Licensing Magazine sat down with Thomas Zambra, Director of Business Development at Moomin Characters, for an in-depth conversation about the brand’s strategic expansion in the US market.
The discussion explores business development strategies and Rights and Brands’ U.S.-focused licensing approach, with a focus on sustainability and building long-term partnerships in one of the world’s leading licensing arenas.
What is the relevance of the US market for Moomin?
The US is not traditionally one of Moomin’s home markets; its main markets are Scandinavia and Japan. But over the last few years, Moomin has been growing rapidly worldwide, and the US is no exception. About three years ago, we launched a pilot program with Barnes & Noble, which was very successful, and they then rolled it out to about 270 stores nationwide. Following that success, we’ve seen a growing number of US retailers and local licensees become very interested in the brand. The USA is a huge market for Moomin, who are still being fully discovered and recognized.
If we consider the Moomin storytelling content, its graphic style, and relevant topics such as sustainability, how do you adapt them to the US market?
What we do everywhere is that we stay very true to what Moomin is. So, we’re not adapting the brand really, for different markets. Of course, there are different types of opportunities in which we can tell those stories. But we want to bring Moomin to the US in a very Moomin way. And I think the U.S., more than many other places, needs the Moomins. There’s a lot of depth to the Moomin stories. Values of tolerance and equality of acceptance are things that people in the US are also gravitating towards, and we’ve really felt that there is this kind of natural pull from the American public as well, who are kind of looking for alternatives and looking to Scandinavia and other places for stories that carry a bit more. From our point of view, it’s not about changing the stories to adapt to the U.S. market. Rather, it’s putting the stories in front of people. We’re still at a stage in which people are discovering Moomin. In the US, when we can speak to fans and find new audiences, we’ve seen that they really do connect with the stories and the values – in the same way as in many other places.
Regarding sustainability, I think we work in the US as we do in all our other markets. We ask all our partners to complete sustainability questionnaires to provide information on their manufacturing methods and the materials they use. We’re slowly shifting our entire licensing program toward a more sustainable approach. At this stage, it’s very much a journey; we are not at the end point yet, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction. And the US is no exception.
What are the main challenges you face in the U.S. Market?
In Finland, the public has known about the Moomins since the 1950s, and in Scandinavia, the UK, Poland, and so on, children and families have known about them ever since. Moreover, the first animated series was made in Japan in the 1960s. There are multiple generations of Moomin fans, and it passes from one to the next because it’s the kind of story parents want their kids to know about, and they share it quite naturally. In the US, we don’t have that. Although publishing has been available for a long time, the brand is still in a growth and establishment phase. So, we need to think about how to attract audiences who have never come across the Moomins before. We’re working with key players, such as the Botanical Gardens in New York, on large-scale marketing activations for people of all ages, from children to families to adults. And we’re working with exhibitions to give the American public an understanding of the depth of Moomin and of Tove Jansson, at the same time as we build out the licensing program so that it’s not just a product in store, but there’s also a whole world around it with related art and a very unique creator and her fascinating story.
Also, we are developing a great partnership with bookstores, and we fit well with the publishing sitting next to the product. It’s a pretty easy way for people to understand the connection between these stories. In the U.S., our fans are a bit younger than in other markets, and many teenagers are discovering the brand online, especially on YouTube. Moomin raises questions about finding your own identity and being okay with who you are. Those are questions that are incredibly relevant to young people in the US as well. I think teenagers who discover Moomin on YouTube can find a lot of guidance and comfort in those stories. Moreover, I see that several parents are clearly looking for high-quality content for their children, and they can find it in the Moomin world.
Regarding Rights & Brands as an agency, what about the acquisition of Art Ask Agency, and how would this impact globally? And how is R&B developing its work in the U.S. Market?
Our task as an agency is to establish rights and brands in mainland Europe, especially Moomin. The brands we represent mostly have a very Nordic heritage; in particular, many are Scandinavian and share that Nordic ethos. Not all of them are well known in the south of Europe, and so on. So, working with Art Ask Agency means having people on the ground in Southern Europe, enabling more efficient brand development. We’ve seen that it’s a very efficient way for us to build the brands in a way that is very true to their heritage, so we can control the brand narrative and factors like the sustainability aspects of the licensing program, and so on.
In the US market, we work with King Features, who have been our agent for a long time, and we are very happy with this partnership.
Are there any specific types of partners you look for, including specific product categories?
We’re looking for companies that invest in design, are interested in sustainability, and approach product development in a story-driven, conceptual way. We aim to work with partners who help us build out the world around the brands that we represent, on a long-term basis, and who want to build a sustainable licensing program that isn’t always driven by newness, but is kind of true to the heritage brands that we have and can run from year to year and continue to develop in that way. And you know, category-wise, I think we’re looking at all types of categories in the United States at the moment, and especially, our biggest categories are home and apparel. These two categories are something that we’re really looking to develop in the US as well.
What are your key goals and targets for the Licensing Expo?
For the show itself, we’re looking to connect with our existing partners to discuss how we can build out the program. We’re looking to connect with major retailers across the U.S. and meet with partners in categories where we see significant opportunities. In the United States, again, apparel and home are two categories where the movements are huge in Europe, Japan, and other Asian markets, but still have a fairly modest presence in the United States. So, those two categories in particular are what we’re really looking at as we develop this market.
What are the plans right after, and how do you touch base with your US partners throughout the year?
We have a lot of marketing activities planned for the US market, the biggest of which is the activation at the New York Botanical Gardens, which will run from the 23rd of May until the 13th of September. We have several pop-up shops and pop-up cafes operating across the United States on the West and East Coasts, and now in other areas as well. So, the Moomin presence will definitely be broadening in the United States market. Also, we’re going to host an event for all our partners. We like to organize these types of events to bring all our licensed partners together so they can get to know one another, learn from one another, and find ways to grow their businesses together. We’ll be hosting the first event of this type in the United States this summer. Lastly, we have a film we are developing with the American production company Annapurna. And the release date isn’t set yet, but we’re planning for 2030, which is also the 85th anniversary of Moomin. So, of course, there’s a lot to be done between now and then.
