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TOTAL LICENSING
EUROPEAN INSIGHT
MASSAGE THE GATEKEEPER
and other ways to add value
If you don’t add value as an agent we have to be able to give them prod- across territories, too, particularly in
right now, you don’t deserve to be uct concepts on a platter, a turnkey categories more sensitive to geogra-
in business. But what does adding project geared to their product and phy, like fashion. We had the example By Morten
value really mean? And why do we market. This is adding value. recently of proposing a range of appar-
Geschwendtner
need to be doing so much more? Are we experiencing this already? Yes el to a European retailer. We looked at
Director
we are. We’re working on a product what the licensor’s in-house team had
Kidz Entertainment/
EEMC
There are a number of ‘gatekeepers’ idea right now that could fill a huge produced for a UK retailer and real-
we deal with all the time in licensing. gap in the market. The potential li- ised it wouldn’t be appropriate at all.
The first and most obvious is the re- censees we’ve talked to are new to So we proposed getting a local design
tailer – how do you get your property licensing and they all understand the agency to work on a range, incorpo-
listed, how does it work, etc. For some idea but some have trouble seeing rating Nordic styling, to present to
time now the industry has been gaining the retailer. It will have a much greater
retail understanding and expertise, and
One of the reasons you have
chance of succeeding. One of the rea-
the retailer will probably always be our
an agent in different
sons you have an agent in different
most significant gatekeeper. But there
territories is to ‘unpack’ that
territories is to ‘unpack’ that territory
are others and I believe the next sets and its consumers’ habits. This should
of tools we must equip ourselves with
territory and its consumers’
also extend to product design.
to manage them best are creative.
habits. This should also ex- We’ve taken on the first member of
For example, it’s not difficult to sell li-
tend to product design.
our in house creative team, from an
cences to licensees you already work apparel licensee. But I’m certain our
with. The challenge is in bringing in
how they can make it work right here,
creative resources will grow. We’ve
partners from new areas of business or
right now. Just like retailers when they
also responded to the need for more
new territories, i.e. people not familiar
first started working with licences,
retail understanding by appointing a
with licensing. But there is sometimes
these companies look at a style guide
VP or retail and brand management.
a reticence for new companies to be-
and wonder how to turn the pictures
He will help retailers understand the
come involved in licensing. Many po-
into their products. But if we present
value of a brand in our portfolio rather
tential licensees have difficulty seeing
finished concepts and de-mystify the
than just try to sell them a license. It’s
how to execute a licensing project. It’s
process, the deal is much more likely
like massaging the gatekeeper so they
what you might call the ‘time-money-
to go ahead.
better understand the full picture of
personnel factor’ within potential li-
Similarly, other partners like advertis-
what’s on offer.
censees that needs managing for a deal
ing and promotion agencies often pre-
Sales into top categories for top
to go ahead. In many cases, you can’t
fer to create their own character for a
brands are not difficult to achieve. The
just sell a new company an idea. It’s
client rather than work with an exist-
challenges are in securing less obvious
too big an exercise for them and might
ing license. You might call it the ‘not in-
categories, finding new business, secur-
only represent a tiny part of their total
vented here’ syndrome. So we have to
ing renewals at a higher level and driv-
turnover. If it’s too big a problem for
respond to with a compelling creative
ing and developing brands in the long
them, the deal won’t happen. Instead,
proposal using our own characters.
term. Getting involved in the creative
you have to show them how to take it
This notion of adding value applies
process is key to all this – it helps to
from idea to execution and this where get the message across to partners
and helps to protect the brand and en-
Sales into top categories for top brands are not difficult to
sure its success as it grows. And from
achieve. The challenges are in securing less obvious categories,
an agency perspective, it helps protect
finding new business, securing renewals at a higher level and
your business by making it hard for cli-
driving and developing brands in the long term. Getting involved
ents to leave. Compared to a few years
ago, it’s much harder to launch a new
in the creative process is key to all this – it helps to get the
brand and make it stick right now. The
message across to partners and helps to protect the brand
task is in driving and developing exist-
and ensure its success as it grows. ing brands. That’s adding value.
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