You can contact Ian at: ian@startlicensing.co.uk at building a relationship with their core consumers. Social media and digital marketing has been an enormous help with this. Brands such as Shaun the Sheep have significant followings across social channels and brand owners are willing to work with retailers to communicate key messages to fans through these networks. They are actively looking for engaging stories to share. Feedback from fans indicates they want to know more about the brands they love and that they are invested in – they like being fans. I’ve been involved in a number of successful retail campaigns that have been lead by brand owners. Generally, brand owners are also very good at creating new and engaging content for campaigns like this. Having branded products on sale at retail is another way for brand owners to engage with consumers and they are open to working collaboratively with retailers. Branded kits can bring people into store and they also create a focus in store. Recently Aardman worked with Red Nose Day and the retailer TK Maxx to develop a range of Red Nose Day merchandise featuring Aardman characters. This product range was pulled together in store in a curated way, advertised in shop windows and promoted online by all partners. This is a great example of how branded kits could create a focal point in stores and also deliver instant displays. There’s also scope for retailers to work with a variety of licensees to pull ranges together and to coordinate marketing initiatives. Whilst not diluting your core product focus, licensing could be a segway to stocking other products such as greetings cards, books and stationery items. Search Press are a good example of a specialist crafting publisher who have added branded books to their offer with deals with the likes of Aardman and the Royal School of Needlework. It’s also worth noting that branded kits have been created with input from the brand owner ensuring they’re ‘on brand’. They benefit from the input of the brand owner but also category experts like The Makerss who know how to make the most of brands in their category. Licensed brands are supported with design tool kits that have been created specifically to be used by manufacturers and retailers. These style guides help coordinate the design look for a brand whilst also inspiring creativity. Brand owners invest in these guides as part of their brand management and most often commission experienced design agencies to deliver design resources that are on trend, commercial and fit for purpose in the market. One of the brands I represent is Edith Holden: A Country Diary. This is a refresh for the classic The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady brand. It has benefitted from a new style guide developed by a highly experienced design team and includes assets specifically designed for retailers. Licensing is very tuned into retail. The industry puts a lot of emphasis on being retailer friendly and retail ready. TO CONCLUDE A final point for retailers to consider is that licensed products are ‘official products’ and have been developed ‘under license’ with the approval of the brand owner. They’re delivered in a consistent way across categories with a uniform design look. This official status is recognised by consumers and reassures them in their purchasing decisions. Brand owners invest time and money in protecting their brands. This is something worth bearing in mind when buying branded products. The fact they’re ‘official’ products and that you as a retailer are stocking ‘official products’ gives a consumer an additional reason to shop in your outlet. This is an element of retailing we’re looking to develop further with Aardman and we’re actively investigating ways we can support craft retailers with some kind of association with Aardman and Aardman’s licensees. A closing thought is that brand owners are open for conversations with retailers – there’s an appetite to work with retailers whether they’re independent retailers with one store or national chains. There are a variety of ways that partnerships and promotions can be crafted – it’s worth exploring and it may provide your retail outlet with an effective way of engaging the fan community. We’re all fans of something – let’s make the most of it. 33 BUSINESS ADVICE
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