Michigan State University’s licensing efforts give its students, staff and alumni the opportunity to show their support for the school year-round while financially supporting student programs and scholarships.
By Jim Harris
The Michigan State University Spartan is more than just a representation of the school’s nationally known athletic programs. The Spartan is a symbol of the pride that students, staff and alumni take in the university – a pride that extends well beyond football and basketball seasons.
“Our students and fans have a vested interest in the university, are passionate about it and want to continue supporting it not just during a season, but year-round,” Director of Licensing Samantha Stevens says.
Established in the mid-1980s as a way to protect the university’s image by making sure the Spartan brand and related marks and logos were being used properly, MSU’s licensing program has evolved into a way for the public institution of higher learning to tell its story beyond the East Lansing, Mich., campus.
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Steve Jackson Games focuses on expansions and licensed products for the Munchkin card game series while it revives tried-and-true fan favorites.
By Stephanie Crets
If you have a warped sense of humor and enjoy tabletop and card games, odds are you’ll enjoy the slate of games offered by Steve Jackson Games. The company has roughly 20 games and more than 100 titles in its current catalog. That can change every year as some games go out of print, while new ones are created and old ones are brought back. But its classic game series is Munchkin.
“Part of the reason Munchkins has been so successful for us is embracing that sense of humor and running off on crazy tangents and having lots of fun with it,” CEO Phil Reed says. “The silliness and the cartooning style really excite the fans.”
Steve Jackson Games keeps the excitement brewing by constantly announcing new cards or expansions for the Munchkin series, such as Mars Attacks, Judge Dredd, and zombie and holiday-themed expansions. “We try to turn the game around to shock and surprise the players,” Reed notes.
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The Halo sci-fi franchise is adding licensed products and licensees and expanding its market to boys ages eight to 14 and into Mexico, Latin America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties with more than $5 billion in worldwide sales to date that has transcended video games and grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. In 2004, the Halo Franchise pursued a dedicated licensing program with the release of Halo 2. Since then, more than $1.5 billion in Halo consumer products have been sold worldwide.
The list of licensed products includes action figures, apparel, accessories, construction toys, novels, comics, video and music. “We‘ve got a pretty broad licensing program,” Director of Consumer Products John Friend emphasizes. “We’re involved in everything from toys and collectibles through all categories of soft goods, some home goods and then including films, DVD publishing and digital sell-through of original programming, such as Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn on Netflix.”
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SEGA of America celebrates 25 years of Sonic the Hedgehog with new games, new merchandise and much more in 2016.
By Eric Slack
A leading presence in gaming for more than 50 years, SEGA is synonymous with innovation. It was one of the first companies on the interactive scene, and Sonic the Hedgehog became the perfect mascot to symbolize SEGA’s efforts to break barriers when he debuted in 1991. Celebrating Sonic’s 25th anniversary in 2016, SEGA of America’s leaders are looking to continue to build on that pioneering spirit.
“The Sonic Pillar team combines an experienced team from the world of entertainment alongside executives with a history of the Sonic brand from Japan,” says Ivo Gerscovich, chief brand officer and senior vice president of SEGA of America. “It makes for a powerful combination as we look to elevate Sonic into an entertainment icon across film, television, games, consumer products and many other areas.”
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The Licensing Shop and Bulldog Licensing play it smart with Shopkins to ensure the collectible toy brand continues to be a sensation.
By Janice Hoppe
Shopkins fans’ excitement rises with each crinkle of the blind bag until they have finally ripped it open to reveal a common, limited-edition or ultra-rare character. “The fan base loves doing the unboxing ceremonies on YouTube and social media,” The Licensing Shop President Steve Fowler says. “It’s kids talking to other kids through these sites, not suits creating a marketing program. It’s truly organic growth.”
Developed by Australian-based Moose Toys, Shopkins are grocery store-themed collectible characters that children collect, share and trade. Each rubber character has its own unique name and face, turning everyday items into cute and colorful figurines. “It’s a brand that translates so well and is built around pocket money,” Fowler explains. “Fans can buy a two-pack for $2.99, so it’s not a huge commitment. Kids and their parents buy a lot of two packs because they want to complete their collection.”
Shopkins launched Season 1 in summer 2014 and every six months since then has debuted a new season. Season 6 will hit stores in October along with the release of a first-ever DVD. A second DVD is scheduled for September 2017. Each season has at least 140 characters and fans want to collect them all. “The two-packs are in blind packaging, so you don’t know what you are getting,” Fowler says. “Moose Toys has created characters that are common, limited edition and ultra-rare. When you open it up and get No. 149, you are shrieking in delight and the fans want to capture that moment on camera because they don’t want to miss replaying that excitement.”
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Retail Monster works closely with its partners including, A+E Networks and Entertainment Retail Enterprises to meet licensing, retail, sales and marketing needs for brands and franchises across a variety of categories.
By Stephanie Crets
Endless opportunities abound in the world of licensing, retail, marketing and sales – more than most brands can even imagine, in fact. But that’s where Retail Monster comes in to assist brands, retailers and licensors looking for solutions for brand extensions, licensing opportunities and preferred suppliers. Launched this past March, Retail Monster operates out of strategic locations near big retailers in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Orlando and Bentonville, Ark., with plans to expand to Minneapolis and internationally next year.
Retail Monster does more than licensing a brand before bringing it retailers. In fact, it does the reverse approach and brings brands to retailers as a pitch to generate excitement on the front-end, which makes licensing easier overall. It has also found that suppliers who sell intellectual property-based products are skilled at selling those products but struggle when pitching the brand behind them. Retail Monster, however, is more than comfortable helping a supplier pitch their products to retailers and linking brands with suppliers, licensors and retailers.
“We have a unique ability so sell brands to retailers and suppliers through brand ambassadorship,” CEO and founder Michael Connolly says. “What we offer in addition to that really rounds out our vortex. Our key differentiator comes in the sales and marketing services. The most important thing is we’ve decentralized our structure; we haven’t built one big infrastructure anywhere. We can be in front of retailers to pitch within the day and that’s the game-changer. Selling true products and licensing big brands give us a distinct advantage.”
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Original Netflix series Beat Bugs hopes to engage and inspire children all over the world through vivid animation, fun storytelling and new versions of classic Beatles songs, creating a new generation of Beatles fans.
By Stephanie Crets
Has your child ever dreamed about what it would be like to wander through strawberry fields forever, live in a yellow submarine or go on a magical mystery tour? Beat Bugs, a new, original Netflix series from creator, writer and director Josh Wakely, is bringing those dreams to life this summer through 3-D animation and the music of the Beatles for families all over the world.
“It’s the greatest music catalogue of all time, and I knew they had messages of hope, love, community and peace,” Wakely says. “I thought ‘All You Need is Love’ is a great message to bring to children.”
Beat Bugs will feature original characters living in an overgrown backyard, learning lessons and going on adventures, with a Beatles song tied to the theme of each episode. Children can experience the episodes in short bursts of 26 11-minute episodes or view 13 half-hour episodes, depending on their preference. The first season will be available this summer, with another coming this fall, just in time for the holiday season.
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DreamWorks Animation stays ahead of the curve producing unique content on a variety of platforms while it prepares for its next slate of franchising, licensing and merchandising opportunities.
By Stephanie Crets
“Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “How to Train Your Dragon” all have one thing in common: They’re all beloved family film franchises created by the team at DreamWorks Animation. Now, DreamWorks is ramping up its retail and licensing programs for its next feature release, “Trolls,” along with creating new, unique content through an original TV series, shorts and interactive media via Netflix, YouTube and Awesomeness TV.
DreamWorks’ smaller size and 22 years of quality content give it a competitive advantage against some of the larger studios in the animation industry. “The amount of quality content we’ve put out in that time has built the consumer brands very quickly,” Global Head of Consumer Products Jim Fielding says. “We’re not the largest player, but our size allows us to be nimble, flexible and reactive, and to build custom programs with our partners in the consumer products space. We’re not replicating a big formula. We try to approach each opportunity in a special and unique way.”
Quality content through storytelling is the cornerstone of DreamWorks’ success – especially its feature films. Because of that success, the company is venturing into new media outlets. “DreamWorks is going through a renaissance,” Head of Global Retail Erin Morris says. “Our ability to embrace changes in how content is distributed for the futures of how people will engage with storytelling really sets us apart. We are known for great animated films and beloved characters, but at this moment, we’re embracing new media platforms that are following new consumer consumption behavior and that sets us apart.”
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