Character Licensing In Kidswear

Although the market for character licensing is not as developed in India as in the western countries, there is little wonder why the marketplace is brimming with merchandise related to cartoon characters. IMAGES BoF takes a look at the potential in the market for character licensing for kidswear.

- Manisha Bapna

Character and entertainment licensing is one of the largest segments of the licensing business, and is probably the part most recognized by the general public. This category of licensing encompasses properties springing primarily from feature films, television shows, videogames and online entertainment. For brands, it aids in enhancing the image of a product line and generate interest in it due to its association with a said character. It has also proven to be a powerful instrument for growth, as it helps tapping into new geographic markets and new market categories thereby increasing revenue and profit. “Whether it’s Mowgli for a child or Charlie Brown for a grown-up, it is a character one identifies with, and through licensing, we have successfully combined the individualities of these characters to give our valued customers products that not only spell functionality and quality but also something that they can flaunt as a personal style statement” Lubeina Shahpurwala, Director, Mustang Socks and Accessories.

The concept of character licensing in India, although not in its teething stage, is not as widely evolved as it has in the US and Europe. Abhishek Maheshwari, VP and Head – Consumer Products, Disney India, points out that globally, licensing and merchandising (L&M) is a sizeable business. The Walt Disney Company is the largest character licensor in the world with USD 45 billion in character merchandising retail sales in 2013. India’s L&M industry is still in a nascent stage but the segment is poised to grow significantly in the coming years, especially as the nation is home to one of the largest population of children in the world.

“We started the business unit in 2005, and since then have expanded our categories to the existing six right now, which include toys, fashion, stationery, home solutions, publishing and food health and beauty,” he adds.