It seems as though Jazwares has the hottest properties of the holiday season in its licensing portfolio year after year. Jazwares’ licensing program reads like a kid’s wish list: preschool properties Blippi, Cabbage Patch Kids, “CoComelon” and “Peppa Pig” gaming titles “Fortnite,” “Halo,” Micro Machines, Nerf, Pokémon and “Roblox;” entertainment brands like All Elite Wrestling, Blackpink and UFC as well as proprietary brands like Hug-a-Pet, First Act and Blinger.

A subsidiary of Alleghany Capital Corporation, Jazwares’ consumer products line includes toys, plush, action figures, collectibles and musical instruments. Based in Sunrise, Fla., and boasting 20 years of design, development and manufacturing expertise, Jazwares is an award-winning company with a progressive focus on identifying new trends and transforming them into high-quality products for consumers of all ages.

How does Jazwares manage to work with brands on the brink of popularity? It may be preparation and opportunity, but there’s research involved.

“To stay ahead of hottest trends, Jazwares looks at the latest data, consumption behavior and beyond to see what’s trending, whether it’s a gaming platform, music sensations, certain YouTube personalities or channels or what’s hot in the collector space,” says Sam Ferguson, vice president, global licensing, Jazwares. “We also bring our real-life experiences into the mix by observing the kids in our lives and what they get excited about.”

Once Jazwares identifies a brand that could be what kids look for on the toy shelves, the next step is to reach out to the property to see if they would be a fit.

“The keyword is ‘partnership,’ and that’s paramount to any licensor-licensee relationship,” says Ferguson. “Collab-oration and open communication are vital. We want to make sure that we are in lockstep with our licensing partners, and part of that falls on us to be good licensees. We act as a brand guardian as we are a complementary business that supports the licensor’s goals. All of our sales strategies and marketing campaigns are bespoke to each brand, with longevity as the end-goal.”

There is a common thread between all the brands that Jazwares works with…

Want to learn more? Check out the rest of the article in the March issue of License Global, out now!