Features Archives - Page 28 of 36

Features

Catching Up With Grant Cleveland, CEO and President of DuneCraft

DuneCraft was founded in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in January of 2002, by Grant Cleveland, a serial entrepreneur with a background in accounting, finance, horticulture, and internet software development. The company’s first offerings were terrariums designed to grow plants from seeds and have grown to include a full range of plant-related kits as well as science kits. Cleveland, who serves as CEO and president, talks about the growth of his company and its forays into licensing.

Catching Up With...

Catching Up With Erin Webb Dippold, Director of Licensing, W!ldbrain

W!ldbrain Entertainment develops television programming, motion pictures, short-form programming, commercial content, and consumer products. The company was recently acquired by DHX Media. Erin Webb Dippold, W!ldbrain’s director of licensing, fills us in on the latest news at W!ldbrain for its popular Yo Gabba Gabba! property, as well as others.

Catching Up With...

Catching Up With Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands

Saban Brands, a subsidiary of Saban Capital Group, was formed in 2010. Founder Haim Saban quickly brought Elie Dekel on board as president of Saban Brands. As many in the industry may remember, Dekel previously worked with Saban as president of Saban Consumer Products/Fox Family Worldwide. The first order of business was to re-acquire the Power Rangers property, which Saban had originally brought to the U.S. in 1993. The property was a powerhouse throughout the 1990s. The latest owner of the property was Disney, which acquired it when it purchased Fox Family Worldwide, a company Saban co-owned. Dekel discusses building Saban Brands’ portfolio and executive team, as well as the enduring Power Rangers, which has a new series—Power Rangers Samurai. It began airing on Nickelodeon on February 7.

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Catching Up With Will Thompson, Vice-President, Changes

Apparel manufacturer Changes works with a staggering amount of licensees, from preschool favorite Thomas & Friends to adult properties such as Family Guy. This year the company adds even more licenses to its lineup. Will Thompson, vice-president of Changes, reveals these new licenses and explains how the company produces such diverse fare.

Features

The Right Ingredients for Licensing

Wonderland Bakery is baking up more than just cupcakes. The popular California bakery recently opened a second location, with more to come, and began a licensing and merchandising program to bring the fun of the in-store experience to young bakers everywhere.

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Catching Up With Dee Farrell, Senior Vice-President, Neat-Oh!

Neat-Oh! launched in 2005 with one dad’s idea for storing his son’s toys. The ZipBin was launched and is now sold around the world in both licensed and non-licensed versions. Neat-Oh! is now in a position of growth through licensing, line extensions, and new product development.

Features

Green Eggs and . . . Layette

The goodwill accumulated from generation after generation of fans has allowed Dr. Seuss Enterprises to expand its book properties into many areas of licensing. The latest area of expansion is in the newborn and toddler arena.

Features

Skechers Marketing Program Steps Out

The footwear company, Skechers, launched an entertainment division with Zevo-3 as its first animated series. With all the options available to kids, the challenge the company faced was cutting through the entertainment and promotional clutter. Skechers took it one step at a time using its core business to reach consumers by putting a DVD of the series inside every shoebox sold to kids.

Catching Up With...

Catching Up With Brian Jablon, Executive Vice-President, Pacific Play Tents

Pacific Play Tents, born out of the camping equipment company Stansport, started more than 15 years ago when the employees’ children would come to the Stansport facility and play in the tents. The next logical step was to create a line for children. That line, now a separate company, encompasses tents, play chutes, folding furniture, toy tunnels, and so much more. This year the company is introducing a line of products based on Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train property. In addition, a line of environmentally conscious items made of bamboo will also be available.