The Licensing Mixtape

Three franchise leaders discuss how Disney taps into its powerful ecosystem to create constant memorable moments for its fans across products, games and publishing.

Pierre Sissmann and Bruno Danzel d'Aumont of Cyber Group Studios shine a light on global animation trends and building a brand that lasts with "Gigantosaurus."

Jennifer Staley and Beth Taylor of Bioworld share what keeps the team positive and optimistic—and why it's so important for licensing success.

Patricia DeLuca of License Global sits down with Funko and Macy's present for an exclusive insight into the latest reveal of a brand-new partnership.

From entertainment brands like "Paw Patrol" and "Bakugan" to global toy partnerships with the likes of DC, Max Rangel, chief executive officer, global president, Spin Master shares his view on the key pillars of Spin Masters future.

From his time in creative publishing to his time at LucasFilm ahead of the launch of “The Empire Strikes Back,” or his tenure at Topps – working with Garbage Pail Kids and some of the world's greatest brands – Ira Friedman talks to License Global's Patricia DeLuca about the power of fan engagement.

Globally renowned beauty influencer Hyram Yarbro and Mike Bienstock of Semaphore Licensing join License Global's McKenna Morgan to discuss launching the SELFLESS skincare brand.

Gary Ma, COO of Epik speaks with License Global's Ben Roberts to explain everything you need to know about non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Season 3 has landed, offering a dedicated look at the upcoming events, high-profile panels, and cutting-edge trend insights. To kick us off Anna Knight (VP, Licensing, Informa Markets) brings together a License Global Live panel with Mark Kingston (ViacomCBS), Gary Pope (Kids Industries), and Jon Gisby (WildBrain Spark) to discuss the evolution of kids content.

License Global shares its exclusive cover story interview with John Friend, head, Halo & Xbox Consumer Products, and goes behind the scenes with the global gaming disruptor brand behind "Halo" and a new generation of cutting-edge consoles.

Navigating the consumer engagement landscape is more challenging than ever. With new platforms emerging every day, consumers have options on where to engage. Bioworld understands that and is meeting the fans wherever they are. This makes it easier for their retail and brand partners to succeed. McKenna Morgan, digital editor, License Global is joined by Beth Taylor, Jennifer Staley, Sean Parnell, Chad Neurenberg and Casey Hulse of the Bioworld team to discuss how Bioworld connects with fans at retail.

To mark the launch of License Global's Gaming Issue, we're looking at the top five brand engagement trends and methods behind the biggest entertainment platform in the world. Read the gaming issue here: https://www.licenseglobal.com/magazine/april-2021#1

Eric Morse of direct-to-consumer retailer Redbubble joins Patricia DeLuca of License Global to discuss how brands and retailers can truly cater to fans everywhere.

To mark the launch of License Global's first themed issue, Ben Roberts takes a deep dive into The Kids Issue, looking at our Top 5 takeaways, exclusives, and insights from the stories themselves.

Robert Schwartz of CAA-GBG talks to Patricia DeLuca and Ben Roberts of License Global to explore the depths of the "League of Legends" universe, how gaming is facing a meteoric rise in terms of fandom, and what exactly Brand Extension means for the future of retail and consumer engagement.

Ben Roberts speaks to Kids Industries for an in-depth insight into how the psychology of fandom works, why nostalgia isn't a big enough word for what we share with our kids and what family brands need to do in order to stand out in 2021.

Bioworld's Jennifer Staley and Beth Taylor join License Global's Bibi Wardak and McKenna Morgan for an in-depth discussion on fandom, the creativity it fuels and how Bioworld has become a fan-favourite from gaming to movies, anime and beyond.

Founder of Products of Change, Helena Mansell-Stopher, joins Ben Roberts to discuss the organisation's sustainable goals, the industry leaps underway across brands and licensing and the small steps brands can take to make a big impact today.

Jonathan Neill, commercial director, Rugby League World Cup 2021 joins Ben Roberts to discuss the resilience of sport, how to engage fans on and off the pitch and how to build the biggest event to be held in the U.K. this year.

The Licensing Mixtape is back with a brand-new season on January 25, 2021. Hear how the Rugby League World Cup is engaging fans at home ahead of the UK's biggest sporting event. Find out how the psychology of fandom is driving success in lockdown with Kids Industries and where inclusive retail fits into the world as we know it with Redbubble. All this and much more, coming Jan. 25.

The License Global Team breaks down their top picks of 2020 edition of The Influentials report, as the December issue gives us chance to look back at the brands that broke the decade as well as those to keep a close eye on over the next ten years.

Matt Winton, global head, partnerships, The Smiley Company, shines a much-needed positive light on the stories and people of 2020, discusses the importance of emotional intelligence and the green shoots of 2021 for purposeful brand growth.

Silvia Figini, COO, EMEA (Global, Mr. Men), Sanrio joins us on the Licensing Mixtape to discuss the art of creating iconic characters, how kawaii culture works on an emotional level and what Sanrio is planning for the future of Hello Kitty and Mr. Men & Little Miss.

License Global sits down with Opsec to dig into to new reports on the impact COVID-19 has had on the broader supply chain and retail spaces.

Robert Best, senior design director, Mattel, shares how inclusivity and imaginative play has kept Barbie in the cultural zeitgeist for over 60 years.

From an early ‘90s kinetic whirlwind to a perfect well-oiled machine, the licensing program of pop megagroup New Kids On The Block has evolved today into an ideal blueprint for music licensing. NKOTB's Danny Wood tells License Global editor Bibi Wardak about going from merch mayhem to merch mastery.

Ben Roberts and Amanda Cioletti of License Global speak with April Heeren, general manager, domestic licensing, Crayola to discuss the company's incredible origin story and what the future holds for one of the world's biggest family brands.

Mitchel Berger, senior vice president of global commerce, Funimation, highlights the impact that streaming media has had on growing anime's global footprint.

Bioworld Merchandising's Jennifer Staley and Beth Taylor highlight how the company's “Fandom Forever” approach has redefined the licensing business in this special Festival of Licensing episode.

Licensing icon Sid Kaufman, UTA speaks with Steven Ekstract about his early days building brand programs for "Alf" and a lesser-known Dinosaur movie called "Jurassic Park", all the way to his work with modern social media influencers. Learn about the evolution of licensing, retail and consumers here on the Licensing Mixtape.

License Global Editors Bibi Wardak and Patricia DeLuca break down the latest Top 150 Global Licensors and Top 25 Agents Report to find out what trends sit behind the ranks of the biggest names in licensing.

Ben Roberts & James Dohnert speak with Difuzed to figure out what new video game and movie titles licensees need to look out for in 2021 and what makes us fans so invested in big ticket properties like "Animal Crossing" or "Doom: Eternal".

John Parker, principal, Patencio Development speaks to Steven Ekstract about the long-standing impact of Anime on global fan culture and how to license brands in Japan.

Eric Karp, senior vice president, global brand licensing, BuzzFeed, speaks to Ben Roberts & James Dohnert about the data-driven power of digital brands and bringing consumer goods to the market in the right way.

Sarah Buzby, vice president, consumer products, Ubisoft, speaks with Steven Ekstract to discuss the rapid rise of big ticket gaming titles like "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla" and how the power of fandom is changing gaming like never before.

Ben Roberts & James Dohnert talk to movie analyst Bruce Nash, The Numbers about lockdown's affect on big ticket picture releases and what production backlogs mean for the movie business.

Welcome to the Licensing Mixtape, a podcast by License Global. Where we look at the products that stand out above the rest, thanks to a little thing called brand licensing. Now available via SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.

Steven Ekstract, brand director, Global Licensing Group speaks to Ben Roberts and James Dohnert to highlight how brand licensing, retail and consumer products have evolved against the backdrop of global pandemics and rapidly shifting trends.