Informative Shopping Research with Julie Turkel

Informative shopping research (sometimes referred to as competitive research) in the world of licensing is KEY, especially when pitching your work to partner with your dream manufacturing brand or licensing agent.

Informative research helps you answer these questions and more:

What's trending (even outside your industry)?
What manufacturers have licensing programs?
What kind of designers and/or artists are manufacturers working with?
What void is there in X brand's product line design?
What void is there in X agent's design roster?
How can I improve my library of work to catch the eye of a manufacturer/agent?

In this episode, my licensing agent and co-instructor for Brand Plus Brand is back to giver her insider tips on the why and what of informative research.

Stellar insights

[02:14] Informative shopping helps you to understand how you can be unique in the marketplace.
[05:26] Impress with the pitch. Knowing what other designers that agents represent and knowing what artists already have licensing deals with your target manufacturers can inform you on where there might be a void and what you could offer that's different.
[08:16] You can browse stores and look at product labels to see examples manufacturers and licensing partners.
[10:54] Aside from the list given in the Brand Plus Brand course, you can find search for agents to work with online or through events by licensing trade publications.
[13:11] Julie gives tips for organizing your asset library—categories, trends, seasons, themes, etc.
[16:38] Instagram is a great place to notice trends. (Tie Dye and affirmations are hugely popular right now!)
[18:44] Trend forecasting isn't just for within your industry. If you're a watercolor artist, you can look at fashion, home decor, etc.
[21:12] You can do informative shopping online by sleuthing on manufacturers websites and going down the research rabbit hole.
[22:13] Having a robust, diverse library can be incredibly beneficial when pitching to manufacturers.

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