HL Retail Brand Licensing Consultancy’s Helen Lynch on how to successfully sell brands to retail

Helen, it’s great to connect. Firstly, could you give us a quick summary of your career to date, which I know includes a lot of time spent in the retail sector?
Yes, I think I have retail in my blood! Initially a Head of Department teaching in a sixth form college, I left to pursue a career in business and undertook roles in marketing agencies and in manufacturing – but I was determined to get in to retail.

My first retail job was with Iceland Foods 23 years ago as Product Marketing Manager and after that I worked at Focus DIY, Alliance Boots, Robert Dyas and Blue Diamond Garden Centres in Category Manager and Head of Buying roles. I moved back ‘up north’ from London for family reasons seven years ago and was introduced to the wonderful world of brand licensing through my role as Licensing Manager at Home Bargains/TJMorris Ltd.

I feel privileged to have developed many mutually successful and long-standing partnerships with fantastic people from a very varied portfolio of corporate and talent brands, spanning a wide range of categories. These include Disney, Hasbro, Paramount, Warner Bros, MGA, Jane Asher, Jeff Banks, Tom Kitchin, Spear & Jackson, Dr Seuss and more.

“Leave the sales pitch behind – be authentic and personable.”

Terrific. And your new business is divided between consultancy work and also a coaching business?
Yes, recently I followed my heart again and took the leap to start HL Retail Brand Licensing Consultancy – offering specialist retail licensing knowledge and expertise to brand owners, SMEs, licensees, agencies and retailers within the brand licensing industry… All to fill gaps in knowledge, overcome barriers to growth and help drive the changes needed for success.

Whether its help with pitching to retailers, understanding customer propositions, negotiating the best deal, leveraging different licensing models or optimising licensing partnerships, I solve retail licensing problems for leaders and professionals in the industry so they can focus on other priorities. My services include bespoke consultancy projects, in person or online individual or team trainings, mentoring, coaching and speaking engagements.

You mention coaching as part of this. What does that entail?
Alongside my day job, I have been coaching executives for a number of years as a certified personal development/life coach. Generally speaking, I help professionals understand what’s holding them back from achieving what they want, how to get over obstacles and how to take decisive action to make the necessary positive changes to their life, career or business.

I founded the Driving Force Method – the key tenant being that you yourself are the agent for change and if you follow my proven Driving Force Formula then you will succeed. The coaching element forms one arm of my consultancy which compliments the Retail arm, and can be applied where appropriate to drive desired change within businesses at an individual or team level too.

Focusing on the retail side of your career and your role at Home Bargains, can you give us some insight into what you thought made a compelling pitch from rights holders?
Well, yes there are definitely things to avoid and aspects to focus on in making a successful pitch which I cover in my training. I’ll focus on three key ones here…

Firstly, for me it’s all about relationships from the off – before you even get to explaining the brand. So, leave the sales pitch behind, instead be authentic and personable – a confident handshake – even if you don’t feel it inside! – and taking an interest in the person you are meeting and showing knowledge about the business makes for a really good start.

Secondly, show an understanding of the retailer, their brand values, their customer base, the category, what brands are already listed and their role within the category hierarchy. Mention specific stores visited and insights relevant to the pitch. The amount of people that try to sell a retailer a product or brand and have not even been in to a store or online is truly incredible and is an immediate red flag.

“A generic ‘one size fits all’ sales approach is a complete turn off.”

Thirdly, it has to be a bespoke pitch not just a generic deck. Show passion, knowledge and understanding of how your brand or product would be loved and consumed by the retailer’s customer. What is it about your brand that fits with the customer base? Is it a specific demographic, a consumer behaviour, a lifestyle choice, attitudes, desires?

I have sat through hundreds of brand presentations and a generic ‘one size fits all’ sales approach is a complete turn off and shows a lack of understanding for the uniqueness of the retailer and customer at hand.

Great advice. And what do you think is the best way for a licensee to impress a buyer?
I have grown up in the retail world with the old adage ‘Retail is Detail!’ and this is still so true. Research, research and more research in preparation for the pitch. The way to impress a buyer is to know the retailer’s DNA, brand values, business model, their stores, their ranges and products, their customer… To show an understanding of the current constraints the retailer and the customer may be going through, the problems that their product can solve for the customer and retailer, the gaps in the current offer they can fill… And to ultimately know their product inside out, what it does, what it stands for, how it’s used, why, when, who by – and why the retailer should list it! It also helps to do some research on LinkedIn as to the buyer’s background beforehand too!

And in your view, what benefits can licensing and licensed products bring a retailer?
Differentiation from the competition, excitement, surprise, delight to the customers who follow those brands who love those brands, a reason to come through the door… Authority and credibility to the category architecture, higher perceived value… Increased footfall and customer loyalty. Increased brand awareness and reach for both retailer and brand through marketing campaigns and collaborations… There are so many!

Design-wise, what advice would you give to retailers and manufacturers when it comes to making their products distinctive and on trend?
Be aware of consumer trends, attitudes, values, immerse yourself in the research and insights available. Keep to your brand values and understand who your consumers are fully and how they and their purchase behaviours are changing. Modify and change with them. Engage them. Listen to them. Have courage to be different within your defined parameters.

What do you think ‘Licensing PLC’ could be doing better retail-wise at the moment?
All retailers want to differentiate in whatever way they can from the competition and have a reason for customers to keep coming back to them specifically. Licensed product can help them do that – whether that’s through direct to retail and exclusive design or through experientially driven collabs or in-house franchise solutions and more.

Thinking outside the box, creativity and driving innovative bespoke, hybrid licensing solutions through strong partnerships and collaborations is key. Remembering that all retailers are unique with a unique customer base.

Additionally, recognising each other’s relative strengths and constraints in partnerships and offering mutually beneficial solutions to help improve systems, processes and ultimately achieve business growth for both parties.

Thinking about retail buyers just starting out on their careers, are there some key suggestions you would make to help them succeed?
Relationships are everything – internally within and across retailer teams, and externally with suppliers, brand-owners, agencies and industry specialists. Connect. Nurture a partnership ethos. Excel in interpersonal skills, communication skills and negotiation skills.

Understand your category and the needs of your category and how brand licensing could benefit your category and the needs of your customers. Reach out to learn more from industry specialists. Have an open mind, have conversations, listen to people.

“I have tremendous respect for Next and what they are doing in the brand licensing space.”

And get involved! Go to the organised retail events, the trade shows, ask questions and get a greater understanding of the brands and the brand fit with your customer, your category and the problem that the brand is solving for your customer. Be yourself and enjoy the process!

Finally, is there a particular retailer that you think is getting more things right than wrong at the moment?
As a regular customer myself, I have a tremendous respect for Next and what they are doing right in the brand licensing space currently. The Total Platform business model is ingenious in aiding brands that otherwise may not be able to operate effectively due to a lack of infrastructure. It has created such a breadth and depth of product offering that there is now ‘something for everyone’ whatever your taste, spend, demographic.

In-store, the use of concessions serve to add interest and excitement and pull in new customers. My local store now has a new Mamas & Papas concession making full use of the previously redundant footprint upstairs. That’s just one example of many mutually beneficial partnerships – Holland & Barrett being another. And, of course, they continue to delight their consumers with quality branded apparel and on trend accessories.

One of the things they have got right is less about the product but more about the ease of returns too. Leading the way with, in my view, the most efficient in-store returns system on the market! Next are a great example of thinking outside the box, innovating, modifying and adapting with the times and ever-changing consumer behaviours.

Good pick. Thanks again Helen.