In the run up to Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), which takes place from 4-6 October at London’s ExCeL, the show’s event director, Ella Haynes, asked four leading licensing industry exhibitors to reveal the trends that are currently driving the licensed gifting market.
Lauren Sizeland, head of licensing and business development at the V&A, reveals that the museum is seeing an increase in people buying gifts that are useful and consumable. They include tote bags and hydration bottles, as well as tea and biscuits, featuring packaging with residual use. “There seems to be a shift, with friends and family asking the intended recipient what they might like/need,” says Lauren.
“Consumers want to make sure they are buying a gift that shows they care, and that they have thought about the recipient, with a licensed product developed in a bespoke way fitting the bill,” comments Ian Downes, director of Start Licensing,whose portfolio of brands includes Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. “For example, gift licensee Half Moon Bay invested in custom design for their Aardman range, and developed products that reflect the characters brilliantly, including a range of 3D mugs that include special editions such as a golden Gromit and a colour change mug.”
Food gifting is also continuing to gain traction, with Pink Key Consulting’s managing director Richard Pink believing it to be a continuing trend. “It seems to be as strong as ever with more brands being picked up for this area. Debenhams was a big driver but the hole they left in the market has been picked up across the board with supermarkets and discounters doing more each year.”
Sustainability meanwhile, is a driving force for the Natural History Museum. “Our goal is to develop beautiful products with great stories, but sustainability is also a huge influence for us, given what the Natural History Museum stands for,” emphasises Maxine Lister, head of licensing. “We’ve seen strong performances from the stationery range we created with Blueprint Collections. It had sustainability at its heart and won an award at the 2023 B&LLAS. It’s the case across all categories, not just gifting.”
Maxine points out that creating sustainable gifts demands a great licensee/licensor/retailer relationship. “We love working with like-minded partners and highlighting the licensees on the journey with us, because there is so much innovation in the gifting market, from the use of recycled paper in product and packaging right through to biodiversity in food gifting. These may seem like small conversations, but when you’re dealing with multiple 1000s of units, it adds up to a significant, positive impact.”
While character and entertainment brands such as Wallace and Gromit, Moomins, Peanuts, Miffy and Hello Kitty continue to enjoy great success in gifting, heritage brands are also strong, with both the Natural History Museum and the V&A winning awards. “A few years ago, gifting was character and blockbuster driven,” continues Maxine. “Now it covers so much more, with heritage having an important part to play in that. It’s a big focus for us over the next few years.
“We’re lucky that the brand appeals to both kids and adults, but I think we have also proved how versatile a heritage brand can be,” she continues. “Having said that, we are also very protective of our brand. We know the Museum holds a very special place in many people’s hearts, and licensing can help us to reach those who aren’t yet aware of who we are, or what we do, and help us in our mission to create advocates for the planet.”
Lauren Sizeland meanwhile, emphasises that the V & A was one of the first heritage organisations to enter the licensing arena, having begun its programme in the mid-1990s. “We are well established in multiple territories and across a wide range of categories and ensure all our partners share the same values, and are extremely rigorous in all aspects of design, development and marketing,” she states. “All our products are authenticated by compelling stories from our rich archives, and it’s that combination which enables us to stand out from the crowd.”
This year, over 220 companies will be exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe,(BLE), with thousands of licensable IPs, and new brands, new products and trend guides available for visitors.
There will also be 2024 sneak peeks from the Natural History Museum, with Start Licensing showcasing everything from Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run 2 to Nadiya Hussain and The Ashmolean Museum. There will also be imagery of gifts, cards, stationery and tote bags from the V&A’s interiors programme, and a combination of food and related hardware from Pink Key.
“The Kellogg’s bowl combo is a favourite year in, year out,” highlights Richard Pink. “Our brands – Kellogg’s, Pringles, SLUSH PUPPiE and more – don’t stand still. Our licensees are constantly developing new products and brand interpretations that demonstrate how flexible you can be with brand assets. They are classic, but they are also very contemporary, and the products our licensees are developing demonstrate the possibilities brilliantly. We’d love to show visitors what we mean and the success that is possible.”
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Top: BLE is getting ready to welcome visitors at London’s ExCeL from 4-6 October.
