LIMA Australia hosted its second licensing breakfast in Sydney last week.  An audience of 70 key Licensors, Licensees and Retailers attended on the day. Our panel consisting of Mark Scott from Mattel, Claire O’Connor from Nickelodeon, Elie Mansour from The BBC and Wassim Gazal from Hot springs clothing Company focused on how we get cut through with the ever increasing number of brands on offer. We also discussed the constantly changing face of retail, including the online platform, which is here to stay and must be considered as part of the overall make up of the market.

The underlying message was that we must keep things simple and when bringing brands to retailers we must think carefully about how we present them. We must provide a compelling story backed up with facts and figures to support the brand.

Wassim pointed out that Retailers are less likely these days to back a brand for an extended period it is usually for a season. Price deflation in our market is also a concern and it was pointed out that often a brand approach could differentiate your product from the generic offer and command a higher retail price.

Thanks goes to our Major Sponsor The BBC Worldwide who also took the time to bring a full size Tardis to the event. This offered a backdrop for attendees to have their photo taken.

Thank you also to our support Sponsors Dependable Solutions and Showtime Attractions. We are also grateful to HKTDC for allowing us to use their function venue at Hong Kong House in CBD Sydney.