TOTAL LICENSING
TARGET
ENTERTAINMENT
In less than ten years, Target Entertain- sive experience both domestically and ership in the children’s programming
ment has grown into one of the UK’s internationally. marketplace.
most successful rights management The first major property within the Oliver Ellis joined the company as
businesses with divisions that include new division was Fifi and the Flow- Director of the division and his re-
television distribution, home enter- ertots which Target acquired from sponsibilities, in addition to acquiring
tainment, home-grown productions Keith Chapman, the creator of Bob distribution rights in third party chil-
and, of course, a consumer products the Builder. dren’s content is to develop and pro-
division. Fifi was sold into 150 territories duce Target’s own children’s and fam-
The company was founded by Alison w o r l d w i d e
Rayson in 1998 as a television distri- and, in the
Alison Rayson bution business. As Rayson explains, “I UK the se-
CEO,
realised that independent producers ries has aired
Target Entertainment Ltd
really didn’t have much in the way of five times a
international distribution”. With Tiger day on Five’s
Aspect and Talkback Productions as Milkshake and
shareholders, Rayson launched Tar- twice a day on
get and, within a year, launched Shed Nick Junior.
Productions’ drama Bad Girls which As a result,
eventually sold into 67 territories and Helen How-
grossed over £4.4 million by 2006. ells and her
ily programming. However, whilst Tar-
Further success followed in the form team were able to sign licenses with
get are in the market for acquisitions,
of Popstars, which has sold into 80 forty-six licensees producing over 125
this certainly does not mean that they
territories and, by 2003, Rayson had product lines.
are taking on anything that is offered
opened an office in New York. As she As Helen explained, “In the 2005/6
to them. As Oliver explained, “It’s all a
continued, “All through this growth, twelve-month period, over 5.3 mil-
question of being selective and making
Helen Howells
we continued really to concentrate lion Fifi branded products were sold!
sure that you pick the right things”.
Director of International on drama and entertainment proper-
And in 2006, Fifi toy sales increased
The result of this is that over the last
Licensing ties. Our strategy was very much to by an amazing 320% over the previ-
year Target have acquired seven new
Target Entertainment Ltd
put our efforts into growing these ous year”.
properties. “Some are owned by us
sides, before we tackled the children’s “Fifi was a wonderful start to our li-
whilst others are agency representa-
market”. censing division”, explained Rayson.
tions”, explained Helen Howells. “It’s
In 2001, this changed when Target “The combination of Helen’s expe-
good to have a combination of both
took on television distribution for rience and skills together with the
to work on”.
Meg and Mog – a deal which also in- creative genius of Chapman made a
Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs
cluded merchandising. winning combination. But although
The success of the property led Ali- Fifi continues to be strong, we knew
son Rayson to look further into the that now was the time to look for
children’s sector. “While Meg and Mog further brands in order to build up
was very successful, I knew really that our consumer products side to be a
to progress in this market we had to significant force in
Oliver Ellis, Director of set up a dedicated licensing division”. the market.”
Children’s and Family
And that’s what they did. In 2004, At the same
Target Entertainment Ltd
the consumer products division was time, Target
established with Helen Howells as set up their
Director of International Licensing, Children’s and Family Arm of the pro-
together with a team that have exten- duction division to bolster its IP own-
60
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