Genius Brands International Inc (GNUS)

[rickn23]

Industry Experts Weigh in On Hot Topics in the Licensing Industry

http://licensingbook.com/licensors-consumer-products-manufacturers-q-and-a-on-licensing-industry

Lloyd Mintz, Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Products, Genius Brands International

How are consumers influencing the evolution of brands?

Societal trends are most definitely reflected back in consumer brands, particularly in our sphere of children’s entertainment. The reverse is also true where society can start to absorb the trends put forward by influential media. Our new preschool girls’ show, Rainbow Rangers, is a perfect example of the former. Today’s society is embracing the message of empowering girls and young women to understand from their earliest experiences that they are fully capable of doing, participating in, and excelling at any activity or profession that their male counterparts can do. Rainbow Rangers tells the story of seven girls who help heal and save the planet and all of its inhabitants. The focal point of the show is demonstrating how this group of seven girls can come together, learn to communicate, delegate, and take action to solve problems. They are the focal point of the action and the solutions. It is a tremendously powerful and compelling messaging, but done in a fun and adventurous way that we know our audience will love. Every girl in the audience will relate and aspire to at least one or more of the rangers. Also, an important subtext of the show is the importance of environmental stewardship, which reflects society’s understanding that we have only one planet, and we need to leave it in better condition than we found it for the next generation to do the same.

How do you work with your partners to create and deliver licensed product quickly without skimping on quality?

We work with our partners to create great product as quickly as possible by adhering to a few simple guidelines. First, we anticipate their creative asset needs and have an upfront dialogue to make sure we understand and fulfill those needs. Second, we provide those assets to our partners as early in the process as possible. Third, we have a rapid approval system whereby we endeavor to provide feedback to our licensed partners within 48 to 72 hours of most submissions, whereas most licensors reserve for themselves significantly more time. Fourth, we always benchmark ourselves against what the market is doing, so we push ourselves and are partners to always meet or beat the consumer’s expectations. Fifth, we provide our licensees with enough creative freedom to make the most appealing product possible at the sharpest price point possible. Finally, we offer retailers exclusive creative to provide them with differentiated product for their consumers and therefore discourage price comparison shopping.

Where do you anticipate growth in licensing over the next two to three years?

I think growth will come from a few sources over the next two to three years. International will no doubt help propel growth as more disposable income generates more demand for merchandise. Online and interactive marketplaces where fan-generated product interpretations of their favorite intellectual property can be readily exhibited and sold is a large and growing opportunity for licensors. The industry is going to need to learn to embrace (and “police”) this new frontier of user-generated content. I also believe that experiential licensing (broadly defined) is going to skyrocket in importance and our industry needs to figure out how to foster those opportunities. Everyone is rightfully super protective of their IP, but they also need to give people an ability to experience the IP in fresh, new ways and on their own terms. Finally, I believe it is incumbent upon all of us in the industry to get back to the basics of making it easier to do business with each other. I have long subscribed to Woody Allen’s famous axiom that 80 percent of success is just showing up. How that relates to the licensing industry is simple, such as returning phone calls and email inquiries, because you never know when that next great opportunity will be on that next call or in that meeting. You should proactively seek out and embrace growth opportunities wherever they may arise. There is a lot of business to be done out there if we’re just open to doing it.

Edit
Also, check out the Licensing book

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/f94ac23c#/f94ac23c/4

Adds for "Rainbow Rangers and "Llama Llama" (pages 4-5), a Q&A on page 52 with Lloyd Minz, Genius Brands' senior vice president of worldwide consumer products.