Nickelodeon's Consumer Products Business bets big on promotional licensing and partnerships

Viacom18 Consumer Products is poised to see massive growth in the Kids merchandise and products space as India’s significant player in the ever growing consumer products and brand licensing industry. While ramping up core categories like toys, apparel, footwear, back to school, eyewear, publishing and accessories for its Nick brands, Viacom 18 Consumer Products is aiming to accelerate rapidly and build its toons outside broadcast through the promotional licensing model. This route aims to leverage Nickelodeon’s popular Kids brands to support the promotional requirements of client brands that typically have mothers or families as their media audience and kids and tweens as end consumers. To kickstart this strategic thrust, Viacom18 Consumer Products has partnered with Domino’s, the premium fast food chain in the country, to launch the first ever ‘Junior’s Joy Box Meal’ to cater to kids’ taste buds and their love for toys alike.

Families can order a delicious meal for their kids from the nearest Domino’s Pizza outlet and add another member to the family fiesta by taking home Nickelodeon’s very popular Nicktoon, SpongeBob Squarepants, with the purchase of every ‘Junior’s Joy Box Meal’. Priced at Rs. 99/- the meal includes a slice of pizza, a few breadsticks seasoned with flavorful oregano, a delicious rainbow sprinkle custard desert and a mango based beverage to light up your little tot’s face.

As part of the promotional licensing growth thrust, the business is targeting foods, personal care, apparel and home-ware amongst others, for both strategic and tactical promotional partnerships.

Commenting on this tie-up, Saugato Bhowmik, Head – Consumer Products, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., says, “Nickelodeon’s rich and diverse portfolio of characters provides us with great opportunities to connect with the consumer in new and exciting ways. SpongeBob Squarepants is an extremely popular toon amongst both, kids and adults, and hence this partnership with Domino’s is set to gain much traction. We will focus on more such tie ups with Domino’s and other brands that complement each other across the spectrum.”

Nick and Domino’s enjoy a strong hold on their target audiences and the association is being supported by 360 degree marketing campaign. This association brings two giant brands together to deliver a product that will be enjoyed, not just by the kids but parents as well.

Speaking on the strategic partnership between Viacom18 Consumer Products and Domino’s Pizza, Mr. Harneet Singh Rajpal, VP Marketing, Domino’s Pizza India, said, “Considering Domino’s is so very popular and loved as a brand with the young audience, Junior’s Joy Box as a product was created to broaden our full meal options for the kids, who are already a part of our consumer base. With our new product, we are also giving out SpongeBob Square pants as a package along with the meal box during the launch phase. Tying up with Nickelodeon for giving away this popular character gives us an added advantage as it creates a higher level of engagement and attraction amongst kids. We look forward to more such tie ups with the channel, as its entire range of diverse characters is extremely loved and well-known in kids segment, and helps us garner more traction for the brand amongst kids.”