Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2014 - 14

FIRST & 5

Licensing
In and Out

For The Brand Liaison's Steven Heller, opening doors
and closing deals isn't just a company tagline.

Steven Heller

By Jamar Laster, Editor

eople tend to value a person with connections. The
straw that stirs the proverbial
drink. The glue that brings
- and holds - a transaction together.
Steven Heller is just such a person, and
it's why he's at the helm of The Brand Liaison, a boutique licensing, brand-extension and management agency that creates
new revenue streams for clients through
licensing, strategic partnerships and other
programs. With more than 20 years in
the licensing business, Heller, company
founder and president, has the expertise
and contacts it takes to connect manufacturers with brands and vice versa.
"There are other licensing agencies out
there, but what sets [The Brand Liaison]
apart is our team of top-level experienced
personnel and a very deep Rolodex," he
says. "As a result, we have built a strong
reputation as a boutique licensing and
brand-management agency where all of
our clients receive top-level attention."
That attention includes services like
fashion, celebrity and sports licensing
- among others - in categories from
apparel to automotive, and everything
in between. SportsFan Retailer recently
sat down with Heller to discuss sports
licensing, out-of-the-box deals and more.
SportsFan Retailer: Describe the services
that your company offers for brands,
licensors and licensees.
Steven Heller: We have a few distinct
divisions and specialties, but it's all about
14 December 2014

helping businesses expand through
licensing and collaborations, either as
licensor or as licensee. I like to refer to
this as "Licensing Out" and "Licensing
In." Licensing Out is where we represent
the brands - the licensors - and we
license their brands to manufacturers of
various products. Licensing In is where
we represent the licensee - the manufacturer - looking to bring in a new license
for their product.
SFR: What specific services do you
provide to companies in the sports
licensing industry?
Heller: Sports licensing has become a
major focus for our company. For manufacturers, we provide very thorough
consulting services in connection with
evaluating the sports licensing opportunities, whether it is collegiate, professional or other sports brands. We look at
the costs and business planning, and if
it's right, we assist the manufacturers in
the complete license-acquisition process
from start to finish. Once the license is
completed, we have some strong contacts
for sales and distribution.
SFR: What's the most the unique deal
that you did in the past year in sports
licensing?
Heller: The most creative, out-of-thebox project in the past year is our collegiate nail-polish deal for Forsythe
Cosmetics and Miss Fanatic. Forsythe is a huge nail-polish distributor,

with "Made-in-America," exact PMS
color-matching production capabilities.
We helped them put together a joint venture with Miss Fanatic, a female licensed
apparel brand, and represented them in
acquiring the major collegiate licenses for
nail polish and nail art, with the college
colors and logos.
SFR: What are some things to be considered when working with leagues?
Heller: First, it can be expensive, with
advances, minimums and guarantees.
So we always want to watch the dollars
and make sure the deal makes sound
financial sense, and that the licensee is
prepared to take on that responsibility.
Second, in order to get approved, you need
to have a tightly run ship. The leagues -
collegiate included - are used to dealing
with top-tier companies with excellent
designers, sourcing, quality control, sales,
etc. They expect that level of competence.
So we pay attention to the small details.
SFR: How would you advise a new client
to distinguish itself in this competitive
environment?
Heller: I can only give you some general
information because every deal and company is unique. In each case, we would
work with our clients to find distinguishing factors in their product or channels
of distribution, or both. Those are the
primary areas that at least some of the
leagues are looking at when considering
new licensees.
SportsFan Retailer

Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2014

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