Asembl to represent Perfetti Van Melle across Australia and New Zealand

Asembl is now representing Perfetti Van Melle’s licensing interests across Australia and New Zealand and will develop strategic licensing opportunities for the company’s Chupa Chups and Mentos brands in new food and non-food categories.  

Perfetti Van Melle is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of confectionery. Its products and brands are enjoyed in over 150 countries.

Kickstarting the many licensing interests for Chupa Chups is an ongoing partnership with one of Australia’s oldest family-owned and operated dairy companies, Bulla Dairy Foods.

First to launch in the partnership between the two brands is a Strawberry & Cream flavoured ice-cream cone – Bulla Dairy Foods’ homage to the global bestseller Chupa Chups lollipop. Brought to life in ice cream form for the first time in Australia, the Strawberry & Cream ice-cream cone features a strawberry and vanilla ice-cream flavour with crushed candy and a strawberry sauce drizzled throughout and on top.

“It is incredibly exciting to partner with a global brand synonymous with such fun and excitement. We believe our two brands fit together like the famous strawberry and cream flavour now brought to life in ice cream form,” says Bulla’s Head of Marketing, Andrew Noisette.

“We are excited to see our iconic Strawberry & Cream lollipop come to life in an ice cream format. It is sure to surprise and delight Australian Chupa Chups fans,” says Marta Ballesteros, Area Licensing Manager of Perfetti Van Melle.

Asembl Managing Director, Justin Watson, adds: “We are thrilled to be adding Perfetti Van Melle to our growing brand extension agency – and of course to be launching a Strawberry & Cream ice-cream with Bulla Dairy Foods that honours the global bestselling lollipop. For Australian fans of Chupa Chups and Bulla Dairy Foods, this licensing partnership is really an ice-cream dream come true.”

Chupa Chups Strawberry & Cream cone 4pk (RRP $8.50) is now available through Independent Grocers nationwide and Woolworths from 2 May with a vibrant point of sale activation as well as strong social media campaign.

 

 

LICENSING EXPO PREVIEW I Perfetti Van Melle

Italian Perfetti Van Melle is a global confectionery manufacturer and owner of power brands Mentos, Airheads, Chupa Chups and Fruit-tella, among many others. Licensing.biz caught up with them ahead of exhibiting at Licensing Expo in Vegas this May.

 

For those who don’t already know Perfetti Van Melle, who are you and how do you fit into the licensing industry?

Our company, Perfetti Van Melle, is one of the world’s global confectionery manufacturers and owner of many power brands such as Mentos, Airheads, Chupa Chups and Fruit-tella. We have been building international licensing programmes with these brands for many years. The Chupa Chups licensing programme started 25 years ago as a lifestyle programme. Today we diversify with our brands in both lifestyle and food and beverage extensions.

Do you have any recent news you can share with us?

We have just opened a spectacular Chupa Chups event at the Changhi airport in Singapore, where fans of the brand can be transported into a world of interactive and yummy-looking backdrops such as a carousel ride made of lollipops, a Ferris wheel or pose with moving larger-than-life lollipop daisies! The true eyecatcher of the event is the gigantic mega sized lollipop installation that has been proclaimed Singapore’s largest Chupa Chups lollipop by Singapore’s Book of Records, and which is already going viral.

We are thrilled about the ongoing success of the Chupa Chups sparkling drink range. The newly launched Chupa Chups Zero Sugar drinks in Strawberry and Lemon & Lime flavour have been awarded the 2022 Superior Taste Award by the prestigious International Taste Institute in Belgium. Seeing how these sparkling drinks are taking the world by storm, we are now exploring opportunities for Mentos drinks as well.

For Airheads, we are preparing the launch of a Market and Airheads drop this autumn, that will include limited-edition clothing and accessories as well as the first Airheads co-branded limited-edition Market flavour. Later this year, we have exciting launches coming up of mini figurines and toys by MGA L.O.L., Moose and Super Impulse with our brands Mentos, Chupa Chups and Airheads.

What are the biggest trends – challenges or opportunities – facing licensing and retail?

Our licensing business is very much global, so we are still affected by the consequences of the pandemic and also challenged by the uncertainty and impact that is provoked by the geopolitical situation. Trend-wise, the talk of the licensing town is all about the NFT/Metaverse business opportunities and sustainability policies. We are dedicating resources to understanding the business model, the trademark protection issues and how we can best fit in with our brands.

And what are the biggest trends across the food and beverage category?

We are seeing a huge appetite in the F&B aisles for innovative collaborations. Teaming up with trusted brands from adjacent food categories is an excellent way to offer novelty to the market.

On the other hand, there is an increasing need to pursue wellness and offer products that can cater to the need to indulge in a healthier way, which is why we advocate to develop better-for-you treats in the combined R&D efforts of our licensed products.

An area where we see a big growth potential is the protein category, in which we are exploring opportunities with leading companies for several brands at the moment.

Are you exhibiting at Licensing Expo for the first time? If so, what are you hoping to achieve from being on the show floor?

We have been visiting Licensing Expo for many years and have always had a presence through the first-in-class agencies who represent us in the USA: Seltzer Licensing for Airheads and Lisa Marks for Mentos and Chupa Chups. As it has become such a global showcase, we have started to exhibit with a corporate Perfetti Van Melle booth, too.

What excites you about returning to an in-person Licensing Expo?

There’s nothing like walking the aisles of the Expo to get a feel for what’s relevant in the ever-changing licensing scene. We also adore the opportunity to offer our business partners a sneak peek at our latest artwork developments, which we are renowned for. And we will admit, we do love to discuss business face to face with a smile!

What can visitors expect to see on your stand?

This year the star of the show will be Mentos, our most global and well-known brand. Visitors will be able to check out the colourful and trendy art assets we can offer with Mentos and examples of successful international launches, such as the one with Mentos & Sally Hansen. And as usual, there will be a splash of colour that transmits the fun of our brands and a treat for all is guaranteed!

Perfetti Van Melle will be at Bayside Exhibit Hall – Level 1 — D136 at Licensing Expo 2022, 24–26 May, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas.

 

TRENDS I WildBrain CPLG’s Jasen Wright on where the licensing industry is headed in 2022

“There’s a real wave of enthusiasm from across the licensing industry as we emerge (once again) from pandemic restrictions. The impact of the last two consecutive pandemic-driven years has brought many challenges, but it’s also accelerated the evolution of consumer engagement with brands, creating new opportunities. As we emerge from these difficult times, I think it’s an incredibly exciting time to be in licensing.

Two of the biggest sectors to feel the impact have been physical retail and live events, so we look forward to a resurgence of these two pivotal areas of the industry in the coming year.

We’ve explored five key trends for global brand owners, retailers and licensees alike for 2022 and beyond:

Multi-layered approaches to retail:

Physical retail continues to be hugely important – and the holiday shopping scenes in-stores underscored this – but there’s also been a significant boom, in no small part by necessity, of digital retail. Consumers will continue to demand a multi-layered shopping experience and physical and digital retail will evolve in new ways to continue to co-exist together. We’ll see more digital experiences in-store to draw customers in, as well as unique events that offer increased engagement or touchpoints with brands and products that the digital world cannot create. Going forward, we’re likely to see a brand’s overall consumer products and retail strategy embracing both digital initiatives and innovative retail activities that drive consumer experiences over and above a product purchase, such as the impressive Chupa Chups Room in Dubai.

The emerging world of NFTs:

Another interesting component in the consumer relationship with brands is NFTs and, by extension, digital currencies. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are the buzz word for brands right now, and an increasing number of companies want to be in this space to drive brand relevancy and be at the forefront of something that will eventually be regulated and part of our everyday life. It’ll be interesting to see how this develops – it could move very quickly, and we could see digital currency and NFTs become mainstream in only a few years. Another attraction of NFTs is how they play into the collectibles trend, which has been a key part of consumer products for many years. As brands look to enhance their consumer engagement strategy through digital platforms, NFTs have become a new commercial avenue.

Innovation in location-based entertainment:

An area of the business that I believe will also emerge transformed post-pandemic is location-based entertainment, which is also the theme for Licensing Expo 2022. We were seeing the start of consumers wanting to experience brands differently before COVID-19 hit, but I think we’ll now see much more innovation in those bigger consumer experiences with brands. Crayola recently announced plans for outbound licensing of its famous Crayola Experience which will see new locations installed around the world starting in 2023. It underlines the importance of the category to a brand as it creates more consumer touchpoints – location-based entertainment provides a brand destination to extend the consumer journey.

The importance of corporate and social responsibility:

A further area that will continue to grow in 2022 is the importance of corporate responsibility and brand values. Consumers, and particularly Gen Zs, are becoming more considered in how they interact with and consume brands – it’s not just about a product’s quality or how it’s marketed, but a company’s social and corporate responsibility. Themes such as wellness and sustainability are much more engrained. Inclusivity, too, is at the forefront and not just at a corporate level, but in terms of representation, ensuring kids and families today can see themselves reflected in content and products. Corporate and social responsibility is an important business pillar, not just a passing trend.

Fresh approaches to corporate brands:

One of the ways this heightened awareness of brand values has played out is that corporate brands are entering the licensing arena in new ways, while established brands are looking for collaborations and extensions into new aisles and channels that align with their businesses. For example, we’re seeing several CPG brands now looking at how they expand from the grocery channel to become present in other places, and this is driving innovative partnerships with other brands.

We’ve recently seen this with the Froot Loops and Sweethearts cereal collaboration as well as Sweethearts and Crocs coming together for a sweet colourful collaboration. At the premium end, Tumi, a corporate brand known for luggage, and McLaren, an automotive brand, have teamed up to offer a co-branded collection inspired by their shared values of meticulous design and durability. Looking to capture new consumers or buzz-worthy headlines, brands will continue to reach across aisles to form unexpected partnerships, leaving plenty of room for creative marketing campaigns and new product innovation.

From the toy aisle to the catwalk:

We’re also seeing a resurgence in creativity, particularly in the relationship between toy and kids’ brands and high-end fashion – encapsulated in the recent Balmain and Barbie collaboration, amongst others. These partnerships reflect and embrace popular culture and add value to offerings for both parties.

In part, this has to do with nostalgia – tapping into the original consumer demographic who grew up with a now iconic toy brand. Some major children’s brands have been around for many decades and there’s an intersection where the parents, who now consume premium brands, see their children playing with a toy they themselves loved. This offers opportunities across both the luxury and toy markets in playful and surprising ways, positioning the younger brand as aspirational, which then has a halo effect to the rest of the brand and licensing programme. From our own stable of IP, we see many examples of this: Peanuts, especially, has signed many diverse but brand-relevant fashion collaborations; LEGO has collaborated with YSL fashion; and Teletubbies has expanded from its core preschool audience to reach an older Gen Z fanbase through activations such as appearances at New York Fashion Week.

I feel we’re at the start of a new phase in licensing, where there’s a willingness and openness from brands to explore new and creative paths augmented by retail and technological evolution. Lockdown may have been a time of introspection, but it has also driven innovation, and as a result I believe there are many reasons to be optimistic about 2022 and beyond.”

Jasen Wright, VP North America for WildBrain CPLG, has developed consumer product and licensing programmes for some of the world’s leading brands across food & beverage, home improvement, automotive, art, sports, lifestyle and entertainment. Wright leads a team responsible for growing WildBrain CPLG’s North American portfolio of entertainment and lifestyle brands, as well as growing licensing business for WildBrain’s proprietary properties, including Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Teletubbies and Chip & Potato.

 

 

Kangaru Toys plans expanded licensing offering to the UK and Europe through Two in 1 Direct

Two in 1 Direct has detailed a new licensed segment from the international scented stationery, toys, and activities specialist, Kangaru Toy, following the recent news that it would handling the outfit’s UK business.

Kangaru will be making its UK debut at what it has billed ‘an exciting stage of the company’s development,’ having confirmed a new licensing programme with a host of popular food and confectionery brands in the US, including Chupa Chups, Mentos, and Kelloggs’ cereals.

With this series of licensing partnerships, Kangaru will look to tap into the popular food licensing trend and reinvigorate the craft and stationery categories. Key characteristics of these brands, such as shapes, scents and colours, will bring this collection to life.

Joe DiPalma, Kangaru’s founder and CEO, has spent the last year adopting a licensed strategy to this new product development to capitalise on top selling brands.

Speaking of the company’s plans for its licensing programme, he said: “Over the coming year we plan to expand the licensed products into the UK and Europe, South America and Asia. Where the UK is concerned, we’ve been working with Paul to better understand the opportunities within the market.

“He’s been drawing on his vast experience in toys and the children’s entertainment business, as well as his impressive ability to customise products and licensing for customers, to really help tailor our licensed offering for the UK.”

Paul Fogarty, co-founder of Two in 1 Direct, added: “We’ve seen the foodie craze hit the toy aisle and now we get to bring it to the stationery and craft aisle.

“Something we’re particularly excited about is the opportunity to customise this line of products to suit our retailers’ unique needs. We’re going to be working closely with our retail partners over the coming months to deliver a collection that appeals to customers and meets their individual needs.”

Hasbro, Chupa Chups, and Crunchyroll among latest to present on the Festival of Licensing Stage

Hasbro, eOne, Chupa Chups, and Crunchyroll are just some of the latest global brands to be confirmed to present on the Festival of Licensing Stage during the virtual event’s opening week this October 6th to 8th, marking the latest additions to the European leg powered by Brand Licensing Europe.

Almost 50 live keynotes, presentations and on-demand sessions have been confirmed to date for Festival of Licensing, the month-long virtual celebration of the global licensing industry running from October 6th to 29th, incorporating three regional events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, and culminating with the global C-suite and executive-level virtual conference, Licensing Leadership Summit.

Newly announced for the Live Stage, sponsored by Crunchyroll:

  • Tuesday 6 October, 12.40pm BST: Senior executives from Hasbro + eOne, including Global Consumer Products General Manager and Senior Vice President Casey Collins, will present Fuelling Franchises Together.

  • Tuesday 6 October, 3pm BST: Creative agency Tela Italia, WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle and Perfetti Van Melle will join forces for Chupa Chups: The Secret to Keeping Art Stories Sweet to look into the creative energy behind Chupa Chups’ licensing success, and the importance of design as a tool for reinforcing brand relevance and uniqueness.

  • Wednesday 7 October, 3pm BST: Anime: The Inescapable Hit of Licensing – Powered by Crunchyroll will show how anime licenses are powerful, audience-driving brands that offer sustainability in a crowded market. Crunchyroll speakers include Joellen Ferrer, vice president, global communications and corporate marketing; Terry Li, head of 360 and general manager, games; John Leonhardt, head of consumer products; John Easum, head of EMEA; and Waell Oueslati, director of acquisitions and licensing, EMEA.

Newly announced content available to view on-demand from October 6:

Yasuo Miyakawa, who has the enviable title of chief Pac-Man officer and CEO of Bandai Namco Entertainment, presents: Nurturing a legend: 40 Years of PAC-MAN.

  • Hussein Khalid, director of the information technology department, Sanrio, and Greg Holtzman, marketing director, Brainbase, are collaborating for Why Sanrio Partnered with Brainbase to Streamline their Global Licensing Business.

Newly announced content available to view on demand from October 20:

  • Executives from Jazwares, Extreme Concepts, IHL Apparel Group, Best Accessory Group and The Brand Liaison take a broad look at the licensing landscape and unique business terms in light of COVID-19 in their What do Licensees Want? Session.

  • Stephen Glockenmeier, vice president, marketing, corporate brand licensing and consumer channels, American Red Cross, and Stu Seltzer, president, The Seltzer Licensing Group investigate charity brand licensing and the importance of brand purpose to consumers with a deep dive case study in to licensing the Red Cross.

  • Sesame Workshop is mobilising quickly to respond to the pandemic, racial injustice and current events to support the needs of young children and their families, adjusting continually as 2020 evolves. In the talk, Orchestrating Speed-to-Market: How to Make Everything Hum in Concert, Gabriela Arenas, vice president, licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop, will discuss how the non-profit is pivoting its speed-to-market approach to provide Sesame Street resources during these challenging times.

A series of sessions curated by industry trade association and Festival of Licensing partner Licensing International will also be available to view on-demand during all three regional weeks, including the:

  • ‘What you Need to Know to do Business in …’ series

    15- to 20-minute on-demand sessions covering information on market size, local licensing and retail trends, business practices and much more for France, Russia, Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico.

  • ‘Basics of Licensing’ series

    Licensing 101 on-demand sessions available to view in local languages: French, Russian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and English.

“We are so excited to have such incredible brands, campaigns, products and individuals on the Festival of Licensing content program. The depth and breadth of topics being covered in-region and being made available globally is just phenomenal. What’s more, we still have three hugely inspirational keynote speakers to announce,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Licensing, Informa Markets.