Beanstalk is one of the world’s leading brand licensing agencies, headquartered in New York with offices across North and South America, and a London office overseeing operations throughout Europe and Asia. Ahead of Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) 2025, we spoke with Louise French, SVP Business Development & Marketing at Beanstalk, to hear about the agency’s plans for the show and her views on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
Beanstalk has been a long-standing participant at BLE. Why does this show remain so important for you?
Beanstalk has been present at Brand Licensing Europe since its inception and as a leading agency in the brand licensing space is committed to supporting the industry as a whole through licensing shows, thought leadership articles and other media channels. BLE gives us the opportunity to showcase new and existing clients, meet with current licensees as well as speaking to potential new ones, as well as giving us the opportunity to bring together retailers, our clients and licensing partners in one cohesive place.
What can retailers and manufacturers expect to find at your stand this year?
As one of the leading global licensing agencies, Beanstalk represents some of the world’s leading brands across a range of industries. These include FMGC (P&G), Automotive (Audi, Bentley, Volvo, VW), Food & Beverage (Diageo, Cinnabon), Hard Goods and DIY (StanleyBlack&Decker brands – Black+Decker, Stanley, DEWALT,) and Lifestyle (Weight Watchers, The Met, Tonino Lamborghini, Julius-K9, Yvonne Ellen, Matthew Williamson) and Digital (X-Box, Halo, Atari, Line Friends), among others.
Our programmes span multiple retail channels and categories and territories. As such our breadth of offer and the quality of brands that we represent act as a strong reason for manufacturers and retailers to visit us at BLE.
Which brands will you be highlighting at this year’s event?
Our focus will be on developing new partnerships and retail relationships on behalf of all our clients and to launching the programmes for the new clients we have brought on this year, namely Cinnabon, VW e-games and Julius K-9.
It is the first time we will be showcasing Cinnabon on our stand at BLE and we will be announcing some exciting new clients around the show.
What do you hope to achieve by exhibiting at BLE?
BLE is all about building relationships – be it with existing partners or meeting and connecting with new ones. This runs across the breadth of our industry including clients, licensees, retailers and others; that’s why the show is so much fun – the anticipation of who we will meet and what we will achieve makes it an annual highlight for everyone at Beanstalk!
Looking beyond the show, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for licensing in 2025 and 2026?
There are several challenges. Tariffs and unpredictable shipping costs are adding complexity and uncertainty for licensees. Price increases in raw materials like cocoa, coffee and wheat continue to squeeze margins, while geopolitical instability – from the war in Ukraine to attacks in the Red Sea – is disrupting sourcing and supply chains. The cost-of-living crisis is also forcing consumers towards private label products, while retailers push to keep shelf prices low, reducing licensees’ margins. On top of that, counterfeit products remain an issue, technology is evolving faster than ever, sustainability concerns are shifting consumer demand away from physical goods, and new HFSS legislation in the UK will limit advertising, promotions and in-store placements for products high in fat, salt and sugar.
Yet there are also significant opportunities. Artificial intelligence offers powerful tools for trend forecasting and deal optimization. Experiential remains a key driver as consumers increasingly value experiences over products. Sustainability, when done credibly, can deliver real consumer engagement. Emerging markets such as Poland, Turkey, Africa and Latin America are gaining momentum for licensed programs, and licensed products can still outperform private label when supported with strong marketing and product claims.
Finally, what message would you like to share with visitors?
Beanstalk is looking forward to a dynamic and successful BLE show once again. We are confident that with the world-class brands that we represent and the growing numbers of high-quality manufacturers and retailers attending the show, that BLE 2025 will be the biggest and most successful show to date.
Beanstalk will be exhibiting at stand C251.
