Tinderbox to extend digital properties to consumer products through licensing

June 12, 2013, New York, NY., – Beanstalk, a leading global brand licensing agency, today announced the official launch of Tinderbox, a new division dedicated to working with digital brands to realize their potential in the world of consumer products. Tinderbox will operate as a division of Beanstalk, which has nearly three decades of experience in the licencing industry, and will be led by a dedicated team specializing in digital properties.

With reports that one billion smartphones will be shipped globally in 2013 , and that 84% of people worldwide say they couldn’t go a single day without their mobile device in their hand , the face of the licensing industry is changing radically due to the influence of technology on consumers’ habits. Tinderbox has been developed to address the market need for a brand licensing agency expert at extending digital properties – from social networks to interactive gaming, and all categories of apps found in the app store including games, entertainment, utility, and lifestyle. Tinderbox will partner with digital properties at any stage in their lifecycle, whether emerging or established.

Dan Amos, Head of New Media at Tinderbox, comments, “The ability to engage with consumers in countless and increasingly more direct ways has resulted in a visible impact on the licensing industry. A brand can be born in the digital space, gather significant momentum and form a bond with consumers as deep as franchises decades old. It’s a very exciting time for the licensing industry, with incredible product innovations forming connections between the virtual and the physical world.”

Tinderbox’s first clients will be the leading tween social network MovieStarPlanet and entertainment app properties My Singing Monsters and The Beetnuks. Tinderbox will work to further expand the existing MovieStarPlanet licensing program, developed by Beanstalk, which already includes publishing, apparel and accessories, stationery and home décor. The representation of My Singing Monsters and The Beetnuks forms part of the Tinderbox strategy to introduce properties which demonstrate significant potential to brand licensing while they are early in their lifespan. My Singing Monsters, with millions of downloads since its launch in September 2012, is a world-building music game by developer Big Blue Bubble Inc., where the player collects and breeds adorable monsters. The Beetnuks is a new brand which will be supported by a mobile game and other media, under development at BlooBuzz, a subsidiary of Québecor Média Inc.

“Digital is one of the fastest growing categories in brand and entertainment licensing, which is why we felt it was necessary to create a new business unit that operates as an extension of Beanstalk and could address the individual needs of new and existing brand partners,” said Michael Stone, CEO of Beanstalk. “Tinderbox will be a catalyst for further industry growth by channeling decades of accumulated experience at Beanstalk into a new service that’s dedicated specifically to helping digital brands develop new, innovative licensing extensions.”

[1] Source: Gartner [1] Source: TIME Mobility Poll

About Tinderbox Tinderbox, a division of global brand licensing agency, Beanstalk is dedicated to working with digital brands to realize their potential in the world of consumer products. Tinderbox has been developed to address the market need for a brand licensing agency specializing in extending digital properties – from social networks to interactive gaming, and all categories of apps found in the app store including games, entertainment, utility, and lifestyle. Tinderbox partners with digital properties at any stage in their lifecycle, whether emerging or established. To find out more, visit www.tboxagency.com.

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 royalty auditing. 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.