Learn how Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products has helped build a licensing empire for a teen sensation.
Nickelodeon star JoJo Siwa unequivocally ranks among the upper echelon of top young social influencers who have built ironclad brands that are exploding in popularity. The singer, actress, dancer and vlogger has amassed a YouTube following of more than 9 million, becoming an institution in the tween and teen entertainment space.
With such massive global reach and an army of "Siwanatorz" in tow, the licensing opportunities for Siwa are limitless.
As Siwa gears up to celebrate her milestone Sweet 16 birthday in May, she and Nickelodeon have planned a bounty of events, surprises, product launches and licensing partnerships that will further expand Siwa's brand as it evolves and grows right along with her.
"The last few years have been an incredible ride with Nickelodeon," Siwa told
License Global. "From my music videos to performances around the world to all the consumer products, I love being able to connect with my fans. This year is so exciting for me because not only is it my 16th birthday, but I am going on my first nationwide tour. It's a dream to be able to travel to more than 50 cities and do what I love. I think it will be like having a really long birthday party across six or seven months!"
Siwa is not merely a passive passenger on this remarkable professional journey she's taking. She works intimately with Nickelodeon on the creative process of product development to ensure an authentic brand extension across all product categories.
"She is so savvy and authentic about how she relates to her fans," says David Chustz, head of creative, Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP). "She's very consistent in engaging them. And through all of the Nickelodeon and Viacom touchpoints that we brought to the fore in working with her, she's only been able to strengthen and deepen those relationships and expand her fan base."
As Siwa grows and evolves, so too does her style, and VNCP takes care to reflect those changes across all product lines. From continuously updating and redefining style guides to holding daily consultations with Arturo Chavez, Siwa's stylist, Nickelodeon has nurtured this mega brand every step of the way. Choosing flexible partners who can quickly adapt to global trends and apply Siwa's evolving preferences is a key factor in how VNCP selects licensees for the JoJo Siwa brand.
Kay partners include Just Play (toys), Mad Engine (apparel), H.E.R. Accessories (bows), KIDdesigns (electronics), Rubie's and Party City (costumes), Spin Master and Cra-Z-Art (arts and crafts), Crunch Pak (snacks) and Jay Franco (bedding and home).
When developing product, Chustz says he and the team at Nickelodeon approach the process by tapping into Siwa's authentic interests. Because of Siwa's strong anti-bullying message, which is strongly echoed in her hit song "Boomerang," VNCP incorporated that empowering positive message via a product line of icons and badges. And an
athleisure line was developed to reflect Siwa's active lifestyle and unyielding passion for dance, which she has maintained since her very young television appearance on the Lifetime series
Dance Moms. Because of Siwa's love for sweets and desserts, the creative team adopted a pastel color palette as part of the brand's style guide.
"We see how her fans want to be like her and want to emulate her, which obviously becomes a huge opportunity in the apparel, roleplay and accessories categories," says Chustz. "But we found through Just Play's doll and doll accessory line, which have been tremendously successful, that they want to play her life as well. The relationship between her and her fans lends itself to a number of key licensing categories and has really grown her business and added to its longevity."
There's no denying that Siwa's fans yearn to be like her. More than 50 million of her signature bows have been sold to-date, according to VNCP.
"It is crazy that products with my face on them are sold around the world," says Siwa. "It was always my dream to be like Hannah Montana, and I still pinch myself that this is my life. I think my fans like the products because they are things that I love, have worn or use. It all started with the bows, and I can't believe more than 50 million bows have been sold worldwide. The products are just really cool, and Nickelodeon is creating new products in special-edition styles to tie in to my birthday–you will love it!"
VNCP teamed with Mad Engine for a massive apparel deal that resulted in JoJo's Closet, a line available exclusively at Target. Mad Engine's aim in developing the apparel was to mirror Siwa's style precisely.
"I had the idea that girls could feel like they were borrowing clothes straight from JoJo's closet, and they could wear her exact memorable looks," says Gina Cappi, Senior Vice President (SVP), girls division, Mad Engine. "It's never been done for kids, as it's usually a watered-down version or inspired by an idea. I want girls to literally emulate her style. I have worked closely with the team at Nickelodeon, including her mega-talented costume designer Arturo Chavez. He shares looks with me before the costumes come to life!"
Spin Master, which creates the popular JoJo Bow Maker and JoJo Glitter Nails products, is also a highly collaborative partner that strives to capture the essence of Siwa and works to turn around product quickly.
"The collaboration and creative process has been extremely successful because of our ability to act fast," says Arlene Biran, vice president and global business leader, Spin Master. "We expedite creative discussion and move to execution quickly. The Spin Master design team develops creative and innovative concepts, and Nickelodeon is quick to provide feedback. This allows us to create high-quality product on very tight timelines. The partnership is best-in-class."
Just Play, which makes the JoJo Siwa singing doll, will soon launch JoJo's Wheels, a doll-sized version of Siwa's custom convertible. Later this year, Just Play will introduce her high-top shoes edition, party fashions to celebrate her birthday and a limited-edition JoJo Hairdorables doll.
"It's been an extremely collaborative process to create a line that allows JoJo Siwa fans to express themselves as well as interact with JoJo's latest songs, fashions and accessories," says Geoffrey Greenberg, co-president, Just Play. "Nickelodeon meets with JoJo on a regular basis to review the product range. JoJo understands her brand and fans better than anyone and wants to ensure her merchandising is authentic and a true reflection of her brand and herself. Our partners at Nickelodeon have done a fantastic job of creating more and more ways for fans to engage with JoJo."
For Siwa's DREAM Birthday in May, she will be honored via a Viacom-wide celebration featuring on-air content, on-ground experiences, limited-edition consumer products, retail programs and more. Siwa will embark on her first headline tour–"
D.R.E.A.M. The Tour"–which will visit more than 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada beginning May 17. VNCP's global creative group has also developed an exclusive birthday style guide, Sweet Celebrations, that will be applied across special products and retail activations throughout spring/summer as well as a DREAM style guide that will extend the tour theme across multiple categories and channels.
As Siwa turns 16 years old this year and evolves, VNCP has kept its finger on the pulse of this evolution every step of the way.
"There are fans who are growing with her as she is growing up," says Chustz. "We're working with her to manage her brand visually so it's appropriate for her age and allows a sense of maturity and sophistication, but neither she nor us nor her fans are interested in seeing her grow up too fast. So, we're also trying to keep that sense of fun, that sense of loving being a kid, loving being a girl. She loves color, so we are always looking for ways to evolve her palette and her look while keeping it colorful and true to her brand."
JoJo Siwa-branded products are available in more than 30 markets, and the brand has more than 230 partners signed globally. Top performing regions include the U.S., which saw a sales increase of 135 percent year-over-year in 2018, the U.K., Canada and Australia. In 2018, the brand successfully expanded into Mexico, the Middle East and South East Asia regions. VNCP plans to launch consumer products in untapped markets in Latin America and Asia this year.
For the remainder of 2019, the JoJo Siwa licensing program will grow into new product categories and SKUs. In the spring, the health and beauty category will expand with Siwa-branded oral care and with bandages that incorporate Siwa's emoji style with glitter and foil accents. VNCP will also launch products in the confection and ice cream categories.
And those product lines will undoubtedly continue to expand as Siwa continues to build and nurture her gargantuan global fan base.
"My fans–the Siwanatorz–are so important to me," says Siwa. "I connect with them every day through my YouTube channel and by constantly staying in touch on social media. With Nickelodeon, I have been able to travel the U.S. and around the world to see them. I have been to Australia, the U.K. and Mexico, and I feel that my fans–no matter where they live–are the same in many ways. They are strong, powerful, nice... and of course, love their bows!
JoJo’s Nickelodeon special entitled
JoJo’s Dream Birthday is set to air on Saturday, May 18, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon USA.
More Nick: Pitbull, Bebe Rexha, JoJo Siwa and T-Pain to Perform at Nickelodeon's U.S. SlimeFest Music Festival, June 8-9, 2019!
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