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As this year’s biggest-ever Licensing Forum show comes closer, Brand Extensions Russia (BER) is more than ready. The joint venture licensing company for the Russian market formed by JELC and PJB Brands is only one year old, but is built on decades of licensing experience — experience that has already given BER a strong presence in this massive market. Not only have BER’s founding partners successfully introduced many of their existing portfolios of brands to Russian licensees but their expertise and marketing insight has also attracted some major US and international brands. Gem Fairies, Plain Lazy, Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club and My Cat Pip from the JELC/PJB stables have been joined by the PepsiCo brands Pepsi/7Up, popular Australian collectable doll brand kimmidoll® and NBA, the most famous basketball league on the planet. But this success didn't happen overnight. Before — and even after — BER’s arrival in the Russian market the partners carried out in-depth market research on manufacturers, licensees and distributors, consumer buying habits, and the retail environment. And this strategy has paid dividends, with multiple licences signed across the whole BER portfolio in such diverse areas as publishing, stationery, ceramics and housewares, apparel, toiletries and bags. Popular girls’ brand Gem Fairies in particular, which attracted strong interest at the 2012 Licensing Forum show has, in only a few months, already been signed up in multiple categories — with more pending. BER is also celebrating the appearance at retail of its first licensed products. Underwear and sleepwear from the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club brand is about to launch into mass-market retail chains across Russia and the CIS. And with up to 2,000 stores in some of those chains this is a launch that underlines the size and potential of the market. This wide-ranging success across numerous categories reflects BER’s international expertise in diverse consumer products and categories, as well as the strength of the company on the ground. That strength has been underlined by the launch of a website (http://www.berussia.ru) and the appointment as Licensing Manager in Moscow of Marina Semenikhina. Marina brings more than ten years’ experience of marketing, licensing and sales within the Russian market to her role. Brand Extensions Russia was formed in December 2011 by JELC, a respected agency with many years' experience in developing and managing global licensing programmes, and PJB Brands, a major name in the Greek licensing market. The partners jointly bring over sixty years of licensing experience to one of the world’s biggest and most exciting markets. Marina Semenikhina, Licensing Manager, Brand Extensions Russia, says: “This time last year BER was new to the Russian market. Since then it has introduced new properties, signed a significant number of licences across many categories and is today about to see product launches at retail. Licensing Forum will offer us a big chance to tell the market what we have done — and we have a lot to shout about. It’s been an amazing 12 months.” |
