Licensing


“2022 comes with high hopes for the industry”


ToyNews catches up with Rob Wijeratna, Joint Managing Director with Charlie Donaldson at Rocket Licensing, giving us his perspective on what is shaping the licensing industry at present


W


e jumped back into live trade shows at the end of last year, with a stand at Brand Licensing Europe.


It was great to be back to finally see and engage with existing and potential partners ‘in the flesh’. The buzz and excitement was palpable and it was so good to be able to hear all that ‘corridor chatter’, something you really can’t replicate in a Teams or Zoom meeting. We were so busy on the stand, with back


to back meetings on all three days which were both positive and productive. It felt there was a real optimism and desire from both licensees and retailers to continue to commit to classic brands such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Beano or The Elf on The Shelf®, but also start looking at new brands, such as Vikings: Valhalla and The European Space Agency. It was also our busiest ever show for retail engagement, through both pre-arranged meetings and walk-ons. It was really noticeable how many retail buyers were at the show, which again illustrates confidence growing in the market. The Rocket team left BLE tired, but


buzzing, confident that attendees had left talking about some of our Rocket brands, and now we’re gearing up for Toy Fair season (Omicron permitting, of course) and I’m sure that buzz will continue. We’ve spent so long doing business in such distanced, alien ways, that it’s great to be back together to really get a feel for the brands and products making noise in the market. We’ll be out and about over the coming months supporting our licensees and also


scouting out new brands. Developers and content creators have spent long periods at home over the last two years and the by- product of that is two pronged. Firstly there is an explosion of new content and brands coming into the market; and secondly, consumers have reconnected with heritage brands. They have had more time to spend with family, rediscovering brands which perhaps they remember from childhood, which provide comfort and familiarity in times of uncertainty.


2022 comes with high hopes for the industry. The way that children consume


media is continuing to change, with streaming and on-demand becoming the norm now, which opens up a wealth of new opportunities for the industry. Hopefully with restrictions easing, we will be able to get out with family and friends to begin enjoying days out and experiences again, and this is where licensing is really coming into its own of late. Collaborations with venues and experiential events are enabling brands to welcome consumers into their world, to fully immerse themselves in the story, the characters and the environment. We have some incredible new partnerships coming up for 2022. The Very Hungry Caterpillar will be wiggling into Kew Gardens and Wakehurst to star in an interactive adventure, as well the nature and storytelling trail in the grounds of Bluewater shopping centre. These all help to strengthen the relationship between brands and their audience, while creating amazing memories, helping to further bolster other hard lines categories such as toys and games. There’s lots more news coming from


the Rocket Licensing camp in the coming months and we’re certain that 2022 will be a year to remember for the industry. But this time for all of the right reasons.


Jan/Feb 2022 | toy news | 37


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