TOTAL LICENSING
By Martin Brochstein
SVP Industry Relations and
Information
International Licensing Being ‘international’ means
Industry Merchandisers’
Association
www.licensing.org
so much more than just a
word inserted into a name!
It’s been a painstaking, detailed process
It’s been well over a decade since the Licensing Industry
that has involved hours of meetings at
Merchandisers’ Association inserted the word
strange hours of the day (depending
“International” in front of our name (though we’ve kept on where in the world one is based),
the well-known acronym LIMA as our everyday identity).
and much candid and valuable input by
At the time, the adoption of the International label
committee members and others in the
represented a vision that the business – and LIMA’s
licensing community around the world
who agreed to share their thoughts,
membership and interests – would grow from a mostly
both positive and negative. We thank
U.S.-based marketing tactic into one with a truly global
them all for their candor and efforts.
reach. At this writing, the International Stra-
tegic Plan is slated to be presented to
LIMA’s Board of Directors for approval
In all likelihood, LIMA will reach a mile- income among them -- but those four
at the regularly scheduled Board Meet-
stone this year or next, when over half markets are definitely in the spotlight.
ing June 1st in Las Vegas.
of our member companies are based It’s both challenging and heartening, for
Assuming the plan is adopted, imple-
outside the U.S. example, to attend a licensing confer-
It’s a meaningful threshold that speaks ence in India and simultaneously realize
to the a spread of licensing as a mar- both the size of the potential business
The ongoing goal is
keting tool into parts of the world that opportunity and the extent of the chal-
make sure that LIMA
were barely considered in the mid-90s lenge in educating companies and get-
when major entertainment, fashion ting the product to market.
transforms itself from
sports, brand and other trademark The challenge for us at LIMA is to con-
an earlier identity as a
marketers put together their global tinually adapt to the changing dynamics
U.S. organization that
marketing plans. of the global market. We have offices
In particular, China has become a ma- in London, Munich, Tokyo and Shanghai.
had some “foreign”
jor factor in the consumer products We own, sponsor and endorse trade
chapters into a truly
business as a consumer economy, with fairs, educational seminars and other
global organization
top multinational retailers such as Car- events in those cities and others in all
refour and Wal-Mart each having well parts of the world. But more is to be
that happens to be
over a hundred stores there, moving done.
headquartered in
from just the top cities into Tier Two The ongoing goal is make sure that
New York City.
and Tier Three markets. LIMA transforms itself from an earlier
The growth of China is only a small identity as a U.S. organization that had
part of the global consumer products some “foreign” chapters into a truly
mentation will follow in the months
growth pattern. global organization that happens to be
and years that follow.
Ask marketing executives which mar- headquartered in New York City.
Of course, any strategic plan is a living,
kets their eyes are set on going for- To that end, LIMA staffers and a host of
breathing document that will change as
ward, and you’re likely to hear the licensing professionals from around the
developments warrant. But the vision
acronym BRIC, denoting Brazil, Russia, world have been developing a wide-
that was indicated by the insertion of
India and China. ranging International Strategic Plan to
a word into our name more than a de-
I heard from an attendee at one con- chart the direction that LIMA will take
cade ago, and which is embodied by the
ference that Vietnam is moving up the into the next phase of our global ex-
milestone in our membership numbers,
charts of high growth markets. istence.
has become a reality.
Of course, in the tumultuous global It’s an effort to identify and prioritize
We invite the licensing community at
economy, there are hills and valleys which of the dozens of challenges and
large to help us realize that vision and
along the way – retail distribution is- opportunities LIMA should address,
help us continue to shape an organiza-
sues, concerns about IP protection, and how our resources should be ap-
tion that serves the needs of this global
rising and falling levels of disposable portioned.
licensing business.
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