{"id":14365,"date":"2018-05-18T09:24:16","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T13:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/playtime\/"},"modified":"2018-05-29T12:11:25","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T16:11:25","slug":"playtime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/playtime\/","title":{"rendered":"Playtime!"},"content":{"rendered":"

TV Kids<\/em> spotlights strategies that help build successful licensing and merchandising campaigns for kids\u2019 programming.<\/p>\n

As shelf space becomes more and more crowded, L&M executives must arm themselves with knowledge about current trends to give their properties the best chance for success and, if they\u2019re lucky, staying power in today\u2019s challenging retail landscape.<\/p>\n

Much like TV-watching habits are analyzed to track viewers\u2019 preferences, trends related to the purchase of licensed products must also be evaluated so that retailers and L&M execs can stay in the know, make consumers happy and keep profits flowing. Recently, global information company The NPD Group unveiled its U.S. Kids License Tracker, which provides \u201ca holistic view\u201d of licensed purchases in the country for kids up to age 14. The new service explores how license spending and buying behavior varies across such categories as apps and in-app purchases, arts and crafts, baby gear, books, clothing, footwear, school supplies, toys\/puzzles, accessories and more. Insights include purchase methods and occasions, pricing, items bought, and demographic profiles of both the buyers and children.<\/p>\n

\u201cNPD\u2019s new service will provide our clients with a complete view of the kids\u2019 licensing market and key insights to help retailers and licensors identify new opportunities,\u201d said Joanne Hageman, the president of NPD\u2019s entertainment sector, when announcing the launch of the U.S. Kids License Tracker. \u201cThe cross-industry coverage enables clients to refine their license\u2019s positioning, become more strategic in their marketing and product-development efforts and guide their efforts toward understanding what is most important to their target audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

NPD also recently reported that across the 12 global markets it tracks, toy industry sales inched up 1 percent in 2017. In the U.S., they rose by 1 percent to $20.7 billion. Mexico and Russia experienced the fastest growth, partially due to inflation, with sales rising 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Sales were flat in Germany and Italy, while the U.K., France and Australia experienced declines.<\/p>\n

In this challenging environment, having a strong brand is necessary to rise above the fierce competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a company mission, which is to create everlasting memories for children, and that is the central focus for everything we do with our brands,\u201d says Ami Dieckman, the senior VP of international licensing at Entertainment One (eOne) Family & Brands. \u201cWhat this means is that we\u2019re creating global brands with longevity and making sure that they remain relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n

While some companies have a renewable pipeline of content, when it comes to its L&M catalog, eOne Family & Brands prefers to hone in on a few high-quality properties that will hopefully continue to thrive for a long time. PJ Masks <\/em>has been in the marketplace for nearly three years, and the now evergreen Peppa Pig<\/em> will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur overarching global strategy leads with investment in content,\u201d adds Dieckman. \u201cIt\u2019s about keeping it relevant, keeping true to the spirit of the original brand but also making sure that people are feeling like they\u2019re getting quality at every point of engagement. If you get that part right, it simply translates to product around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Atlantyca Entertainment takes a similar approach to investing in a brand\u2019s longevity by ensuring that the content always remains fresh. \u201cWe look for strategic partners who are open to building long-term\u201d collaborations, says Marco Piccinini, the company\u2019s licensing manager. \u201cAnd we develop new style guides in order to refresh our brand and consistently update\/transfer the key values of the properties onto the possible retail products.\u201d<\/p>\n

IN WITH THE OLD<\/strong>
\nAtlantyca\u2019s main highlights for licensing and merchandising on an international level are Geronimo Stilton<\/em>, a book-based brand that has been enjoying success in the publishing, stationery, food and promotional categories in the U.S., Europe and Asia, as well as Bat Pat<\/em>, for which \u201ccollectible is the key word,\u201d says Piccinini. In Italy, the company is also pursuing additional L&M opportunities for School of Roars<\/em>, a new preschool series, and H20: Mermaid Adventures<\/em>, for girls aged 4 to 8.<\/p>\n

One helpful (but certainly not crucial) ingredient for L&M success is a property that has already proven itself in the marketplace in one way or another\u2014a trend that has been ongoing for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cToy specialists used to be trendsetters and were more inclined to get behind new properties,\u201d says Marie-Laure Marchand, the senior VP of global consumer product and media distribution for the Asia Pacific, U.S. and U.K. at Xilam Animation. Now, they want \u201cestablished brands with major marketing and digital support behind them in order to limit risks. Therefore, the main challenge for small independent studios is attracting the attention of retailers. Given the unstable economic situation and the plethora of properties available, they tend to choose the safe brands over potential opportunities from smaller players.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to the demand for tried-and-true properties, Xilam is working on Mr Magoo<\/em>, a reboot of the classic 1960s series. \u201cWe are confident that our fresh take on the show will capture kids\u2019 attention across the globe,\u201d says Marchand. \u201cWe have already secured major TV exposure for Mr Magoo\u00a0<\/em>through broadcast deals with France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions in France, K2 in Italy, ITV and CITV in the U.K., along with Cartoon Network in Asia, and we have many more partners to be announced soon.\u201d The company\u2019s L&M catalog also consists of the flagship Oggy and the Cockroaches<\/em>, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the slapstick comedy Zig & Sharko<\/em>, and Paprika<\/em>, Xilam\u2019s first preschool brand.<\/p>\n

Mondo TV has also reinvented a preexisting property with Heidi Bienvenida<\/em>, a live-action franchise that takes inspiration from the 1881 book. \u201cHeidi Bienvenida<\/em>\u2014a co-pro between Mondo TV Iberoamerica and Alianzas Producciones\u2014is an adaptation of the classic tale of the happy, carefree girl who leaves her beloved mountain home to live in the big city,\u201d says Valentina La Macchia, director of consumer products. \u201cAlongside that engaging storyline, it also offers an exciting mix of themes attractive to its target audience of teens, such as music, comedy, color, magic, love and technology, all of which in turn offer many licensing opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

FAMILIAR FACES<\/strong>
\nMeanwhile, CJ E&M is hoping to launch a new animated series next year centered on Pucca, a popular Korean character. \u201cWith love and passion as a subject matter, Pucca will be appealing to every consumer group, regardless of age or gender,\u201d says Joseph Kim, head of the company\u2019s global animation business division. CJ\u2008E&M is also currently seeking licensing and merchandising opportunities for Rainbow Ruby<\/em>, a girl-oriented animated show meant to teach children that they can become anything they want in life.<\/p>\n

Another way for a company to achieve success with a brand is to avoid making the mistake of \u201ceating its own young.\u201d As obvious as this may sound, it\u2019s also easy to understand why it might be tempting to want to replicate the popularity of a hit property; after all, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t expand our portfolio for the sake of it, and we are conscious not to cannibalize on our own brands,\u201d says eOne Family\u2019s Dieckman. \u201cWe actually reject quite a lot of content pitches that we come across\u2014even if we love them. There\u2019s just no point in picking up another girls\u2019 2-to-5 that will directly compete with Peppa<\/em>, and likewise with a boys\u2019 show\u201d that could potentially pose a threat to PJ Masks<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This is a key strategy for Mondo TV, whose L&M highlights include the teen-geared Heidi Bienvenida<\/em> as well as the younger-skewing Robot Trains<\/em>, the second season of which it is co-producing with CJ\u2008E&M. \u201cThese two properties illustrate an important part of our approach: they don\u2019t conflict with each other,\u201d says La Macchia. \u201cThey are aiming at two very different target audiences, enabling us to build clearly defined licensing relationships across brands that complement\u2014rather than clash with\u2014each other.\u201d Mondo TV is also seeking a master toy licensee for Invention Story<\/em>, an upcoming co-pro with Henan York Animation.<\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s CJ E&M, the IP owner of Robot Trains<\/em>, is already moving forward with product development for the show. \u201cEven though it is in an early stage of business, the animated series is continuously being launched on major TV channels, and consumers will be able to find Robot Trains<\/em> toys all over Europe,\u201d says Kim. \u201cCurrently, Robot Trains<\/em>\u2019 L&M program is being developed at a rapid pace, with competitive licensees in a number of major categories.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the other important strategies for a licensing program is deciding on the best time to begin thinking about consumer products.<\/p>\n

CJ E&M, for example, starts contemplating a brand\u2019s licensing and merchandising potential from the get-go, according to Kim. \u201cWe consider the possibilities for L&M success from the early stage of IP development,\u201d he says. \u201cWe think about L&M for our property from the preproduction stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAtlantyca\u2019s strategy is to pitch the new properties when they are starting on TV,\u201d says Piccinini, \u201cin order to find the right licensees that will release the product 6 to 12 months after the premiere, and put the products on shelves when the series will have reached a strong audience following.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over at Xilam, the company starts \u201cpitching for a master toy partner, alongside the publishing category, straight away,\u201d says Marchand. \u201cIn general, for brand-new properties we will wait for the first TV ratings to come in before speaking to licensees and then, once brand awareness has started building and the fan base begins to grow, we will introduce the first products into the market.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to La Macchia, Mondo TV also plans a brand\u2019s L&M approach immediately. \u201cYou have to work in advance to develop a substantial licensing program; you can\u2019t just wait for the property to be already consolidated or launched on TV,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

La Macchia stresses the importance of staying organized and maintaining close contact with retailers. \u201cBrand owners who embrace retail support will see the benefits of investing in retail to drive the brand message outside their traditional channel. Therefore, we ensure at all times that we keep retailers updated about our properties and our TV and L&M plans.\u201d However, she notes, \u201cIt isn\u2019t simply a matter of telling licensees our plans and strategy for an exciting brand and expecting them to jump on board. They want guarantees about TV, marketing campaigns and more; that\u2019s why we always try to secure TV broadcasting on the best free-to-air channels and invest heavily in marketing activities in partnership with retail, such as promotional campaigns and loyalty programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

GETTING A HEAD START<\/strong>
\nDieckman says that eOne Family contemplates L&M early on, \u201cbut we don\u2019t consider it from the point of view of, how do we make this fit in a toy program?\u201d Instead, the company focuses on \u201ccreating a holistic consumer-products program, rather than just a brand that we can sell on the shop floor. It\u2019s important to create a program with international appeal, yet still connect with consumers on a local level.\u201d<\/p>\n

But even if a company finds itself in possession of a strong brand with long-lasting appeal and manages to choose the perfect time to kick off a licensing program, there may still be additional hurdles to overcome.<\/p>\n

Take, for instance, the shuttering of major toy retailers around the globe. \u201cThe closure of Toys\u201cR\u201dUs in the U.S. and U.K., as well as La Grande R\u00e9cr\u00e9 in France, will not just have an impact on ourselves, but on other smaller independent studios too,\u201d says Xilam\u2019s Marchand. \u201cHowever, we expect this to be partially overcome with potential new lucrative business opportunities that the digital market presents.\u201d She mentions that the company recently launched its own online store, which \u201cgives fans of all ages the opportunity to purchase a wide array of merchandise\u201d based on Oggy<\/em>. You know what they say\u2014if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!<\/p>\n

The sheer volume of properties on the market nowadays also presents a bit of a problem. \u201cThe number of new brands being debuted every year is definitely a challenge for longevity,\u201d says CJ E&M\u2019s Kim.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really crowded marketplace,\u201d concurs eOne Family\u2019s Dieckman. \u201cRetail is a shrinking white space right now\u2014everyone\u2019s been affected by it.\u201d But she also sees this obstacle as an opportunity: \u201cIt makes you smarter, forces you to think harder about how to get to that shelf space and drive innovation across your product lines to meet the demands of this competitive landscape. Overall, we work harder as a result to produce a real quality brand experience for the consumer across multiple touch points. Let\u2019s talk about how we can really collaborate with the people that are left out there, and how we can support everyone for the benefit of the whole licensing community.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A spotlight on some of the strategies that help build successful licensing and merchandising campaigns for kids\u2019 programming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":479,"featured_media":14366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,21],"tags":[1140],"class_list":["post-14365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","category-top-stories","tag-licensing-expo","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nPlaytime! - TVKIDS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/playtime\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Playtime! - TVKIDS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A spotlight on some of the strategies that help build successful licensing and merchandising campaigns for kids\u2019 programming.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/playtime\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVKIDS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-05-18T13:24:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-05-29T16:11:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2017\/07\/PJ-Masks-product-eOne-518.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"215\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joanna Padovano Tong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joanna Padovano Tong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/playtime\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/playtime\/\",\"name\":\"Playtime! 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