One thing I could never overemphasize is the importance of establishing a perfect fit between licensed brand and licensee partner. Every licensed brand owner should pursue “perfect fits” rather than granting a license to anyone who would be willing to enter into an agreement and emblazon their product with the licensed brand’s assets. When no consideration is given to whether or not the relationship would be a perfect fit, the resulting product is almost guaranteed to elicit yawns from consumers, experience poor sales, and risk the reputation of both the licensor and licensee.
Even among the most perfect of fits, every so often we come across one that’s so brilliant, we wonder why it hadn’t been done until now. Take the Tetris Tetrimino Waffle Maker by Fizz Creations, for example. If you’ve played the game of Tetris (and, who hasn’t, with the iconic game getting ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and enjoying a continuously-growing fan base?), you know that the game’s individual geometric shapes, or Tetriminos, are each made up of four squares in seven different configurations. When properly stacked in the game, they form what looks very much like a colorful waffle. So, why did it take so long for the marketplace to provide us with an officially licensed Tetris waffle maker?!
Recreating the licensed brand experience to resonate with consumers
The Tetris Tetrimino Waffle Maker is designed to divide the full waffle square into the seven individual Tetrimino shapes from the game. The Tetrimino shapes remain attached until you pull them apart. They can then be rearranged and stacked in any way you’d like, just like in the game of Tetris. This “food play” further substantiates the perfect fit, because the essence of the licensed brand is continuously a part of the experience. Consumers will not only be thinking about the Tetris brand while eating their breakfast, they’ll actually be mimicking the game’s play pattern.
When great products like this are conceived through carefully-considered licensing partnerships, the value of the licensed brand becomes strengthened and the trust of its fans is maintained. Keep in mind that today’s consumers aren’t content with licensed products that simply feature the licensed brand’s logo or key art. They want dedicated, innovative products that are cleverly-conceived and authentically align with their favorite brand’s attributes. As hungry as they may be for official licensed products featuring the brands they hold dear, they don’t want to see them everywhere and anywhere. They want to know that the brand is thoughtful about the partnerships they establish, and that they can rest assured the licensed products they find in the marketplace will connect with them on an emotional level. In other words, they’re looking for that “perfect fit” as well.
