TOTAL LICENSING
EUROPEAN INSIGHT
THE CULTURE CLASH
BETWEEN OLD-SCHOOL LICENSING AND
LICENSING FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
As we look at some of the recent tur- but it is not the same toy that launched have to face if we want to survive.
By Morten
moil in the licensing industry there are onto the market all those years ago Growth is now no longer simply a
Geschwendtner
lessons to be learned for us all. What and you can’t license it the same way. It question of acquisitions. It’s about
Director we are seeing is a culture clash be- has adapted to cope with conditions. growing and changing your philosophy.
Kidz Entertainment tween old school licensing and licens- That’s what we need to do in our in- That’s one reason why Kidz has pur-
ing for the new millennium and the sad dustry; we need to be reinventing our- sued a strategy of acquisitions and
fact is that in that fight there is only selves all the time and constantly look- mergers, but at the same time we have
going to be one winner. ing forward. And we need to look at broadened our offer so that we have
If we look at the licensing landscape educating others to come along with moved from a simple licensing agency
now it is radically different from what us. into a more dynamic integrated brand
it was five years ago and, to be hon- As agencies we need to be educat- marketing agency.
est, which of us can really say where it ing retailers about new strategies, As the industry moves into exciting
will be five years from now. You have for example we need to wean them emerging markets in India, China, and
to adapt or die as some people have away from their view that a terres- Eastern Europe it is important that we
found out to their cost. trial broadcaster is the Holy Grail for take best practice with us; there is no
It seems to me that there are three a licensing strategy. Then we need to point in entering a dynamic market
types of licensing agent around at the encourage those retailers to educate with an antiquated approach. All that
moment. their consumers in terms of new areas will ensure is that you will lose out to
There are the old agents who haven’t for licensed properties. the company that has been more for-
changed, the old agencies who have We all need to bear this in mind if we ward thinking than you.
moved with the times, and the new want to grow our companies. The ba- As I often say, this is not about altru-
agencies who are at the cutting edge. sic principles of licensing don’t have ism. If you keep changing and moving
You do not want to be in the first cat- to change but we have to apply them forward with a clear strategy you will
egory. differently. How, for example, do we create an exciting company with a mo-
Our industry is changing fast and you reach the growing numbers of young tivated workforce.
have to change with it. people who are spending more time Your staff will rise to the challenges
It’s simple. Look at a classic toy like online than watching TV? you set them and at the end of the day
Transformers. It is hugely successful These are serious challenges that we your revenue will increase.
Total Licensing is also available
in a digital format!
To subscribe free of charge, visit
www.totallicensing.com/reg.htm
148
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164