Snippets

Ah, the past Surtex and Licensing shows have been rich producers of snippets. I tried not to miss too many but when things heat up you just can't stop and write them all down, however still managed to get a few:

“If there is anything I have learned in this business it’s that manufacturers constantly want new, new, new.”

            - licensing agent

“The quickest way for an artist to scare off a creative director is to start talking about their brand.”

            - a creative director

“We’ve got 20,000 images in our library and they can’t find even one to license?”

            - agent about a licensee they can't connect with

“She has great technical skills but her art just doesn’t have much heart.”

            - in a discussion about an artist seeking a rep

“Mediocre has been outsourced”

-  in a discussion about artists

“Licensing is a process, not a formula”

            - agent in a discussion about art coaches

“There is no guidebook because everybody comes into this business from a different place.”

            - same discussion

“Don’t waste time learning the tricks of the trade, instead learn your trade.”

            - quote from H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“So many artists are paying so much attention to other people’s unsold designs – which really has very little to do with how you get product on the market.”

            - comment about artists walking Surtex

“Unfortunately they are leveraging these bad times into contract concessions.”

            - well known IP owner discussing his licensees

“I am tired of representing artists that only respond to requests and call outs.”

            - licensing agent

and my personal favorite...

“If they tell me they want a monkey on a table I only ask “How tall?”

            - in a discussion on client service