Day 2 Keynote Announced for Licensing Expo

Nicole Blake, Guy Raz

Licensing Expo has announced its second keynote featuring Nicole Blake, chief brand officer, Wondery, to discuss franchise development opportunities from podcast intellectual properties (IP) alongside acclaimed “How I Built This” and “Wow in the World” co-creator and host, Guy Raz, as podcasts signal the next hotbed for brand extensions. 

The keynote, to be held Wednesday, May 22, “Is Podcasting Where the Next Hit Franchise Will Come From? Sounds Like It,” will explore how Wondery Kids, along with Raz and the rest of the team, are evolving “Wow in the World,” a kids’ and family series created by Tinkercast, from a podcast into a global lifestyle brand. Blake, a franchise development veteran known for spearheading growth for global juggernauts like Harry Potter and Thomas & Friends, will examine how Wondery is blazing trails by applying a Hollywood-style approach to franchise building and consumer products to develop podcast IP.  

Raz, a co-founder of Tinkercast provides insights into how companies can create a culture of innovation and “wow”-worthy stories about how “Wow in the World,” the No. 1 podcast for kids and their grown-ups, is going from podcast to play. “How I Built This” features interviews with entrepreneurs as they share the origin stories of some of the world’s biggest companies and most iconic brands.   

“Licensing Expo is the global stage to highlight the multifaceted business of licensing and one of the areas we have identified for discovery and growth is from the podcasting space,” says Amanda Cioletti, vice president content and strategy, Informa Markets Global Licensing Group. “‘Wow in the World’s’ origin story is a fantastic example of the endless opportunities audio-based properties have in the consumer product space, as Blake and Raz, each respectively celebrated for their industry-leading perspectives and expertise, challenge us to think about licensing in a fresh way – like from podcasting.”  

“We are incredibly excited to be working with some of the best companies in the industry to grow podcasts like ‘Wow in the World’ into true lifestyle programs with touchpoints across audio, live events, consumer products and more,” says Blake. “We believe podcasts hold as much potential for franchise building as traditional Hollywood IP and are thrilled that the licensing industry is eager to explore audio-first IPs’ untapped opportunities with us.”  

“Our kid and grown-up listeners are so committed to what we do and are constantly looking for deeper ways to connect with ‘Wow in the World,’” says Raz. “Creating products that align with our values and our audiences’ was a natural step for us to take and we couldn’t ask for better partners than the experts at Wondery Kids as we enter the consumer products space.” 

Licensing Expo 2024 will be held May 21-23 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

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