Retail Merchandiser - September/October 2013 - (Page 26)

Licensing THE BIGGEST LOSER Winning Loser With an online membership club, fitness and health products, food lines, books, DVDs, resorts, exercise equipment and local run/walk events, ‘The Biggest Loser’ brand is proving a winner. I Kim Niemi, senior vice president of NBCUniversal Television’s consumer products group www.nbcuni.com Universal City, Calif. 26 retail-merchandiser.com n the burgeoning weight-loss industry, diet and exercise fads frequently disappear before the pounds they were supposed to remove do. But among the leading diet and exercise brands, NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” is in it for the long haul. The series, which is a production of Shine America, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions, begins its 15th season on Oct. 8. “Suffice it to say, we’re not a fad,” declares Kim Niemi, senior vice president of NBCUniversal Tele- September/October 2013 vision’s consumer products group. “We’re not going to jump onto the next bandwagon that’s coming in. Our philosophy hasn’t changed in 15 seasons, almost nine years. It’s consistent, and it’s tried and true. It takes dedication and commitment for people to stick to it, like anything in life. We have stayed very true to what we believe is the philosophy of this show with every partnership we’ve had. We’ve turned down licensees who didn’t meet our standards.” “The Biggest Loser” has clear guidelines from doctors and nutritionists for products it licenses. “So when we partner with someone, they go through our litmus test,” Niemi emphasizes. “We ask, what are you currently doing in the marketplace? How do you foresee engaging with our brand? We really push for improvement and change in their products.” The products must fit in with the health philosophies espoused on the show and in its books and DVDs. Among the latest licensees is Five Star Gourmet Foods, which later this year will introduce single-serve salads, fruit and veggie snacks, bagged salads and fresh and frozen steamed meals. Five Star Gourmet Foods has more than 20 years of experience in the prepared fresh and frozen food industry. “What we look for are licensees that have established credibility in the area that they’re bringing to us,” says Kerry O’Donnell, director of global licensing for NBCUniversal Television’s consumer products group. “Five Star Gourmet has a very established business and is nationally known. So we look to see that they’re experts in their area, and then to understand what it is they envision with ‘The Biggest Loser’ brand and how that would come to life.” Another food company whose Fit Popcorn carries “The Biggest Loser” logo of approval is named Popcorn, Indiana. “They’ve had such great success with it, they’ve reupped for another year,” O’Donnell http://www.retail-merchandiser.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Retail Merchandiser - September/October 2013

Retail Merchandiser - September/October 2013
Contents
BLE 2013
Cyber Defense
Coca-Globa
Looney Tunes
The Biggest Loser
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
LeBlanc’s Food Stores
Clark Appliance
16 Handles
Cycle Gear
Wedge Community Co-op
All-Rite Construction Inc.
Radio Shack
Terraco Inc.
New & Notable
Focus on Convenience Stores
Contents
Bagels or Bookcases
Healthy Food
NACS 2013
Upfront
Casey’s General Store
Monarch Custom Beverages
Craig Distributing
Nouria Energy
Maritime Farms
Speedy Q Markets
Parker Cos.
Orton Oil
The Linn Cos.
Tiger Fuel Co.
Architec Housewares
State Oil Co.
ThinkGeek
La Vie en Rose
New & Notable

Retail Merchandiser - September/October 2013