Category Archives: People

Licensing International welcomes seven new members to its Board of Directors

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A raft of seven industry executives has been welcomed to the Licensing International Board of Directors, bringing with them diverse experiences that ‘will help foster the growth and expansion’ of the global licensing industry.

Mad Engine Apparel’s Dean Allen, ViacomCBS Consumer Products’ Veronica Hart, and The Brand Liaison’s Steven Heller join Spirit Halloween and Spencer Gifts’ Holly Rawlinson, Isaac Morris’ Milin Shah, OneTeam Partners’ Malaika Underwood, and WildBrain CPLG’s Maarten Weck to take up their positions on the Board of Directors from July 1st this year.

“I’m pleased to welcome the seven new members of our Board, whose invaluable and diverse experiences will help Licensing International foster the growth and expansion of brand licensing around the world,” said Licensing International president, Maura Regan.

“I’d also like to thank the outgoing members of our Board for their time and dedication – Liza Abrams, Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, Sam Ferguson, Bill Patterson, and Jason Sutton.”

Mad Engine Apparel’s Allen is an industry veteran with more than 20 years in the apparel industry. Having been the company’s chief merchandising officer since 2018, Dean served as executive vice president for the company from 2014 to 2018 overseeing and leading the sales, licensing, production and product development teams. 

Meanwhile, ViacomCBS Consumer Products’ EVP global franchise planning, Veronica Hart leads CP strategic planning, brand positioning and trade marketing executions across key markets for ViacomCBS Consumer Products. Veronica came from CBS, where she built the franchise planning team for Star Trek while running the company’s licensing and consumer products division. Previously, Hart handled licensing at a variety of entertainment companies such as HIT Entertainment, Sesame Workshop, and The Jim Henson Company.

Founder of The Brand Liaison, Steven Heller is a trademark and licensing attorney. Throughout his 30-year career, Heller has been active in all aspects of licensing from launching new brands to representing both brand owners and manufacturers in licensing deals with some of the world’s largest brands. Heller is nicknamed “The Professor,” as he is a renowned public speaker and professor of business and law.

Rawlinson – GM business development, Spirit Halloween & Spencer Gifts, has held executive licensing positions at DreamWorks, Paramount Studios, Mattel, and Pokémon. Winner of “Wonder Woman” and “Licensing Executive of the Year” awards from the Women in Toys association, Rawlinson, in her previous leadership position, oversaw the launch of FanShop, the ecommerce site of NBC-Universal’s movie ticketing division, Fandango.

Milin Shah currently serves as senior vice president and general counsel for Isaac Morris and Culture Fly leading sales, licensing, and new business. Prior to IML and CultureFly, he worked for Earthbound Brands and Bradford License India. In 2015, Milin was awarded by Licensing International as a Rising Star. Milin graduated from Seton Hall Law School with a concentration in IP and Entertainment, and is currently admitted to both New York and New Jersey Bar Associations.

Malaika Underwood – SVP Licensing, OneTeam Partners was recently named one of Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Underwood is Senior Vice President of Licensing at OneTeam Partners where she is tasked with providing oversight for the company’s growing licensing business and positioning the company to deliver value to college athletes as the NCAA landscape changes. Prior to joining OneTeam Partners, Malaika worked for The Brandr Group (TBG), IMG Licensing, and the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).

Finally, Maarten Weck, EVP and managing director, WildBrain CPLG brings more than 20 years of licensing industry experience to his role overseeing global operations for WildBrain CPLG. Formerly WildBrain CPLG’s managing director for Northern Europe, the UK, Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Benelux territories, Weck has been with the agency for over 13 years.

BBC Studios reshuffles licensing team as Rikesh Desai leaves licensing director role

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BBC Studios has detailed a reorganisation of its licensing team following the departure of Rikesh Desai, the company’s licensing director for the UK and EMEA.

Director of magazines, Mandy Thwaites will take on additional responsibility for the merchandising team, while global director of live entertainment, Mat Way, will now also lead the gaming and interactive team. Both will continue to report to Stephen Davies, BBC Studios’ managing director of consumer products and licensing.

Davies said: “Rikesh has been a driving force behind our merchandise and gaming licensing activity for the last few years and he generated a significant amount of new business and growth for the company, the recent ground-breaking Doctor Who game releases and the tidal wave of Bluey merchandise deals to name a few. It’s fair to say that he has left those businesses in terrific shape.

“I am delighted that Mandy and Mat have agreed to take on additional responsibilities. Mandy has enormous and impressive experience in business leadership, particularly in the field of licensing, and has deep expertise in stakeholder and client relationship management. She also plays a key role in delivering our sustainability agenda, a key consideration for the merchandise team.

“Mat, similarly, has a huge depth of experience. His role managing rights licensing for live entertainment has significant synergy with gaming and interactive markets, as evidenced by recent collaborative projects including the Green Planet 5G project.

“Mandy and Mat both bring passion, energy and commercial nous to carry on the excellent work taking place across the consumer products and licensing division here at BBC Studios.”

Thwaites joined BBC Studios in 2014 and during her time at the company she has managed multiple magazine licensing deals and compliance for over 20 brands, from Gardeners’ World, to Countryfile, to Doctor Who, Top Gear and CBeebies. She is also responsible for the recently relaunched topgear.com.

She said: “It couldn’t be a better time for me to be joining forces with the incredible merchandise team. We’ve the launch of Bluey products about to launch in the UK off the back of the show’s massive success in Australia and the USA. And then Bluey is off to Europe. Hey Duggee will lead the way as we’re soon to roll him out too across European territories. And sustainability is top of my to do list, we’ve made great strides in this area but there is still work to do.”

Meanwhile, Way has worked in the live entertainment team at BBC Studios for 10 years and was promoted to global director of live entertainment in 2018. Following an early career in radio production, he has almost 20 years’ experience working for world-class content studios.

He and his team have delivered landmark projects for the business including, the launch of CBeebies Land and CBeebies Land Hotel at Alton Towers, Blue Planet II in Concert, Planet Earth II in Concert, Doctor Who’s immersive production Time Fracture which has just launched in central London, and the Strictly Come Dancing Live Arena Tour.

He said: “I am thrilled to be joining the gaming and interactive business where there is already a deeply knowledgeable and passionate team in place. Both the live entertainment and gaming & interactive businesses provide really exciting opportunities to bring our brands to life and engage fans in new ways, and given the synergy between the two areas, I am looking forward to exploring new ways of working together too.”

ViacomCBS Consumer Products promotes key executives across its leadership team

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ViacomCBS Consumer Products has promoted a swathe of key executives across its leadership team, a move that follows a period of success and growth in the consumer products division across franchises including SpongeBob SquarePants, Blue’s Clues & You, Star Trek, South Park, MTV, and more.

Lourdes Arocho has been promoted to senior vice president, Paramount Pictures Licensing, Global Games and Publishing for ViacomCBS Consumer Products, where she will lead the global strategies and partnerships for these businesses. Meanwhile, Chris Groll is promoted to senior vice president, consumer products design, ViacomCBS, a critical role in liaising with the creative community on brand extensions across all ViacomCBS franchises globally.

Elsewhere, Priya Mukhedkar takes on the role of senior vice president, packaged goods, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, overseeing CPG in the US and expanding her scope to include global promotions and all seasonal and celebrations businesses.

“I want to congratulate Lourdes, Chris, and Priya on their well-deserved promotions and the tremendous leadership that they have shown for their teams,” said Pam Kaufman, president, global consumer products, ViacomCBS. “As they step into their new positions, these roles serve as cornerstones that are crucial to delivering the most innovative global consumer products campaigns for our adored characters and iconic franchises.”

In her expanded role as SVP, Paramount Pictures Licensing, Global Games and Publishing, Arocho will bring her strong industry relationships, strategic growth plans, and proven global partnership management to VCP’s gaming, publishing, and Paramount licensing programs. She has previously launched numerous successful partnerships, retail programs and products driving significant growth for the company’s biggest franchises. Arocho is based in Los Angeles and reports to Pam Kaufman.

Groll has been promoted to senior vice president, consumer products design, ViacomCBS. In this new role, Groll will build on more than a decade of experience in consumer products design. Through his leadership, he has ensured that the consumer products organization is working with forward thinking, best in class designers that reflect current trends, while expanding perspectives on design at a global level.

Groll will continue to oversee his expanding team, and play a key role working with the ViacomCBS content teams to translate the company’s top IP into innovative VCP brand extensions. He is based in New York reporting to David Chustz, executive vice president, global creative group, ViacomCBS.

Finally, as SVP, packaged goods, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, Mukhedkar will continue to oversee all CPG businesses in the US and add global oversight of the promotions and seasonal business.

Since joining ViacomCBS in 2018, Mukhedkar has built strategic alliances with major consumer products brands and is the driving force behind some of our most iconic partnerships. She joined ViacomCBS from The Walt Disney Company where she was responsible for growing the Star Wars and Marvel consumer products business in several categories. She worked across Consumer Products Licensing, Disney Parks and Studios.

WildBrain CPLG appoints Jasen Wright to lead North American expansion in newly created role

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WildBrain CPLG is growing its operations in North America with the appointment of the experienced licensing executive, Jasen Wright to the newly created position of vice president, North America. In this role, Wright will be responsible for driving WildBrain CPLG’s efforts in the region and expanding its portfolio of entertainment and lifestyle brands.

Wright will be based in New York and will report into WildBrain CPLG’s EVP and managing director, Maarten Weck.

The position will see Wright focus much attention on the ambitious plans for WildBrain’s proprietary brands this year and beyond, including Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Teletubbies, and Chip & Potato. He will also lead the local growth of WildBrain CPLG’s wider portfolio of entertainment brands and expand existing relationships with partners, including Square Enix and its arcade gaming IP, Space Invaders.

As well as this, Wright will also drive WildBrain CPLG’s lifestyle portfolio in North America by forging new partnerships and building on existing represented brands, such as Absolut, Malibu, and Harvard and Yale universities. Alyssa Gourlay, based in California, will report into Wright and will continue developing new local opportunities as WildBrain CPLG’s director of business development.

Maarten Weck, EVP and managing director at WildBrain CPLG, said: “As we continue extending our global reach and ensuring we have a robust presence in all corners of the world, the appointment of Jasen adds significant firepower to our global operations.

“We have big plans for the North American market and with Jasen’s remarkable track record in building top-class consumer products programs, we know he’s the ideal candidate to fuel the growth and success of both WildBrain’s brands and our wider portfolio across the region.”

Jasen Wright added: “WildBrain CPLG has an outstanding reputation for developing robust global licensing programs with best-in-class partners across its impressive and varied line-up of brands. I’m looking forward to working closely with Maarten, Alyssa and the wider team as we accelerate WildBrain CPLG’s capabilities and open up further opportunities for both new and existing partners worldwide.”

Jasen Wright has developed consumer product and licensing programmes for major brands across food and beverage, home improvement, automotive, art, sports, lifestyle and entertainment. Most recently Jasen was vice president of licensing and brand management at Beanstalk, and led the global brand licensing business for Diageo’s spirit brands.

While at Beanstalk, he also developed and executed the strategy for extending Stanley Black & Decker, U.S. Army, Ford Motor Company, Harley-Davidson, The Andy Warhol Foundation and Airheads into various categories including home, hardware, home improvement, auto accessories, toys, food and beverage and confectionary.

Prior to returning to Beanstalk in 2017, Jasen worked at vice president of licensing at Bravado/Universal Music Group, Authentic Brands Group and Warner Music Group. Working across music and sports to launch such brands as Paddington Bear, Rolling Stones, Prince, Wiz Khalifa, Grateful Dead and Tretorn, extending those personalities and properties while building their demand as lifestyle brands.

Queer Eye and Dorel Home support Pride Month with Ali Forney Center donation

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The hit TV series Queer Eye is showing its support of Pride Month by donating a portion of proceeds from sales of its Dorel Home furniture line to The Ali Forney Center for the entire month of June.

Launched exclusively to Walmart last year, the Queer Eye Collection of furniture arrived off the back of the successful reboot of the hit TV series from Scout Productions. As the collection prepares to celebrate its first anniversary this July, the branded furniture – designed with Dorel Home via a partnership brokered by IMG – has debuted two new collections.

These new additions ‘mix modern industrial charm with uplifting vibes’, featuring stylish items for inside the home and a brand-new outdoor collection for the summer.

For the month of June, Queer Eye and Dorel Home will donate a portion of proceeds to The Ali Forney Center and will outfit the AFC Harlem Drop-in Center and housing sites located in New York City with furniture pieces in an effort to add comfort to safe spaces.

The Ali Forney Center is dedicated to protecting LGBTQ+ youth from the harms of homelessness and empowering them with the tools needed to live independently. It has grown to become the largest agency dedicated to LGBTQ+ homeless youth in the country, assisting over 2,000 young people per year and providing over 70,000 meals annually.

“It was important for us to commemorate Pride Month in a way that helped make a tangible difference for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly for at-risk youth,” said Claudia Grundman, senior director of brand management of Dorel Home.

“That is why we’re so proud to partner with The Ali Forney Center whose core mission is to protect vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth from the perils of homelessness and to empower them with the tools to live independently. We are humbled to join forces with this inspiring organization.”

Alexander Roque, president and executive director of Ali Forney Center, said: “Queer Eye is a force of nature on the small screen that’s helping to expand representation of the LGBTQ+ community in a positive way.

“Partnering with Queer Eye feels like a natural coming together of two entities focused on creating a brighter future for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s an exciting collaboration and one we’re very glad to be part of.”

The Queer Eye team, added: “One of the great ways to feel good is to give back. The Ali Forney Center is a non-profit focused on at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. They do real work, affect real change and we’re proud to be associated with them.”

Toy Fair NY’s Steve Pasierb | “Brands Untapped” comes to New York to Showcase Toy Brands and Licensing Partners

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Many well-known toy companies have successfully built their properties into iconic global brands that can be found in almost every aisle at retail – spilling out of toys and games into kids’ apparel, backpacks and lunchboxes, cosmetics, school supplies, housewares and more.

As this phenomenon grows, toymakers are also finding creative ways of tapping into older audiences who are either nostalgic for the toy brands they knew and loved as kids, or simply embracing their own inner child, resulting in toy company relationships with high-profile partners spanning the apparel, housewares, food & drink, hospitality, live event, video game, film & TV, and publishing industries.

During Toy Fair New York ’22 (taking place 19 to 22 February), we’ll be celebrating and showcasing these important properties and licensing partnerships in the show’s innovative “Brands Untapped” area at the newly renovated and expanded Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

This partnership between The Toy Association and the team at Mojo Nation, who are dedicated to celebrating the creativity of the toy, game, and designer community, assures “Brands Untapped” will be an experience-rich, curated area that will feature multiple activations designed to showcase toy and game brand extensions, product ranges, and licensed interactions. 

An accompanying “Brands Untapped” conference will host talks and panels delving into design stories behind the extensions of well-known toy brands into categories like footwear, video games, and even hotel suites, allowing New York attendees to get an up-close look at the synergistic relationship between toys, play, and licensing – both within children’s product categories and well beyond.  

Our annual New York marketplace continues to expand and evolve to serve a growing range of attendees across everything play at all ages, importantly including licensors and entertainment executives. With licensed products accounting for better than 30 percent of US toy sales, the future is far more than the past’s licensed product stemming just from movies. All forms of content and digital-first brands (originating from streaming platforms, social media, esports, and so on) are having an incredible impact on the business of play, and companies are licensing their own brands and transforming them into household names, following in the footsteps of Barbie, LEGO, Hot Wheels, and many others. 

Each February in New York, seminars on licensing fundamentals, the latest global trends in licensing, and how to evaluate whether a property is ready for licensing play a vital role. The Toy Association’s trends team also tracks and monitors the impact of blockbuster movies, preschool properties, non-linear channels, and original IPs on toys, among other toy and play trends, and their findings will be announced at Toy Fair ‘22.

In addition to licensing activations, content, and trends via “Brands Untapped” and other programming, the global toy & play community continues to tell us they greatly anticipate returning to the Javits Center next February. There will be so much to explore and discover – and even more reasons to celebrate and connect with toy industry colleagues who are passionate about play and entertainment! We look forward to seeing you all at Toy Fair New York 2022. Visit www.ToyFairNY.com for the latest show news.

Silence is Not an Option author Stuart Lawrence to take part in diversity and inclusion workshop at B&LIS this month

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Stuart Lawrence, the author of Silence is Not an Option, and brother of murdered schoolboy, Stephen Lawrence, is participating in a diversity and inclusion workshop led by Products of Change co-founder, Helena Mansell-Stopher at the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit taking place this month.

The workshop is one of the final sessions to be announced for the packed three-day online event, which takes place June 9th to 11th. Designed specifically to help middle-management, business leaders and owners navigate the changing retail, content and consumer landscape, three-day passes to B&LIS cost £249 (£224 for Licensing International members and qualified retailers are invited to attend free of charge.)

Emoji company CEO and founder Marco Hüsges joins WildBrain CPLG’s EVP and managing director Maarten Weck and WildBrain Spark’s commercial director Rachel Taylor to reveal how they have built an extensive merchandise offering and robust retail presence for the Emoji brand in Europe, including a recently forged content and licensing partnership for new digital-first series Emojitown.

In their session, Emojitown: The Power of Building Brands with Digital-First Strategies, they will explore the significant potential of AVOD and digital strategies in driving successful licensing and merchandising campaigns to build brand success for the long-term.

Senior leaders, broadcast and brand licensing experts from Studiocanal (Valérie Rolandez-Barrios), WarnerMedia (Rachel Wakley) and Moonbug (Adam Steel) are also confirmed for a closing-day panel ‘New Streams of Consumerism: How Entertainment is Evolving’, which will look at how brands can create equivalent awareness and maintain visibility on streaming platforms with much shorter marketing windows than traditional entertainment releases.

Kornit Digital and EPIK will present sponsored workshops on DTR (direct to retail) and NFT (Non Fungible Tokens), respectively. Taking place on opening day, ‘How the licensing industry is evolving with direct to retail’ will look at one of the toughest challenges ever to face the traditional licensing model; and on the final day, ‘The NFT playbook’ is a deep dive into everything NFT and digital merchandise.

Each of three days of B&LIS focuses on a different theme, with exclusive keynotes as outlined below:

Day 1 – Trends and retail. Keynote: Innovate, adapt, disrupt: In conversation with Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, IKEA Group chairman

Day 2: CSR and sustainability: Keynote: Why the future will be blue – how to become an agent of change: Smurfs’ Philippe Glorieux and Caroline Petit of the United Nations Regional Information Center.

Day 3: Content & digital transformations: Keynote: The Wayfair boost: leveraging ecomm ads for product programmes, Ankit Mangal, director of Wayfair

“Covering everything from sustainability, to diversity and inclusion, sport, streaming, toys, gaming, NFTs, DTR, bricks n mortar and ecommerce, and the changing consumer trends among younger generations, B&LIS will draw out trends and insight from within and outside the brand and licensing industries to really help delegates drive the future direction of their brands, businesses and stores,” explained Anna Knight, VP Licensing, Informa Markets.

“This agenda will challenge you to take stock, open your mind and think differently, so be prepared for an inspirational three days.”

Delegates from the following companies have already signed up to attend: Aldi, Aykroyd & Sons, Amazon, Asda, Blue’s Clothing, Character World, Chupa Chups, DC Thomson Media, Dreamtex, EMP Merchandising, General Mills, Hachette, HTI Toys, Jaz Toys, Popgear, Primark, Simba Dickie, Tesco, Walt Disney Company, Beanstalk, The Entertainer, Unilever, ViacomCBS and Schwager & Steinlein Verlag.

The longlist of confirmed speakers include:

Rikesh Desai, Licensing Director – Merchandise, Partnerships and Interactive, UK & EMEA Consumer Products, BBC Studios
John Friend, Head of Halo and Xbox Consumer Products, Microsoft
Stephanie Freeman, Senior Global Licensing Manager – Outbound Licensing, The LEGO Group
Gabrielle Sims, Head of Licensing, FatFace
Dan Avener, Chief Executive Officer, MDR Brand Management
Karen Hewitt, Co-Founder, Character.com
Susan Bolsover, Global Licensing and Consumer Products Director – Penguin Ventures, Penguin Random House UK
June Kirkwood, Sustainable Licensing Consultant, Nutmeg Licensing & Sustaineers Consultants
Simon Gresswell, Managing Director, SGLP
Gary Pope, Co-Founder, Kids Industries
Graham Saltmarsh, Managing Director, Licensing International – UK
Ben Roberts, Content Editor, License Global
Claire McClelland, Client Executive – Entertainment, Kantar
Dorian Bloch, Senior Client Director, Market Intelligence, GfK
Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder, Products of Change
Ian Shepherd, Founder and CEO, The Social Store
Emily Aldridge, Head of Global Licensing, Abysse Corp
Charlotte Delobelle, European Brand Ambassador, Fashion Snoops
Kate French, Senior Category Manager – Softlines (Footwear, Accessories, Home & Gifting), Hasbro
Steven Plackett, Managing Director, Vista Stationery & Print (Carousel Calendars)
Dan Grant, Licensing Director, Danilo
Leonora Aixas, Co-Founder, DNA Brands
Steve Cox, UK Sales Director, Keel Toys
Sue Stanley, Licensing Director, Brans In Limited
Mark Bezodis, Licensing Managing Director, Perry Ellis International
Scott Macrae, Brands, License, New Business and Partnerships Mission Lead, George at Asda
Dan Amos, Head of Gaming and Esports, Difuzed
Marie-Laure Marchand, SVP Global Consumer Products and Business Development, Chefclub
Valérie Rolandez-Barrios, Vice President of IP Licensing & Partnerships, Studiocanal
Jade Snart, Sustainability and Technical Compliance Expert, George at Asda
Alex Balzaretti, Senior Manager, Commonwealth Games Federation Partnership (CGFP)
Kate Gibson, Managing Director, Gibsons Games
Gary Jacobson, Brand Licensing Manager, Tottenham Hotspur
Lisa Hey, Head of Product Development, Character World
Claire Bradbury, Global Account Director, PowerStation Studio
Philippe Glorieux, Head of Marketing, Communications & Family Entertainment, IMPS – The Smurfs
Caroline Petit, Deputy Director, United Nations Regional Information Center (UNRIC)
Maxine Lister, Head of Licensing, Natural History Museum
Rachel Wakley, General Manager UK, WarnerMedia
Paul Hepworth, Vice President, Licensing, Liverpool Football Club
Sabine Hulsman, CEO, The Cookie Company Group
Pamela Stathaki, Global Head of Sustainability, The Marketing Store, Europe
Jeremy Goldsmith, Managing Director, Event Merchandising Ltd
Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, Chairman, Ingka Holding, IKEA Group
Adam Steel, Licensing & Franchise, Moonbug
Gary Ma, COO, Epik
Winston King, VP Partnerships, Epik
Daniel Ruben, Workflow Solutions Director, Kornit Digital
Alistair Mylchreest, Segment Head – Licensors, Kornit Digital
Frédérique Tutt, Global Toys Industry Advisor, NPD
Stuart Lawrence, Author, Silence Is Not an Option: You Can Impact the World for Change
Maarten Weck, EVP & Managing Director, WildBrain CPLG
Rachel Taylor, Commercial Director, WildBrain Spark
Marco Hüsges, CEO & Founder, emoji Company
Ankit Mangal, Director, Wayfair
Gary Grant, Founder and Executive Chairman, The Entertainer
John Baulch, Publisher and Managing Director, Toy World Magazine
Anita Majhu, Senior Licensing & Global Sustainability Manager, BBC Studios
Gianni Romano, Company Director, Lyfcycle

Eric Carle’s “timeless tales and unique artwork will delight and inspire for years to come”

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Rocket Licensing has joined the many to express condolences over the death of Eric Carle, the author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, who died on May 23rd aged 91.

A statement issued by the family of the US author read: “In the light of the moon, holding on to a good star, a painter is now travelling across the night sky.”

Carle’s most famous book tells the story of a caterpillar with a giant appetite that, having been first published in 1969, has gone on to sell more than 50 million copies around the world and been translated in 62 languages. 

Not only that, but the title has built an enduring reputation among global audiences that spans generations, upheld by a robust licensing programme that spans categories and continents. The brand’s European activity is overseen by the UK’s own Rocket Licensing.

Carle’s son Rolfe told the New York Times that his father had died in Northampton, Massachusetts, from kidney failure. 

Rocket Licensing issued its own statement via social media this morning, saying:

“It is with great sadness that we hear that Eric Carle, author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, passed away on 23rd May at the age of 91. Eric’s timeless tales and unique artwork will continue to delight and inspire for years to come. #RememberingEricCarle”

Speaking with the BBC in 2019, Carle believed that the enduring popularity of his The Very Hungry Caterpillar came down to its ‘fundamental message of hope.’

“For many years, my publisher and editor and I did not know the reason for The Very Hungry Caterpillar being so popular,” he said. “But over time, I’ve come to feel that it is a book of hope. And it is a hopeful feeling that has made it a book readers of all ages enjoy and remember.”

It is estimated that one copy of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar is sold every 15 seconds.

Value Added Tact | The importance of meeting the sensibilities of ‘kids these days’

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From Generation Z to Generation Alpha, audiences’ tastes and preferences are ever changing, from awareness of social responsibilities to greater demand for sustainability. Co-founder of Kids Industries, Gary Pope explores the importance of authenticity when meeting today’s youth and their new consumer values

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My favourite game when I was a kid was Buckaroo. The tension, chaos and hysterical laughter caused by a few bits of plastic pulled from a cardboard box kept me happy for hours. If only the youth of today was still that easily pleased, product development and marketing teams would be laughing all the way to the bank.

But they’re not. Far from it. Culturally, societally, we are in a state of flux. So many things are happening that were unthinkable five years ago, all of which are impacting our purchasing decisions. As a result, young people have become increasingly sophisticated consumers, politically savvy, environmentally aware, far more emancipated, and very, very vocal and demanding of the brands they invest time and money in.

They curate rather than collect. The label in itself is no longer enough. They want to know where, how and with what products have been made. They have an incredible understanding of the supply chain; are the workers treated fairly and paid a living wage, is the factory run on wind power, is it safe?

They are increasingly invested in making purchasing decisions that are driven by value and the impact they will have on the planet, rather than by consumption.

“Most of all, they want authenticity; they want to buy from brands that genuinely share their values and are honest and transparent about contributing towards a fairer society.”

Value no longer means cheap, it means quality, longevity, considered and conscious. They understand the importance of sustainability, the circular economy, diversity and humanity. They want to see products  representing all of us, and not just a limited few. Charity shopping and reselling toys and games on eBay are seen as badges of honour, rather than a shameful blot on their social status.

But most of all, they want authenticity; they want to buy from brands that genuinely share their values and are honest and transparent about contributing towards a fairer society and the future of our planet. What they don’t want, is box tickers.

And they know some or all of this at a really young age. Even Generation Alpha (2012-2025) is aware. They  feel strongly about consumer issues, they just don’t have the maturity to decode them or the disposable income to directly influence them. Gen Z (1996-2011) has the powerful  combination of a more sophisticated awareness and their own money, so they can choose to spend – or not – on the brands whose credentials are most important to them.

The way young people relate to media has also changed massively. They are no longer passive consumers; they are active participants. They want to be immersed in interactive, engaging content that adds value to their experiences and fulfills a basic social need. They don’t do one-dimensional.

When it comes to gaming, this means Roblox and Fortnite – games that double up as social platforms; places where they can meet friends, show off, have a voice and be heard, recognised and rewarded. Socialisation is critical to child/youth development, and this is more important than ever given how much face-to-face contact has been eradicated by the pandemic.

Unsurprisingly, Roblox was the most popular mobile  game in the US last year, with users averaging 100 minutes play per day, and the company had a first day valuation of  $38.3 billion when it went public. Equally unsurprisingly, the notion of the metaverse (which is being coined by some as the real future of the internet and the next era of social media) is incredibly powerful to our digital natives and the brands hoping to reach them.

So, two huge things for brands to get right when it comes to R&D and marketing to young people moving forward – both of which I believe will become non-negotiable before long: consciously authentic values and actions, and the integration of social. Nail that, and you’ve got the  equivalent of Buckaroo for the next generation.

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Gary Pope (CEO & Co-Founder, Kids Industries) will be discussing ‘How Priorities are Changing Across Generations of Consumer at Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit, which runs online 9-11 June. Passes are available from https://www.brandlicensinginnovationsummit.com/

Brands In taps Plastichead Music’s Tim McDonald to lead new Brands In Merch division

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Leading licensed apparel fashion licensee, Brands In, has created a new division within its business, to be known as Brands In Merch, which will support the growth of the last 12 months, as well as its ongoing European and UK expansion.  

Established with its own entity, Brands In Merch serves as both a wholesale stock programme and Print on Demand business, enabling independent and e-commerce retailers to sell new properties and artists without having to commit to holding large volumes of stock at any given time.  

The division will initially focus on building new key accounts and distributors across the Brands In area footprint, forge new and sustainable relationships, as well as maintain the strong partnerships already in place. Many of these have been established, based on Brands In’s ability to manage its supply and delivery cycle working with locally sourced product and speed-to-market. 

To lead the Brands In Merch business, group MD Rick Lowe has brought in Tim McDonald, who joins from Plastichead Music Distribution where he worked for seventeen years and most recently held the  role of Head of Merchandise and Sales. 

With a background in both sales and retail, as well as having worked in both the UK and USA, McDonald understands how to achieve customer requirements, as well as being able to secure new collaborations and partnerships. In his new role as general manager of Brands In Merch, he will be responsible for the day to day running of the business and delivering upon its ambitious growth plans. 

Lowe said: “We are thrilled to have secured the calibre of talent that Tim brings to Brands In Merch. He’s been quietly working away with us for the last couple of months and we are excited with the activity and planning that’s already bubbling away within the new company.  We look forward to sharing some of these first successes in the coming weeks.”