market — that helped us be successful fairly quickly.” Because the patterns are tiled, they’re easy to use on a variety of surfaces. With licensed merchandise, if you fi nd an artist
WoosTer & Prince/ THe MADison PArK grouP
Telling a story One company that benefi ted from SURTEX’s proximity to the National Stationery Show is Iota, a purveyor of stationery and gifting essentials. While exhibiting at the stationery show, some SURTEX attendees were wandering by, saw Iota’s design aesthetic, and approached them about taking their stationery patterns and applying them to other products. “That’s kind of how the magic happened; we were not seeking it out at the time,” says Jennifer Slaughter, senior marketing manager at Iota. Now, the eye-catching patterns appear on everything
from Alicia Klein leather wallets to Robert Kaufman cotton fabrics to tabletop items from Paperproducts Design. “Our designs are very much a riot of color and pattern,” Slaughter says. “They’re very distinctive and unlike anything in the
Artist Q&A
Tara Reed is an artist based in Portland, Oregon, and the owner of Tara Reed Designs, an art licensing company. Here, she fi lls us in on what exactly that entails. Q. What do you do? A. I basically create art in collections that I license to manufacturers to put on their products. This will be my 10th year. I get to
do both sides of the business: the creative side and thinking about how products go together. Q. What kind of products does your art appear on? A. I’ve had my art on everything from quilting fabric to dishes to towels to tissues, scrapbooking products, garden fl ags, wrapping paper, greeting
116 GIFT SHOP n Winter 2013
or brand that resonates in your store, consider stocking a number of their items across different product categories. “What retailers can benefi t from in licensed product is telling an interesting story on the shelf,” Slaughter says. “With cross-merchandising for Iota product, you can walk right up and see the story. The displays capture a lot of attention with all the color in one place.”
How the process works Every licensing relationship is different. In some cases, an artist or brand will reach out to a manufacturer whose
globAl necKWeAr MArKeTing
cards, coasters, wineglasses, and Christmas tree ornaments. Q. How long does it take to go from concept to creation? A. It is rare to do a contract with someone and have product in the marketplace in less than a year. It’s typically a 12- to 18-month cycle. Q. How do you feel when you see your products out and about? A. I love to visit my art. It is such a thrill when you go to a store and you turn a corner and see your product on a store shelf. Q. What should retailers know about your job? A. The artists that are in this industry, we love it; we have a passion for design, for creating great artwork. We’re all trying to work together toward a common goal. The way we get paid is based on sales, so the artists are trying the best they can to create something that will do well in stores. We’re in your corner; we’ve got your back.
GiftShopMag.com
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