Friday 30 September, 2011

Paris Hilton retail stores and merchandise

Paris Hilton has licensed her likeness to Brand Concepts and there are plans to launch merchandise and stores in India. Most of us  would harbor the thought: Who is Paris Hilton? Her reputation has not been pristine, her personality is not 
something aspirational and she is just an average pretty lady. So, will this work?


Before dismissing this project, lets look at the trends round the world. Celebrity based licensing generated close to 4.87 billion dollars in 2010 (The Licensing Letter). The two big learnings from Global trends- "B class "celebrities have done better at Licensing. They are more available for appearances and promotions of the brand. Sarah Jessica Parker's fragrance has been a hit in a cluttered market and analysts speculate that its due to her finding time in promoting the line.  
Second,  with "B class" celebrities, there is now sharp "ups and downs" e.g Miley Cyrus at her peak of fame launched  Max Azria at Wallmart was heralded  for its fashion but sales fell as her popularity waned. Licensing has worked best when the association is more fashion and less talent. So, Jessica Simpson's musical carreer is on a decline but licensing is on a trot. She has launched her 22nd category with diamonds! 


Then, there are the numbers - The women’s fashion accessories market in India is estimated at Rs 6,000-6,500 crore and Paris Hilton has 17 product lines, including handbags, eye-wear, watches, fragrances, apparel, footwear, music albums, pet products, stationery and bedding. This can all be housed under a retail format.
So, we will  wont be surprised if it works in India. My only caveat- we need to build a brand before we license. Has Paris Hilton done anything in India to be a 
brand is the question...Time and the efforts of execution will be the answer. 










Thursday 29 September, 2011

Disney debuts iPad-compatible toys


This is indeed a true marriage between consumer products and mobile divisions and pushes the boundaries of possibilities. As world leaders in consumer products, Disney has paved the way on innovation. Thats what leaders do. We love it!



Tuesday 27 September, 2011

Anger Management

We love this visual! it also defines our jobs. We manage the licensing and merchandising rights for Angry birds!!

Monday 26 September, 2011

Our first year! story in The Economic Times Wealth-today.







The article captures our first year in business. Its great to be covered in the ET and its been a fun filled journey so far...Miles to go before we sleep! 

Animal Planet Home Video

You loved the Animal Planet toys and if you want to know more about animals and their world, our friends, Excel Home Entertainment has just launched 4 exclusive DVD titles:  Animal Planet Pranksters, The Last Rhino, Baby Panda's  Ist year and The Frog! Priced at Rs. 399, these DVDs promise not just edutainment, but are full priceless moments! Find them in the new release section of leading DVD stores and also in Crossword, Landmark and Timeout stores. Watch this space for new releases and news!

Saturday 24 September, 2011

Finair to fly Angry birds

The Angry birds are currently preparing for their longest airplane ride!
This is thanks to an innovative partnership with Finnair! Finair will fly the world- famous Angry Birds, developed by the Finnish company Rovio, to Singapore. During the flight, fans of the mobile device game will compete in the Angry Birds Asian Challenge at an altitude of 10 kilometres. Tweets detailing the swish of the wings and the demise of the pigs will be sent from the flight. It will be possible to follow the events in real time. Check this video on the flight design.
COOL! We say...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HEmdvabeQw

Lazy Town bought by Turner Broadcasting

With every company trying to play responsible: this is a fantastic move and a great acquisition.! LazyTown is a show created in Iceland by Magnus Scheving, a gymnastics olympic champion and the CEO of Lazy Town Entertainment. Its a very succesful show with a message to "Be active!"
The  main character is Stephanie who arrives in town and urges her new friends Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy, and Pixel to go outside and be active, instead of staying inside and playing video games all day. Magnus also stars in the show as  a self-described "slightly-above-average hero"!
The show works 360 degrees on events and consumer products!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/sep/08/lazytown-bought-turner-broadcasting

Friday 23 September, 2011

Innovators don’t ignore customers

A great article on how business strategy often overlooks the end consumer!
We also wonder how much of Reed Hastings strategy was driven by the investor!

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b59e6896-e3a0-11e0-8990-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1YkdBHKWQ

Monday 19 September, 2011

Ra.one and the Happy meal promotion

We toast the first Indian Bollywood superhero! Shahrukh Khan has ensured that he has leveraged it over all influence points. Usually, brands are built and then extended. In this case Ra-one is incidental. Its all about SRK! 

http://www.apunkachoice.com/photo_gallery/parties_events/gid200001286-shahrukh_khan_launches_raone_mcdonalds_happy_meal/

Friday 16 September, 2011

Clever logo ideas!

We loved it when we discovered (courtesy the author DivineCoroline and "news connector"Dave Sharad) these famous logos had a distinct thought! Check out these inventive designs that cleverly use white space and optical illusions to display subliminal messages.


FedEx




This logo appears to be very simple, but if you look at the white space between the "E" and "x" in “Ex," you'll find it is more complex than you thought. Can you spot the arrow?


Le Tour de France

Named the world's most famous and prestigious cycling race, bike-lovers and non-cyclists alike are familiar with the event's emblem. However, you might be missing out on the logo's most interesting aspect. After careful examination, you'll notice an image of a person riding a bicycle; the yellow circle is the front wheel and the r is the body.


Amazon.com



Amazon.com has become a go-to source for electronic commerce. Clearly there is an arrow under Amazon, but have you ever thought about its significance? Take a look at where the arrow begins and ends: a and z. This secret message seems to conveys that Amazon offers everything from A to Z!


Hershey's Kisses


The Kisses logo doesn’t have much to it, but if you look at it sideways, you might see a chocolate kiss formed between the K and the I.


Toblerone



There’s a slightly obscured bear within the Matterhorn Mountain if you look closely. That’s because the candy bar hails from Bern, Switzerland, a city supposedly named for a bear. 

Mcdonalds and Sketchers Happy meal!


Wow! This sure is a unique partnership! Skechers USA, Inc. (Primary business is shoes!) is working with McDonald's to launch a three-week Happy Meal promotion with Twinkle Toes by Sketchers, which started August 26 in the U.S. and Canada. During the promotion, Happy Meal customers can receive one of six clip-on miniature Twinkle Toes by Skechers toy shoes, while supplies last.
In addition to McDonald's, Sketchers has extending its brand to numerous global licensees to produce a wide range of products, including sporting goods, children apparel, eyewear and luggage. 

Thursday 15 September, 2011

We wait and we wait for FDI clearance!

http://www.livemint.com/2010/07/06233436/India-mulls-FDI-in-multi-brand.html


India has been facing a political diversion to the corruption crusade. In all of this, there has been no answer on the government stance with foreign direct investment in Retail. FDI for single brands is allowed. However, multi brands are still not allowed. We believe two of the three variables that drive licensing is alive and kicking in India. We have an inexpensive and vibrant media- people have access to the brands! We also have a purchasing class. What's missing is retail growth. FDI in multi brands will fuel the growth! We wait...

Look out Nadal...here comes Djokovic!

http://kidscreen.com/2011/09/12/power-rangers-samurai-brand-builds-global-momentum/

The Boys category is the prime driver in the Kids entertainment licensing business and Ben 10 has painted retail green!  Its been a 2 year run and can Samurai be the Djokovic? We believe.