Licensing show - more opinions rolling in!

The Licensing Expo International, which took place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, is over for another year. Below, please find some comments from those who also attended the show.

Some of the strong themes from the 2011 show included the continuing trend for nostalgia, and of course many more companies making the foray into gaming.

The International Licensing Excellence Awards took place and winners included Victoria and Albert Museum and Dom Perignon, Hello Kitty, Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group, and Toy Story 3 which took the title of Best Licensed Program of the Year.

Opinions varied strongly on the show, with many people claiming that the show had regained some of the positivity and momentum of previous years, and others citing disappointment at the lack of anything ‘new’ in the halls.

The majority of people spoken to agreed, however, that the meetings and talks that were held were all worthwhile - the recent years’ economic downturn having the converse effect of meaning that only people who were there to do serious business attended the show.

Please find comments below from executives from Skechers, Eone Entertainment, King features, Scholastic, Bulldog Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, Baby Genius, Kilogrammedia, Little Airplane, Start Licensing, V&A, Chorion, MyMediabox, The Wildflower Group, Oxford Limited, CPLG, Penguin Group, Space Enterprises, INK and JELC

What others thought of the show…

“Licensing Expo 2011 was an enormous success for Skechers. With a growing entertainment initiative, very strong public visibility of our brands, and a major press release strategically released on the Monday before the show announcing our licensing agreement with Li & Fung; we were not only booked completely with appointments, but also enjoyed the luxury of a vast array of walk-in prospects that appear, at face value, to be quite promising. Traffic at the Skechers booths, located on one of the main aisles, was very steady. We were particularly excited to welcome visitors from all points of the globe who showed substantive interest in exploring licensing programs for Skechers, Skechers Fitness and Skechers Entertainment. We were impressed not only with the quantity of visitors received, but with the quality of the companies they represented. As a result of our exposure at Licensing Expo, we look forward to announcing many more licensing deals in the near future.”
Paul Flett, Senior Vice President, Global Licensing - Skechers USA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Definitely a worthwhile trip, it’s essential to have a presence at this show – it’s expected. Particularly with Peppa just taking off in the US, it was a good chance to showcase the brand. On the UK side, some licensees only make global license agreements so it was great to revisit conversations with potential licensees with US now as a potential too – the feedback was very positive. It’s great to meet up with licensees (both existing and potential) to update on all of our properties, as well as retailers of which there was a very high presence this year. We’ll be back next year.”
Hannah Mungo, Head of UK Licensing – Family, Eone Entertainment

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"In light of the economy, King Features had an excellent Licensing Show. People were there to do business. And aside from the continued growth of our classic properties like Betty Boop and Popeye, King Features enjoyed heavy traffic on high end properties like the art of Romero Britto and our latest exclusive project with Bloomingdale's featuring Vintage Beetle Bailey....

a celebration of classic comic art and high fashion coming this October."
Frank Caruso, Vice President, Creative, King Features

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The Licensing International Expo has grown in stature and professionalism since it first moved to Las Vegas three years ago. The show provides a valuable opportunity to meet with potential partners from around the world and for attendees to share in the excitement of the latest merchandising and licensing campaigns. I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the participants and the attendees. We found it to be a worthwhile experience.”
Leslye Schaefer, SVP of Marketing and Consumer Products, Scholastic Media.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Licensing Show was a phenomenal success for us... Gogo's is now the biggest-selling collectable brand across US retail including Walmart, Walgreens, etc. and so the traffic to the stand was unprecedented as licensees and retailers recognised the sheer scale of the opportunity with a brand which has already taken most other major territories by storm. Right across the Bulldog portfolio, we have top-performing brands, whether we're looking at LIFE and Shoot which have been selected right across top fashion outlets and major gift retailers in the UK through to Monkey which has been picked up extremely widely at retail. International trade was very strong for us with brands like Goochicoo which is now rolling out its UK success into other areas of the world and it was great to meet with a number of the top UK retailers. In fact, I think the only negative about the whole show for us was the fact that the numbering of the floor plan had once again been outsourced to Fibonacci as 'clear' and 'consecutive' were too obvious for Licensing Show.”

Rob Corney, Director, Bulldog Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Although it appeared to me that foot traffic was down from previous years, Muhammad Ali Enterprises had a great show. We had a very positive response from licensees and potential partners as we shared our new ALI70 campaign for 2012 and lots of productive meetings.”
Kelly C. Hill, VP Worldwide Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, LLC

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It could have not been a better attended show. The show had it all, anything and everything was possible to achieve. From licensing partners to the highest level of retail and strategic partners, our potential success was unlimited.
The Freedman service at the show was fantastic as well. That was a ton of planning.
Thanks to everybody for a job well done.”

Howard Balaban, Founder and Executive VP of New Business, Pacific Entertainment Corporation – Creators of the Baby Genius Brand.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As ever the show was very busy for us – most of our clients either exhibit or attend and we’re always keen that they meet with as many members of the press as is viable. I thought perhaps the aisles were a little quiet at some points but also heard that there was a lot of ‘real’ business being done. As ever Eye Candy and The Mix Bar were popular evening hangouts although a bad cold meant that regrettably I saw less of the social life than in previous years.”

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogrammedia PR

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Licensing Show was like a pinball machine, complete with bells, flashy lights, and the adrenaline that always comes with trying to get the high score. It was an exhilarating three days and, from my point of view, the industry feels healthy and upbeat and ready to roll the dice on exciting new brands, particularly those with a strong on-line presence."

Josh Selig, Founder and President–Little Airplane Productions

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“My view was that the Show was more subdued than before and from a UK point of view less well attended - I would caveat that by saying I was a visitor not an exhibitor but I felt the bigger stands were starting to dominate the show to the detriment of other exhibitors and offsite meetings were impacting floor traffic. Bang on the Door had a stand and did well with visitors from 'emerging' markets such as Brazil - indeed for them markets such as Brazil are showing rapid growth and a good approach to innovate. This is one of the values of this show it does bring together the international community and it is a gateway to international markets - that said as more shows crop up and shows like the London Show are more successful it will be difficult to maintain anequal momentum for all shows. I also felt for such a glitzy city that the show hall , the fabric and structure looked a little tired and it could benefit from some thought in terms of making it a better 'display' venue.”

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We that we found the show quieter than last year. We were in a different location and probably one with a generally lower footfall, so that may be the reason for it being quieter for us. However, on the positive side, a higher proportion of those who enquired seem to be valuable leads for us to follow up and after all we want quality rather than quantity!

It seemed there was a much smaller contingent from the UK also. Perhaps that's because the shows in Europe are more effective and therefore less need for Vegas.

Obviously, I was delighted that we won the LIMA award for Best Art Licensed Brand of the Year and I hope that will help leverage our endeavours to expand into the US.”

Lauren Sizeland, Director of Business Development & Licensing, V&A Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This year’s Licensing Expo was even busier than the 2010 show. We had back-to-back meetings with agents, licensees and other partners from around the world. It was particularly interesting to see a growing number of retailers attending the show. As coordinated cross-category licensed programmes become increasingly important, retail buyers want to experience the industry firsthand at Licensing Expo while tracking brand developments and new trends.”

Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing EMEA at Chorion

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This year's licensing show was a great success for Mediabox. The show had it all- from animal mascots parading the show floors to otters and penguins adding to booth decor. We had back-to-back meetings with potential customers and it was great to catch up with our current clients. Our booth was in a great location and it opened a lot of opportunities for us to meet a variety of attendees as they stopped by to grab information and to see what Mediabox is all about.
The show always serves as an invaluable opportunity to learn what is new in the industry, to meet people from around the globe, and to share how Mediabox can help with licensing efforts. We are looking forward to next year's show!”
Caitlyn Blizzard, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, My Mediabox

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Licensing Show was busier than ever, though the halls seemed strangely empty. We were really happy to see such buzz around Moshi Monsters and Peppa Pig both launching in North America. As always, it was great catching up with licensors and agents outside the UK, not to mention the late nights with colleagues from London. Gaming companies had a much bigger presence this year, and we left the show with two brands in particular that we really, really want to publish. Fingers crossed!”
Eric Huang, Publishing Director, Media and Entertainment, Penguin Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Overall, we found the Licensing Expo to be very good for The Wildflower Group. Girl Scouts of the USA, Pillow Pets, Natural History Museum, and Bunnies By The Bay continued to generate a lot of buzz for us as we finished up pending deals and opened up discussions on new product categories. There was a lot of excitement for our two newest properties – the world-famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the popular app Cut the Rope – especially since mobile apps is a growing category for licensed content, and Cut the Rope is one of the top-selling apps."

Michael Carlisle, principal of The Wildflower Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This was my first trip to the Licensing Expo in Vegas representing the University of Oxford licensing programme and hopefully it won’t be my last. I had an opportunity to meet all our international agents as well as licensees such as Discovery Bay Games at or after the show – it’s great to put a face to a name when you’re new in a job! Plenty of information was exchanged from product and range updates, to the latest news and developments from Oxford Limited, as well as a couple of contracts too. Parties, dinners and drinks kept me more than occupied after the show and of course Vegas itself did not disappoint at all – sunshine, sightseeing and shopping!”

Hannah Aspey, Licensing & Brand Manager, Oxford Limited

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The Saturday Virgin flight was filled with a good mix of Licensors, Licensees and retailers and this was reinforced with good meetings in and around The Mandalay for the official three days of the show. I hope to be back there next year.”

Mark Hurry, Space Enterprises
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Overall impression of the show: From the feedback I got, the general feeling seemed to be that there were fewer people at the show than last year and not much ‘buzz’. However, our actual experience as an exhibitor on the Plain Lazy stand was slightly different. It’s certainly the case that we did not have huge numbers of unsolicited meetings. However, those meetings we did have, were with very solid, reputable companies with a genuine interest in the Plain Lazy brand.”
Jane Evans, JELC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Making the trip to Vegas is always very valuable for us because it is the one time in the year when we get to see the full line-ups of our biggest partners from the US and consequently the only opportunity we have to show them to our customers. We would have liked to see more of our customers going, but it is a long and expensive trip and several are only attending BLE in London this year.”
Peter Schnohr, Ink
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Was it a worthwhile trip: Absolutely 100% worthwhile – imperative part of CPLG’s calendar and “Job Done” further cementing our relationships with both licensees and licensors Globally.”
Tim Juckes – CPLG

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Definitely a worthwhile experience from an acquisition, new business, retailer and manufacturer prospective. This show gathers companies from around the world under one roof for 4 days so from a practical stand point, very easy, efficient and was a very productive trip! This trip also gives us the opportunity to catch up with peers and partners and get updates on trends and industry changes.”

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“While there is serious business to be done on the show floor there is also serious business to be done after hours! It’s a great opportunity to network, catch up with old friends, discuss general business and have fun. For me it was all about the international aspect – and though obviously great to see such a strong British contingent of licensees especially – it was the opportunity to build international relationships. It also provided the opportunity first hand to get a real flavour of the US domestic business, which often sets the benchmark for us on this side of the pond.”

Susan Bolsover, CPLG.

Licensing show: What the industry thinks - updated

The Licensing Expo International, which took place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, is over for another year. Below, please find some comments from those who also attended the show.

Some of the strong themes from the 2011 show included the continuing trend for nostalgia, and of course many more companies making the foray into gaming.

The International Licensing Excellence Awards took place and winners included Victoria and Albert Museum and Dom Perignon, Hello Kitty, Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group, and Toy Story 3 which took the title of Best Licensed Program of the Year.

Opinions varied strongly on the show, with many people claiming that the show had regained some of the positivity and momentum of previous years, and others citing disappointment at the lack of anything ‘new’ in the halls.

The majority of people spoken to agreed, however, that the meetings and talks that were held were all worthwhile - the recent years’ economic downturn having the converse effect of meaning that only people who were there to do serious business attended the show.

Please find comments below from executives from Skechers, Eone Entertainment, King features, Scholastic, Bulldog Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, Baby Genius, Kilogrammedia, Little Airplane, Start Licensing, V&A, Chorion, MyMediabox, The Wildflower Group, Oxford Limited, CPLG, Penguin Group, Space Enterprises, INK and JELC

What others thought of the show…

“Licensing Expo 2011 was an enormous success for Skechers. With a growing entertainment initiative, very strong public visibility of our brands, and a major press release strategically released on the Monday before the show announcing our licensing agreement with Li & Fung; we were not only booked completely with appointments, but also enjoyed the luxury of a vast array of walk-in prospects that appear, at face value, to be quite promising. Traffic at the Skechers booths, located on one of the main aisles, was very steady. We were particularly excited to welcome visitors from all points of the globe who showed substantive interest in exploring licensing programs for Skechers, Skechers Fitness and Skechers Entertainment. We were impressed not only with the quantity of visitors received, but with the quality of the companies they represented. As a result of our exposure at Licensing Expo, we look forward to announcing many more licensing deals in the near future.”
Paul Flett, Senior Vice President, Global Licensing - Skechers USA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Definitely a worthwhile trip, it’s essential to have a presence at this show – it’s expected. Particularly with Peppa just taking off in the US, it was a good chance to showcase the brand. On the UK side, some licensees only make global license agreements so it was great to revisit conversations with potential licensees with US now as a potential too – the feedback was very positive. It’s great to meet up with licensees (both existing and potential) to update on all of our properties, as well as retailers of which there was a very high presence this year. We’ll be back next year.”
Hannah Mungo, Head of UK Licensing – Family, Eone Entertainment

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"In light of the economy, King Features had an excellent Licensing Show. People were there to do business. And aside from the continued growth of our classic properties like Betty Boop and Popeye, King Features enjoyed heavy traffic on high end properties like the art of Romero Britto and our latest exclusive project with Bloomingdale's featuring Vintage Beetle Bailey....

a celebration of classic comic art and high fashion coming this October."
Frank Caruso, Vice President, Creative, King Features

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The Licensing International Expo has grown in stature and professionalism since it first moved to Las Vegas three years ago. The show provides a valuable opportunity to meet with potential partners from around the world and for attendees to share in the excitement of the latest merchandising and licensing campaigns. I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the participants and the attendees. We found it to be a worthwhile experience.”
Leslye Schaefer, SVP of Marketing and Consumer Products, Scholastic Media.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Licensing Show was a phenomenal success for us... Gogo's is now the biggest-selling collectable brand across US retail including Walmart, Walgreens, etc. and so the traffic to the stand was unprecedented as licensees and retailers recognised the sheer scale of the opportunity with a brand which has already taken most other major territories by storm. Right across the Bulldog portfolio, we have top-performing brands, whether we're looking at LIFE and Shoot which have been selected right across top fashion outlets and major gift retailers in the UK through to Monkey which has been picked up extremely widely at retail. International trade was very strong for us with brands like Goochicoo which is now rolling out its UK success into other areas of the world and it was great to meet with a number of the top UK retailers. In fact, I think the only negative about the whole show for us was the fact that the numbering of the floor plan had once again been outsourced to Fibonacci as 'clear' and 'consecutive' were too obvious for Licensing Show.”

Rob Corney, Director, Bulldog Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Although it appeared to me that foot traffic was down from previous years, Muhammad Ali Enterprises had a great show. We had a very positive response from licensees and potential partners as we shared our new ALI70 campaign for 2012 and lots of productive meetings.”
Kelly C. Hill, VP Worldwide Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, LLC

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It could have not been a better attended show. The show had it all, anything and everything was possible to achieve. From licensing partners to the highest level of retail and strategic partners, our potential success was unlimited.
The Freedman service at the show was fantastic as well. That was a ton of planning.
Thanks to everybody for a job well done.”

Howard Balaban, Founder and Executive VP of New Business, Pacific Entertainment Corporation – Creators of the Baby Genius Brand.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As ever the show was very busy for us – most of our clients either exhibit or attend and we’re always keen that they meet with as many members of the press as is viable. I thought perhaps the aisles were a little quiet at some points but also heard that there was a lot of ‘real’ business being done. As ever Eye Candy and The Mix Bar were popular evening hangouts although a bad cold meant that regrettably I saw less of the social life than in previous years.”

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogrammedia PR

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Licensing Show was like a pinball machine, complete with bells, flashy lights, and the adrenaline that always comes with trying to get the high score. It was an exhilarating three days and, from my point of view, the industry feels healthy and upbeat and ready to roll the dice on exciting new brands, particularly those with a strong on-line presence."

Josh Selig, Founder and President–Little Airplane Productions

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“My view was that the Show was more subdued than before and from a UK point of view less well attended - I would caveat that by saying I was a visitor not an exhibitor but I felt the bigger stands were starting to dominate the show to the detriment of other exhibitors and offsite meetings were impacting floor traffic. Bang on the Door had a stand and did well with visitors from 'emerging' markets such as Brazil - indeed for them markets such as Brazil are showing rapid growth and a good approach to innovate. This is one of the values of this show it does bring together the international community and it is a gateway to international markets - that said as more shows crop up and shows like the London Show are more successful it will be difficult to maintain anequal momentum for all shows. I also felt for such a glitzy city that the show hall , the fabric and structure looked a little tired and it could benefit from some thought in terms of making it a better 'display' venue.”

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We that we found the show quieter than last year. We were in a different location and probably one with a generally lower footfall, so that may be the reason for it being quieter for us. However, on the positive side, a higher proportion of those who enquired seem to be valuable leads for us to follow up and after all we want quality rather than quantity!

It seemed there was a much smaller contingent from the UK also. Perhaps that's because the shows in Europe are more effective and therefore less need for Vegas.

Obviously, I was delighted that we won the LIMA award for Best Art Licensed Brand of the Year and I hope that will help leverage our endeavours to expand into the US.”

Lauren Sizeland, Director of Business Development & Licensing, V&A Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This year’s Licensing Expo was even busier than the 2010 show. We had back-to-back meetings with agents, licensees and other partners from around the world. It was particularly interesting to see a growing number of retailers attending the show. As coordinated cross-category licensed programmes become increasingly important, retail buyers want to experience the industry firsthand at Licensing Expo while tracking brand developments and new trends.”

Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing EMEA at Chorion

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This year's licensing show was a great success for Mediabox. The show had it all- from animal mascots parading the show floors to otters and penguins adding to booth decor. We had back-to-back meetings with potential customers and it was great to catch up with our current clients. Our booth was in a great location and it opened a lot of opportunities for us to meet a variety of attendees as they stopped by to grab information and to see what Mediabox is all about.
The show always serves as an invaluable opportunity to learn what is new in the industry, to meet people from around the globe, and to share how Mediabox can help with licensing efforts. We are looking forward to next year's show!”
Caitlyn Blizzard, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, My Mediabox

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Licensing Show was busier than ever, though the halls seemed strangely empty. We were really happy to see such buzz around Moshi Monsters and Peppa Pig both launching in North America. As always, it was great catching up with licensors and agents outside the UK, not to mention the late nights with colleagues from London. Gaming companies had a much bigger presence this year, and we left the show with two brands in particular that we really, really want to publish. Fingers crossed!”
Eric Huang, Publishing Director, Media and Entertainment, Penguin Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Overall, we found the Licensing Expo to be very good for The Wildflower Group. Girl Scouts of the USA, Pillow Pets, Natural History Museum, and Bunnies By The Bay continued to generate a lot of buzz for us as we finished up pending deals and opened up discussions on new product categories. There was a lot of excitement for our two newest properties – the world-famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the popular app Cut the Rope – especially since mobile apps is a growing category for licensed content, and Cut the Rope is one of the top-selling apps."

Michael Carlisle, principal of The Wildflower Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This was my first trip to the Licensing Expo in Vegas representing the University of Oxford licensing programme and hopefully it won’t be my last. I had an opportunity to meet all our international agents as well as licensees such as Discovery Bay Games at or after the show – it’s great to put a face to a name when you’re new in a job! Plenty of information was exchanged from product and range updates, to the latest news and developments from Oxford Limited, as well as a couple of contracts too. Parties, dinners and drinks kept me more than occupied after the show and of course Vegas itself did not disappoint at all – sunshine, sightseeing and shopping!”

Hannah Aspey, Licensing & Brand Manager, Oxford Limited

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The Saturday Virgin flight was filled with a good mix of Licensors, Licensees and retailers and this was reinforced with good meetings in and around The Mandalay for the official three days of the show. I hope to be back there next year.”

Mark Hurry, Space Enterprises
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Overall impression of the show: From the feedback I got, the general feeling seemed to be that there were fewer people at the show than last year and not much ‘buzz’. However, our actual experience as an exhibitor on the Plain Lazy stand was slightly different. It’s certainly the case that we did not have huge numbers of unsolicited meetings. However, those meetings we did have, were with very solid, reputable companies with a genuine interest in the Plain Lazy brand.”
Jane Evans, JELC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Making the trip to Vegas is always very valuable for us because it is the one time in the year when we get to see the full line-ups of our biggest partners from the US and consequently the only opportunity we have to show them to our customers. We would have liked to see more of our customers going, but it is a long and expensive trip and several are only attending BLE in London this year.”
Peter Schnohr, Ink
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Was it a worthwhile trip: Absolutely 100% worthwhile – imperative part of CPLG’s calendar and “Job Done” further cementing our relationships with both licensees and licensors Globally.”
Tim Juckes – CPLG

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Definitely a worthwhile experience from an acquisition, new business, retailer and manufacturer prospective. This show gathers companies from around the world under one roof for 4 days so from a practical stand point, very easy, efficient and was a very productive trip! This trip also gives us the opportunity to catch up with peers and partners and get updates on trends and industry changes.”

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier

Licensing show: What the industry thinks

The Licensing Expo International, which took place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, is over for another year. Below, please find some comments from those who also attended the show.

Some of the strong themes from the 2011 show included the continuing trend for nostalgia, and of course many more companies making the foray into gaming.

The International Licensing Excellence Awards took place and winners included Victoria and Albert Museum and Dom Perignon, Hello Kitty, Discovery Communications/The Joester Loria Group, and Toy Story 3 which took the title of Best Licensed Program of the Year.

Opinions varied strongly on the show, with many people claiming that the show had regained some of the positivity and momentum of previous years, and others citing disappointment at the lack of anything ‘new’ in the halls.

The majority of people spoken to agreed, however, that the meetings and talks that were held were all worthwhile - the recent years’ economic downturn having the converse effect of meaning that only people who were there to do serious business attended the show.

What others thought of the show…

“Licensing Expo 2011 was an enormous success for Skechers. With a growing entertainment initiative, very strong public visibility of our brands, and a major press release strategically released on the Monday before the show announcing our licensing agreement with Li & Fung; we were not only booked completely with appointments, but also enjoyed the luxury of a vast array of walk-in prospects that appear, at face value, to be quite promising. Traffic at the Skechers booths, located on one of the main aisles, was very steady. We were particularly excited to welcome visitors from all points of the globe who showed substantive interest in exploring licensing programs for Skechers, Skechers Fitness and Skechers Entertainment. We were impressed not only with the quantity of visitors received, but with the quality of the companies they represented. As a result of our exposure at Licensing Expo, we look forward to announcing many more licensing deals in the near future.”
Paul Flett, Senior Vice President, Global Licensing - Skechers USA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Definitely a worthwhile trip, it’s essential to have a presence at this show – it’s expected. Particularly with Peppa just taking off in the US, it was a good chance to showcase the brand. On the UK side, some licensees only make global license agreements so it was great to revisit conversations with potential licensees with US now as a potential too – the feedback was very positive. It’s great to meet up with licensees (both existing and potential) to update on all of our properties, as well as retailers of which there was a very high presence this year. We’ll be back next year.”
Hannah Mungo, Head of UK Licensing – Family, Eone Entertainment

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"In light of the economy, King Features had an excellent Licensing Show. People were there to do business. And aside from the continued growth of our classic properties like Betty Boop and Popeye, King Features enjoyed heavy traffic on high end properties like the art of Romero Britto and our latest exclusive project with Bloomingdale's featuring Vintage Beetle Bailey....

a celebration of classic comic art and high fashion coming this October."
Frank Caruso, Vice President, Creative,King Features

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The Licensing International Expo has grown in stature and professionalism since it first moved to Las Vegas three years ago. The show provides a valuable opportunity to meet with potential partners from around the world and for attendees to share in the excitement of the latest merchandising and licensing campaigns. I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the participants and the attendees. We found it to be a worthwhile experience.”
Leslye Schaefer, SVP of Marketing and Consumer Products, Scholastic Media.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Licensing Show was a phenomenal success for us... Gogo's is now the biggest-selling collectable brand across US retail including Walmart, Walgreens, etc. and so the traffic to the stand was unprecedented as licensees and retailers recognised the sheer scale of the opportunity with a brand which has already taken most other major territories by storm. Right across the Bulldog portfolio, we have top-performing brands, whether we're looking at LIFE and Shoot which have been selected right across top fashion outlets and major gift retailers in the UK through to Monkey which has been picked up extremely widely at retail. International trade was very strong for us with brands like Goochicoo which is now rolling out its UK success into other areas of the world and it was great to meet with a number of the top UK retailers. In fact, I think the only negative about the whole show for us was the fact that the numbering of the floor plan had once again been outsourced to Fibonacci as 'clear' and 'consecutive' were too obvious for Licensing Show.”

Rob Corney, Director, Bulldog Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Although it appeared to me that foot traffic was down from previous years, Muhammad Ali Enterprises had a great show. We had a very positive response from licensees and potential partners as we shared our new ALI70 campaign for 2012 and lots of productive meetings.”
Kelly C. Hill, VP Worldwide Licensing, Muhammad Ali Enterprises, LLC

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It could have not been a better attended show. The show had it all, anything and everything was possible to achieve. From licensing partners to the highest level of retail and strategic partners, our potential success was unlimited.
The Freedman service at the show was fantastic as well. That was a ton of planning.
Thanks to everybody for a job well done.”

Howard Balaban, Founder and Executive VP of New Business, Pacific Entertainment Corporation – Creators of the Baby Genius Brand.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As ever the show was very busy for us – most of our clients either exhibit or attend and we’re always keen that they meet with as many members of the press as is viable. I thought perhaps the aisles were a little quiet at some points but also heard that there was a lot of ‘real’ business being done. As ever Eye Candy and The Mix Bar were popular evening hangouts although a bad cold meant that regrettably I saw less of the social life than in previous years.”

Jane Garner, Director, Kilogrammedia PR

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Licensing Show was like a pinball machine, complete with bells, flashy lights, and the adrenaline that always comes with trying to get the high score. It was an exhilarating three days and, from my point of view, the industry feels healthy and upbeat and ready to roll the dice on exciting new brands, particularly those with a strong on-line presence."

Josh Selig, Founder and President–Little Airplane Productions

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“My view was that the Show was more subdued than before and from a UK point of view less well attended - I would caveat that by saying I was a visitor not an exhibitor but I felt the bigger stands were starting to dominate the show to the detriment of other exhibitors and offsite meetings were impacting floor traffic. Bang on the Door had a stand and did well with visitors from 'emerging' markets such as Brazil - indeed for them markets such as Brazil are showing rapid growth and a good approach to innovate. This is one of the values of this show it does bring together the international community and it is a gateway to international markets - that said as more shows crop up and shows like the London Show are more successful it will be difficult to maintain anequal momentum for all shows. I also felt for such a glitzy city that the show hall , the fabric and structure looked a little tired and it could benefit from some thought in terms of making it a better 'display' venue.”

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We that we found the show quieter than last year. We were in a different location and probably one with a generally lower footfall, so that may be the reason for it being quieter for us. However, on the positive side, a higher proportion of those who enquired seem to be valuable leads for us to follow up and after all we want quality rather than quantity!

It seemed there was a much smaller contingent from the UK also. Perhaps that's because the shows in Europe are more effective and therefore less need for Vegas.

Obviously, I was delighted that we won the LIMA award for Best Art Licensed Brand of the Year and I hope that will help leverage our endeavours to expand into the US.”

Lauren Sizeland, Director of Business Development & Licensing, V&A Licensing

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“This year’s Licensing Expo was even busier than the 2010 show. We had back-to-back meetings with agents, licensees and other partners from around the world. It was particularly interesting to see a growing number of retailers attending the show. As coordinated cross-category licensed programmes become increasingly important, retail buyers want to experience the industry firsthand at Licensing Expo while tracking brand developments and new trends.”

Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing EMEA at Chorion

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“This year's licensing show was a great success for Mediabox. The show had it all- from animal mascots parading the show floors to otters and penguins adding to booth decor. We had back-to-back meetings with potential customers and it was great to catch up with our current clients. Our booth was in a great location and it opened a lot of opportunities for us to meet a variety of attendees as they stopped by to grab information and to see what Mediabox is all about.
The show always serves as an invaluable opportunity to learn what is new in the industry, to meet people from around the globe, and to share how Mediabox can help with licensing efforts. We are looking forward to next year's show!”
Caitlyn Blizzard, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, My Mediabox

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“Licensing Show was busier than ever, though the halls seemed strangely empty. We were really happy to see such buzz around Moshi Monsters and Peppa Pig both launching in North America. As always, it was great catching up with licensors and agents outside the UK, not to mention the late nights with colleagues from London. Gaming companies had a much bigger presence this year, and we left the show with two brands in particular that we really, really want to publish. Fingers crossed!”
Eric Huang, Publishing Director, Media and Entertainment

Licensing show: WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT...

What did you think of the show? Was it a worthwhile trip?
Over the next few days we will be gathering the opinions of people across the industry, to give a rounded view of how the licensing industry viewed the show.
Check this space...
or email becky@totallicensing.com to give your views

Getting ready for Licensing Show

Everyone's gearing up for Licensing International Expo 2011, to be held in Las Vegas. In our Summer issue, which will be out soon, we've got a huge show preview, packed with information from the exhibitors and what you can expect to see at the show.
Also in the Summer issue, you will find features on Celebrity Licensing, our regular 'Origin of the Species' article, territory spotlights on Latin America (Mexico, Columbia and Brazil), South Korea, Spain and Portugal, Israel, and Russia. We also celebrate P&L's birthday, as well as Mr. Men and Little Miss' 40th.
If you don't subscribe already to receive the issue digitally, as well as the weekly Total Licensing Report, then it's really easy to do so by simply following this link (you can also subscribe to recevie print issues of all of our titles too): http://www.totallicensing.com/subscribe.php
If you are heading to Las Vegas and would like to make a meeting so we can catch up on your latest news, then do get in touch!
http://www.totallicensing.com/contact.php

Royal Wedding proving good for business... as well as the country

Following on from our Spring issue article on the Royal Wedding merchandise, the wedding is now two days away and the UK has gone mad for Royal nuptial mania. Is this a bad thing? No way, agree most experts.
The amount of revenue brought in from tourism, entertaining, merchandise and everything else is adding to the sense of national pride and the fact that for once, the papers are filled with what many would deem to be good news, instead of the usual.
The national day off for most on Friday has meant three short weeks in a row, and apparently up to a third of the UK workforce has taken the three days off between Easter Monday and the Wedding off. This has been labeled bad for small businesses and the economy in general - however, with the marriage predicted to be watched by an estimated 2 billion people around the globe, and the money brought into the country projected to be in the hundreds of millions of pounds, most people agree that this is only a good thing for the country. What do you think?

Spring issue now live!

The Spring issue of Total Licensing is now live, and can be viewed here.

Total Licensing Spring

This packed issue includes features on Children’s Publishing, Bologna and Kazachok Previews, territory spotlights on Italy, France and Nordic, a Kidz Entertainment special, The Wiggles 20th Birthday celebrations, a look at the Royal Wedding Licensing, the countdown to the 2012 Olympics, Little Charley Bear, the Origin of the Species, and of course the Total Licensing Australia magazine – plus much, much more.

Happy reading!

For information about future issues, please email becky@totallicensing.com


http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/40a74a67

Total Licensing Winter Issue - now live

You can view the Winter Issue here:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/45762a67

This issue, features include Toy fair previews and a look at the toy industry, Movies and Entertainment, Video Games, Music Licensing, Origin of the Species, as well as industry profiles and opinions from LIMA, Smiley, Hari's World, Bright, Hasbro, 2WayTraffic and many more.

Countries and territories comprehensively covered in this issue include South East Europe, Russia, Taiwan, Dubai, South Korea, India and Italy, among others.

For information about the upcoming Spring issue, which also includes Total Licensing Australia, please do get in touch, with becky@totallicensing.com

Happy reading!

The joys of international travel (Dedicated to the thousands of people still stuck at London’s Heathrow Airport after four days)

When we tell people where we travel to in the world in the course of a year, most seem not only impressed but we often get the “I wish I could travel like that” look in their eyes.

Well, let me tell you…. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Not that many if not most of the places aren’t great. The problem comes when it involves one or other of our British airports or our road system which clearly can’t cope given any change of circumstances.

Now the British are known for facing adversity with strength of character. But, whereas the bombing of World War II failed to deter us, the lamentable ability of our airports to cope with a few centimetres of snow is enough to break any spirit.

Personally, we have had two very different experiences in the last month. Late November and we were in Dubai when the first snow fell in England. The airports – specifically Gatwick this time – closed for days on end and, as we were flying back into Gatwick, we arrived for our connecting flight in Doha with some trepidation.

Qatar Airways, with whom we were flying, were nothing short of magnificent. Our Gatwick flight was cancelled but, unlike the thousands camping currently at Heathrow Airport at the mercy of other airlines, Qater immediately rebooked us on a flight six hours later to Heathrow (which was open), booked us into a five-star hotel, fed us, breakfasted us and transported us back to the terminal in time for our flight. Not only that, when we arrived at Heathrow, a bus was waiting to take us to Gatwick. And it’s not as if we were flying first class. Everybody, from coach to first was treated the same.

Forward two weeks and we went to Zagreb for meetings. Snow fell again on the day of our return. We managed to land at Luton Airport which was still open (Heathrow had closed by this time) but, despite only a couple of inches of snow, it still took us six and a half hours to drive 80 miles. Not a snow plough or gritter in sight… and these were on major roads.

We were lucky… we made it back. Had we been travelling into Heathrow, we would still be in Zagreb or would have been re-routed (as we have heard from others) to handy destinations such as Rekyavik or Majorca!

The next time anybody says international travel is glamorous, remember not to travel anywhere near the UK during winter and, if at all possible, fly Qatar Airways!

We wish you all a very Happy Holiday season and hope to see you in the New Year.

Move over Captains Cook and Scott.... here comes Berrington!

“Driving from Athens to Zagreb…how hard can it be?”

It will be a long time until Paul Berrington, CEO of leading Greek agency Black & White Licensing is allowed to forget this, following his intrepid journey through the Balkans to speak at the Licensing New Europe conference in Croatia.

Instead of taking the perhaps easier route of flying from Athens to Zagreb, he elected, complete with colleague Panos Iatridis, to drive. Armed with an Alfa Romeo 159 Touring, Google Maps on his phone and a road atlas of Yugoslavia (yes, a pre-1992 map), they set off at 3.45am on Wednesday 10^th November.

The first few hours, we understand, were relatively painless. However, the decision to drive through Albania (he’d never been there before) was to prove an interesting one. Many of the roads were little more than dirt tracks, resulting in a flat tyre, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark. Albania turned into a tale of three rivers, made more difficult by torrential rains. The first was crossed after an hour of JCB work on it. The second had around of a foot of water and the third was washed away. By the time they retraced their steps, the first bridge was covered in water. Our intrepid travellers made it across this but, not without incident. By now, not only had a tyre been damaged, but the poor Alfa had damaged wheels.

Undeterred, by the loss of the wheel trim and wheel in Northern Albania, our travellers continued, travelling partly through Bosnia before they were back in Albania.

At this point, the organisers of LNE who were expecting them on the Wednesday evening, received a phone call. Fortunately, ever-helpful as they are, they were able to direct our travellers towards a route that would prove less traumatic.

Finally, they reached the Montenego border and, from that moment, were able to make great progress (tyres and wheels notwithstanding), before reaching Zagreb, to much applause, on Thursday afternoon.

Of course, now came the problem of the car which was definitely not as Alfa Romeo had intended. Again with the help of Creata, the LNE organisers, the car was taken to an Alfa garage. But the story didn’t end there. On the way to the garage, as a result of the pounding it had received through Bosnia and Albania, two tyres burst and the sorry Alfa arrived at the garage on a pick-up truck.

The return journey, it has to be said, was far less eventful. Whilst they were stopped by the police in Serbia, everything else worked fine and the duo reached Athens in the early hours of Sunday morning. In all, they travelled 3,500km, crossed eight borders, had three flat tyres, two broken wheels and were stopped by the police twice.

It just shows how intrepid the licensing industry can really be. But a word of advice….. next time, please take the plane!!

Total Licensing heads to Croatia and Taiwan

Next week, Total Licensing will be samplings the delights that Croatia has to offer, at Licensing New Europe, which by all accounts is looking to be a fantastic show, with exhibitors including 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, Fremantle Media Enterprises, Europacorp, Vipo and Bruno Productions, as well as top licensing agents including Kidz Entertainment/EEMC, European Licensing Company (ELC) and Plus Licens.
It was recently confirmed that the Croatian president Ivo Josipović has given the show his official backing.
Not sure if David Cameron will be doing the same for Brand Licensing, although it is an important point to make that sometimes, people outside of the licensing industry are not aware of what a revenue-driver licensing is.
Total Licensing will simultaneously be traveling to Taiwan next week, to visit the Taiwan International Cultural and Creative Industry Expo, which will be a fascinating look at the country and it's culture. For a country so renowned for manufacturing, it will be very interesting to see the country's take on licensing.
Then, comes the Winter issue. Check our website for detailed info on the features and other things coming up.

Brand Licensing 2010 - The Round-Up

The industry is in unanimous agreement that Brand Licensing Europe 2010 was a great success, with packed halls, a lot of news coming from the show, and the third day proving itself needed.

Much anticipated were the views from Andrew Davenport, and also the London 2012 commercial team.

Many listeners to his speech were curious as to what Davenport would say regarding the rumours of In The Night Garden’s demise, however he stated that the brand is being taken to new areas, and hinted that music would be key.

He also gave solid advice, including that children’s programmes are often most successful when adults don’t understand the appeal; and that a commercial programme must be tailored to be relevant. He spoke about his young exposure to licensing, and how this helped him to connect with an audience that is still learning.

The LOCOG was the focus of The Big Interview, and featured featured three key members of the London 2012 team: Charlie Wijeratna, director of commercial negotiations, Simon Lilley, head of licensing and retail and Warren Traeger, licensing manager, toys, games and souvenirs. It was hosted by Kevin Roberts, the editorial director of SportBusiness Group, and was followed by a Q&A session from the floor. More than £650m of domestic sponsorship revenue has already been raised nearly two years before the event. Licensing royalty revenues are anticipated to generate approximately £80m, with over 50 licensees who will produce around 10,000 products for the Games. There will be a range of London 2012 shops opening, and retail sales are expected to be in excess of £1 billion.

There was a huge amount of news and deals generated at the show, and below is a round-up of some of these.

Nickelodeon UK launched a wide campaign for Dora the Explorer’s 10th anniversary. To encourage the UK to be more adventurous Dora’s Beyond the Backpack Foundation has been set up from which British public of all ages can apply for adventure funding. The campaign is fronted by Jade Jagger.

Nickelodeon Consumer Products announced the appointment Trudi Hayward as its new vice president for UK & Australia regions, to take over from Clare Piggot.

Chorion unveiled the newest addition of the Little Miss family, Little Miss Princess, at Brand Licensing Europe.

Classic Media and Tiger Aspect announced new industry-wide scheme to aid children in Africa. Both Classic Media and Tiger Aspect Productions will contribute a portion of their net profits to the fund, known as the Tinga Tinga Tales Fund.

Classic Media also announced that it has secured a multi-territory broadcast deal with Nickelodeon for its tween series Life with Boys.

As part of Rocket Licensing deal with Dreamworks to represent the UK theatrical release of Puss in Boots in 3D, Olympian fencer Alex O'Connell challenged members of the licensing industry to two minute fencing bouts. Rocket are well known for their challenges at BLE, with previous events including Conker fights and Scalextric races.

Chapman Entertainment announced a new partnership with MV Sports & Leisure for its two new properties launching on CBeebies, Little Charley Bear and Raa Raa The Noisy Lion.

Big and Small, the Kindle Entertainment pre-school TV property on CBeebies, revealed details of Big and Small’s Big Tour 2010, the first tour across the UK, taking in five locations this October half-term to meet fans.

Hidden City Entertainment, the rights holder for Bella Sara, announced a deal secured with Handcraft Manufacturing Corporation to design and produce Bella Sara-themed packaged and hanging underwear for girls. Hidden City also announced partnerships with NTD Apparel and Edizioni Play Press S.r.l.

Saban Brands has appointed international agents for the Power Rangers, who were in full force at the show, greeting guests and showing how Saban is planning to bring them back in a big way. The property is set for a worldwide brand re-launch in 2011.

The agents are Copyright Promotions Licensing Group for Western Europe, Kidz Entertainment for Scandinavia/Eastern Europe, Haven Licensing for Australia/New Zealand, Segal Licensing for Canada, Character Licensing & Marketing for South Africa, Exim Licensing for Latin America (excluding Mexico) and The Rutherford James Group for the Middle East.

Zodiak Rights, the new international rights business combining RDF Rights and Zodiak Entertainment Distribution, appointed a licensing agent for Mr Bean in India. Kids Media India Pvt Ltd has been appointed to represent Mr Bean in India across all merchandise categories excluding DVD and publishing. Zodiak Rights also launched Qpiz, a worldwide multi-platform brand aimed at teen girls. The property is being developed into a series of animated shorts, an online world, a video game and publishing. Zodiak also announced the expansion of its licensing team with the appointment of two new positions. Emily French Ullah takes up the role as UK Licensing Manager, reporting into Jane Kennedy, Senior Licensing Manager while Gaby Dior has been appointed International Licensing Manager and will report into Angeles Blanco - Head of International Licensing.

ITV Studios secured a number of new partners for primetime drama Coronation Street, with product rollouts to coincide with the series' 50th anniversary. A 50th anniversary event was held at the show, and the new licensees include The Royal Mint, John Wood Nurseries, DMC Creative World, Kinnerton and Iron Gut Publishing.

HarperCollins Publishers announced new merchandising deals with Woodmansterne Publications Ltd and Bluebird Brands, resulting in an extensive new range of Collins Gem-branded greetings cards, stationery,bags, umbrellas and mugs, due to hit the retail market during Autumn/Winter 2010.

Other new merchandising deals just announced include McLaggan Smith Mugs, Green Board Games and Arnold Wills.

Animaru won the License This! The Next Big Thing challenge at the show, winning a fully-furnished stand at Brand Licensing Europe 2011.

FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) announced a raft of new licensing deals for Rebecca Bonbon.

Italian licensee Sicem International will be developing 200 SKUs of ladies’ and girls’ fashion apparel including t-shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, trousers and jackets. The apparel will initially launch at Oviesse retailers in January 2011. JF Ramos, FME’s first local licensee for Rebecca Bonbon in Portugal, will be producing a range of girls’ apparel covering everything from sweaters to nightwear, as well as distributing stationery including folders, notebooks and pencil cases. The products are set to launch in February 2011 across multiple retailers in Portugal.

Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products announced new product partnerships for The Simpsons.

Among the number of licensing deals, high street retailer New Look will retail boys t-shirts made by Blues Clothing, while Primark will stock children’s underwear supplied by Somerbond. Retailer Next will continue the Ladies of Springfield nightwear range, supplied by Aykroyds, and will extend the selection to include footwear from Brand International.

Halsall Toys International, meanwhile, will launch a range of pocket money toys for 2011, and new partner Robert Frederick will be bringing branded storage boxes and adult stationery to market.

Licensee DNC will extend its Back To School offering beyond lunchboxes, in a new partnership with Fox and a new stationery partner.

Lavish Rights completed its ’100-day plan’ at the show and announced that Luv Me Buddies was met with success, with several deals in place.

The Licensing Company announced a deal with Chrysler Group, picking up the rights as worldwide licensing agency for the Chrysler and Jeep brands.

Toei Animation hosted an award night honouring European licensing brokers in the categories of “Best Licensing Award,” “Best Promotion,” and Managing Director of Toei Animation Europe SAS. The winners were: Best Licensing Program -- Backstage for Sailor moon; Best Promotion - TF1 Licences for Dragon Ball; and Best Involvement - Plus Licens for Dragon Ball and One Piece.

Bang on the Door announced that it has now signed its 100th contract for its properties, and that Trusty will be seeing a lot more exposure in places such as SpecSaver.

Character World scooped an award at EN Magazine North West Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The company was named Most Entrepreneurial Company of the Year 2010.

Bamforth, with its archives of thousands and thousands of retro images, particularly the famous seaside-saucy images, was at the show for the first time, looking for partners.

Hakan Canta made its debut at the show, with its back-to-school licenses for Marvel and other companies on show and some interesting insights into the cultural differences between back-packs in different countries!

What were your views on the show? Did you sign any deals? Do you think having the third day was a good idea?

Let us know at becky@totallicensing.com

Brand Licensing - day 1

It's the first day of the show and things are looking great. The halls are busy there's a buzz in the air. Will it still be there on day 3? There have already been plenty of announcements made, with many more expected. Check the newsletter for latest news! And we are here at stand C001 - pop by and say hi and get a free subsciption!

Staying star power? Tenuous celebrity brands

Showing the tenuous nature of celebrity branding, yet another highly regarded star is seeing the potential losses after a fall-out in his personal life.
Yes, Wayne Rooney looks set to lose a few sponsorship deals after some sordid details were published in the UK Sunday papers this week.
Why do they do it? Has Tiger Woods' fall from grace in such a spectacular manner taught them nothing?
Thus, the nature of celebrity branding. Rooney and his wife Coleen, dubbed the new 'Posh and Becks', have become a power-brand in terms of licensing deals, but of course this image is built on Rooney being the all-round family man. Naturally, most of us in the business take this with a pinch of salt, as no-one is perfect, and a brand is an image rather than a personality - but still, when nearly every celebrity worth their salt is now a brand, with huge amounts of merchandise, a lot of revenue comes from this. Of course, it's not just footballers, but, being the tabloid fodder that they are, and building up huge programmes around them as brands, the harder they seem to fall.
This all being said, of course, there are some celebrities who have made a turnaround from a scandal and even seen the said scandal boost their popularity. Paris Hilton, fresh from another white powder scandal, is still a huge brand, and became perhaps even more so after her stint in a Los Angeles jail. Kate Moss saw deals dropped and then new ones formed after her own 'fall from grace'. Jordan, aka Katie Price, Kerry Katona, and Britney Spears all lurch from, if the media outlets will be believed, one disaster and drama to the next, but their brands are still strong. The Kardashians are the latest family on everyone's lips, alongside the Gosselins - and even the Palins, with their teenage-pregnancy-parents-split-then-make-up-then-split-then-he-sells-his-story-and-pictures-of-himself-barely-clothed-to-Playgirl story was huge news, and has seen Bristol and Levi talking about several possible deals. The fact that teenaged Miley Cyrus is linked to a few scandals doesn't seem to hinder her image with fans - quite the opposite in fact. Footballer Ashley Cole's philandering ways have helped to turn his now ex-wife Cheryl Tweedy into a super brand, as public sympathy goes a long way. George Michael bounces back, often, from drink-driving and other charges, and of course, Michael Jackson's fame saw no bounds after court cases brought against him by minors detailed every inch of his personal life.
Of course, there are many salubrious celebrities who have become brands out there without their personal lives being splashed out across the News of the World, National Enquirer, or every other country's version of a tabloid - but who is everyone talking about, at the end of the day?