The Brand Liaison’s passion and experienced team of licensing professionals has helped it attract iconic brands and top celebrities. By Jim Harris
Steven Heller has always been very passionate about helping his clients build their brands. During his 25-year career in licensing and business development, he has worked with licensors and licensees, both large and small, on deals including fashion brands, sports, character and entertainment properties, and has helped his clients secure programs at major retailers such as Macy’s, Target, Walmart, QVC, Hot Topic, Michaels, Jo-Ann’s and David’s Bridal, among others.
In late 2011, Heller created a new vehicle for his passion when he founded The Brand Liaison, a New York-Miami based licensing and brand management agency. The company just celebrated its fifth anniversary. “We’ve been able to attract very strong brands, because we have a team of all-star, experienced licensing veterans that deliver results,” Heller says of his company’s success over the past five years. “And the proof is in our performance. Just look at the deals we have done and the testimonials we’ve received from our clients.”
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LEVEL-5 abby Inc. is licensing successful Japanese video games around the globe on all platforms and devices. By Chris Kelsch
Simon Waldron, senior vice president of marketing and licensing, has only been with LEVEL-5 abby Inc. a few months, but already he has picked up on a key component that drives the company. “Here, creativity comes first,” Waldron says. “The whole culture is driven around the creativity, with the various business pieces that go around it.”
As head of LEVEL-5 abby’s marketing and licensing efforts, Waldron heads up one of those pieces that goes around the creativity. The global arm of LEVEL-5, LEVEL-5 abby was formed in October 2015 to bring the best of Japanese children’s entertainment to the global market, and just as important, across all platforms and devices.
Akihiro Hino, who founded LEVEL-5 in Japan in 1998, leads both companies. He has also produced all of the company’s major video game, television series and movie releases. Hino and LEVEL-5 chose Santa Monica, Calif., located in the heart of the entertainment industry, as the base for its U.S. operations.
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Billboard is growing its legacy with its licensing program. By Alan Dorich
When the top executives in the music industry want to know the latest charts or the recent moves by artists like Ed Sheeran and Chance the Rapper, Billboard is the one they turn to. From its start in 1894, the brand has emerged as the major source of music news, via print and online.
“It’s always been the industry leader and the one source to go to for the music charts and music knowledge in general,” Director of Licensing and Marketing Amy Steinfeldt Ulmann declares. “I don’t think there’s any other brand out there that can compete with a long history like that.”
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The Levitz family leverages the Ashley Furniture brand as well as its own heritage in the furniture retail business.
The Levitz family has been a leader in the furniture business in Texas for generations, and becoming part of the Ashley Furniture family of retailers has done nothing but bolster that position. The family’s eight Ashley HomeStore locations throughout Texas benefit from the same strengths that have made the Ashley Furniture brand so powerful in the industry, but they also draw from the family’s long history of success in the home furnishings market.
The Levitz family has been in the furniture retailing business since 1910, eventually creating the Levitz Furniture warehouse store concept. Levitz Furniture was one of the first concepts of its kind in the furniture business, and it remained successful for many years. The Levitz family opened its first Ashley HomeStore locations in Mesquite and Fort Worth, Texas, in 2002. Since that time, the family has expanded its chain of independently owned and operated Ashley HomeStore locations to include other locations around Dallas-Fort Worth as well as in El Paso, Texas.
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Family farmers have been at the heart of Welch’s for more than a century. Vineyards have been cultivated for generations to expertly grow Concord and Niagara grapes, which are used to provide families with the 100 percent grape juice and jelly for which Welch’s is known and trusted. Read more about Welch’s here and see the company’s products below.
Welch’s Oatmeal Bar Mix
Bake your own tasty treat of oatmeal bars topped with fruit spread. You’ll taste the goodness of Welch’s in every bite. Easy to make, Welch’s Oatmeal Bar mix is available in two flavors, Concord Grape and Strawberry.
Welch’s Frozen Avocados
Timely frozen so you never miss the ripe again. Our new Welch’s Avocados are sodium and cholesterol free, low in saturated fat and the only ones available frozen ripe. Not sliced, not diced, just perfectly hand cut chunks of avocad-oh!
Welch’s Red Twist
Bring a little twist to your daily routine with our new Welch’s Red Twist Fruit and Veggie Frozen Blend. A delicious mix of strawberries, grapes, raspberries, sour cherries and carrots join forces to help you eat more fruits and veggies!
Welch’s Orange Groove
Shake up your “smooth…ay!” with our new Welch’s Orange Groove Fruit and Veggie Frozen Blend. Pineapples, Mangos, Butternut Squash and Lemon come together to help you get into a healthy groove. Tastes so good, you’ll keep blending up another!
Welch’s Fruit Ciders
Welch’s Fruit Ciders have captured the goodness of the orchard. Apple-y tastes are paired with fresh fruit flavors for a tempting new take on cider. Available in four flavors, Cinnamon Apple, Grape Apple, Peach Apple and Strawberry Apple.
Welch’s Lemonade Freeze Pops
Summer refreshment with the wholesome taste of natural lemonade. These mouthwatering freezies add a new dimension of taste to the frozen snack category and are available in three delicious flavors, Natural Lemonade, Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Pink Watermelon Lemonade.
Welch’s Gelatin Mix
A fruity flavor in every spoonful, Welch’s gelatins are a tasty dessert your whole family will love. Available in three delicious flavors including Concord Grape, Strawberry Peach and Cranberry Grape, Welch’s gelatin is the perfect guilt-free treat.
Welch’s Fruit Rolls
Unroll the Fun™ with Welch’s® Fruit Rolls. Made with Real Fruit and 100% Vitamin C, you will want to try all three mouthwatering flavors, White Grape Strawberry, Berry and Tropical Punch.
See more New & Notable products here.
WWE’s toy licensing partnerships with Mattel, Playmates and others play a big role in the sports entertainment giant’s consumer product dominance. By Jim Harris
Somewhere in the world right now, John Cena and the Ultimate Warrior are having an epic match for the WWE Championship. Elsewhere, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin could be forming a partnership to take on the Wyatt Family.
These time-bending matchups will not happen on WWE’s flagship shows Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live. However, thanks to WWE’s relationships with toymakers such as Mattel, anything is possible in the hands and imaginations of its millions of fans.
Action figures bearing the likenesses of WWE Superstars have been a major part of the sports entertainment leader’s toy licensing strategy for more than 30 years. Mattel – the world’s largest toy maker in terms of revenue – has been the company’s action figure licensee since 2010.
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Mars Retail Group works closely with licensing partners to bring new M&M’S® offerings to consumers and retail customers everywhere. By Stephanie Crets
Mars Retail Group is taking the candy world by storm and bringing incredible offerings to its customers every day. From its delicious chocolate candy to fun, well-known characters, M&M’S® has something for everyone. For more than 75 years, the brand has brought colorful chocolate fun to M&M’S® fans around the world and Mars Retail Group is helping to further that ambition.
“Our goal within Retail Brand Activation has always been to bring some of the unique experiences of M&M’S® World and MY M&M’S® to life with our everyday retail partners,” says Director, Retail Brand Activation, John Capizzi. “It’s really about fine-tuning our overall offering to our customers.”
Mars Retail Group operates on the basis of three executions: licensing, Colorworks and mass customization. Licensing brings unique branded merchandise across all channels, including mass drug, grocery retail and digital. “It gives people a small sample of the wonderful products they can find in our M&M’S® World stores,” Capizzi notes.
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Welch’s continues to expand its licensing program to extend its brand portfolio into categories that promote fruit, health and taste. By Janice Hoppe-Spiers
Family farmers have been at the heart of Welch’s for more than a century. Vineyards have been cultivated for generations to expertly grow Concord and Niagara grapes, which are used to provide families with the 100 percent grape juice and jelly for which Welch’s is known and trusted.
“The interesting thing about Welch’s is that it can play in the health, flavor and fun categories,” Head of Global Licensing Glenn Hendricks says. “Baby boomers and millennial moms love our juice for both the taste and heart health benefits. They grew up with it and raised their children on it; there’s an affinity there. We are a trusted brand and consumers know the quality will be great.”
In 1869, Thomas Bramwell Welch was the first to pasteurize bottled fruit juice using Concord grapes, founding the company and the modern, unfermented juice version we drink today. After debuting at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Welch’s Grape Juice went on to become the national family favorite it remains today.
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