The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has joined forces with Swapit, the UK’s leading online trading and swapping community for young people, to offer LIMA members exclusive access to Swapit’s most recent market research at the LIMA stand during Brand Licensing Europe 2012.

Included in the LIMA information pack will be a FREE copy of Swapit’s Kids OnTrack in-depth report as well a short topical report on a variety of subjects; arming LIMA members with vital information on their demographic market and lending them a competitive edge at the trade show.

Daryl Newlands, Category Manager, at Finsbury Foods, explains the benefits of this research. He says, “I find the information Swapit provides allows us to get into the hearts and minds of what kids like and what is special to them. From this, we are able to use this information as part of our overall licensing decision making process. The data is also useful as a selling tool to retail partners as evidence or a sense check against properties we are selling into the market.”

In addition, LIMA members are offered a substantial discount towards the cost of purchasing Swapit’s research and can get up to a 70% reduction on the standard subscription rate. By signing-up LIMA members will also have the added benefit of a 10% discount on any additional bespoke market research with Swapit.

Swapit’s methodology is designed to help businesses understand kids as consumers, and gives access to research and wisdom from young people who are members of Swapit as well as being youth experts. David Gregory, Research Manager at Swapit, added; “Our research helps clients to, understand and engage with young people, make better marketing decisions based on fresh data, assist product development; and generate winning ideas and concepts. In licensing it is particularly important to know which properties are popular with kids. Our research provides that information as well as highlighting any up and coming properties that may be worth licensing in the future.”

Swapit’s two main research items include The Youthscape quarterly report and the OnTrack monthly tracker. This up-to-date information on the kids’ and teens’ market enables LIMA members to make better judgments on licensing decisions, retail distribution and competitor strengths as well as planning promotional and advertising activity to attract this core demographic group for licensed products