Licensing rock, metal and more: in conversation with Jens Drinkwater at Global Merchandising Services

Jens Drinkwater – am I saying that right? As though the J was a Y? Yens?
Yes, thank you!

So… You’re Head of Licensing at Global Merchandising Services… What is it that Global Merchandising Services does?
We’re an independent company with offices in the UK, US and Germany. We offer our clients turnkey merchandising solutions – typically in the entertainment and lifestyle sector. Licensing is a part of our business that I oversee, but we also manage everything from live events, retail, e-commerce, pop-up shops and VIP as well as – where appropriate – sponsorships and endorsements.

Hell’s bells, Jens! That’s a vast range of responsibilities – and what a specialist field… How did the company come about?
Global Merchandising Services was established in 2008 by Barry Drinkwater, founder and former worldwide CEO of Bravado. Barry and many of the team who began at Global in 2008 played an integral part in pioneering what we know of music merchandising to this day.

And just so I can orientate myself, Jens, would you just drop a few client names for me?
The artists we’re currently working with include Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osborne, Motörhead, Lenny Kravitz, Alice Cooper, and more. It’s a who’s who of the rock and metal genre. That extends to the current day too with some of the biggest next generation bands like Sleep Token and Ghost… Outside the foundation of rock, we work with Fred Again, The Chemical Brothers, Oasis, Niall Horan, Lewis Capaldi, Halsey, and many more.

Not exclusively music, though, is it, Jens?
No, and that’s been the beauty of being open minded and nimble. When opportunities have come our way to work in new areas of business, we welcome it. Outside our music roster, we’re working across movie, lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Vegas – Hell’s Kitchen – and a few others around the world. There’s also Billboard Magazine, Fender Guitars and Beavertown Brewery.

And focusing on the music, Jens… Are you saying that – when one goes to a concert and sees all the licensed merchandise – you would design, source and create all of that kind of thing?
Yes. The foundation of our business is specifically in sourcing, designing and developing bespoke ranges fit for sale at live events. The logistics on that are quite extreme as you can imagine. From a smaller band playing club shows to legendary artists selling out stadiums, we cater to the full spectrum. Though the scale might change, there’s no less thought or effort put into what we design, how it develops or gets made.
 
And on that, at what point does your design department get involved? What’s your creative process?
Our design department is instrumental to the process throughout. Together with the artist and our tour department, they develop the range to create the right mix of exclusive products that get fans excited. We’ve worked with many of our clients for 20, 30, 40 years! So we have a very good idea on what works, and how to develop the best product, which is accessible and commercial.

Right. You don’t just have knowledge of how the industry works… You have knowledge of how the people in those bands and those management companies work?
Exactly. That comes with time and experience, and we’re lucky to have a great team at Global. They understand the ins and outs of what we’re in charge of doing for the artists, and the reality we face developing the range.

In terms of?
In terms of what they expect to see, the price point they need to hit, where it’s getting made, where it needs to be in the market, how it’s going to get sold and so on. Because, obviously, those things I mentioned – a club show and a stadium show – are different experiences. Everything from how many people there are to how you can merchandise a trinket versus a tee-shirt, for example.

It’s never really crossed my mind how much design has to go into this… I guess there’s a lower-end design process where somebody says, “Well, that’s the band’s logo. We need that on a beer glass!” But then there’s much more of a range…
Yes, of course. Some bands have a real assortment in their product ranges to service customers at all different tiers. There are fans who really do just want that pint glass with a logo… But the mega-fans are looking for newer, more innovative, interesting and particularly limited-edition or exclusive products that resonate with them.

Great! And in terms of some of the bands you represent, you named some that are inveterate – legacy brands, even. You also listed some of whom I’ve never heard! So what are you looking for when you’re trying to find a brand partner?
We’re always looking for an opportunity to create a product or program that offers us a bit of intrigue and excitement! Whether that’s an emerging artist, an evergreen rock artist ora pop-phenomenon. Our partners appreciate our independence – that we’re working for them, with no other motive but to build the best business for them.

And I’m curious: why is now the right time to raise your profile?
It’s not been an intentional strategy! I think we’ve been so focused on working for our clients since launching 16 years ago, and now we’re at a new stage of the business. We’ve built a significant client roster and feel the time’s now right to make some noise for Global!

When One Direction took off, we really grew exponentially as a licensing organisation to meet that demand. That was arguably the biggest music merchandising program; it was across so many different verticals with toys, perfume, make-up, stationery, stamp sets, back to school, promotions… You name it. We opened up 41 pop-up stores around the globe! In a way, that really set us up for where we are now.

One Direction, many dimensions…
Ha! Right. We wear a few hats. We’re a licensee, a licensor, a licensing agent. And we’re working with some very high-profile brands… We also have some major moments, milestones and anniversaries coming up next year for our clients – from tours to anniversaries and movie releases – so now’s a perfect time to start creating a buzz around these events.

Good answer, thank you. And in terms of your own background, Jens… How did you come to be doing this?
I started in 2008, when Global was founded. Back then, we were a very small team with a few desks in our office… I was doing anything and everything to learn and be of use to people, including general office administration and accounting. After around two years of learning the ropes, I had the opportunity to go on the road and understand the tour business, which is so fundamental to what we do. It’s been an incredible career opportunity that I don’t take for granted, and I – as well as ‘we’ as a company – continue to grow and evolve year after year.

So you were at the gigs quite early on?
Yes. I think my first one was JLS after they came out of The X Factor… And that was phenomenal! That led to a solid two years of all sorts of work: from JLS to Katherine Jenkins to Iron Maiden, Slayer… Many more. So I’ve had this beautiful opportunity to understand the nuts and bolts of our business on the road – because that’s where it all started 40, 45 years ago before there was much retail business and licensing for music. It was about being at a concert, selling directly to fans.

Fascinating. How do you stay creative, Jens?
How do I personally stay creative? Great question! In the last two years, I’ve had two children… So that changes your perspective, creativity and motivation on life, which I now look at with slightly different eyes. It goes without saying that being aware of trends, fashion, social media and pop culture helps – as does keeping an open mind. Seeing what’s interesting out there and taking a very unbiased view of it all drives creativity.

And in applying that creativity, Jens, I guess you have to factor in that some of these bands are legendary… But not superhuman! They can’t go on forever; there has to be a last tour at some point… How do you see that?
We’re always considerate of the evolution of bands and how properties can develop… When they get to a point where they might not want to tour or make new music anymore, how do we continue to reach younger generations of fans, new fans – and still show up for the super-fan? Iron Maiden is a great example of a band that has this multi-generational fan base. Dad might’ve brought his son to a show, now he’s there with the grandchildren… So then we want toddler and kid’s products that we maybe didn’t look at before – and that, in turn, changes the look of some of the design.

Can you give me an example of that?
For one of the recent Iron Maiden projects, we worked with a designer that was famous for doing Beano artwork – Emily McGorman-Bruce. We created a fan-club exclusive using a classic Beano style of the trooper! And that’s the same trooper that’s been following the band for 40 years… So there’s always a new lens to put ideas through; new ways to keep brands fresh and exciting.

Great answer, Jens. I should be wrapping this up, but I have a very frivolous question! If you could’ve worked with ANY band, or any artist, who would that have been?
Ah, that’s a tough one. It depends in what capacity… But if it was touring, then I would say Prince. It would been amazing to have seen that live every night.

And what’s the one thing I could have asked you today that I didn’t?
You could’ve asked me which football team I support and what brings me the most heartache…

Ha! Heartache! See, I’d never have asked a football question… Talk about a poison chalice! But which football team brings you the most heartache?
Tottenham Hotspur – particularly after the North London Derby defeat at the weekend. And as most of my conversations seem to have been with Arsenal fans today, you could’ve asked me that…

Sounds like it would’ve been therapeutic. And you know, I’ve resisted temptation so far, but I have one last question! I’ve got to ask about your extraordinary name… First, Jens: where’s that from?
Well, my mum is Swedish – but I’m often mistaken for being German. It’s common there and across Scandinavia.

But your accent sounds 100% South London to me…
Spot on!

And Drinkwater? That’s got to be one of the best surnames in the world! You can’t be unhappy with that…
Well, if you’d asked 13-year-old me in high school, I might’ve had a different thing to say! But now, it’s useful… No one forgets you! I’ve googled Drinkwater half a dozen times over the years and ended up with different answers as to we’re it comes from. The one which resonated most was it may have been an ironic nickname for someone who enjoyed a few drinks to many!

Ha! Alright! Thanks, Jens. I hope you’ll come back and chat again soon.