always keen to take on a challenge. I first worked with Jane in the mid-90s and even back then she was always fun and full of hilarious stories. But, Jane never lost focus on doing a great job and was a forceful advocate for licensing, an industry that she loved. Jane and Kilogram have been Rocket’s PR agent since we started in 2007 and Jane was a huge influence as we took those early steps to starting an agency. She generated amazing coverage of our first clients and deals and played a huge role in building our brand and helping us establish our company, as she has done with many others. Jane will be missed, she was much loved by all of us at Rocket and by her many friends and colleagues.”
Sian Dorrington, Kilogrammedia
“Jane’s quirky personality and her great sense of humour kept everyone entertained. Her big heart and generous nature made Jane the person she was. Regarded with such affection and respect, I only wish she was here to see all the love from her dear friends, clients and colleagues.”
Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS
“From the first time I met the lovely Jane Garner, I knew I had struck gold. In Jane I had a well-connected licensing professional to steer me through my early years in this wonderful industry. She helped me so much, with some fantastic introductions and always had a useful suggestion or two. I loved our ‘quick catch-ups’ that went on for hours!
In Jane though, I also had a great friend. And that is what I will miss more than anything. The giggles, the anecdotes about Jackdaw and her other animals. Her love for my menagerie. Our shared love of the MG Midget, hedgehogs and much more. To me she is an irreplaceable force and a licensing legend. Cheers to you Jane Garner, a beautiful lady I am so pleased to have spent time with.”
Steve Manners, head of global marketing and UK md, Licensing International
“All of us at Licensing International are shocked and saddened by the news about Jane. Personally, I have known Jane since I first came into the industry over 30 years ago. We first worked together when I ran 20th Century Fox consumer products in Europe and she headed up PR at CPLG, our European agents. I loved our meetings together; she had such a depth of understanding of all areas of licensing and its ever-changing landscape and, having set up Kilogram Media, she served her clients so incredibly well plus, importantly, she was such fun too! I loved her sense of humour and over the years have relished the time we got to meet and have a really good catch up. The industry is going to be a poorer place without her, and our thoughts go out to her family, friends and clients.”
