Brands with Influence

What Brands with Influence does

Brands with Influence (BWI) is a UK-based merchandise and licensing agency founded in 2009, headquartered in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, with a team of 1-10 employees. The company represents creative intellectual property owners — including TV producers, broadcasters, publishers, authors, artists, and inventors — to develop and execute licensing programmes that monetise their IP across product categories such as toys, stationery, apparel, homewares, and publishing.

BWI's service stack spans the full licensing lifecycle: creative brand strategy, brand marketing, retail distribution, licensing and merchandising execution, creative copyright approvals, royalty management, and market analysis and auditing. The company operates a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market, working directly with rights holders to identify and appoint best-in-class producers and reach wide retail distribution. Notable representation includes UK M&L rights for Diary of a Wimpy Kid (250m+ global copies sold), Famous Five/Enid Blyton licensing for Hachette, Roy of the Rovers for Egmont, and international brand-building programmes such as Bush Baby World (27 markets worldwide via Golden Bear master toy license) and charity programmes for RSPB and RNLI.

The business model is commission/royalty-based: BWI earns from brokering and managing licensing deals between rights holders and manufacturers or distributors. Over 16 years the company claims to have generated over £100m in licensing revenue for clients across more than 250 deals, though this is client-side revenue rather than BWI's own turnover. The firm is privately held, founder-led by CEO Martin Lowde (ex-ITV, 19 Entertainment, BBC), with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or material leadership turnover.

Name

Brands with Influence

Legal name

Brands with Influence

Website

https://brandswithinfluence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brands with Influence is a UK-based merchandising and licensing agency that represents creative IP owners — TV producers, publishers, authors, and inventors — to monetise their brands across toys, apparel, publishing, and consumer products through licensing deals and royalty management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Licensing & Merchandising Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141)

akta.pro primary industry

Influencer & Creator Marketing (BPAFAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Influencer Content Licensing & Whitelisting (Usage Rights/Spark Ads) (MPACAGAJ)

Keywords

• Licensing services
• Brand merchandising
• Intellectual property commercialization
• Royalty management
• Creative brand strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Merchandising Services: BWI generates revenue by helping creative IP owners maximise commercial returns through licensing programmes. They work with best-in-class producers and reach wide distribution networks. Revenue comes from managing and brokering licensing deals between IP owners and manufacturers/distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Brands with Influence is a merchandise and licensing agency that helps creative intellectual property owners (TV producers, broadcasters, authors, artists, and inventors) maximize commercial returns from their IP. The firm analyses opportunities, creates licensing strategies, identifies best-in-class manufacturers and licensing partners, manages creative copyright approvals, tracks royalties, and drives retail distribution across multiple product categories including toys, stationery, apparel, homewares, and publishing.

Product overview

Brands with Influence (BWI) operates as a merchandise and licensing agency offering a full suite of services to creative IP owners. Their core service portfolio comprises Creative Brand Strategy, Brand Marketing, Retail Distribution, Licensing and Merchandising, Creative Copyright Approvals, Royalty Management, and Market Analysis and Auditing. The company works with TV producers, broadcasters, authors, and artists to analyze opportunities, create licensing strategies, and deliver profitable commercial programmes. BWI manages a portfolio of licensed brands including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, VEGESAURS, Earth Cubs, and others, generating over £100m in licensing revenue across more than 250 deals since their founding in 2009.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Brand Strategy Strategic planning service helping creative IP owners position their brands uniquely in the market and maximise commercial returns through licensing programmes. Targeted at TV producers, broadcasters, authors, artists, and inventors.
• Brand Marketing Marketing service that builds brand awareness and drives consumer engagement for licensed products on behalf of IP owners.
• Retail Distribution Service that connects brands with retail channels to ensure wide distribution of licensed merchandise across multiple markets and product categories.
• Licensing and Merchandising Programme Management Programme that develops and manages licensing deals and merchandise programmes to monetise creative intellectual property across toys, stationery, apparel, homewares, publishing, and other product categories.
• Creative Copyright Approvals Service that protects and manages creative intellectual property through copyright approvals and quality control across licensed product lines.
• Royalty Management Financial management of licensing revenue including royalty tracking, collection, and reporting for IP owners.
• Market Analysis and Auditing Research and analysis services that identify market opportunities and audit licensing programme performance for IP owners.
• Licensing Portfolio (Current Brands) Portfolio of intellectual properties represented by BWI for licensing, including Albert the Tortoise, Earth Cubs, Nelly Jelly, The Singalings, Stan and Gran, Bollywoof, Cats Protection, The Woohoos, VEGESAURS, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Wild Isles, Hornby and Airfix, Let's Go See, and The Lionheart Tales. Available to licensees and partners via BWI's Opportunities page.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £100m licensing revenue generated for clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• RNLImajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2013Charity partner engaged in 2013 to manage licensed merchandise business. Launched toys, male jewellery, figurative products, pin badges and collectible teddybears to establish sustainable revenue generation.
• Golden BearcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaster Toy License partner for Bush Baby World brand. Golden Bear is a major toy company that helped take the Bush Baby toy to mass market, with the brand ultimately reaching 27 markets worldwide with multi-million pound licensed product sales.
• 3MegoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company of BWI that produced Bush Baby webisodes, which helped propel the brand into international markets. This internal partnership allows BWI to offer both licensing services and content production support.
• Hachette PublishingmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher partner for Famous Five (Enid Blyton) licensing programme, producing stationery, notebooks, notelets and postcards featuring iconic book artwork.
• Egmont PublishingmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partner for Roy of the Rovers licensing programme, including replica shirts, Royal Mail stamps, compilation comic books, and various toy and gift products.
• Wimpy Kid IncmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresents M&L rights in the UK for Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise (over 250 million copies sold globally). Brought innovative products to market including Dress Up with AMSCAN and POPHEADS with Igloo.
• CBBC/BoatRockermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for The Next Step teen drama series. BWI successfully launched licensed merchandise for UK and international markets including phone covers, calendars, junior novels, funpacks, journals, apparel and live events.
• CBeebies/TattiemooncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for Woolly and Tig, one of BWI's founding brands. Converted the CBeebies hit series into licensed products across toys, pyjamas, homewares and publishing.
• RSPBmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharity partner managing licensed merchandise programme including homewares, branded blended fair trade coffee and plush singing birds, to support RSPB's wildlife conservation mission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CPLG (Copyrights Promotions Licensing Group): One of the world's largest independent licensing agencies representing brand owners across consumer products. Directly comparable as a full-service licensing intermediary with a UK heritage and similar blue-chip publisher, broadcaster and character IP clients.
• Start Licensing: UK-based independent licensing agency working with brand owners across publishing, food, sport and heritage IP. Closely comparable in size, scope and target client (UK creative IP owners seeking licensing partners).
• Beanstalk (Global Icons Group): Global brand licensing agency representing IP owners across categories including entertainment, publishing and charity. Highly comparable to BWI in business model — brokering licensing deals between IP owners and manufacturers on commission.
• Lisle International: UK-based licensing consultancy representing brand owners across consumer products. Comparable boutique licensing representation model focused on character and brand IP.

Broad incumbents

• IMG Licensing (Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment licensing arm of Endeavor. Comparable as a large-scale brand licensing intermediary representing IP owners across consumer products, with deeper resources and broader category reach than BWI.
• Mattel Consumer Products: Global toy and licensing major. Comparable as a vertically integrated licensor for character brands and a frequent counterparty (or competitor) for IP owners deciding between self-licensing and agency representation.
• Hasbro Consumer Products: Major toy and licensing company. BWI's Dom Wheeler previously led UK licensing at Hasbro; the firms are direct competitors for category-leading IP, with Hasbro's brand portfolio providing an in-house alternative to independent agencies.
• Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products: Major entertainment IP licensor spanning film, TV and character properties. Represents a direct competitor for character/entertainment IP mandates that might otherwise come to a UK boutique agency.
• BBC Studios Consumer Products: In-house licensing division of the BBC. BWI already represents CBeebies/Woolly and Tig and CBBC/The Next Step — direct competitor for BBC IP mandates and a potential counterparty for sub-representation deals.
• ITV Studios Licensing: In-house consumer products arm of ITV. Competes for UK broadcaster IP mandates; BWI CEO Martin Lowde's prior ITV background places the firms in direct competition for talent and IP opportunities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brands with Influence