Talking Brands: Are there too many brands available to license? Are some not ‘match fit’ for licensing?

Paul Bufton,
Founder & Managing Partner, Licensed Ltd

The abundance of brands to license is driven by two factors: a direct response to an overall lack of confidence and slowdown of the powerhouse franchises in recent years, and massive shifts in consumer behaviour and trends.

In the absence of commercial certainty, it’s become clear that licensees and retailers are open to exploring smaller or less established IPs. They’re happy to move out of their traditional entertainment ‘swim lane’ and experiment with increasingly popular areas, like food brands, celebrity, music, sports and video games.

Likewise, consumers are less likely to fall into one of two camps (the age-old Star Wars versus Star Trek debate) and more open to being fans of an entire genre. In doing so, they’re happy to explore increasingly niche aspects that make them feel hyper-connected with a specific IP or community.

From a creative point of view, it’s also worth noting that even with the powerhouse franchises, the output to support licensed partners is changing too. Long gone are the tome-like style guides of the past as licensors develop a more agile strategy driven by seasonality and more regular drops of new material. This, in turn, benefits smaller IP owners as their pipeline produces a more frequent and relevant ‘look and feel’.

That said, one aspect that remains unchanged is demand creation and ensuring that licensees, retailers and consumers want to buy into your property. The delivery methods may have massively diversified, but the impact is still crucial and cut through becomes harder and harder in a noisy marketplace – with multiple IPs vying for attention. This is where innovation plays a key role for brand owners to keep ahead of the pack. Luckily, we have more and more data-driven tools and almost instantaneous feedback from fans that help to guide those rights owners willing to listen.

Gary Pope,
Co-Founder, Kids Industries

I can only really come at this from the position of family-focused entertainment brand, so… It’s never been easier to get your content on a screen, and yet it’s never been harder to acquire an audience – so, yes, there are too many brands available to license.

And because it’s never been easier to get your content on a screen, the world and their partner have piled in and think they might just have the next Bluey. But a few AI-generated videos and a cobbled-together style guide a franchise do not make… Especially in a market as tough as it’s ever been, and one that’s getting tougher each and every day. So yes, there are some brands – most I will say – that aren’t match fit for licensing.

Not every brand is built for licensing, and that’s ok. Some brands are just good stories – and if their creators are paid fairly for their work, that’s all good. The difficult thing is, of course, that increasingly they are not.

But being ‘match fit’ requires more than a good idea and a passable style guide. It means knowing your fandom – who they are, what they want and why they want it. And then it means going beyond those expectations.

What’s needed is more strategic thinking and better nurturing. Sometimes the best opportunities come from identifying the right fit – whether that’s a brand with untapped potential, a specific demographic sweet spot, or assets that naturally lend themselves to product extension. Licensing discipline. Easy to write. Hard to do.

If we want long-term success, the industry needs to be more disciplined. Fewer, better, stronger brands. I guess this is what we call capitalism.

Nic Davies,
Creative Director & Founder, Smart Design Studio

Are there too many brands available to license? Possibly. We’re in an age where just about everything could be a brand. From nostalgic TV shows to novelty condiments, there’s no shortage of logos ready to appear on lunchboxes.

The upside? More creativity, more choice and the chance for unexpected brilliance. The downside? It can start to feel a little crowded. Not every brand is built with long-term licensing in mind, and when too many jump in at once, it can get a bit noisy. That said, it’s not necessarily about quantity – it’s about clarity. The brands that cut through are the ones with a distinct voice, a loyal audience and a clear sense of who they are and what they stand for.

Some brand absolutely aren’t ‘match fit’ for licensing – but that’s not always a criticism.
Some brands are great at being what they are – TV shows, digital content, cult products – but that doesn’t always translate straight into licensed merchandise.

Being ‘match fit’ means having a recognisable tone of voice, knowing your audience and having the kind of storytelling or design language that can live and breathe beyond the core brand. And to be fair, some brands have real potential, they just need a little shaping. With the right creative thinking, the right partners and a clear strategy, they can get there.

Heather Watherston,
Founder & Creative Director, Whiz Kid Games

There are undoubtedly far more brands in the marketplace in 2025 than there were 25 years ago, when I first started exploring licensing during my time at Lagoon. But does more choice always mean better outcomes? Or have we reached a point of diminishing returns? Are all these options making it easier to find something that perfectly suits our needs and preferences – or just adding to the noise, leading to choice overload and even decision paralysis?

From a licensee’s perspective, I don’t believe there are too many brands vying for a slice of the licensing pie. In fact, I believe diversity is a good thing, because everyone approaches licensing with different goals in mind. The variety creates space and choice for everyone.

In the toy market, powerhouse brands like Bluey, Paw Patrol, Lilo & Stitch, major sporting names like UEFA, or blockbuster franchises like Marvel, Star Wars and Disney can dramatically boost sales and command premium pricing. I’ve no doubt, for example, that a partnership between Manchester United and Whiz Kid Games would lead to a significant spike in sales of our Go Genius Football board game. But you don’t have to partner a top-dollar brand to succeed with licensing. Many companies pursue licensing for reasons beyond immediate sales.

At Lagoon, we used licensing to expand our presence in different retail sectors. By launching Roald Dahl and David Walliams game ranges, we tapped into the traditional book market and significantly grew our turnover.

Nostalgia is another powerful tool. Licensing heritage brands, like the Imperial War Museums or Natural History Museum, can reinvigorate existing products. Sometimes, a license simply breathes new life into a product line. Even when I worked at Green Board Games, a company not historically known for licensing, the directors opted for a Disney licence to boost the company’s profile ahead of a sale – positioning themselves alongside the industry’s heavyweights.

But whatever the reason behind it, for a licensing partnership between a manufacturer and brand or IP to truly succeed, the brand must be match-fit. This means finding a brand that aligns well with your existing product range, target audience and overall brand identity. A recognisable name and a slick style guide aren’t enough. A strong licensing deal is built on mutual benefit – shared goals and values between licensor and licensee, whether those are financial, ecological or technological.

So yes, more choice in licensing is welcome, but success lies in strategic alignment. A great licensing deal isn’t just about the logo, it’s about synergy.