“The licensing sector in Spain is characterized by the licenses short trajectory” | Key4Communications |

In spite of being a big multinational within the toy sector, Hasbro has reoriented a part of its business a step farer from the toy market. Three years ago, the Hasbro Consumer Products division accepted a new challenge: To imagine its properties stories, something which was unthinkable in that moment, as well as reinventing them with new experiences and new ways which allow the consumers to interact with them.
     The Consumer Products division of Hasbro is managed by Flávio Tkatsu, senior licensing manager, who assures that “the today Hasbro company is a complete entertainment company, motivated by the development of contents and new brand experiences from all over the world”. This interview is available in the J anuary/March Licencias Actualidad Magazine.

- Do you think that manufacturers and distributors bet on secure licenses? ¿How does this trend affects the licensing business?
- The licensing sector is diversification and offer. Unfortunately, this is not our reality. Possibly, it is a reality driven by the economic crisis which is affecting this sector in the last three years and in which manufacturers and distributors prefer to focus its ideas in the call of secure licenses.
    In that context and adding the pressure of the retail for getting a secure trade, this trend about “mono-brand” has become our reality. One of the ways that Hasbro has adopted for leave this trend and find solutions is keep on engaging the consumers offering them a adequate content as well as products with an added value which take part of the customers life.  

- How do you value the licensees market situation? Is it necessary to get a more corporate dynamism?
- For the economic situation, mainly, the licensees in Iberia are constantly fighting in order to maintain its businesses. We can affirm that we have very proactive licensees who had to adapt its corporate structure, as well as its businesses for offering solutions and patenting its sales. That profile is the kind of licensees that we have in our brands. Hasbro Consumer Products is trying to combine with other companies which are able to work together with the objective of secure a presence of our products in the stores.

- Which similarities and differences do you stand out of the spanish market regarding to international markets?
- In general terms and regarding to the contents distribution and the roll out of a brand, we are very similar from the more important markets in Europe. Probably in some categories and brands which own the named ‘quick start’, motivated by the special features of each country, Spain has got some particularities. But the most important difference, according its point of view, is the immediacy and short trajectory of the licenses in out country. Hasbro is compromised in building and maintaining the dialogue with all the involved actors in order to build a combined growing plan in mid and long place, generating confidence and making the business more healthy for all the licensees as well as for the retail.