“We take intellectual property that isn’t being exploited by the brand, and find partners who want to benefit from a commercial opportunity that’s relevant to consumers with a product,” said Bass, noting that Men’s Health Beef Jerky is one such example.
“We spoke to Men’s Health and said we see an opportunity in beef jerky – with its low salt, low sugar content – to promote the magazine brand. Then we found a snack producer that was interested, put the two together and brokered an agreement.”
He noted that players in the food industry know how strong private label is, how small the margins are and how easy it is to be replaced.
“Licensing can be another string to your bow,” said Bass.
“It gives you the opportunity to bring something new to market. Licensing could be a way to capitalize on a current trend – or even exploit a new one.
“Building a new brand from scratch can be very expensive and very time consuming. Licensing allows you to use an existing brand to take your product into a new category,” he said, adding it can be a slow business.
“However, if you’re persistent, you can get into it relatively easily.”