How did you get into licensing (or how did licensing find you)?
I fell into licensing through my previous role at the National Gallery. It was baptism by fire, and I was self-taught in the role. I previously worked in online, buying and merchandising for John Lewis for over 20 years, and then made the leap to the heritage sector where my remit expanded into brand licensing and partnerships. I find the licensing industry exciting and very rewarding, especially with cultural IPs—you can make museum and gallery content really surprising. It is also a great way to make these properties relevant to new audiences and make a diverse range of works relevant to current trends.
What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
There is no typical day! There is a lot of R&D to make sure you are abreast of current trends and what the marketplace is up to as well as essential contact with our partners to ensure we are on track with approvals, marketing, and product launches. It is important to have good communication, so there are a lot of meetings. Contract and deal negotiations are also key to make sure we are getting the best deals for our partners/licensees. In this role you must wear many hats, so multi-tasking is key.
What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
This would be at the National Gallery, where I grew the business from a slow start and quadruped the revenue. The growth on the international scene was also a highlight with significant deals in China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., and South America. Building five-year business plans and seeing them come to fruition has also been a highlight. I think making old master paintings from the National Gallery relevant and getting people to look at them afresh through exciting licensing collaborations has also been a professional accomplishment
What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
I think there has been a trend to use museum and gallery IPs in a more contemporary way, especially in the apparel categories. There are examples from Pull and Bear, ZARA, Uniqlo, ASOS, Topshop, and Dr Martens. I also think the charity messages are key, so consumers understand that by buying a certain licensed product, they are supporting the institution where the work comes from. Social media is also a game changer and needs to be invested in so your product will succeed.
What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
I think that staying on top of trends is vital—in an ever-moving retail environment, you need to make sure that you have created the best product with your partners to get that shelf space. It is tough to get product placements with retailers, which is why you need to think of creative ways to create a USP to ensure that you have great product for their customer profile.
In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
Attention to detail is very important to protect your brand and reputation. Empathy and good communication skills are also crucial, as well as being a good listener. This is important so you can understand expectations from retailers, licensees, and brand owners. Being able to deep dive into brands ethos and ambition are also great skills.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
My favorite quotes are from Jill Liberman’s Choose Happy. Some of her daily inspirations include “When you smile about the life you live, you end up with a life worth smiling about,” “No one is you, and that’s your superpower,” “Make today so awesome that yesterday gets jealous,” and “Today is a good day for a good day.”
What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
There are two for me. One is Dr Martens for the National Gallery, which was surprising and creative. It showed old master paintings in a slightly disruptive way and had a great online marketing campaign that resonated with the brand. The other is Prestige flowers and the National Gallery. This was a collaboration that took inspiration from the artworks and created fresh flower bouquets that also made a difference.
If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
I think I would like to continue to work in the heritage sector as a tour guide or educator to enhance knowledge about art and history.
The last licensed product I bought was…
A Taylor Swift tee.
