Finding the right licence is about many things, but much depends on matching the licence to the location, explains sales and marketing director Simon McCarthy: “We knew from the outset that Al Murray the Pub Landlord was perfect for the UK pub and club sector, as the act is a celebration of the pub and club culture. The Al Murray the Pub Landlord is a highly-targeted and visible brand with strong TV presence and a series of sell-out tours.”

The success of a brand, though, is never guaranteed, as JPM well knows. McCarthy outlines the reasons Al Murray and others have proved such a success: “A successful licence has to be based on a brand that is successful in its own right. A strong brand will not redeem a poorly-performing base game but the use of a well-recognised brand can act as an ‘attract mode’ and deliver walk-up appeal. The brand has, therefore, to be strong, immediately recognisable and appropriate to the target audience.

“It’s important that the commercial aspects of a licensing agreement work for both parties. In the UK, purchasers are reluctant to pay a premium for a licensed game unless it’s proven to drive income, so it’s important that the use of a licensed brand adds quantifiable additional value.”

Having a strong development team within the company, and the means to identify the next big licence, may be the hard part, but it seems to be something JPM do rather well. McCarthy adds: “JPM has an excellent development team with a focus on creativity. The team constantly monitors the media and is closely aligned to all aspects of popular culture. We do get approaches from licence owners but we try to secure first-mover advantage wherever possible.”

There are plans to broaden the Al Murray offering, with a UK Category C/£70 analogue AWP product coming soon.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---