18 to 20 October, 2011, London Olympia Booth D055, U.K., – This year at Brand Licensing Europe, leading brand licensing agency and consultancy, Beanstalk, celebrates significant new client signings in 2011, covering three key industry growth areas: Fashion, Food and Digital Entertainment. In June 2011, Beanstalk announced that it had secured global representation of the digital app phenomenon, Talking Friends, and Beanstalk has since secured key anchor licensing partners in Europe, North America and Asia in major categories including gift and footwear, and is progressing negotiations with a number of leading partners in apparel, toys and home.

At Brand Licensing Europe 2011, Beanstalk has announced that it has signed a global representation agreement with MovieStarPlanet one of the world’s fastest growing online games and communities for tweens.

Further developments within the agency include the strategic expansion of the apparel division, with new clients including luxury British heritage brands, Jaeger and Aquascutum, and Dream Out Loud, the fashion line from teen sensation Selena Gomez.

In the food arena, Beanstalk has secured a representation agreement with Chiquita, the world’s favourite banana brand, to develop licensing partners across a range of healthy foods in Europe and the Middle East.

Ciarán Coyle, Beanstalk’s Managing Director, International says: “Beanstalk has had a fantastic year in terms of new client acquisitions. Our strategy to grow the entertainment division in digital properties has resulted in our representing two of the world’s leading digital properties and places Beanstalk firmly at the forefront of the digital entertainment revolution. In addition, we are proud to be working with some of the UK’s leading fashion brands, Aquascutum and Jaeger, and we are looking forward to helping these iconic brands develop their licensing programmes for the long-term. On the food side of our business, we welcome the addition of Chiquita to our client roster. We are confident that there are significant opportunities for Chiquita to answer market demand for new healthy food options incorporating Chiquita’s exotic fruits.”

NEW CLIENT SIGNINGS:

Talking Friends Recently appointed the exclusive, global licensing agency by Outfit7, the developer of Talking Friends, the digital app sensation which counts Talking Tom Cat amongst its cast of characters, Beanstalk is working to expand the Talking Friends franchise internationally through innovative licensing and brand extension programmes.

Since its launch in July 2010, the Talking Friends collection of apps have been downloaded over 180 million times, with upwards of 10 million people a day engaging with one of the Talking Friends characters. Talking Tom Cat ranked No. 3 among the free applications on Apple’s App Store for iPhone in 2010—ahead of Angry Birds, Google, Twitter and Apple’s iBooks.

Talking Tom Cat 2, launched in June 2011, was downloaded over five million times in the first week and reached the No. 1 chart position in over 70 countries.

The licensing programme will extend the Talking Friends cast of characters into a range of product categories including toys, games, apparel and accessories, social expression, arts and crafts, electronic accessories, home décor and health and beauty, tapping into best-in-class licensees.

Agreements have already been signed with Fine Makers, who will be launching a range of gift product in the U.K. in Q4 2011, and Letao, the number one footwear e-commerce company in China, which is set to launch Talking Friends footwear in Q4 2011. Agreements in other key categories are progressing.

MovieStarPlanet In October 2011, Beanstalk announced its partnership with MovieStarPlanet, the phenomenally successful digital tween property and one of the fastest growing online tween social platforms, to develop the property into a leading digital entertainment franchise. MovieStarPlanet allows tweens to interact with their peers in a safe and creative environment, tracking over 34 million monthly website visits and counting.

Since its launch in Denmark in 2009, MovieStarPlanet has undergone rapid expansion, with exceptional levels of market penetration across Europe, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland, Germany, France, Norway, The Netherlands and Finland.  In August 2011, MovieStarPlanet launched in the U.S. and significantly beat forecasts in terms of site visits and user profile creation in its first month alone.  

Beanstalk will be looking to secure licensing partners across a range of categories for tweens focusing on delivering the personalised online experience in the material world.

Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez is already hugely popular in the U.S., selling through strongly at 1,000 of Kmart’s most premium stores.

Breakthrough teen idol, star of romantic comedy Monte Carlo, and now an internationally recognised celebrity brand, Selena Gomez has over 24 million Facebook fans and seven million Twitter followers, and has been a cover girl for teen magazines Sugar, Bliss, Mizz and Shout in the U.K., as well as Elle - Spain, Gala -France, Hey! - Germany and Elle Girl! –Russia. As European licensing agency, Beanstalk is currently in talks with a number of leading U.K. high street retailers and potential licensees with regard to apparel and accessories.

Jaeger With over 200 outlets across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America, British luxury fashion brand Jaeger is best known for its heritage of natural fibres, luxury fabrics, unique graphics, and memorable cut, fit and design. In the U.K., Jaeger is sold in over 44 freestanding stores, as well as premium department stores nationwide, including Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Fenwick, House of Fraser and John Lewis.

Beanstalk is currently prospecting for premium licensing partners across a range of lifestyle categories including fragrance, sunglasses, footwear, childrenswear and homewares.

Aquascutum One of Britain’s most recognised and respected luxury brands, Aquascutum is best known for its iconic ‘trench coats.’ Aquascutum’s heritage is rooted in excellent British tailoring and to this day delivers an understated, British elegance. Fine craftsmanship, luxurious tailoring and attention to detail have been applied to all matters sartorial, creating a company with a quintessentially British point of view for whom the pursuit of style is a way of life.

Today the brand possesses huge global recognition alongside premium distribution, and is set to become an international power house through licensing into major categories worldwide.

Chiquita Beanstalk has recently been appointed the exclusive European and Middle Eastern licensing agency for Chiquita, the leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products best known for the iconic Chiquita banana.

Chiquita’s mission is to improve world nutrition, “winning the hearts and smiles of consumers by providing superior healthy and nutritious branded products.”

With the help of Beanstalk, Chiquita will look to extend its food offer in banana and exotic fruit flavoured spreads, cereals, and cereal bars among others.

BRAND GROWTH INITIATIVES:

Paris Hilton Beanstalk works with Paris Hilton Entertainment to develop the Paris Hilton brand into glamorous products that reflect her fun-loving, fashion-forward lifestyle. There are now 17 product lines including fragrance, footwear, handbags and beauty products as well as Paris Hilton branded stores in more than 31 countries around the world. Paris Hilton’s fragrance line has grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide and is now in its 14th scent.

Beanstalk is currently prospecting potential best-in-class apparel partners for the Paris Hilton licensing programme.

Swizzels Matlow Swizzels Matlow has been making their extensive range of fun kids’ sweets since the 1950’s. The brands, which include Drumstick, Double Dip and Refresher enjoy strong popularity with children, while maintaining high sentimental and nostalgic value for adults. A range of Swizzels Matlow T-shirts featured at Topman in summer 2011, in a partnership negotiated by Beanstalk with licensee Blackstone Design.

The Love Hearts licensing programme holds broad appeal and enables consumers to express personal sentiment through design-led, iconic products.

Following the success of their Licensing Award-Nominated Love Hearts homewares range, Paladone Products has added a complementary stationery collection to their range in 2011, which includes diaries, notebooks, post-its and magnetic kitchen notes, all of which embody the fun and nostalgia of the Love Hearts brand. Targeted at the University student or young professional, the range is the perfect addition to this high street programme.

Stanley Black & Decker Beanstalk works with the Stanley, Black & Decker and DEWALT brands to effectively reach professionals and serious DIY enthusiasts, creating some of the most visible and successful licensing programmes in the home improvement industry. With 16 licensees for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the respective programmes span a range of product areas from workwear and personal protective equipment to specialist industry tools.

There are opportunities for each of the brands in a number of specialist categories.

Jack Daniel’s The Jack Daniel’s European Licensing Programme includes a range of strategically selected products that allow current consumers and brand admirers to enjoy the Jack Daniel’s experience in their everyday lives.

Expansion of the distribution across Mainland Europe continues to be achieved by the licensees that produce Jack Daniel’s Apparel and Accessories, Barbecue Sauces, Confectionery and Gift Products.

Jack Daniel’s liqueur chocolates and fudge continue to achieve impressive sales, particularly in specialty stores and duty-free outlets, while Goldkenn’s Jack Daniel’s truffles are selling through strongly in duty-free outlets.

The brand’s priority is to extend the existing product range into new territories across Europe and explore the barbeque category.

About Beanstalk Beanstalk, a global brand licensing agency and consultancy, extends brands through the strategic and creative development of licensed products. The company works with blue-chip brands and other high-profile clients to leverage licensing as a strategic tool to enhance brand awareness, increase consumer touch-points, and generate revenue. Beanstalk also works with manufacturers to help identify and acquire compelling brands and properties to help them gain competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Beanstalk is the licensing agency of record for over 50 world-class brands. The agency has developed thousands of brand extensions in every major product category, resulting in nearly $2.3 billion in retail sales in 2010 alone. Headquartered in New York, Beanstalk’s global reach includes offices in London, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and Hong Kong, and affiliates throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.beanstalk.com.

Beanstalk is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. Diversified Agency Services (NYSE: OMC). Omnicom (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company.