By Chayce Lee / June 2025

Our UCLA course emphasized how intellectual property (IP) itself is a strategic asset. Acquiring or partnering on proven IP can rapidly expand a company’s brand portfolio. For example, Hasbro’s purchase of Entertainment One brought hit franchises like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks into its fold. CEO Brian Goldner noted that combining Hasbro’s storytelling expertise with eOne’s “beloved global brands” creates a “combined portfolio with appeal to diverse audiences”. In practice, this means Hasbro not only inherits new characters to license, but develops a pipeline of content driven by family-oriented storytelling. Such deals let companies leverage each other’s strengths: eOne CEO Darren Throop pointed out that eOne’s “great IP” combined with Hasbro’s world-class brands can deliver content and merchandising on a truly global scale.

• Brand synergy: By merging portfolios, companies align creative and merchandising strategies. As Goldner said, both Hasbro and eOne “build brands, creativity and storytelling” – together they unlock greater value.

• Global reach: Iconic family franchises can be released or promoted in new markets. Disney’s Star Wars is a prime example: already a merchandising giant, Disney is “growing” the brand worldwide. License Global reporthat ts Star Wars has generated roughly  29 billion in merchandise sales. Leveraging such established IP (and its iconic elements like lightsabers) can yield enormous returns across toys, apparel, collectibles, and beyond.

Licensing in the Digital Age

Licensing today is increasingly shaped by digital media and data. Today’s brands often emerge from social platforms as much as from TV or film. License Global highlights that sites like YouTube have made influencers a licensing force: over 90% of 18–29-year-olds watch YouTube, so kid influencers (Blippi) and beauty personalities (Nikkie Tutorials) have become their brand-licensing opportunities. Class discussions noted that this “democratization” of licensing allows new IPs to find audiences (for example, digital-first entertainers licensing merchandise). Crucially, analytics now drive decisions. As UTA agent Sid Kaufman explains, retailers want products that prove themselves, not just hype. Licensing deals today are “very data driven” – sales performance metrics now matter more than ever.

• Data-driven deals: Instead of launching products on gut feel, licensors and licensees rely on hard numbers. Kaufman notes: “Today, it’s all about performance…retailers know…how much they sold, how much against competition…we can deliver a brand that has licensees that can perform”.

• Influencer brands: Digital creators may bring prebuilt audiences. A YouTuber with millions of views can sign a license for toys or games because their fan base is measurable. This shifts the strategy: license executives now scout online stars (e.g., Fortnite streamers, TikTok creators) as new IP brands.

Iconic Brands & Merchandise Strategy

Our readings reinforced that classic franchises thrive by turning signature elements into products.  Star Wars illustrates this: even action collectibles like Luke’s lightsaber have become merch best-sellers – one report notes Disney moved 10 million lightsaber replicas in a year. Overall, Star Wars merchandise is measured in the tens of billions: as of 2023, the franchise “raked in an estimated $46.7 billion” globally, with ~$29 billion from consumer products alone. Key takeaways:

• Iconic products: Identify the symbols (lightsabers, superhero logos, etc.) that fans love. These drive outsized sales across categories from toys to apparel. Brand managers must nurture these core symbols across media.

• Consistent storytelling: Successful brands ensure new products fit the narrative world. Disney’s strategy for Star Wars has been to expand the storyline (new movies, Disney+ shows) while licensing the characters and props widely. This “brand blueprint” means content and merchandise reinforce each other.

• Market expansion: With global franchising, underrepresented regions become targets. Disney’s licensing exec noted that by integrating Lucasfilm into Disney Consumer Products, “international [markets] are extremely fertile” for Star Wars toys.

Experiential Marketing & Brand Extension

Beyond products, our class examined how experiences and events build a brand’s buzz. Netflix’s Stranger Things capitalized on immersive fan engagement during the pandemic: the Drive-Thru “Drive Into” experience let fans literally “step inside” the Upside Down. As Netflix Experience Head Greg Lombardo put it, “Stranger Things has always been larger than life” – so the drive-thru “flipped the world upside down for our fans,” complete with actors and set recreations. This highlights how entertainment brands extend into live events:

• Immersive pop-ups: Beyond merchandising, brands create themed attractions. (E.g., Stranger Things theme park experiences, Marvel exhibits, etc.) These deepen fan loyalty and generate PR.

• Safety and novelty: Even in a pandemic, creative formats (car-based, socially distanced) kept brand engagement alive. The L.A. drive-thru let fans experience the story world safely, showing how licensing can adapt to constraints.

• Cross-channel promotion: Such events double as marketing. Fans tweeting about the experience drive awareness for the series and its licensed products.

Trends & Lessons for the Future

We saw several industry trends that suggest where opportunities lie:

• Streaming and VOD shifts: Traditional windows (theaters to merch) are evolving. One analysis of the Trolls: World Tour case (released direct-to-digital in 2020) found that skipping theaters didn’t crush the brand. Despite lockdown, kids licensed product purchases grew ~10% (Apr 2020 vs. 2019), and Trolls still “ranked as the most anticipated film for 3–9s”. DVD sales rose by 17% in that period. This suggests studios and brand managers must be flexible: digital releases may require new marketing tactics (bundling merch for home experiences, virtual events, etc.), but the underlying fan demand remains.

• Consumer data insights: As one licensing report put it, real-time data on kids and media helps optimize all brand investments. For future brand managers, mastering analytics will be key.

• Influencers and gaming: Consumers now engage with IP across platforms. Young audiences might bond over favorite YouTubers or games as much as movies. Companies are looking at licensing music festivals, esports teams, and social media stars, expanding the definition of “content” that drives merchandise sales (toys for a gamer avatar, team jerseys for an esports league, etc.).

In summary, licensing strategy, brand building, and IP monetization are all about treating content holistically. A hit show or character isn’t just a TV program – it’s a platform for toys, apparel, digital avatars, theme park rides, and more. The key lessons include leveraging strong IP (via acquisition or development), adapting to new platforms and consumer behaviors, and creating synergy across media (products, experiences, social).

Reflection: As I look ahead in entertainment, marketing, or brand roles, these insights provide a roadmap. In any project, I’ll ask: What’s the core brand story? Which symbols or characters can be merchandised? How can we measure consumer engagement across platforms? The class taught that successful entertainment brands thrive by expanding their stories in multiple directions – through strategic partnerships, data-driven licensing deals, and innovative audience experiences. These principles will help identify and create new opportunities, whether in launching a streaming series, partnering with influencers, or negotiating brand extensions.

Sources: Class readings and lecture notes from UCLA’s Business of Entertainment (Prof. Randy Greenberg), including licensing industry analyses.