Category Archives: People

Jetpack restructures sales, acquisitions and marketing outfit for global expansion

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Global kids and family content distributor Jetpack Distribution has today announced a new team structure to grow its operations across the globe and consolidate the company’s efforts in the sales and acquisitions of stand-out, high quality content.

Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent has been promoted to Global Head of Sales, leading sales in Asia, Canada, France, Latin America, Portugal, Spain and the Nordic countries, and AVOD sales globally. She will drive the sale of all content within Jetpack’s catalogue, working with broadcasters and VOD platforms, to find homes for the company’s diverse range of kids and family series across all genres and formats. Kido will continue to support the global acquisitions team and be the direct contact for producers in her territories.

Gillian Calvert Ridge has been promoted to Global Distribution Director – Acquisitions and Development, leading the company’s acquisition of shows that are produced and in development stages. She will be focused on significantly growing this area, to further build Jetpack’s slate and identify the best content from producers and creators across the world. She will also handle content sales for Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Matt Bowen has been appointed as Acquisitions Co-ordinator and will report directly to Gillian.

Sales Executive Toby Jones grows his remit to include selling kids’ and family content in Benelux, Central Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Italy. Toby will report to Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent.

Rhiannon Lyons has been promoted to Marketing and Operations Manager, working alongside CEO Dominic Gardiner to promote the company – and its slate – across the world.

Sophie, Gillian and Rhiannon will report directly to Gardiner.

Gardiner says: “Jetpack has enjoyed exponential growth since launch, momentum we wish to pick up and accelerate even further! We’re blessed to work with 40-plus producers of exceptional quality content and are focused on further expansion.

“The changes and promotions reflect the hard work and dedication of the team, as well as their brilliant relationships and connections within the kids and family industry.”

Jetpack Distribution was founded in 2014 and it has gone on to become a leading global distributor of kids shows including Master Moley, Clangers, Chuggington, Mighty Little Bheem, Wolf, Talking Tom and Friends, Yoko, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed and Kitty is Not a Cat. The company was nominated the number one distribution business in the prestigious KIDSCREEN HOT 50.

ANALYSIS I The Insights Family on the booming creator economy

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The Insights Family surveys more than 469,040 kids aged 3–18 and 228,800 different parents a year across 22 countries in 6 continents.

Its latest report, Mapping the World of Content, showcases the biggest global trends, developments and opportunities that are shaking up the content space as we see it.

Here, the company outlines how the creator economy is changing – with teens and tweens taking charge.

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Social media has broken down the traditional barriers to entry for content creation. Previously, there were gatekeepers who controlled what content was published in the music, TV, cinema or book industries, making it difficult for creators to independently share their work. The Internet age means that more people now have access to digital tools for creation.

The #1 career aspiration amongst kids aged 13-18 in the UK is IT and computing, emphasising how comfortable teens are in their online ecosystems. Being a YouTuber or vlogger currently ranks at #6 within this demographic, increasing by 73% over the last 9 months. What’s more, the desire to create content for a living has increased in the UK year-on-year by over 35% amongst 6-9 year olds. Globally, it averages as the fourth most popular career aspiration, illustrating the popularity of being a digital creator.

We see a prime example of the creator economy in the growth of TikTok, a platform which has grown in prominence due to the ease of users shooting and editing their own videos. While platforms such as Twitter and Instagram offered short video uploads, TikTok set itself apart by giving kids the tools to create and edit videos on their device, with no additional software or technology required. It is more accessible than YouTube which can require video editing software to make content look professional, not to mention advanced lighting and camera setups top vloggers may use on the platform.

By lowering the creative barrier to entry, TikTok has been able to garner a large audience who wanted to create their own content but may have lacked the means to do so. It is no surprise that amongst UK kids aged 11-18, there is a correlation between the increasing popularity of the platforms and the number of kids sharing their own videos online. Over the last twelve months, the number of teens naming TikTok as their favourite app has grown by 11% whilst the number of teens sharing videos has grown by 28%.

The creator economy has opened up a wealth of opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. With the ability to utilise low-cost tools and directly enter the marketplace, kids are capable of building enormous audience advocacy, with scope to leverage licensing deals with brands. Ryan’s World, a vlogger and influencer, is the second most popular YouTuber globally amongst kids aged 3-5. He has a huge presence in the UK, US and Canada and he is a prime example of how kid creators can license their online persona to produce toys for their audience. Licensed toy purchases in relation to 6-9-year-olds’ favourite YouTubers have increased by over 70% in the UK. Creators now have more ability than ever to leverage their popularity in other industries. In the UK, YouTuber related toy purchases have increased +62% year-on-year amongst 3-9 year olds, compared to the +17% growth in the case of films.

The creator economy boom doesn’t stop there. New forms of revenue models are constantly being created and finessed – an evolution that steps beyond traditional confines and offers even more innovation and opportunity. A trend that has grown considerably has been ‘self-referential’ creator content, such as live shopping or gaming content. Going beyond the activity itself and watching your favourite influencer or role-model partake in the activity not only creates a more intimate relationship, but a more informative experience overall, opening up the chance to implement additional commercial opportunities such as advertising or brand sponsorship.

The Insights Family’s new Mapping The World Of Content report discusses the creator economy in further detail and also explores other trends such as platform saturation and digital touchpoints. It is the first report in a series focused on exploring opportunities for brands in the kids and family ecosystem, produced by the company’s new Industry Knowledge team. Download it for free here: get.theinsightsfamily.com/content2022/

* All statistics are taken from the Kids Insights real-time data portal in the last six months (November 2021 – May 2022)

Q&A: Hannah Craggs of TrendBible

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Hannah Craggs is Head of Subscription & Content at TrendBible. She’s participating in a panel called ‘Forecasting the Future of Retail through Consumer Trends’ alongside Sainsbury’s Abi Wilson at the next European edition of Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit, taking place 21 June, at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

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Tell us, who are you and how does your business fit into the licensing eco-system? 

I’m Hannah Craggs, Head of Subscription & Content at TrendBible. TrendBible’s philosophy is one based on deeply understanding the mindsets and attitudes of consumers towards the future of life at home. Companies work with us to better understand future trends for their audience and what will drive their thoughts, tastes and behaviours. A strong grasp of future trends helps brands and organisations make informed commercial decisions. We work 2-5 years ahead of retail to research, decode and deliver how consumer signals will impact product design as well as services, strategies and solutions.

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for the licensing industry right now?

The post or “inter” pandemic scape differs greatly from the approaches for retail and consumer connection we’ve known before. This throws up challenges but also exciting opportunities to do things differently. Some of the most talked about within our TrendBible team at the moment are:

  • International restrictions or interruptions to supply chains
  • Greater focus on sustainability
  • Greater focus on true diversity and allclusivity when creating products and solutions
  • How to establish and galvanise IRL (in real life)/immersive/experiential events after the pandemic that support consumer anxiety. This also links to consumers’ buying preference shifting from bricks and mortar to online.

What are the biggest trends you’re seeing in your business sector that impact brands and retailers?

This one’s a huge topic. At TrendBible we are constantly tracking this and some of the biggest trends I’d flag for 2023–2024 link to the above.

As climate change, global inflation and mass disruption to supply chains will have a direct impact on everyday lives and bank balances, there will be a redefinition of home from ‘nest’ or ‘family hub’. Instead, the home will be a space both on and offline that provides shelter, a place to seek solace, experience curated convenience and safety away from an uncertain world. This will lead to:

  • a consumer desire to embrace “savvy spending” and make more future-proofed product investments
  • the rise of resilience
  • the acceleration of tech overall and a greater sense of “tech-ceptance”
  • curated convenience. The acceleration of online commerce has put a spotlight on convenience, with Amazon setting a precedent for ultra-fast, on-demand, and no-nonsense delivery that keeps up with consumers’ changing habits
  • a desire for a localism and slower-paced lifestyles (as well as greater links to nature and sustainability)

Why are you looking forward to speaking at B&LIS? 

I want delegates to feel inspired and excited about the responsibility of rebuilding during (and after) a period of volatility. In an age of uncertainty, rapid change and big societal issues, there’s a need to respond to urgency without panic. We need to be confident in saying hello to the next normal, which will be a journey of unlearning, relearning and radical questioning.

www.trendbible.com

Licensing International appoints nine new board members

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Licensing International has announced that nine executives – Casey Collins, Hasbro; Michael Connolly, Retail Monster; Javier Garza, Warner Bros. Discovery; Alexandra Heyd, BurdaVerlag Germany; Tanya Isler, Netflix; Stuart Pollock, Segal Licensing; Marc Schneider, Beanstalk; Kalle Törmä, Flowhaven; and Angell Xi, Jingtian & Gongcheng – have been elected by the Licensing International membership to serve three-year terms on its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2022.

Steve Scebelo, president of NFL Players Inc., will serve as chairperson and Veronica Hart, EVP of global franchise planning for Paramount Consumer Products & Experiences, will serve as vice chairperson.

“I am so pleased to welcome the nine new members of our Board, whose diverse experiences and invaluable knowledge will help Licensing International support the expansion of brand licensing around the world,” says Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “I want to thank outgoing chairperson Jay Asher and outgoing board members Sol Armada, Juli Boylan, Omar Fajer, Elias Fasja Cohen, Simo Hamalainen, and Ed Labay for their time and dedication.”

Casey Collins – Head of Licensed Consumer Products & Business Development, Hasbro, Inc.
Casey Collins brings decades of experience and leadership in the licensing industry. He is currently the Head of Licensed Consumer Products & Business Development at Hasbro where he is focused on creating and delivering the world’s best play and entertainment experiences across Hasbro’s Brand Blueprint, through toys and games, immersive entertainment experiences, digital gaming, and consumer products. Collins also oversees Hasbro’s Business Development Department that successfully negotiates and manages Toy & Game licenses with some of the most valuable properties in the industry. 

Michael Connolly – Founder & CEO, Retail Monster
Michael Connolly is Founder and CEO of Retail Monster LLC, an innovative, leading licensing agency with offices in the US and Europe. Retail Monster’s world-class client roster includes the likes of Electronic Arts, Sybo (Subway Surfers), Copyrights (Paddington), Crayola, Moonbug, Minecraft, Hasbro, Sega (UK), and Mattel (UK). Before Retail Monster, Connolly served as head of global consumer products for DreamWorks Animation. In this capacity, he drove the company’s worldwide consumer products business, overseeing a portfolio containing many of the world’s most beloved entertainment franchises including Trolls, Shrek, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Javier Garza – Head of Consumer Products Mexico, Warner Bros. Discovery
Javier Garza joined Warner Bros. in 2001, first serving as senior category manager at the Consumer Products Mexico office before being promoted in 2002 to category director Latin America, overseeing all promotional and branded food deals for the region. Due to his knowledge and experience, he was appointed general manager for the Mexico Office and, in 2006, he was promoted to licensing VP for Latin America & GM Mexico. Garza’s merchandising and retail experience spans many different demographics and includes franchises like Looney Tunes, DC Comics, Wizarding World, HBO, Hanna-Barbera, and Cartoon Network.

Alexandra Heyd – Head of Licensing | Brands & Acquisition, BurdaVerlag Germany
Alexandra Heyd started her career in 2001 in art licensing at ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE group where, throughout her 18-year tenure, she last spearheaded TV, lifestyle, and corporate brand activities. In 2019, Heyd joined German publishing giant BurdaVerlag, where she heads licensing with a focus on brands, acquisitions, and portfolio expansion endeavors. Her focus has always been to create 360-degree thematic worlds for each franchise opportunity through holistic cooperation, out-of-the-box thinking, and the most up-to-date digital assets and state-of-the-art technology.

Tanya Isler – Director of Licensing & Publishing, Netflix
A production assistant role in fashion led to Tanya Isler’s first licensing role. The mix of strategy, negotiation, product development and brand management ticked a lot of boxes for her and that job kickstarted a love of licensing and consumer products that has spanned fashion (Isaac Mizrahi, BCBG), entertainment (Disney), publishing (Time Inc, Conde Nast), Martha Stewart, and now Netflix. Isler believes a diverse membership base that reflects audiences and brands is key to making sure the industry continues to evolve. As a woman of colour who has navigated the licensing industry, she hopes to share her insights and experiences – both professional and personal – in order to help reach this goal.

Stuart Pollock – President, Segal Licensing
Stuart Pollock began his career at Paramount working in marketing at Canada’s number-one theatre chain, Famous Players. There, he worked with studios like Disney, MGM, and Sony to develop their in-theatre marketing programmes. Pollock also worked with WWE to develop a first-of-its-kind in-theatre programme to show their PPV in theatres across Canada. After Paramount, he was recruited by Microsoft to lead strategic partnerships for the launch of Xbox in the Canadian marketplace. In the 19 years that Pollock has been at Segal Licensing he has developed licensing programmes on properties such as Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Crayola, Spin Master, King Features, DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox and Marvel.

Marc Schneider – Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Beanstalk
Marc Schneider is responsible for Beanstalk’s global finance and operations, including management of the agency’s unparalleled financial platforms that ensure clients receive best-in-class financial and operational information and analysis. Additionally, Schneider oversees the U.K. office brand teams and facilitates short-term and long-range strategic planning activities across the company to grow Beanstalk in the U.S. and internationally. He started at Beanstalk in 2013 and has more than 35 years of experience in finance and operations, with a keen understanding of the licensing industry, having held prior finance and operations positions at CBS, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment.

Kalle Törmä – CEO & Founder, Flowhaven
Kalle Törmä has more than ten years of licensing industry expertise and a deep appreciation for the business model. He founded and serves as the CEO of Flowhaven, a globally renowned technology company bringing licensing to the 21st century by replacing slow progress and complexity with intelligent features and collaboration. Törmä has raised more than $20 million in funding and added the company to investor portfolios, including Canva and LinkedIn. He believes that innovation and education will unlock the next generation of brand licensing success stories. In the last two years, his company has opened offices across five continents and grown to include nearly 100 employees from diverse backgrounds.

Angell Xi – Partner, Jingtian & Gongcheng 
Angell Xi has 25 years of experience in the legal and licensing business, with expertise in IP licensing, art, luxury and fashion fields. For 12 years, Xi served as general counsel, Asia Pacific for GEIP and Ashland, leading compliance for Kering Asia and Michelin China Counsel, which equipped her with solid leadership and sophisticated cross-border business management skills. In licensing, Xi is proficient in providing legal and compliance solutions. For years, she has worked closely with property owners, licensors, licensees, agents, associations, and government agencies to safeguard clients’ interests and promote licensing as platform to empower.

 

 

 

Paramount Global strengthens its Consumer Products team

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Paramount Global has announced new appointments and hires within its Consumer Products leadership across global toys, games, emerging media, franchise planning and CP marketing divisions.

“Staying focused on the consumer is at the heart of everything we do so we have made key updates to the leadership within the organisation to maximise our portfolio,” says Pam Kaufman, President, Consumer Products and Experiences, Paramount. “These new remits, along with our new hires, set us up to further grow our franchises, from SpongeBob to Star Trek, and deliver the best products and experiences for today and the future.”

Toys

  • Priya Mukhedkar, formerly Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, will now serve as Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Packaged Goods. In her new role, she adds global toys to her current remit over business development, brand marketing and licensing for consumables at Paramount. Mukhedkar has a track record for her inclusive leadership and building strategic alliances with major consumer product brands including P&G, Danone and Unilever as well as many other up and coming brands. Priya will report to Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President, Global Toys, CPG & Retail.
  • Stephanie Bailey, Vice President, Global Toys, who formerly co-led the global toys group, will now fully lead that division. An established force in the toy industry, she has been integral in bringing Nickelodeon hits to the toy aisle in an authentic way including That Girl Lay Lay, Blue’s Clues & You!, Baby Shark and the upcoming products for Santiago of the Seas. Stephanie will report to Priya Mukhedkar.

Games & Emerging Media

  • Rebecca Tatlock, formerly Vice President, Global Toy Licensing, will now serve as Vice President, Business Development, Games. In this new role, Rebecca is responsible for new partnerships and opportunities across all business models for Paramount’s global games group. With a wealth of deal-making experience across multiple categories, Rebecca most recently led the charge on key global toy partnership deals across major franchises such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek. Rebecca will report to Doug Rosen, Senior Vice President, Games & Emerging Media.
  • Erika Winterholler, formerly Vice President, Business Development and Licensing, Games, will now serve as Vice President, Business Development & Operations, Emerging Media. In this new role, Erika will focus on emerging media initiatives across Paramount, including its growing NFT business, AR, VR and new metaverse platforms. Recently, Winterholler played a critical role in Paramount’s partnership with Recur to launch Paramount.xyz, the company’s digital collectible portal for fans to collect NFTs across key franchises. Erika will also report to Rosen.

Global Franchise Planning & CP Marketing

  • Prima Chambers has joined Paramount as Vice President, Franchise Planning, Multi-Generational, reporting to Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, Global Franchise Planning. In this role, Chambers will lead the development of strategic long-range plans to support the growth of key priority properties within the Paramount Consumer Products division. She joins Paramount from Reckitt, with nearly two decades of consumer brand experience across roles in marketing and research & development at organisations like The Hershey Company and General Mills.
  • Shian-Li Tsang has been hired as Vice President, Consumer Products Marketing, where she will also report to Hart and oversee Paramount retail marketing, social marketing and brand go-to-market strategy. Tsang is responsible for representing Paramount’s brands through high-impact, omni-channel retail activations, social programming and IP launch campaigns. She has demonstrated success directing integrated omni-channel marketing strategies at companies like The LEGO Group, adidas and DICK’s Sporting Goods. Tsang joins Paramount’s Global Consumer Products division with over 15 years of progressive marketing experience.

 

THE BIG INTERVIEW: Gary Pope on 20 years of KI

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Family marketing agency KI (Kids Industries) celebrated its 20th birthday last week, commemorating the occasion with the launch of a new website, brand update and an October conference to look forward to. 

Licensing Biz sat down with industry stalwart Gary Pope, KI’s CEO and co-founder, to take stock of key moments in the family and licensing space, and discover what he still loves about this industry…

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First off, Gary, congratulations on marking 20 years with KI – that’s no small feat!

Thank you, that’s very kind. It’s not always been easy but then if it was, it wouldn’t be quite so much fun.

When Jen and I started KI, we weren’t quite sure of the direction we wanted to go in – but we were absolutely certain that we wanted to make good things for families. Between us, we had backgrounds in education, developing experiences, marketing and change management, and we knew we needed to create something bigger than a business with a single focus. We wanted to apply our skills and do it in the commercial realms of the family market.

We actually worked with headteachers and behavioural psychologists in our very early days to develop our core approach to our work – 4ft Thinking™. It’s our way of seeing the world through the eyes of a child using science – biology, psychology and sociology – to define a bedrock of fact from which we can then build a solution to solve a client’s problem.

Given the successes you’ve had, you must have had a number of approaches to sell the business?

Funny how this is what people think you want to do! Build it and sell it. That’s not us. Not yet anyway. We love what we do and wouldn’t want to be part of something else and be told what was what. I’d struggle with that as our culture is so important to us. We’ve been approached a lot. We make a good story. Typically, interested parties want us to focus on a particular aspect of the business, but we aren’t one thing – we have a unique set of services which are all underpinned by insight and a deep understanding of the consumer. We don’t know anyone else that provides that full 360-degree offering. And whilst that might not be the way traditional businesses are structured, it is how we do things. And the clients that really understand that about us, really benefit. There is a lot of value in KI – our client list, the order book, proprietary approaches and most importantly, our knowledge. And that is about our people. You can’t sell that.

What are you most proud of achieving?

Goodness, that’s actually quite hard… We’ve done some great things. We have helped to build hotels, redeveloped the future of the McDonalds Happy Meal, created SVOD Platforms, the family experience for Royal Caribbean Cruises… There’s loads of things we’ve done that I would never have had the chance to if Jen and I hadn’t started on this journey 20 years ago. And all of them make me very proud and grateful for the opportunities we’ve had.

In terms of campaigns, our work for Amazon Kids+ stands out. We launched their first national multiple IP marketing campaign ‘Feed their hungry minds’. Our objective was to drive awareness of the all-you-can-eat secure content service, providing unlimited access to thousands of child-friendly books, movies, TV shows, apps and games. The bit I am especially proud of is how we managed to get 16 brands involved in the campaign, from Horrid Henry, Harry Potter and Peppa Pig, to Bing, Hot Wheels, the Gruffalo and more – I don’t know of any other campaign that’s managed to do that. But to be honest that’s all about the collegiate nature of the licensing industry. Or maybe it was the work we did to develop and market the proposition for Aquafresh toothpastes, too – we took the brand from eight to 63 per cent share in just three years.

Above all, though, I’m most proud of building our team with Raj, Jelena and Jen. The four of us have worked hard on our business and our business is about how good our team is. We’re experts. And if a new member of the team is not an expert in Kids and Family when they arrive, we’ve got a pretty robust learning programme that makes sure they’re right up to speed.

Are there any campaigns out there that you wish you’d come up with?

I’m a huge admirer of what Magic Light has done with The Gruffalo – a truly brilliant multi-faceted masterclass in brand management that will ensure the brand is rightly future-proofed. How they have worked with licensees to authentically translate the characters into product – especially plush and toys – has been impressive. We actually own the full set of plush in our house.

There have been some major changes in the industry over the past 20 years. What stands out to you?

Firstly, the realisation that insight is a necessity. When we began it really was only the big players that understood the insight (or had the budgets for it). The days of wild west ‘going with your gut’ product development and marketing is over. There is now a very healthy attitude towards the value insight brings and how it enables us to immerse ourselves in another person’s world. It means we can use the informed knowledge to create life-fulfilling experiences for others – invaluable!

Secondly, I’d say the quality of the products the industry is selling has changed, for the better. The consumer has got more savvy, producers too, and our industry’s ability to rethink and regenerate is truly impressive. The days of label-slapping are in their sunset.

Finally, I’d have to say the environment that the consumer lives in has changed considerably. Twenty years ago TV was everything, and with 28 channels, the UK had the largest number in the world. We thought that was tough then. Today, access is unlimited and linear television is no longer a thing. The licensing sector has had to work hard to better understand the changing landscape and some have embraced the fact that eyeballs are what’s needed and it doesn’t matter where you get them.

What do you still love about the licensing industry?

We have the nicest, tightest and most supportive sector – truly. It’s a hugely collegiate industry and super embracing. I think it’s because it’s so bright, colourful, glamorous and filled with great creatives all wanting to please their audiences. This is especially true in the toy/family market.

Finally Gary, what’s going to be big in the next 20 years?

With my Children’s Commissioner for Products of Change hat on, it has to be said that we must get better at producing sustainable products – especially in the toy sector. Our own research shows that nearly half (48 per cent) of UK parents want to see products that are easier to recycle, and 45 per cent want cheaper sustainable product options. Having products that are easier to refurbish or fix appeals too, to 37 per cent of UK parents.

That said, times are really tough. The rising cost of living is having a huge impact on families and parents need to cut costs where they can. The trend of buying second-hand items will continue and manufacturers need to consider that in their plans. We need to put people before profit and find new ways of design and engineering products, at a price point that works for everyone.

www.kidsindustries.com

 

Moonbug expands licensing and merchandise team with two senior hires

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Moonbug Entertainment has announced the appointment of Janice Lam and Helen Genia as Global Hardlines Directors, Consumer Products. Helen will be based in the UK while Janice will work from Moonbug’s New York office. Both roles report to Duncan Tate, Global Head of Hardlines, Consumer Products.

In her newly created role, Helen will be responsible for overseeing all regional and global EMEA based partners, as well as identifying and driving new opportunities. She will work across all Moonbug properties, including hit brands such as CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum.

Helen has extensive experience in the lifestyle, entertainment and toy sectors and has a broad spectrum of disciplines from licensing through to product development, brand and channel management, as well as extensive knowledge of European and global markets. Prior to Moonbug she worked for Mattel for eight years, most recently holding the position of Head of Licensing UK, Europe, Middle East & Russia and Hardlines EMEA, where she was responsible for the licensing business. Prior to Mattel, Helen was at Hasbro Europe for over 18 years, where she held a variety of roles across different business segments.

Helen says: “I am extremely excited to be joining such an innovative company at the forefront of the children’s entertainment sector. I am looking forward to working with the team and our partners in order to create high quality, innovative and relevant products that will allow children across the globe to interact with their favourite characters and expand their imagination.”

Janice Lam is responsible for managing global master toy and hardlines licensing partners, predominantly based out of North America, as well as identifying and driving new opportunities. She will work across all Moonbug properties, including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum.

Prior to Moonbug, Janice was Vice President, Licensing, North America at eOne where she was integral in the strategic growth and expansion of global hit brands’ licensing business, across all toys, games and publishing. eOne was acquired by Hasbro in 2019. At Hasbro, Janice was appointed Senior Director, Licensing, and managed a team delivering year over year revenue growth across their softlines and collaborations portfolio.

Prior to her tenure at eOne and Hasbro, Janice held key licensing executive roles at the BBC, Zodiak and Chorion, with over 15 years’ licensing experience across global entertainment and lifestyle brands. Janice was a Women in Toys, Licensing and Entertainment 15th Annual Wonder Woman Awards finalist in the Licensing category.

Janice says: “Moonbug’s licensing and merchandise team is going from strength to strength and I am honoured to be joining the team at such a key time in their expansion. I am looking forward to working with our existing and future partners to create everlasting memories for our fans and bringing our much loved IPs to preschoolers and families across the globe through new and innovative product lines.”

“Both Helen and Janice have a wealth of relevant experience and expertise that I am confident will be invaluable for the growth of Moonbug’s Consumer Products business,” comments Duncan Tate. “Their roles will play a key part in our continued rapid expansion. I am very much looking forward to working with them both at such an exciting and important time in the Moonbug journey.”

For more information on Moonbug, visit www.moonbug.com.

Bravado and Epic Rights centralise licensing roster, with Lisa Streff at the helm

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Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, announced today the centralisation of both Bravado and Epic Rights’ licensing rosters. Bravado acquired Epic Rights in 2019 and the new structure includes the expanded purview of Epic Rights’ SVP Global Licensing, Lisa Streff, to oversee global licensing strategies across both companies.

Streff will work closely with the existing Bravado and Epic Rights retail and brand management teams and will report to Jesper Poulsen, General Manager, Bravado.

Bravado’s president Matt Young states: “We are continuing to grow our global licensing and retail business with a more unified and complementary strategy across both Bravado and Epic Rights, while maintaining individual strategies and priorities. With Jesper leading the team as General Manager and Lisa driving global licensing strategy, we have the right team in place to ensure growth for our artists in this area.”

Jesper Poulsen adds: “I have had the pleasure of working with Lisa for close to 10 years and proud of how our team built Epic Rights’ global retail footprint. Lisa has been instrumental in developing innovative campaigns, and creating unique licensing opportunities and partnerships with best in class licensed products for our artists and their fans. Creating this strategic alignment of our retail and licensing teams gives us a competitive advantage unmatched in the industry.”

“Since joining Epic Rights, it has truly been an incredible ride to play an integral role in the growth of what was essentially a start-up organisation to now being part of the biggest global merch company,” says Lisa Streff. “This is a magical time to be in music licensing and merchandising. I am honoured and excited to collaborate with Matt, Jesper and the Bravado team in this expanded role and to work with some of the biggest artists in the world under the Bravado banner, while continuing to spearhead the programmes for our Epic Rights’ talent.”

Streff joined Epic Rights in 2014 as SVP of Licensing. In 2019, Bravado acquired Epic Rights with an artist roster including KISS, AC/DC, Def Leppard, David Bowie, John Lennon, Britney Spears, and NSYNC, among others. Streff will continue to spearhead the development of global merchandising licensing programmes for Epic Rights’ artists while adding the oversight of programmes for Bravado’s clients, such as The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Spice Girls, Avril Lavigne and many more.

Place your bids! The Light Fund Channel Relay silent auction is now live

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The Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser silent auction site is now live, with a fabulous selection of event tickets, money-can’t-buy experiences, rare souvenirs and much, much more up for grabs.

From 16 May all members of the licensing industry – brand owners, licensees, licensors and all who work with them – are invited to click on this link and place their bids to support the two six-person teams braving the unforgiving waters of the Channel in only a few weeks – and help them to hit their £250,000 fundraising target.

Of course, to get the impressive bids the Light Fund is aiming for requires a fabulous selection of items to bid on – and the industry has heard the call and responded with some fantastic prizes.

Ever wanted a Manchester United shirt signed by Marcus Rashford? Or a day out on the track in some cool cars from some famous movies? Or a course in brewing (and testing) your own beers? Or an Original Star Wars stormtrooper suit and helmet? Those are just a few of the prizes on offer – now – in the Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser silent auction.

You can also bid for golfing experiences, family fun days – including a trip to Peppa Pig World – Swiss watches and trips to the beach. You can even bid for swimming lessons at Taplow Lake from Light Fund English Channel Relay team member – and famed open water swimmer – Stephen Gould.

All you have to do is click, bid and cross your fingers. The auction closes on Friday 3 June. Winners will be notified shortly after auction ends.

And don’t forget, it’s for a seriously good cause! The big swim is scheduled to start between 30 June and 3 July at around 2am on a day when conditions are optimal and, as the date and the Light Fund target of £250,000 get closer, there are still many opportunities to sponsor this brave fundraising effort as well, of course, as being name-checked in a film at the 2022 Licensing Awards.

You can find out more about corporate sponsorship options here. Individuals are very welcome to donate via the event’s Just Giving page, where you can also follow the teams preparing for the big day. There’s also an Instagram feed and a Facebook page containing team photos and updates.

Team captain Stephen Gould says: “We’ve been genuinely thrilled, not just with the number of prizes the industry has contributed to the silent auction, but with the range and quality. Who wouldn’t want a signed Premier League shirt, a high-class spa day or a visit to Morgan Cars, after all? Or, for that matter, a day’s open water swimming with me?! Our thanks to everyone involved. Now… please place your bids!”

Paramount Consumer Products taps Dan Cook as SVP of global e-eommerce

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Paramount Consumer Products today announced a new leadership hire responsible for the operational management and growth strategy of the expanding e-commerce business. Dan Cook is joining the team as Senior Vice President of Global E-Commerce, leading strategy and execution for Paramount Consumer Products’ e-commerce growth through pure play e-commerce retailers, omni channel retailers and third-party marketplace accounts.

In this role, Dan will bring valuable insights from previous experiences to create a global centre-of-excellence and help expand e-commerce penetration by defining innovative sales strategies and developing marketing programmes to drive consumer engagement across Paramount products and franchises.

Dan will also be tasked with setting the strategy for e-commerce maximisation at all omnichannel accounts, developing new business models to optimise all CP categories in the traditional licensing business.

Based in Los Angeles, Dan will report to Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President of Hardlines and Retail, Paramount Consumer Products.

“Dan’s extensive experience and leadership in digital commerce will strengthen our connection with fans of our franchises and allow us to more quickly flex to the needs of our customers and partners,” says Vlachos. “We could not be more thrilled to have Dan join our Paramount Consumer Products team.”

Prior to joining Paramount, Dan held various e-commerce positions with Unilever, Mondelez International, and Walmart where he was accountable for digital performance and competitive growth. Dan has also held previous positions at Target, The Nielsen Company, Supervalu and Macy’s.