{"id":13012,"date":"2017-09-22T10:01:35","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T14:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/hot-brands\/"},"modified":"2017-10-03T14:57:29","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T18:57:29","slug":"hot-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/hot-brands\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot Brands"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Ahead of BLE, rights owners share their strategies for securing, and keeping, precious shelf space at retail.<\/em><\/p>\n

The sale of licensed goods and services continues to be very big business, with revenues reaching $262.9 billion globally in 2016. That number, from the Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey conducted by the licensing industry trade body LIMA, reflects a 4.4-percent rise on the previous year.<\/p>\n

Entertainment and character licensing dominate the global business, bringing in almost half of worldwide revenues. That $118.3-billion slice of the licensing market is what brand owners are eyeing as they look to deliver apparel, toys, books and more based on the characters that kids have fallen in love with through the TV screen.<\/p>\n

So what does it take to make that connection with the viewer that will then translate into retail opportunities? In the case of the mega-hit Power Rangers\u00a0<\/em>franchise, which marks its 25th anniversary next year, kids are eager to masquerade as their favorite ranger. \u201cYou can look like what you see on TV,\u201d says Frederic Souli\u00e9, the executive VP of global distribution and consumer products for Saban Brands, on the importance of the role-play and costumes categories. \u201cEven the toys, including the morphers, look exactly like what you see on the screen, so that gives Power Rangers<\/em> an edge.\u201d Moreover, the brand has something for everyone, he explains, because there are five rangers, reflecting a range of ethnic backgrounds, and each sporting a different color costume. \u201cThat is the secret sauce that makes Power Rangers\u00a0<\/em>accessible,\u201d Souli\u00e9 observes.<\/p>\n

The same could be said for the younger-skewing Sesame Street<\/em>. \u201cEveryone has their favorite character who they can relate to in their own special, personal way,\u201d says Risa Greenbaum, the assistant VP of international media business, Europe, at Sesame Workshop. \u201cBecause we have such a large roster of characters, and they all come in different sizes, shapes, colors and personalities, they continue to lend themselves very well to a wide range of categories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the Sesame Street<\/em> brand is flourishing. \u201cEven though we have many of the typical preschool categories locked in, we continue to get interest from additional apparel partners,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re looking at growing our homewares and accessories programs. We have our plush partners in place, and now we want to look at extending the toy range in other areas.\u201d Ancillary toys, in particular, will be a big push at BLE, \u201cwhether it\u2019s figurines and playsets, games, puzzles or bath toys,\u201d Greenbaum says.<\/p>\n

She adds that Sesame Workshop, which has traditionally had global toy deals, has recently made headway with regional partners across Europe. Even tried-and-tested brands must find new avenues to reach shoppers and continue to make noise in the consumer-products space.<\/p>\n

NEW ARSENAL<\/strong>
\nIn the case of Power Rangers<\/em>, the show features a new theme every two years along with a new cast and setting. \u201cWith that comes a brand-new set of toys on the licensing side,\u201d Souli\u00e9 says. \u201cEverything is different, from the weapons they use to the tools, vehicles and Zords.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Japanese brand BEYBLADE<\/em> uses a similar strategy. \u201cBEYBLADE<\/em> has a newness each time it launches,\u201d says Natasha Khavin Gross, the director of TV sales, marketing and licensing at New York-based SUNRIGHTS, which manages the property in Western markets. \u201cWith each reboot [of the series], there is a new storyline with fresh characters and adventures,\u201d Gross says, and that carries over to the toys as well. For example, Hasbro\u2019s line of spinning tops features \u201ca new way to win wherein a player can defeat their opponent by essentially \u2018bursting\u2019 their opponent\u2019s spinning top,\u201d which is a big draw for young fans, Gross says. Key categories for the brand include apparel, party goods, games, puzzles, sleepwear, bedding and publishing.<\/p>\n

KEEP IT FRESH<\/strong>
\nJennifer Coleman, 4K Media\u2019s VP of marketing and licensing, says that \u201cfinding new partners to work with in different ways\u201d is critical to rejuvenating the Yu-Gi-Oh!<\/em> brand. \u201cWe look for different ways to bring the merchandise to our fans and create a broader fan base.\u201d It\u2019s also about guiding those partners. \u201cKnowing the brand as well as we do, we can steer [retailers] in the right direction in terms of what we think the fans want,\u201d Coleman explains. She says some partners are even going as far as hiring fans of properties like Yu-Gi-Oh!<\/em> who can speak to the types of products that might capture consumers\u2019 attention, and purchasing power.<\/p>\n

But no matter how innovative the property or product is, retail is not an easy game, even for evergreen brands. \u201cCompetition is always a challenge,\u201d says Sesame\u2019s Greenbaum. \u201cWe\u2019re all going after the same limited amount of shelf space. These days you have to be a little bit more creative when you\u2019re looking at retail and try to figure out a match that works for both partners. We\u2019re looking at innovative ways of working with retailers, including doing exclusive products or windows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saban\u2019s Souli\u00e9 concurs, noting, \u201cWhat you often see these days is a revolving door of entertainment brands based on movies coming and going at retail.\u201d<\/p>\n

The closure of brick-and-mortar stores is also partly responsible for the challenge of getting items on shelves. \u201cThe whole retail environment is difficult,\u201d says Marja Kerkhof, the managing director at Mercis, which handles the Miffy brand. \u201cOnline sales are great and growing rapidly, but they are not yet making up for what we are losing in stores. That\u2019s a threat at the moment for every property and business. There\u2019s a lot of fragmentation, and the big retailers don\u2019t seem to have yet found the answer to the trend toward internet sales.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenging environment means licensors must, at times, make difficult decisions when dealing with retailers. \u201cSometimes you have to give someone an exclusive or make special designs,\u201d Kerkhof notes. \u201cWe can\u2019t be greedy. It\u2019s very much a matter of cultivating a good relationship with a retailer, appreciating them and being loyal to them,\u201d rather than trying to get products into every store.<\/p>\n

RETAIL THERAPY<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe biggest thing retailers want is differentiation,\u201d says Lloyd Mintz, the senior VP of global consumer products at Genius Brands International. \u201cOur biggest challenge day in and day out is finding room in\u00a0between the industry giants. It is our job to identify white space in the market and fill that vacuum with great Genius Brands content.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saban\u2019s Souli\u00e9 reflects a similar view when he says, \u201cWhat we do with any of our brands is try to customize the experience for retailers as much as we can.\u201d For example, when the feature film Saban\u2019s Power Rangers<\/em> was released by Lionsgate on Blu-ray and DVD, there were different versions of the product, including some with bonus features, depending on whether it was purchased at Target or Walmart. \u201cThere\u2019s an incentive for the retailer to work with you if you\u2019re offering them something a bit different,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Sesame\u2019s Greenbaum believes that a successful retail strategy involves \u201clooking at your brand and trying to figure out what you can do to pull something special from each of the characters and create some dynamic product that will resonate.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not an easy task, she continues, because \u201cthe product needs to not only look great but be innovative as well. Everybody can do a plush, but do you have a plush that does something different and that a child can relate to in a different way? Retailers need to know their consumers will connect with a product.\u201d<\/p>\n

SPECIAL EDITION<\/strong>
\nIt also helps to give consumers themselves something special. \u201cYu-Gi-Oh!<\/em> is still not out there in a huge way at retail,\u201d 4K\u2019s Coleman says, so when fans see someone with Yu-Gi-Oh!<\/em> merchandise, they clamor to find it. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of an insider thing, and fans feel like they are part of an elite, tight-knit circle,\u201d which helps drive sales.<\/p>\n

In some cases, it can be beneficial to think about licensing and merchandising right from the get-go. \u201cFor all of our shows, from day one, we think about how we allow consumers to relive and recreate their favorite aspects of the show at home in their own rooms or with their family and best friends,\u201d Genius Brands\u2019 Mintz says. \u201cWith Rainbow Rangers<\/em>, we thought, What is a vehicle that a 4-year-old girl can ride? She can ride a scooter, so we put the rangers on scooters because that\u2019s a great way for little girls to reimagine that brand franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n

SUNRIGHTS\u2019 Gross says that in this competitive environment, retailers are \u201cnarrowing their programs\u201d and looking for \u201chot brands, but also robust programs with merchandise across multiple categories that can be handpicked. It\u2019s quite challenging, but the best way to appeal to the retailer is to let your hot items like toys lead the race and slowly layer in other categories until the brand is a proven success.\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds: \u201cThe key is timing and striking when the iron is hot. There is such a delicate balance in getting product out at the right time to hit peak demand. Nowadays, a retailer has to ask for a brand before a licensee approaches a brand for a license.\u201d<\/p>\n

SMART SHOPPERS<\/strong>
\nA silver lining related to the fact that retailers are not necessarily \u201cbuying big\u201d is that some are taking a long-term approach and \u201cbuying smart,\u201d 4K\u2019s Coleman says. \u201cThey\u2019re testing products and making sure that the designs are working. If they\u2019re not working, they\u2019re not simply walking away from a property. Retailers are asking why not and what else should be featured in the product instead. They know that if they find the right mix, it\u2019s going to resonate with fans and reach consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the physical shelves are shrinking, which makes the new wave of opportunities in the online world all the more enticing.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to five years ago, there was virtually no app business, so the digital industry was essentially video games,\u201d says Genius Brands\u2019 Mintz. The development of apps now means companies can \u201cmonetize a digital fingerprint beyond video games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaming is a category that Saban Brands is \u201cgetting a lot more serious about,\u201d notes Souli\u00e9. The company recently launched a new mobile game tied to the release of the latest Power Rangers<\/em> feature film.<\/p>\n

4K\u2019s Coleman is finding that mobile gaming is a great way to bring in a new generation of Yu-Gi-Oh!<\/em> fans, as well as to draw old fans back into the trading card game. \u201cYou can\u2019t necessarily take trading cards in your pocket and play wherever you want, so these mobile apps are vital to engagement with the brand. We\u2019re seeing a number of lapsed players come back into the game because they can easily play digitally on their phones as they commute, for example.\u201d Coleman also sees mobile games as a means of attracting new fans who can get hooked on the digital game before they invest in the trading cards and participate in in-person tournaments.<\/p>\n

The BEYBLADE BURST<\/em> \u201capp mimics physical play [of the spinning tops], and it is exciting for kids to share the experience of battle with their friends,\u201d says SUNRIGHTS\u2019 Gross. The company is also pursuing digital game apps for casual fans of the brand.<\/p>\n

APP-TASTIC<\/strong>
\nClassic brands like Miffy are getting into the digital space as well, with an app that allows kids to read stories and play games. Meanwhile, Sesame Workshop is riding the Snapchat craze, having already launched a Big Bird Snapchat filter in the U.S., with plans to do more with the company later this year. \u201cIn Asia, in particular, we\u2019ve got some great new filters from Snow,\u201d Greenbaum says, referring to Snapchat\u2019s Asian rival. \u201cWe\u2019ve already seen success with that, with more than 6 million downloads for Elmo and Cookie Monster filters combined in Asia.\u201d<\/p>\n

In seeking success in retail, it also helps to widen your target base. \u201cWe know our audience and consumers pretty well,\u201d says Saban\u2019s Souli\u00e9. \u201cWe can tailor the experience by targeting different segments, from the little kids between 4 and 8 watching the show on Nickelodeon in the U.S. or other channels worldwide to an older audience that is looking for collectible items.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the case of Saban\u2019s new property Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty<\/em>, \u201cI can see T-shirts featuring the kitty as a cool fashion statement for older kids, stemming from a cultural obsession with unicorns and memes being exchanged on the internet,\u201d Souli\u00e9 says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to capture that trend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mercis\u2019s Kerkhof has noticed a similar pattern with Miffy. She says that in addition to preschoolers who love the books and TV series, Miffy has \u201ca following of people who like design and graphic design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching consumers is the name of the game, and rights owners are poised to find\u2014and entice\u2014them wherever they may be.<\/p>\n

Pictured: Plush based on Mercis’s Miffy.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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