Hello Kitty and Disney reveal China licensing secrets

10 January 2012

Peter Ollier, Hong Kong

Two of the most successful brand licensors in the world explained how they intend to grow their China businesses at a conference in Hong Kong this week

Hello Kitty

"The potential China has in the next 20 to 30 years is so outrageous that we are continuing to focus there. We believe growth can go on for a very long time," said Günther Hake, senior vice-president and managing director, Disney Consumer Products, Greater China.

He was speaking at a panel called ‘Licensing and the flourishing region: Asia’ at a conference running alongside the 10^th annual Hong Kong International Licensing Show.

At the moment China receives just a small share of global retail licensing revenues – only $2.5 billion in 2010 compared with $17.5 billion for Japan and $104 billion in the US, according to statistics from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA).

But it is one of the only regions that is seeing revenues grow. For example in 2009 global licensing revenues declined 11% but grew 9% in mainland China, said...

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