Haim Saban’s
Saban Capital Group announced Wednesday that it will dedicate $500 million to
create a new global merchandising and licensing venture. Saban Brands will look
to acquire a broad range of properties that can be exploited in the global
licensing and merchandising marketplace, drawing from a broad range of
categories, including entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and celebrity. Former
Fox licensing and merchandising head Elie Dekel, who joined Saban Capital 11
months ago, has been put in charge of this new unit, called Saban Brands.
According to a Saban Capital release, the new division will provide
"full-service management, marketing, promotion and strategic business
development for its intellectual properties including comprehensive strategies
unique to each brand, trademark and copyright management and enforcement,
creative design, retail development, direct-to-consumer initiatives and
specialized Brand extensions." “The formation of Saban Brands enables us to
utilize our extensive experience to create and grow compelling global
properties that reach into every aspect of consumers’ lives through strategic
and far-reaching licensing partnerships,” Saban said in a statement. “As media
and consumer options become increasingly fragmented and proliferated, our
underlying thesis is that properties that resonate with consumers today will
only become more meaningful over time." Added Dekel: “Saban Brands represents a
new approach to brand management and licensing. Leveraging our unique
capabilities, significant resources and transmedia orientation, Saban Brands is
poised to become a force of innovation and opportunity." The Fox licensing and
merchandising operation grew to a unit with $1.5 billion in annual sales under
Dekel's watch, thriving on properties including "The Simpsons," "Family Guy"
and "Ice Age."
ActivityRank: 3070