Gary Kleinman

Private equity firms are buying up brands again. Authentic Brands Group (ABG) recently purchased parts of Collective Licensing International, LLC — Airwalk, Hind, Vision Street Wear, and Above the Rim. While they had owned some of these properties in limited ways, ABG has fully acquired each brand bringing with them all of their licensees. I believe more private equity firms should move into the licensing space. Shifting consumer dollars are signaling that younger generations are open to both brand new and forgotten legacy brands. Licensing is a high-profit margin business model, which should be very attractive for private equity firms. Licensing has a greater range of possibilities currently and private equity might be able to scoop up properties poised to be the next trend. https://lnkd.in/eqVSjbmN #licensing #license #brands #deals

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Loan outs! I know most productions are still honoring them. We have been successful using Bellar Pilukas Consulting as our loan out. However, many non production corporate partners are really causing issues for small companies that have been running this way for years (I am looking at you of the capital D). What have you run into? How has this affected your business and do you think this bill will help? #entertainment #loanout #smallbusiness #womeninfilm #icvfx #losangeleslocal #savethecaliforniafilmindustry

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I’m a proud CA Valley native with deep roots in Visalia, California. 🌳 { Here’s how I would have rebranded this California town! LOVE! I hope you enjoy this reimagined Brand Identity System!} I grew up in Fresno, CA, but my weekends were spent in the city of Visalia, visiting my Grandmother and skipping over to Taylor Hot Dogs with every visit. My father grew up here, attending local schools and growing up on a farm off of Avenue 304 as his father was the Ranch Foreman. So when I saw that this vibrant central valley town recently went through a rebrand, I was taken back by the direction city officials took! 🥴 The original logo is cherished by the community. It has a traditional aesthetic that resonates with long-time residents, emphasizing the city’s history and the sense of community. But even in 2024, Community members agree that a Brand Refresh is needed to reflect what the city is today. The community, if anything, is not opposed to change and innovation. Unfortunately, what they got was a minimalist design, reducing the visual elements to basic shapes and colors. While modern, this approach may seem impersonal and abstract, losing the intricate storytelling that the original offered. Even worse, the responsible party responded with “🎶 Let’s give’em something to talk about…🎵” 😒 And as a Brand Strategist and Designer, that even made me upset! The discrepancy between Visalia’s original and rebranded logo underscores the critical importance of a strategic approach to branding. 💡Effective brand identity is not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a visual representation that resonates deeply with the community’s values, history, and identity. ✨Rooting branding efforts in strategy ensures that the brand reflects the essence of the community, fostering pride and connection among its members!!! Happy to share BTS of my rebrand, the strategy behind the designs, and other use case mockups, and MORE! 👉🏾 Perhaps we can influence and change the fate of Visalia’s rebrand! Help me get this seen by City Official in and around the San Joaquin Valley, especially the City of Visalia!! LIKE COMMENT AND RESHARE WITH YOUR NETWORK. Thank you! @cityofvisalia #visalia #visalialogo #cityofvisalia

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Two big news items in this conversation with Jeff Baumgartner in Light Reading (link to story below) First, we are excited to launch with our newest partner, Ziply Fiber, who is investing a tremendous amount of capital to bring fiber to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Pacific Northwest. Our suite of tools is here to help them drive acquisition and fill up that fiber with happy customers! Speaking of suite of tools, we’re also thrilled to announce the launch of our next big product. The MyBundle Mobile App is now available to all consumers on iOS and Android, and it’s co-branded for our 100s of broadband partners. We all spend way too much time flipping around on our TV, going app to app, looking for something to watch when all we want to do is sit back and relax. And while the many different TV devices out there are trying to make discovery easier - it still doesn’t feel right. I can’t be the only one who gets “just pick something already!!!” from their significant other. We believe the phone in your pocket (or what you’re reading this on) is the solution. Not only is it a lot easier to navigate, type, etc., but it’s always with us on the go! I don’t know about you, but sitting in front of the TV at 11 o’clock at night is not when my friends tell me about the latest show they watched; it’s more likely at dinner, a BBQ, etc. Big thanks to Scott Barton, Danny Cohen, Sara H. and the entire team for putting this all together and tackling the many problems facing consumers in the new streaming age. Here are just a few features/uses: 1. Quickly discover what to watch next across all your services in one place BEFORE turning on the TV and create multiple watchlists anytime, for different moods or people you watch with. 2. Stream on your phone or tablet? The MyBundle app can be your content hub to jump into playback across any of your streaming apps. 3. Share and receive recommendations for shows and movies from your friends and family. 4. Easily track all your streaming services and costs in one place. Of course, the free MyBundle app not only helps consumers but also supports our broadband and streaming partners, who are more focused than ever on customer delight and retention. And, like everything else we do at MyBundle, there is a lot more to come! Don't forget to head over to the app store and download the MyBundle app today. https://lnkd.in/eqUzaNWJ

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The visions and opportunities that God is not only bringing to me…but also showing me how to bring those to others. These are life changing moments. When you hear about this one…🥹🤯🙏🏾 As mentioned…at this point, you can’t afford not to work with me. But also…yesterday’s price…you know the rest. 🤣 Let’s go! #sync #levelup #synclicensing #musicbusiness #networking #musicmarketing #custommusic

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Results are in. Acast’s latest financial figures for Q3 2024 show year on year revenue growth 📈 as we hit another profitability milestone with a positive EBITDA margin of 3% for the quarter.💥 Thanks to my co-host Emily Villatte for joining me to share our latest numbers with the world. It’s been a great few months, with our full-year EBITDA profitability goal officially in sight. Thank you to our Acasters around the world for your continued hard work and support. Without you, truly, we would not be where we are today. And – of course – to our creators, advertisers and partners for continuing to believe in Acast. The industry is evolving, and we at Acast are at the center, supporting creators and advertisers and expanding cross-platform. This IS the time for the business of podcasting. Here’s to the future. 🚀 - 💰 Our net sales grew 12%, with 14% being organic growth - 📈 Our gross margin remained high at 40% - 💸 EBITDA of SEK16m, reflecting an EBITDA margin of 3% in the quarter (-6% in Q3 2023), and we remain on track for full-year EBITDA profitability - 🎙️ Our platform hosts more than 135,000 podcasts and 2,700 advertisers globally - 🎧 Our listens landed at more than 1 billion for the quarter - 🤗 We’ve now paid out more than $410 million to our creators since launching - 🌱 We are seeing growth in demand of omnichannel campaigns, as podcasters continue to expand their audiences across audio, video, social media, live events and more, and advertisers look to reach these audiences across these platforms. You can read our full report at investors.acast.com, or listen back to our presentation (in podcast form) shortly here: https://lnkd.in/eQbNWZnx.

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✨ Why Choose Cultivate Entertainment Partners for Your Brand Collaborations? ✨ At Cultivate Entertainment Partners, we go beyond traditional celebrity partnerships. Here's what sets us apart: 📺 Product Placements: We place your products directly into TV shows, movies, and podcasts for organic visibility. 🎬 Unmatched Access: Our roster includes not just celebrities but also producers and directors, giving us unique opportunities to integrate your brand into the entertainment industry seamlessly. When you work with us, you're not just gaining exposure — you're becoming part of the story. Let's cultivate success together! 🌟 #BrandPartnerships #ProductPlacement #EntertainmentMarketing

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Calling everyone who's ever sat through an awkward creative presentation. Over the last decade, we’ve made a shift at Mortar that’s changed the game for our creative process. Instead of starting with "big ideas" and treating creative briefs as launching pads, we’ve adopted a framework focused on imagining what we want our target audience to say--that singular Aha moment of delight and surprise—and it’s paid off. I don’t remember one creative presentation that has missed its mark since we adopted this framework. The difference? Aha briefs aren’t about blasting off into the creative unknown. They’re landing zones. They’re about aligning the team and the client around a clear, shared vision of how we want customers to respond. This focus keeps the creative work sharp, purposeful, and, most importantly, effective. So, while big ideas can be exciting and captivating, we’ve found that aiming for that Aha moment—with a disciplined, collaborative approach—consistently delivers results that hit the bullseye. See www.mortaragency.com for more. #CreativeStrategy #AhaMoments #MarketingInnovation #ClientCollaboration #BreakthroughThinking #MarketingFramework #OriginalIdeas #TargetedCreativity #MarketingSuccess #BrandDevelopment

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As radio continues to evolve, one thing remains consistent: the importance of good branding. ⚡ The key components to a strong radio brand is custom-made sonic logo and jingles.🎵 When you tune-in to a radio station, what do you hear? a great jingle that sticks to your head or a unique sweep that calls out the station's name and slogan. 🔊 These elements are essential for creating a strong and memorable brand identity that listeners can instantly recognise and emotionally connect with. 💛 Custom-made imaging and jingles are important because: 🎙️ They allow your station to stand out from the competition. Today, with so many stations competing for listener’s time & attention, it's important to have a unique and recognisable brand identity. 🎙️ Reinforce your brand values. Your imaging and jingles should represent your stations core values and reinforce the messaging and can help build brand loyalty. 🎙️ Enhance the listening experience and keep audiences tuned-in. By creating world-class, unique elements you can immerse your listeners into your brand, and become more engaging. Overall, a hand crafted, tailor made imaging package is an essential ingredient in building a strong and recognisable brand for your radio.💪🏼 And at Global Music Branding we believe jingles should sound like the music you play, and through our collaborative musical journey we create exceptional music that remains true to your station’s format and values. 🎶 Get in touch with us to find out more. 🤩 #radio #radioimaging #radiojingles #musicproduction #musiccomposition

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“We continue to see strong momentum in our podcast business” - Bob Pittman during the iHeartMedia earnings call this morning. Podcast revenue was $105m for Q2, up 8%, and overall revenue was $929m, up 1%, beating estimates. Unsurprisingly, radio revenue continues to decline while podcasting continues to be the highest growth opportunity for iHeart and other more traditional audio companies. Over the last two years, radio revenue has declined 4.3%, while podcasting revenue has grown 8.5%… and it’s not slowing down. The story here is pretty straightforward. Podcasting is the future of audio. Let’s start investing in it. I’ll summarize what we learned in Q2 in my letter to investors in the next week or so. Feel free to sign up: https://lnkd.in/e63PbEh7 https://lnkd.in/er6VKGQc #podcasting #audio #iheartmedia #investing

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Fourthmeal... the meal between dinner and breakfast. It's been almost 20 years since we introduced this crazy idea that didn't just elevate the business, but truly became part of the cultural lexicon. The team at FCB Irvine and Taco Bell realized that 'spice up the night' had done great things for the business, but wanted to provoke the fast food industry as only TB could. Strategically, we leaned into the fact that the food did more than just fill you up, but late at night it was more about 'feeding your carnivorous side' (aka the main idea from the brief). Since then, seeing how the business has continued to evolve, creative that pushed deeper into the role Fourthmeal can play in people's nights, and as the CBO said at the time... "TB is really just late night food we eat during the day". Remembering our crew that created this iconic idea... Chris D'Amico, Michelle Purcell, Teddy Brown, Sean Hardwick, Richard Pinnella, Cooper Olson... they've all gone onto great things, but this is one that I always go back to. #Fourthmeal #iconic #brands #creativeideas #business #latenight #FCB #advertising #campaigns #makingithappen #TBT #throwbackthursday #socal #creative #marketing #provoke #strategy #brandstrategy #creativestrategy #fastfood #qsrmarketing #qsr https://lnkd.in/e2xZZf3t

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LICENSING COMMUNITY ALL CALL! It's Prime Day and I was looking for deals on OFFICIALLY LICENSED ladies workout/performance gear for entertainment properties that I like....I CAN'T FIND ANY! I find lots of licensed casual athleisure and tons of bootleg product, but few items that you can actually use to train hard like for a runDisney race or something like that (inside look into my life right now). Where is all the licensed performance gear and shoes?? I don't mean unisex or men's gear that doesn't fit the female body correctly. Where is the fun/geeky/pop culture/tasteful training gear for women that also have inclusive sizing? Since I'm throwing out wishes, I'm adding reasonable pricing too! 😂 I know that Her Universe has some but I'd like to see more variety. Where are all the anime properties that feature characters that train like Goku and My Hero Academia? Who is making moisture wicking and recovery gear for Disney/Star Wars/Marvel/DC? How about hot weather and compression gear featuring Godzilla, Rodan or recovery gear featuring beautiful Mothra? Who's got the HOKA and ON running shoe collab? I'm a half century +1 so I'm thicc. 😁 That means I have a mature woman's body that has been through some stuff. Before anyone judges, I earned a brown belt in Taekwondo as an adult with an instructor who took no excuses. So #thicc women #workout too and thicc does not equal lazy. I'm entering a new phase, and I want to look good while I do it. I can guarantee you that I'm not alone so let's get it together licensing people! Leave suggestions and links to licensed gear in the comments that would be #FangirlApproved please. Thanks! #licensing #performancegear #workout #workoutclothes #performancerecovery #anime #manga #popculture

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For advertisers, the high-earning senior executive audience is a crucial one and a new report from our pals over at Podchaser today proves that podcasts are the best way to reach them. According to the report, advanced targeting solutions in podcast advertising allow brands to reach the highly valuable senior executive audience. Most exciting for advertisers is that the content these audiences listen to is 91% brand safe, according to Podchaser research. Be sure to check out the full report from the Podchaser team at the link below to learn more about the findings and about how Podchaser’s insights can help connect your brand with the right podcast audiences. https://lnkd.in/eWDQTxvR

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One of my favorite recent articles from the amazing Kiri Masters. In 2025, retail media networks will shift gears, moving beyond mere existence with an upcoming “charm offensive” that will prioritize user experience, emphasizing value and innovation in ad offerings instead of relying solely on their platform reach. Plus, B2B has entered the Retail Media realm. As competition intensifies, retailers will aim to attract higher ad spend by fostering brand loyalty and refining measurement strategies. Expect a year of fierce competition and strategic partnerships as retail media networks evolve to stand out in a saturated digital landscape. https://lnkd.in/eUr9zt2h

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🎙️ Just had an incredible day at our headquarters with my good friend, Eric Meyer, MIM We sat down for a conversation that will kick off our new podcast series, and let me tell you—it was one for the books. Eric, with 20 years of experience working with billion-dollar global brands, delivered some of the most thoughtful, powerful insights I’ve ever heard on marketing, advertising, and branding. But the question that left us all leaning forward was this: What would you do if you could start from scratch, rebooting a company’s entire approach to marketing and advertising? His response? Mind-blowing. Imagine transforming your entire salesforce, your team—every employee—into an extension of your marketing department. Integrating them directly into your content, communication platforms, and systems to create a unified, authentic brand voice. This isn’t just marketing, it’s a paradigm shift in how we think about business growth from the inside out. Eric’s insight is a game-changer for any business, whether you’re focused on external expansion or internal alignment. A huge thank you to Eric for his time and these invaluable nuggets of wisdom. This is just the beginning—stay tuned for more!

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