TOTAL LICENSING
Meera
a larger 4-story office in Wimbledon, ing at our brands, visiting our
Santoro’s
London, and now with stunning show showrooms, trade shows etc.
rooms, the one room office seems for the right opportunities to arise.
advice for
like a distant memory. We are now rolling out an exclusive
all those
Santoro has arguably, kick-started the Tutti Cuti™ programme in Target
embarking on
whole tween/girl movement which Australia, following a rather wacky
has been so inspirational to many sellout of a Target exclusive Jeli.Deli™
licensing a new
brands we see in the market today. At pet fashion range including dog hood-
brand into the
its peak Bang on the Door was gener- ies, feeding bowls and accessories for
market?
ating in excess of US$700m+ at retail the pampered pooch!” The Jeli.Deli™
and this is astonishing considering the pet range is now being introduced
brand’s predominant success was lim- into the UK via Wesco.
“If at first you ited to the UK. One of the global challenges is cer-
don’t succeed
Meera recalls, “It’s funny looking back tainly appointing the right licensing
deny you’ve
and remembering how worried and agents. “Its easy to appoint one but a
bemused my father was when we told good marriage is another thing alto-
been trying at
him that Lucio and I, newly married, gether – there’s nothing worse than
all!”
were leaving our respective careers
from top to bottom! “Europe tends
being married to the wrong agent
and going into postcards. He had vi-
to have more confidence in non-me-
– it’s got to be right for both sides”.
sions of us selling 10p ‘kiss-me-quick’-
dia driven brands than, perhaps, the
Over the past 10 years in licens-
type seaside postcards off Brighton
US. An obstacle is often encountered
ing Santoro have learned a few sage
Pier, thinking, how the flippin’ ‘eck
when potential US licensees find
lessons. “One of them is how im-
are they going to make a living out of
there is no animation/TV exposure
portant it is for copyright holders to
that!”
for the brands. However, this is now
actively protect a brand and not to
Due to the nature of Santoro’s Inter-
gradually changing, as I believe the US
be afraid of going after the big retail
national reach it has been so im-
market is realising that having a hit
chains if they infringe upon it. If action
portant for Santoro’s brands to
show does not guarantee a successful
isn’t taken in time it gives the green
have global appeal and success.
merchandising programme.”
light to rogue brands that start run-
This is something that the major-
“In the UK we’re seeing a notable
ning riot in the market. Its little use
ity of licensors strive for and in their
desire for retailers to work on DTR
to lock the stable door once the
experiences Santoro have noted a
licenses, and there’s certainly a turn
horse has bolted. Another valuable
real diversity within international
with retailers seeking and recognizing
markets. They have strong, prestigious
more creativity in prod-
retail presence world-wide in stores
uct over price. This view
such as Rinascente and Fiorucci in It-
extends as far as Mexi-
aly, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps
co, Brazil and the rest
in France, Seibu in Asia, Harrods
of Latin America where
and Selfridges in London. In
we are developing suc-
fact Santoro has been supplying
cessful programmes
Harrods for about 17 years. This
without compromising
has been developed and built on
on product specifica-
premium products.
tion. It really boils down
“You may be able to go from pre-
to the quality of the
Jo, Sonja, Jenny and Meera
mium to mass in order to get the
brands one has to of-
- Things get hot for the
most out of the shelf life of a
fer and having the
Santoro team with the
brand, but never the other
confidence to rea-
FDNY at the Licensing
way around”. So for Santoro
sonably hold one’s
lesson we’ve learnt is how important
Show!
it is definitely a case of working
ground when licensees want to
it is for all parties involved in build-
de-spec products. Another thing
ing a brand to ‘be on the same page’.
is that for years we found Germany
Success can have a strange effect on
a difficult market, yet with the arrival
people and many international, lucra-
of Tutti Cuti™ and the appointment
tive opportunities were definitely lost
of EM Entertainment, it’s becoming a
as a result of greed and naivety”.
very exciting market for Santoro”.
An annual challenge for Santoro is the
“Australasia is interesting. We know
Trade Shows. “We would love to be
the retail buyers follow trends hap-
able to exhibit at all relevant shows
pening across Europe. But, ‘caution
but it has to make financial sense. The
before commitment’ being the motto,
return on investment has to be justi-
it’s taken almost three years of look-
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