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Born to License
Unlock the secrets of the $350 billion licensing industry with David Born, CEO of Born Licensing & Born to License. Whether you’re a business owner, brand enthusiast, or curious about how your favorite characters and brands make their way onto products, this podcast is your ultimate guide to the world of licensing.
Join David as he shares insider stories, practical tips, and real-world examples, helping you navigate the exciting intersection of creativity, commerce, and collaboration. From product development to pitching, licensing terminology to success stories—get ready to discover the untapped potential of this dynamic industry.
New episodes every two weeks.
Born to License
How Care Bears Became a Multi-Generational Powerhouse
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In this episode of Born to License, David Born sits down with Charlotte Payne, Head of International Licensing for Care Bears, for a deep dive into one of the world’s most beloved and enduring brands.
Charlotte shares how Care Bears transformed from an 80s classic into a multi-generational force — appealing to kids, parents, collectors, and Gen Z fans across the globe. She reveals how nostalgia, cultural relevance, and bold licensing strategies are driving the brand’s worldwide growth.
You’ll learn:
- Why nostalgic brands are dominating today’s licensing landscape
- How Care Bears balances classic heritage with modern reinvention
- The strategy behind collaborations with Barbie, Hello Kitty, Roblox, and more
- How global markets like Asia are reshaping the brand
- What licensors look for when evaluating new partnerships
- The importance of local agents and cultural adaptation
- A sneak peek into the brand’s 45th anniversary and future experiences
If you want a masterclass in brand longevity, cultural relevance, and global licensing, this episode is essential listening.
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Care Bears is definitely different though to what it was 45 years ago. And I think that's really important as a brand owner is making sure that you are relevant for today. I'm a 1985 baby and grew up with Care Bears. My mum loves to remind me that I had a full Care Bears room with bedspread, wallpaper, you name it.
I think there is a trend across the entire licensing world right now. Why do you think nostalgic brands are doing so well in licensing right now?
I think it depends on the brand. It felt like the brand had been kind of simmering since its relaunch in 20. People are gravitating towards brands that had an emotional connection for them as a child. We are working on new feature film with Warner Brothers.
What are the things that you're evaluating? What are you sort of like looking for?
And authenticity is absolutely fundamental.
Are you doing anything with Swiftheart Rabbit in the future?
Watch this space.
What is your favorite care bit? I'm gonna force you to choose one. You can only choose one. Who's your favorite? Foreign. Bears remains one of licensing's most enduring success stories. From surviving industry changes to reinventing itself for new generations, this nostalgic brand has mastered the art of multi generational appeal. For me personally, Care Bears holds a special meaning. I received Swift Heart Rabbit the day I was born and it became my most treasured companion. Charlotte Payne, VP of international licensing at CloudCo, has overseen care Bears global expansion, launching unexpected collaborations with hello Kitty, Barbie and K Pop stars. Today she reveals how nostalgic brands stay relevant and why authenticity matters more than ever in licensing. Before we dive into today's show, I wanted to share something really exciting with you.
For the first time ever, I'm opening my vault of nearly 20 years of licensing experience through my online course Learn to License. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your licensing game, this is everything I wish I'd known when I began my journey from deal structures to finding the right license, knowing if you're ready and how to pitch like a pro. It's all there, the fundamentals that separate successful licensors from everyone else. Visit learntolicense.com and let's get you from curious to confident. Now let's jump into today's episode. Charlotte. This is a real pinch me moment because Care Bears is a brand that means a lot to me. I was given a Care Bears cousin, Swift Heart Rabbit, by my grandma on the day I was born and it became the toy that I would not let out of my sight.
And that was almost 40 years ago. And Care Bears are as popular as ever all over the world. So I'm really excited to talk to you about everything Care Bears. So, Charlotte, thanks for joining us on born to License.
Of course. Thanks.
So, Charlotte, you've been at cloudcove for just over two years. Tell me what initially drew you to the Care Bears brand.
Similar to you, I'm a 1985 baby and grew up with Care Bears. My mum loves to remind me that I had a full Care Bears room with bedspread, wallpaper, you name it. So I think what's really fascinating about Care Bears is obviously we're seeing a huge nostalgia anyway from the brand. And obviously, you know, having that nostalgia is core to people really understanding the brand and having that emotional connection which, you know, Kerbez is such an emotive brand anyway, that I think what it's really helping us do is also pivot and speak to younger audiences. So we have that kind of parent endorsement that had a love. What excited me, though, about coming to CloudCo was it felt like the brand had been kind of simmering since its relaunch in 2019. And actually I could just see the potential of where it could go.
We were already starting to see interest coming up in Asia, and Australia is obviously a huge market. So what was really exciting is that you can only see growth potential from that. And part of what I love about this industry is rejuvenating brands and taking brands that maybe have sat on the shelf for a little while, that have a real opportunity to come back in a meaningful way. So, yeah, I was excited to take on this challenge, I bet.
And you mentioned nostalgia, and I think that there is a trend across the entire licensing world right now where sort of evergreen generationally loved brands, nostalgic brands, are just having a huge moment that doesn't seem like it's gonna end. Why? Why do you think nostalgic brands are doing so well in licensing right now?
I don't know. It's really interesting. I think it depends on the brand. You know, I think Peanuts has had a great moment. They've bought back with a big anniversary year. You know, hello Kitty in some respects has come back through that kind of nostalgia as well. And. And we're talking about brands that have had quite a big impact in licensing and retail. I think that whether it's post Covid, we. We talk about a lot of this internally of kind of, you know, why nostalgia is playing such an important part.
And I think it's fascinating to see that post Covid people have gravitating towards brands that had an emotional connection for them as a child or just brands that they know and they trust or that, you know, we're talking about a generation that also wants to pass down that brand love to their kids as well. So I think it's really interesting to see how nostalgia brands have made a comeback, but I think there are, they're also just great brands that have maybe like stood the test of time and just have an opportunity to come back in a different way. Carers is definitely different though, to what it was 45 years ago. And I think that's really important as a brand owner is making sure that you are relevant for today.
And, you know, I think we're seeing that as a success because we're being able to talk to a multi generational audience. So, yes, we have the nostalgia and the kind of millennial original fans of Care Bears, but also how we show up with new content on TikTok has kind of opened more of a Gen Z teen and tween kind of demo. I think Care Bears in its nature is a plush toy and bear that people love to cuddle and it's colorful and I think. So that seems to be resonating as well from a younger demo. So I think the interesting thing with nostalgia brands is that they can gravitate in a different way to new audiences and kind of serve a purpose. But yeah, it's fascinating to see how they've kind of made big comebacks.
Yeah, I mean, you mentioned some really, the brands that I had, top of mind when I'm thinking nostalgia, I do think Care Bears, I do think Peanuts, I do think hello Kitty, all three of those brands. You know, I also think a Strawberry Shortcake and those kind of properties are just really popular. I love what you mentioned about sort of like, you know, parents sharing Care Bear sort of like handing down that love to the new generation, which, you know, is a big part of it as well. You look at like a brand like Star wars, for example. You see all these, you know, little kids running around with Star wars and you know, they're not Star wars fans that mum and dad have bought that product for them because they're Star wars fans.
So there is a part of that as well is that you're appealing to the parents who you want them to introduce Care Bears to them because they love and cherish the brand.
Yeah, definitely. I think A big part of our business is still adult and what we would classify as kiddo. You know, the world of kiddult as well, I think is quite a hot topic at the moment in licensing. You know, the whole collectible trend, you know, look at retailers like popmart and miniso that, you know, this blind box collectible market, whether it's partners like Bear Brick for example, they're all tapping into that Kidalt market. I know it's also extending beyond that, but I think, yeah, I think it's definitely been a key to unlocking how we bring back Care Bears. So, you know, I think this was before my time, but you know, Robbie and the team have really kind of looked at, you know, bringing back classic as much as we brought back the new look.
And I think that's been a pivotal part in looking at how we extend the reach of Care Bears. You know, the new look is, you know, based on the new TV series, Unlock the Magic. But the classic look is what people remember. And I think it's interesting even now to see five years later, classic still plays an important part of our business, certainly on soft lines and how we build out our apparel programs. And that's again because it goes across all those multi generational audiences. So yeah, it's really fascinating to see, but we have some real die hard fans out there. So we also have an expectation and I think this is what brands mustn't forget is there are die hard fans that remember a brand in a certain way and have expectations as well about how you show up for them.
So I think even some of the collabs we've done are really interesting as well, like how nostalgia brands can come together. We did the hello Kitty collaboration in the US that's going to start rolling out internationally from this year. It's that kind of surprise and delight aspect too. I think how brands show up in a different way, in a way that excites fans, especially the nostalgia fans because, you know, Strawberry Shortcake was part of the American Greetings original heritage of Care Bears as well. You know, both greetings cards brands that, you know, which is how a lot of brands formed many years ago. So I think, yeah, it's really interesting to see how brands like you've mentioned, even Strawberry Shortcake are kind of reinventing themselves and figuring out ways to kind of be relevant. You know, the world has changed in 45 years.
So, you know, I think brands also have to adapt and make sure that they're relevant for today.
There's A few things you mentioned, Charlotte, that I really want to dig into more. One thing that I've been paying very close attention to is the collaborations you've been doing with other licensors. So you've worked with Strawberry Shortcake, Sesame Street. Tell me a bit more about sort of the thinking behind why you're doing that and the response you've been getting.
Well, the response has been way beyond our expectations. I would definitely say some of the collabs have worked better than others. I think, you know, this is a new area. If you'd said to me 10 years ago, oh, you know, studios are going to work with other studios, you know, even Hasbro working with Mattel, like, that would have been like an absolute no go area. So I think there's two ways that we've approached collabs. One is IP collaboration. So I think there's a very different approach to how we've looked at those. Like, are there key alignments from a brand DNA? Do we have kind of shared audiences? Is it about tapping into new audiences? I think the surprise and delight aspect is something that we've really wanted to dive into. Like, how do you show up in a different way?
You know, unless you're a big movie property now that's got a big release cinema day or a new TV series day, it's really hard to compete in the licensing space. So I think these collabs offer real great marketing tools to show up in a different way. And I think with the combination that people want to collect something, that collectability is bigger than ever right now. So I think us creating something that only has a really short shelf life has also been really interesting to watch how fans engage. So, you know, the hello Kitty one in the U.S. for example, was only live for like six months and once it's gone. And so that frenzy feeling that people have to get it now while they can and collect it, I think was also really interesting to watch.
I think when it the other collabs that we look at is toy collaborations or. And we're starting to look at this in publishing, you know, how kind of ways can we work with big brands in this space to create something unique? And we did that with Barbie this year. We launched a Barbie collection of blind cylinder Barbies. So there was three to collect. We've got another three coming autumn, winter this year. It's part of Mattel's strategy with Barbie to do on their Cutie Reveal series. So this was actually their first license that they did on the Cutie Reveal series and it hit number one of their, like Barbie globally. So it was the number one selling doll globally.
So I think there's definitely ways that you can collaborate with people, whether that's like on a toy collaboration or whether on an IP collaboration that does create something really unique and different to the market. We're seeing the same on gaming, you know, us working with really big games, but to create meaningful extensions to that as well is really fascinating. We did that with our first Roblox game this year as well. So yeah, I think I would be surprised if more and more people aren't starting to do this. I think it makes a, you know, a really interesting part of any like, brand and marketing strategy. So yeah, you'll definitely see more of them coming from us. Some unexpected, some probably more expected. We've just launched the Wicked collaboration which Ariana Grande actually posted about, which is amazing.
And that one's really just a plush program. But that, you know, some definitely are tailored to that, you know, Kidalt market. Some are younger. So again, for us tactically we look at, you know, with the other IP owner, what's it going to bring to the brand? How do we open up a new audience or a new space at retail? How do we maybe cement some of that, those partnerships that we have already? So there's quite a lot that goes into thinking about the IPs that we collaborate with.
I love how you mentioned surprise and delight your fan base essentially because you want to try and engage with them in as many different ways as possible when you're in the gaming space. You know, that's like surprising that people see Care Bears there and have the opportunity to engage with the brand in that space. And then, you know, the partnerships with Wicked and Sesame street and so forth, again, it's just another way to give them an opportunity to get excited about the brand and consume it in a very different way. I want to change, shift gears a little bit because a lot of those listening to this podcast have never pitched for a license before. They're interested in licensing, they don't know where to start.
They've, you know, maybe got a small business, a product line, they're maybe direct to consumer, maybe they're, you know, wanting to service some retailers. When a company approaches you about licensing Care Bears, what are the things that you're evaluating? What are you sort of like looking for? And walk me through a decision making process.
I think there's quite a lot that goes into that, actually, I think firstly, whenever we're talking to a prospective partner, it's always about whether they see the vision that we see. And I think having that alignment is really key. I think authenticity is absolutely fundamental to everything we do. So does the product category make sense? Does the partner make sense? Does the market make sense? I think, you know, we have very strong values for the franchise, you know, around Care, Joy, you know, that emotional connection. So they play important parts in any decision making we have. Obviously, we have a clear strategy of where we want to go with the brand. And, you know, I think for us it's about figuring out whether that partner, you know, acs the same potential, but b, whether they have the right reach as well.
You know, I think for us, we're always looking at how we open up new categories, you know, whether we can service a particular retail account. And that's all the way from mass to speciality to luxury. And I think, you know, a lot plays into that is, you know, do they. Are they a preferred vendor? We think a lot of retail first. So that's an important part of any consideration is, you know, how does that retail, how does that partner, sorry, work with different retailers? Are they a preferred supplier? And a lot of the time retailers will share with us their preferred suppliers. But I think also I would put a lot of stuff on innovation and, you know, creativity. If a product is incredible or it stands out as a completely new product to the market, we're always excited about that.
We've just done a Care Bears virtual pet, which I think is really fascinating. It plays into that nostalgia of like the Tamagotchi and that virtual pet piece, but it has totally new technology. It has a really different way of engaging with different demos, different levels. So again, you know, I think innovation plays an important part. If there's a really cool, unique product as well, that's definitely something that excites us.
What about E commerce companies you mentioned, like retail and being preferred vendor and, you know, having that kind of retail distribution is important for those kind of prospects. What about the E commerce side of things? What are you looking for? Are you looking for, you know, to see what kind of engagement they're getting on socials? Or are you looking at sales projections? Are you looking at. What is it that you're focused on?
E commerce is a really interesting retail channel at the moment. I think, you know, Amazon's played an important part. You know, we have a very unique working relationship with Amazon to look at, not only how we can build out A kind of bigger marketing strategy with them, but also how we actually support licensees. And I think that's really important. But yeah, I mean, E commerce plays an important part. You know, it's a huge percentage of where people shop now. We're also seeing that on social commerce as well. So how we work with partners across TikTok stores, you know, you've got influencers built into that now on social media. We have a high engagement on social media too. So, you know, Even things like TikTok has helped us open up an appetite for health and beauty.
So it's really fascinating to see how E commerce, social commerce is also having an impact. So they're definitely parts of any discussions that we would have with prospective partners. And I mean, I'm not going to sit here and know the whole world of how TikTok social commerce works, but it is fascinating to see how influencers are just having such an impact on how people are consuming brands, how they're purchasing, you know, having that direct click as well. It's so easy now to purchase online versus making that choice going into a retail store. So I think, yeah, I think you're going to probably see more in that space from us, but certainly, I think in the licensing industry as a whole.
Yeah. And let's say someone comes to you with a proposal, they want to get a Care Bears license. In terms of the way they approach you and what they present to you, is there anything that could be like an immediate red flag that comes to your mind?
I think if there's no alignment with the brand or it feels like a, dare I say, like a label slap, I think that for us is a bit off putting. Anything you do at retail, anything you do at product has to have a storytelling. I think consumers now see through something that isn't authentic or doesn't feel true to a brand. So I, I think that certainly would be something that we would consider as a red flag. I think, you know, we're always mindful of, you know, how much you put out into the market too. You know, obviously licensing has a, you know, a big revenue commercial component into any, of any consideration. But also you don't want to flood the market.
So I think if someone was pitching volume or, you know, over storytelling or that kind of brand alignment, I think that would be a big flag for us. We do heavily look at people's product quality, how they execute at retail, you know, how they bring that storytelling through to retail. So if there were things like that we felt you know, weren't aligned with what we wanted, that probably would be a red flag as well. But I'll be honest, we typically work with best in class licensees, so it's very rare that you would come up, you know, to a partner or get to that evaluation as part of any discussion that it feels like a red flag at that point.
Yeah. And I guess, like, for example, you would also want to make sure that there's no conflict with your existing portfolio.
Of course. Yeah, yeah, that goes without somebody.
If somebody comes to you and they're like, oh, we want to do, you know, this particular toy and you already have a great partner that's doing that.
Yep.
You're not gonna, you're not gonna want to entertain that other opportunity.
We're very big on not going after dual licensing, so that is definitely not something we would want to do for sure. That, that plays an important part, really into also, you know, how partners compete with competitors as well. You know, everyone's always wanting to, you know, look at the hottest brand, but, you know, we've had a lot of licensees that we've also stayed loyal to, you know, that have been on this journey since Care Bears, you know, completely came back, you know, in 2019. So I think it's again, about building that loyalty with partners. We do try and really approach any licensee as a partnership that we, you know, if they win, we win. And I think that's kind of the ambition we want to get to a renewals business.
You know, we don't want to be, you know, pitching new licensees all the time. So again, I think we evaluate quite heavily, like, what's the long term opportunity as much as it is about a short term.
A quick pause here. If what we're discussing is really resonating with you're going to love what I've put together in Learn to License. This isn't just another course. It's two decades of real world licensing experience. Experience distilled into actionable strategies you can use immediately. I've worked with everyone from startups to Fortune 500 brands, and the patterns for success are surprisingly consistent. The course covers all things that you need to consider when it comes to licensing, particularly those who are just starting out. So visit learntolicense.com, your future licensing deals will thank you. All. Right, back to our conversation. I have been quoted as saying there is no better deal in licensing than a renewal. Everyone loves a renewal because it means everybody, the license or the Licensee everyone involves. Because it means it was a success.
Exactly.
It can be a much simpler legal process and you just use the momentum that you've already built together and keep going for another two or three years or however long the renewal term will be.
Yeah.
So, looking ahead.
Yep.
Are there any particular partnerships that you're most excited about to explore with Care Bears? Is there any category that you feel is untapped? Is there any momentum behind a certain area that you. That you're really keen to explore?
Absolutely.
I.
So I, I have an exceptional team and I'm very lucky that we work in such an exceptional team and a very entrepreneurial team. You know, I think we're a team that has come from brands that have always had to think differently and think creatively about how you can move into different spaces. And I actually, that's part of what I love about licensing, that you can move into spaces and places that maybe licensing isn't even a thing or a terminology that certain categories use. We are definitely building out our publishing program. I think for us, having much more of a. An opportunity to storytell through publishing. I know a lot of people talk about, oh, you know, publishing is a really tough space right now and people are buying less books.
I actually think there's nothing better than that magical moment when you read your kids stories at night and, you know, early readers and how you can be, you know, a positive brand. I think we want to definitely do more in that emotive learning space. Like, how can we be a brand that really helps educate families and children in a. In a bigger way, with a bigger purpose? And I think that's where Care Bears can really sit in a different way. It can actually be more than just a bear and emotions. How can we actually be a positivity to understanding your feelings and emotions? So I think that you're definitely going to see more of us in that space. I think collectibility is still a huge part of our business.
So I think we're always looking at ways that we can show up differently and with the kind of key partners that we look at. But I think the next thing and shift you're going to see is how do people get more up close and personal with the brand? So I think definitely experiences are going to be and that world of, you know, how do we tap into the sensory experience, how do we look at exciting ways that, you know, you can live and breathe the world of care a lot or get a little bit of a snapshot of what it's like to be in a Care Bears world. So I think that definitely feels really exciting about where we're going as a brand.
We've got some really exciting partnerships coming up in that space from next year and I think, you know, we've got a 45th anniversary. A lot of people talk about anniversaries as a big milestone in this industry and I think it is. But we're excited about what we have got planned coming up. It's. You're not going to be, it's not going to be a typical anniversary year. It's going to be a really a moment to bring something back for the die hard fans. So we're going to be bringing back something really exciting which I think definitely you'll find exciting as well given the history you have with the brand.
I'm very excited.
So sorry to tease but yeah, you're going to be seeing more I think both that service the nostalgia of the brand but also new audiences. So we're really excited to expand toy and what that means next year as well. But certainly experience that more storytelling how that extends into different categories, different retail accounts will definitely be the focus for us over the next 12 months.
So 45 years is 2026 or 2027.
It's 2027. So you'll know that this licensing industry works very much 12 months in advance. So we're already coming out of LA Toy Previews where they're selling for autumn winter 26, which is crazy but exciting. So yeah, 45th is 2027. So yeah, it's shaping up to be an exciting year. Beyond that, the world of Care Bears, you know, we are working on a new feature film with Warner Brothers. There's no official greenlit date so I can't share anything on that. But I think given the respect and the brand's deep and long history, I think now feels like the best time to bring something exciting and new like a feature film. So that's definitely something as we look further ahead and then I think, you know, how we reach fans in every market globally is a key part of my day to day.
So leading international that the brand resonates differently in Latin America as it does in Asia and Europe and Middle East. So again, as long as we shift and be culturally relevant, I think that's a big part of what you'll see in the future of Care Bears. More color, more positivity. Let's remind people that there's brands out there that can appeal to multi generation. So yeah, it's fun, it's A fun brand to be working on.
Totally. There's a few things you mentioned there, just about the practicalities of licensing. Right. And you said, you know, that the anniversary is coming up in 2027 and people are already starting to work on that now. I think that some people listening to this podcast who are not familiar with licensing, they may be just starting to get to know it will be pretty surprised. I mean, date of recording is September. You're already working on 2027. I think they would be surprised. We get a lot of companies come to us and they say, when would you like, you know, your first licensed product to be out? And they say, oh, we would like to get it out in two or three months.
And they don't understand that, you know, there is a, you know, quite a lengthy process from the moment you engage with a license or to the product going on shelf or being available. Can you share a little bit about sort of like what happens between that first conversation and the product getting on shelf? There's a. There's a lot that happens.
There is. I mean, I probably won't cover it all, David, but I. It depends on the category. So I think we're a lean enough business that we have the ability to pivot and move quite quickly. Not as quickly as we probably used to just because of the number of partners and partnerships we have. But when you start talking to a licensee, I mean, you know, that launch date of how they see when this is launching, I think has to be realistic.
You know, there's quite a lot that goes involved in even just product creation, assets, how a partner, you know, works through that product development before that you've even got the, how are we going to, you know, what does the deal look like, you know, what's the future kind of planning of how they, you know, how that partner wants to launch, you know, what retailers, what markets, then you know, going through a negotiation on whether that's terms or whether brand fees, etc. And then I think once that's shaped up, you kick off that product development and approvals, which in its nature can take as long as a piece of string. I think, you know, a 3D toy product would be a much different to a soft lines, 2D print.
So we're fortunate enough, we've got a lot of style guides and assets that people, but also just having their designers take time to look through that or have an onboarding with us and then you've got, you know, anything from a manufacturing point of view, which is very Much down to that licensee of how long things take for them. But we have been able to turn things around fairly quickly. You know, I think if there is an opportunity and we have, you know, there's a particular time frame that a partner wants, I think it's just about being open and honest from the outset of those expectations and whether or not we as a brand owner can hit it.
So, yeah, anyone entering into the world of licensing, it's such a fun industry, but it also depends on the brand owner, I think, and how they operate. You know, having come from some of the big studios, how they operate is so differently to, you know, smaller companies like ourselves. So I think, you know, any licensee that's looking at brands, I think has to consider that especially if they've got particular short term partnerships that they want to launch. You know, bigger studios work slower than, you know, So I think that also should be part of anyone's consideration and what brands they work with.
Yeah. And it's very much, you know, a partnership in every sense of the word, isn't it? Like, you know, you want your licensee to be transparent with you and say, hey, Charlotte, you know, we like to go live at this time of the year, you know, in time for the holidays or whatever. Yeah. And you can have that conversation early on to see is it actually going to be achievable? And you know, if it is, where do we kind of need to rush things or, you know, where will we be able to sort of make tweaks to our sort of process to make sure we can get that product to market? The product development stage can be complex. And we do have a podcast episode this season with Jenna Chalkley, who's head of product development globally at born to License.
And so she's given a lot of insight into that. So if you're interested in product development and you're listening to this podcast and you want more detail on that, then look out for that episode. Something you mentioned, Charlotte, was cultural impact. And, you know, I'm speaking to you right now from Brazil, where I know that Care Bears is not known as Care Bears. Here, it's known as Osinos Carinos.
I'm glad you said that. Yeah.
Yeah. So tell me a little bit about how do you work with a brand that you need to adapt on like a global level? Because I noticed that Care Bears or Seniors Carryosas is so popular here. It's popular in Australia where I grew up. It's popular in the UK In London, where I live for six years, it's popular in the US where I visit a lot. I mean, it's very much a global brand. But how do you, how do you manage that?
I think you have to. It's all about local execution. You can have a global brand. I mean, lots of people use the word global, you know, and, you know, you have this global brand, but unless you're talking to the local market, whether it's Brazil, whether it's Australia, whether it's France, where in France people don't know what Care Bears is. They know what Levissa Nu is. You know, it's just, it's part of the heritage of the brand. So I think you know, you naturally have to play to your strengths. What is, what is the brand awareness and heritage? And understanding that on a local level is really fundamental, you know, and it's also part of what's going to make or break success for a brand.
So I think, you know, understanding those nuances to a brand and how that is built into the nostalgia and the heritage of a brand as well is really important. We do a lot of insight and research as well into local markets, you know, and what the brand stands for, how it resonates culturally. You know, there's even certain bears that just don't work in certain markets because, you know, for example, in Asia, a particular color might be, might have its own cultural relevance. So again, you know, and we've got 120 bears, so it's over 120, I think now. So it's always just about finding the right mix and the right approach and cultural relevance is really important to know how a brand will speak to a local market.
So whether it's a name change or whether it's, you know, an approach on how a bear is named or the personality, all of those things are things that we think about.
Let's talk about licensing agents because I know you've got, you know, a portfolio of amazing licensing agents that help you engage and run the Care Bears licensing business in their local markets.
Yep.
Talk a bit about how important those relationships are.
I would say they're probably one of the most important relationships we have. We, you know, we as a team. My kind of philosophy on agents is they're an extension of us. You know, they're on the ground talking to prospective current licensees, retailers every day about the brand. We do really work with best in class agents. So I think they're definitely, that's very much how we approach it that, you know, they're a part of our team and how we can make sure that they've got the right tools, you know, that they can feel the passion and they're on board with the vision that we have for the brand as well.
There's obviously day to day things that they also do with us in, you know, whether that's legal support or creative approval support and all of the other things that you know, can help speed up the process and support the licensees on the ground. But yeah, I'm. We work with exceptional agents across the market. So we have an agent in every single market and it definitely helps us, you know, further reach but also make sure that we're, you know, I don't speak every language so being able to have agents that also talk in local language is fundamental. And also these agents have, you know, amazing relationships already. You know, typically they'll be managing multiple brands that they have very strong relationships with.
So as you know, it's a great way of partnering with a partner that has local expertise and that's kind of our approach from a cloud co perspective.
Yeah. And I guess, you know, even if you know the Care Bears brand back to front and you know, the UK market, Charlotte, because that's where you're based. Yeah. If were to pick you up and drop you in Brazil, say, hey, you're going to manage Latam, you probably wouldn't know where to start because you know, you don't have the relationships or understand the market as well as your local agent. So it makes perfect sense for you to have an agent where you happily pay them a commission. They'll do all that local engagement. It's. Yeah, it's not just about not having the bandwidth. It's also they've got that local expertise.
Absolutely.
Can really, you know, continue to grow the Care Bears business in those markets.
Yeah. Oh, I mean they are definitely experts in their own market. I would like, I like to think on in my time within licensing, I've got a fairly good understanding and I, I'm a big firm believer in traveling out to a market. I think that's really important not only to support the agents that we have on the ground, but also just to understand the market. You know, I'm sure you living in Brazil, the Brazilian market is so different to what it was five, 10 years ago. So, you know, a market evolves. It's no different to the UK or France or Australia. Any parts of the world, you know, are also Evolving markets. So I think it's really important that you know, agents also feel supported. I think that's a big part.
And having that local understanding of a market truly helps, especially when you're looking at deals or new categories or even new retailers. You know, Pop Mart is a great example of that. Or Minnesota. They're completely new retailers to the global landscape and have actually shifted retail in a lot of ways. You know, a lot of retailers are keeping their eyes now on those particular retailers just to see what they're doing. You know, they're kind of perceived as trendsetters now. So it's really interesting to see how different retail is also shifting different markets. So I'm, you know this, I'm probably spend most of my time on an airplane and traveling and looking at what's going on in the market which personally I think is the best way of understanding culturally and also the landscape of the market which puts everything else in context.
So definitely the last 12 months I've spent a lot of time in Asia but that's a big part of, you know, of understanding a global brand and how you support that network of agents as well.
Yeah, I've been seeing what you're doing in Asia and it's incredible. I mean, tell me a little bit about how your fans in Asia are engaging with the brand a bit differently. Like I've just seen activations there that are so unique to that market.
I think that market is really unique. We do a lot with K pop bands which actually has quite a big like appeal globally. We've just launched an amazing collaboration with a girl band called Illit where it's actually being driven out of Japan. But they're like a very up and coming K pop band. So we've done a full integration and a music video and pop up retail with them and that really resonates extraordinarily across Asia. We do a lot of celebrity seeding with influencers but Asia also has the ability to do things on scale and I think that's really exciting. We launch cafes there, we're launching pop up retail. That just is incredible in terms of its execution mall events, you know, Christmas events. It just. And things switch on very quickly there.
So typically, you know, I mentioned sometimes things take, do take a long time. They really don't take a long time. In Asia things move really quickly. So I think that market is definitely, you know, very different in its nature in terms of how openly and willingly people, you know, partner with Care Bears. Care Bears is also is just a very cute and cuddly brand, which just resonates exceptionally well with that market. But we work really hard to engage on social platforms. Social is a huge part of what. What makes or breaks a brand in Asia. So we do a lot on the local, like, Chinese platforms as well. And, and we'll be definitely doing more of that.
But there are some fascinating brands, and we've done a collab just with Astro Boy, which is a huge brand in Asia, to really show up in a unique way just for that market. So it definitely takes a different type of approach. It's definitely a young adult approach for us, but it's also an incredible market for Care Bears. It's our second largest region, so it's. Yeah, what works in Asia doesn't always work everywhere else, but it definitely does seem to be, you know, we're seeing some great success there.
Very true. So, Charlotte, before we wrap up, I have two more questions for you. This first one, please don't hate me for it. What is your favorite care bear? There's 120 bears. You've got such an amazing portfolio of characters. I'm gonna forced you to choose one. You can only choose one. Who's your favorite?
Well, actually, that's an easy one for me, so. Because everyone in the team has to have a Care Bear. So I, I do take on Cheer Bear. She's in the original lineup. She's actually the Bear that I had as a kid, so for me, that was an easy one. But I also. Yeah, I just love everything that she stands for. She's a larger than life character. She's very much the cheerleader of the group, you know, and I think when anyone talks to me or my team, like, you'll. You'll see the passion of Care Bears. All of us are like fans in our own way. Have you got Cheer there? That's cheer. Yeah. That's the one of the, like, original look. Yeah. Yeah. She. She's my alter ego that I aspire to, David. That's for sure.
Oh, very good. Well, my last question is, I need to know you talked about your childhood favorite. My childhood favorite is Swiftheart Rabbit. Are you doing anything with Swiftheart Rabbit in the future?
Watch this face. Yeah.
Oh, how excited. I did see that you. That you did release a few years ago, I think in Australia. Anyway, it was the plush sort of came back and it sold out almost immediately. I couldn't get my hands on it.
It did. We've. We've done a bit of a test in Australia, we've got some, we've, we have released some cousins. So Swift Heart Bunny is definitely part of the cousins lineup. For anyone who doesn't know the context of Care Bears, we absolutely right. Like we did it as a limited edition, like 3,000 pieces. We actually did Noble Heart Horse last year as a one off exclusive to Australian Post and she sold out almost immediately and she now goes for $700 on eBay. So we. You're not the only one who's a die hard fan who's been asking for the cousins to come back. So yeah, all I can say is watch this space. Hopefully you'll hear more in the coming months.
I'll be watching very closely. Charlotte, if anybody wants to see what you're up to, what's the best way to connect?
I mean catch us up on LinkedIn for sure, but we'll be at Brand licensing Europe stand BT B201 and we're also sponsoring the Retail Lounge. So whether you're a retailer or a licensee, definitely come and see us. We're one of the most approachable team out there. We love networking and making new connections. So yeah, please reach out to me or one of my team.
Wonderful. Well, Charlotte, as a lifelong Care Bears fan myself, and I literally say lifelong fan from the moment from the day I was born, I've really enjoyed this chat. So thank you so much for joining us on the born to License podcast.
Thank you for having me.
I hope you've enjoyed this episode of the born to License podcast. Don't forget to like and subscribe. And if you're eager to learn more about licensing, I encourage you. Take a look at my course, Learn to License. I've condensed almost 20 years of learning in my licensing career to help others understand how licensing works. And as a reward for sticking around, here is a discount code for you to put in. That code is born to license 25. I hope to see you there.
