October 19, 2023
Licensing
Share:
Consumer motivations in adult licensing
Children’s brands account for 80% of the Russian licensing market. However, despite its smaller market share, the adult licensing niche is considered to be developing and flourishing.
Russian brands can take over and increase a significant share of the adult licensing market. The market boasts a generous selection of offers aimed at children under the age of 12, who,according to the Federal State Statistics Service as of January 2023, make up only 14% of the country’s population. However, the offer for the brand-oriented and payment-capable generations of zoomers, millennials, and Gen X, which make up 60% of the population, is limited.
2022 became a turning point for Russian licensing: familiar content-producing brands have exited the market. With major international brands out of the picture, the balance has shifted even more so towards content for children, leaving an empty niche in the adult segment. This gave additional space and development stimulus to Russian brands, which received a chance not only to fill the niche, but also to offer new solutions, new products, and new heroes to the market.
However, in order to successfully enter the adult licensing market, it is necessary to consider the specific nature of the modern Russian audience and its consumer motivations in this segment. Learn more in this article.
Child licensing
Historically, child licensing has always been more advanced and easier to navigate intuitively. The market is filled with licensed merchandise dedicated to children’s favorite heroes. The main motivation for purchasing this merchandise is the child’s desire to own an item that is emotionally connected to their favorite character, the desire to feel part of the world in which that character lives. The parents’ role in this is also important. They help the child choose an item and act as the shopper.
Adult licensing
What motivations and constraints are at work when an adult decides to make a purchase for themselves?
Despite the demand for positive experiences and the desire for gratification, adults are often influenced by a rational braking factor when making a purchase decision. Do I actually need this? How will those around me react to a piece of clothing/accessory associated with a brand, character, or franchise?
Let’s explore the motivations that drive adults to purchase licensed merchandise.
Consumer motivations
Need for positive emotions
According to the results of a study conducted in 2023 by the communications company Wunderman Thompson, one of the most important current drivers for choosing a particular item or service is the desire for a positive experience. In Russia, this phenomenon is known as “joyconomy”: people want good news, positive emotions, humor, irony, and vivid impressions and make consumption decisions based on the offered product that meets these expectations, evokes positive associations, and helps them escape from reality.
Thus, the first and most important consumer motivation in today’s market agenda is the demand for humor and positivity.
Recognizable jokes from “Comedy Club,” “Stand Up” or “Women’s Stand Up (Zhensky Stand Up)” (produced by Comedy Club Production) for adults, images or phrases from animated comedy series for “kidults” from the 2x2 TV channel embody bold, relevant and candid humor that can meet the specified need. This is why licensed merchandise dedicated to these franchises will be popular with consumers. Shopper bags, fashion accessories, phrase-printed apparel, as well as mugs, beverages, and positive retail promotions are just a few possible licensing categories.
Need for expert advice (guaranteed choice)
Due to many familiar brands leaving the market, the consumer might face a crisis of choice. What to prefer? What to pay attention to? What can be trusted? The consumer shelf is changing beyond recognition, and consumers are beginning to feel that they could use guidance and tips to help them make the right choices.
People are often ready to switch from foreign content or products to domestic ones. According to the RusIndex study by Ipsos dated January 2023, 38% of the country’s population supports this substitution strategy. However, the consumer requires assistance with making the right choice. In such moments,consumers’ trust in the expert opinion they receive from a thematic TV program or show can act as a critical motivator to purchase a product.
For instance, a stamp of approval from a culinary show on the Friday TV channel (“Hell‘s Chef (Adskiy Shef),” “The King of Desserts (Korol’ Desertov),” etc.) displayed on the packaging of food products or cookware topically related to the show, can serve as a key purchase motivator.
Expert opinion from popular TV programs is a clear marker of safe choice. Branded products from such programs will gain more trust than no-name products.
Product categories for licensing can vary. It all depends on the content. For example, expertise from “The Main Road (Glavnaya Doroga)” on NTV channel is suited for vehicle-related products. Programs such as “The Housing Question (Kvartirny Vopros)” and “The Dacha Solution (Dachny Otvet)” can help consumers choose household appliances, construction materials, cleaning supplies, decorations, textiles, etc.
Nostalgia effect
The need to preserve tangible reminders of pleasant life experiences and nostalgia for a specific time period is another relevant consumer motivation.
Nostalgia is prevalent among both millennials, who yearn for their childhood in the 90s, and Gen Z, who feel a longing for the times they never lived through. This nostalgia is known as the “Lapenko Phenomenon.”
People want to surround themselves with items that would remind them of those times, and licensed products are a great solution in this situation. They can evoke warm feelings and, in certain situations, remind consumers of their favorite franchises and associated life periods, thereby motivating them to make a purchase. These products can range from interior decorations and tabletop games to cosmetics, snacks, apparel, and accessories.
A great licensing option is the popular nostalgic hit about the 90s “Peace! Friendship! Bubble Gum! (Mir! Druzhba! Zhvachka!)” (produced by Good Story Media).
Enhancing entertainment or the need for gamification
Diversifying the experience of watching a favorite TV show, prolonging the positive interaction with content and characters, and amplifying emotions through additional game mechanics all reflect the need for greater engagement with preferred content and the gamification of one’s life.
For example, the viewer tunes into the “Travel Battle” show on Friday channel, observes the adventures of the characters, and wants, if not to become a part of it all, at least to get closer to it. A great example of integration that could fulfill this need is a QR code on a soda can or a pizza box leading to a web page with a contest inspired by the show, with a thematic prize. This tool amplifies engagement and extends the consumer’s enjoyment from interacting with both content and the product.
Need for group affiliation and self-identification
Teenagers and young people experience the need for being accepted into society. Examples: belonging to a group, sharing values and ideals, forming an identity. Musicians or characters in movies, series and comics often act as role models here.
From this motivation, another one immediately emerges:the need of teenagers and young people to construct their own identity, to identify themselves with the characters of a project, and to recognize themselves or their acquaintances in the characters of a show or series.
Demonstration of one’s affiliation with a group is often done through tangible representations: clothing items with symbols of their role model, accessories (e.g., socks, bags, hats), or items that allow to them customize their look (e.g., decorative patches for clothing, cosmetics).
The greatest example of licensing integration in this case is the social reality show “New Tomboys (Novye Patsanki)” on Friday channel. The strong willpower, courage, and freedom of self-expression, among other things, are the reason why viewers appreciate this project. They embody these qualities, among other things, through the use of licensed products and services that create direct associations with their favorite show. It is as if a fan speaks up: “I don’t want to be like everyone else either. My life, my rules.”
The content of the 2x2 TV channel is also in line with this motivation: the characters of the channel’s cartoons promote the ideology of eternal youth. Viewers also associate their favorite slogan with adult animation: “Don’t grow up: it’s a trap!”.
Sense of exclusivity or “secret knowledge”
Another consumer motivation is the demonstration of one’s exclusivity, which brings satisfaction in the thought that “I am the savvy shopper, and I know something that others don’t.”
This motivation in particular suitable for the licensed use of content that has signs with a secret meaning, artifacts, a special language understood only by true fans. By choosing licensed products from this category, the consumer signals to others that they are involved with something interesting and have an opportunity to stand out thanks to their interests.
An example of such licensable content is the authentic folk horror series “Territory” (produced by Good Story Media), based on the mysterious Komi-Permyak mythology. Elements such as prints, decor, or text in the Komi-Permyak language create a unique aesthetic for those who are in.
When a customer picks a t-shirt based on a series like “Territory,” they feel: “I am the savvy shopper, I know a bit more than others, I think outside the box.”
Desire to follow social and visual trends
The relevance and “coolness” of adult licensing products largely depend on how well they align with modern social and/or visual trends. For instance, at the moment, as part of informal social communication and an identification sign for “forward-minded” modern consumers is the free use of post-irony, sarcasm, situation humor, and memes as a means of communication.
When it comes to visual trends, the criteria are even higher, especially in the fashion and lifestyle product categories. They must reflect graphic, compositional, and color trends that are relevant right now: comics, anime, photo prints, minimalism, asymmetry, a mix of diverse graphic styles and texts. A successful adult licensed product is not just a souvenir, but a trendy, modern, and fully-functional product.
In this case, sources of content for licensing can include animated products by 2x2, series from TNT and PREMIER, and flagship comedy shows such as “Comedy Club,” “Stand Up,” and “Women’s Stand Up (Zhensky Stand Up).”
In conclusion, it is worth remembering that knowing your audience and their needs is one of the key success factors on the licensing market. Given the significant niche that has opened up in the adult segment, properly articulating motivations and, subsequently, offering a customized product to a prospective buyer in response to consumer demand allows us to earn the most valuable asset: loyalty. This loyalty becomes a driving force behind purchase decisions and provides opportunities for significant business growth.
Gazprom-Media Sales House, TNT, NTV, Friday, 2x2 TV channels, as well as PREMIER, Comedy Club Production and Good Story Media are part of Gazprom-Media Holding.
Сейлз-хаус «Газпром-Медиа», телеканалы ТНТ, НТВ, «Пятница!», 2х2, а также PREMIER, Comedy Club Production и Good Story Media входят в «Газпром-Медиа Холдинг».
Do you want to advertise?
Send us a message right now, and our managers will get back to you right away!
What type of advertising are you after?