The Point.1888 details structural changes amid its leadership team

A company that refuses to sit still, and only a few weeks after the appointment of five new members, The Point. 1888 has promoted three of its senior team members in preparation for the busy year ahead.

Sarah Crimes has been promoted to director of marketing, reflecting the growth of her role over the last 12 months, which now includes marketing for the agency, its clients and the agency’s growing creative division, Story.1888.

Meanwhile, Hannah Stevens has been promoted from head of retail to head of retail and sport, an acknowledgement of the agency’s rapidly growing sports division which includes Team GB and The British and Irish Lions. The agency expects to be busy with both clients this year with the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and the South African Rugby Tour.

Finally, Janine Richmond has been promoted from senior commercial manager to head of product and brand, marking an important new role for the agency that will see her take responsibility of the product development team, as well as opening up new category opportunities across the brand portfolio.

As with the new appointments announced in January, each promotion will be crucial for the company’s continued growth. It should also allow the agency to fulfil the many exciting plans it has for 2021 which include international licensing programmes, transatlantic sporting events, and a number of hotly anticipated product launches.

Will Stewart, managing director of The Point.1888, said: “I started The Point.1888 on my own five years ago and while I knew I’d need strong people around me to make the business a success, I never imagined I’d have such an incredible leadership team in place today. This has been a disastrous 12 months for businesses all over the world, but our team has demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength and the promotions are all undoubtedly well deserved.”

Established in 2014, The Point.1888 delivers retail focused brand extension programmes by creating new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. This supports a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.

The Point. 1888 names Becky Langer its new senior commercial manager

The Point. 1888 has expanded its commercial team with the appointment of Becky Langer to the role of senior commercial manager. Langer joins from Hasbro where she held the position of retail development manager.

With 14 years of licensing experience at high profile companies, such as Warner Bros, HIT Entertainment, and Character World, Langer’s appointment has been described as a significant one for The Point. 1888.

Under her new role, Langer will report into the head of retail and softlines, Hannah Stevens, who was last week awarded Licensing International’s prestigious Rising Star Award. She was the only representative for the UK and European licensing community.

It’s notable that The Point.1888 has found itself to be resilient to the effects of the pandemic, something the company has attributed to its retail-first approach and brand-manufacturer pairing process. In some cases it has delivered increases in sales for clients’ products over the last few months.

Hannah Stevens said: “More so than ever, in the current climate, our team is working with amazing speed and enthusiasm on identifying strategic partnerships with retailers and licensees to drive the company’s growth plans, and fill gaps for our brands. We have to continue to innovate and deliver brands that are reflective of trend, but also have the longevity to inspire the customer to repeat buy year on year. It’s a tall order and the reason why we’re growing our team at this time.

“Becky brings a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise from her licensing career to this Innovative and forward thinking team.  Her tenacity, positivity and creativity make her a fantastic fit not just for my team, but for the agency as a whole and I’m so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Langer added: “Having been in the industry for 14 years, I’ve watched The Point.1888 emerge and establish itself as an industry leader in record time. It’s clear why when you see the capability of the team and the business model they’ve adopted. It’s also incredibly refreshing to be part of an organisation that operates with such integrity and kindness, not only in business but also in how they treat their team.

“The portfolio is full of exciting, beautiful and diverse brands so there really is something for everyone without being limited to certain genres or demographics.  I cannot wait.”

Established in 2014, The Point.1888 delivers retail focused brand extension programmes by creating new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. This supports a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.