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The Beanstalk Group, the world’s leading brand licensing agency and consultancy, today announced it completed an agreement with Associated Talent Management (ATM), a full service personal management and licensing company based in Los Angeles, transforming it into Beanstalk’s Los Angeles office. The former principals of ATM will join Beanstalk as managing directors of its newly formed Los Angeles office, rolling its existing client base and licensing programs into Beanstalk’s impressive client roster. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2004 by entertainment attorney Daniel J. Levin and merchant and retail veteran Todd Optican, ATM is one of the premier talent management and licensing firms on the West Coast. The firm has grown to service an exclusive group of clients for whom it has created and managed multi-million dollar media and licensing businesses, including lifestyle expert Christopher Lowell, among others. ATM has been an innovator in turning personalities into brands and is noted for its industry-first practices with some of America’s strongest retailers. By leveraging Levin and Optican’s experience, Beanstalk is now better positioned to capitalize on the recent surge in brand extension licensing among celebrities, experts, media personalities and entertainment brands. For many personalities, licensing is an untapped opportunity to generate ongoing annuity revenues, to stay relevant between entertainment projects and to build a career that can sustain itself over the long term. “An increasing number of celebrities and media personalities have come to the smart conclusion that becoming a ‘brand’ is among the most profitable business decisions they can make,” said Michael Stone, president and CEO of Beanstalk. “But making that decision is only the first step in the long process to becoming a success with popular consumer products at retail. In order to truly succeed, the celebrity or personality needs to be engaged throughout the process and the ongoing program must be managed professionally. We have long been an intelligent and experienced licensing agency staffed with experts who have built winning programs time and time again. With this new muscle in the entertainment industry, Beanstalk is now the unparalleled leader in all forms and types of branded licensing.” Working in close collaboration with Beanstalk’s offices in New York, London and Hong Kong, Levin and Optican will continue to service current clients, growing their brands across the U.S. and globally; support Beanstalk’s current roster of celebrity clients, including Paris Hilton and Salma Hayek; and pursue new celebrity clients looking to license their names around the world. “Celebrity and personality driven licensing deals are on the radar screens of every talent manager, entertainment attorney, business manager and talent agent across the globe,” said Levin. “Importantly, celebrity brands have also gained the attention of retailers worldwide. By joining with Beanstalk, we’re now able to leverage Beanstalk’s deep relationships with both manufacturers and retailers and, together, combine the best practices of our two companies in the celebrity licensing space. We are extremely excited about the opportunity.” Optican added, “The future of celebrity endorsements is clearly licensing. We saw this coming several years ago and, as such, have worked hard to differentiate our practices in the crowded agency marketplace by primarily focusing on celebrity and entertainment brand extensions. Uniting with the world’s leading licensing agency now enables us to seamlessly manage every step of the process, from concept to delivery of products to a loyal fan base, on a global stage.” For more information or to reach Beanstalk’s Los Angeles office, please call in Los Angeles (310) 576-7000 or email Dan.Levin@beanstalk.com or Todd.Optican@beanstalk.com and in New York (212) 303-1146 or email Debra.Restler@beanstalk.com. |
