HONG KONG CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE, BOOTH GH-D14 & 16

7 January, 2013, New York, NY., — Beanstalk, a global brand licensing agency and consultancy, today announced another strong year for its Asia office, contributing to the agency’s impressive overall growth in 2012. “Increasingly brand-savvy consumers in Asia are fuelling demand for Western brands, particularly those with strong design cues and an emotional connection with consumers,” said Ciarán Coyle, Managing Director, International, for Beanstalk.  “In spite of the region’s more cautious approach to business in 2012, we have experienced significant growth as companies as well as consumers show interest in our portfolio of strong corporate, entertainment, digital and celebrity brands.”

As Asia youth continue to display an eagerness to interact with digital brands, Beanstalk has also witnessed exciting developments for its digital properties, Talking Friends and MovieStarPlanet.

“We are pleased with the success we have seen in the region for the digital entertainment phenomenon Talking Friends,” added Coyle. “In 2012, we have secured several major partners for the franchise, including a place in history alongside some of the world’s most famous personalities, as Talking Tom was officially unveiled as brand ambassador for Pepsi in China.”

BRAND UPDATES

Paris Hilton

In February 2012, global style leader and fashion icon Paris Hilton visited Shanghai to launch her eyewear collection at the Shanghai Optical Fair. The collection includes optical frames, sunglasses and coloured contact lenses for the Asian market, all designed to reflect Paris’ unique personal style.

“The successful launch of Paris Hilton eyewear in China has solidified her position as one of the world’s leading fashion lifestyle brands,” Coyle commented.  “We anticipate continued expansion of the brand in Asia in the coming year.”

The Paris Hilton global licensing program consists of highly successful licenses for fragrance, footwear and handbags, selling across multiple territories throughout Asia.  Beanstalk is currently in discussions with several major retail players across Asia for the development of a Paris Hilton apparel collection.

Talking Friends

In June 2011, Beanstalk was appointed as global licensing agency for Talking Friends, the digital app sensation, which counts Talking Tom Cat amongst its cast of characters, with over 600 million downloads worldwide and counting.

Beanstalk is working to expand the Talking Friends franchise internationally and has announced agreements for the brand with TV Mania for apparel across Europe, Svilanit for bedding and home décor globally, Buro Link for stationery in the Russian market, Smith & Brooks for apparel in the U.K. market, and a pan-European agreement with Belltex for bedding and home décor products.  In 2012, both Dragon-I and Sound n Light, Hong-Kong based licensing partners, introduced their ranges of plush with talk-back and animation features at major retailers globally.

MovieStarPlanet

In October 2011, Beanstalk announced new digital entertainment client MovieStarPlanet at the Brand Licensing Europe trade show, where it received an exceptional response. One of the fastest growing social platforms in the world, MovieStarPlanet allows tweens to interact with their peers in a safe and creative environment, with over 70 million profiles from 210 countries created to date.

Since its launch in Denmark in 2009, MovieStarPlanet has undergone rapid expansion, with exceptional levels of market penetration across Europe, including the U.K., Sweden, Poland, Germany, France, Norway, The Netherlands, Turkey 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. The property has multiplied user numbers in the last 12 months and plans to extend to additional territories going forward, with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland launching January 2013.

In 2012, Beanstalk secured its first licensee relationship for the MoverStarPlanet brand with leading publisher Egmont.  Named as master publisher, Egmont introduced the MovieStarPlanet paperback across the U.K., as well as a dedicated MovieStarPlanet magazine in the Nordics and U.K., with plans to expand to Poland and Germany. Fipotex also joined the program to develop a range of apparel and home décor for the Nordics that will launch in 2013, supported by Scandecor who will introduce a stationery range.

Stanley Black & Decker

With over 70 licensees worldwide, the Stanley Black & Decker licensing programme has become the most comprehensive, seamless and successful licensing programme in the hardware industry today.  A wide range of new licensees were appointed in 2012, including Smoby for role-play toys, Rothwell Industries for Stanley tapes and adhesives, Dvize for Stanley and Black & Decker garden hand tools, Aim Group for Stanley wheel barrows, Ciret for Stanley painting application and accessories, Home Décor Innovations for Stanley sliding doors and Radians for Stanley personal protective equipment.

An additional number of new licenses are currently under negotiation, and with the continuing strength of the brands at retail, 2013 is forecast to be another strong year for the Stanley Black & Decker licensing programme.

Beanstalk will be exhibiting its world-class client roster at the upcoming Hong Kong International Licensing Show. 

“We anticipate high demand for our digital entertainment, celebrity, fashion and corporate clients at the Hong Kong International Licensing Show,” Coyle concluded. “We are confident that Beanstalk and its clients will continue to experience significant growth in 2013, furthering establishing us as the licensing agency of choice in Asia for world-class brands.”

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 corporate brands, celebrities, entertainment properties, 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 offers a breadth of additional licensing services including direct-to-retail program management, license acquisition for manufacturers and TransAct™ licensing program administration. The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Los Angeles, Miami, and Hong Kong, and affiliates throughout the world.  For more information, please visit www.beanstalk.com. Beanstalk is a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc.

About Diversified Agency Services Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), manages Omnicom's holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

About Omnicom Group Inc. Omnicom Group Inc. (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.