Viacom18 Consumer Products to Sell Barca and Winx Merchandise

The objective is to offer something to every age-group and strengthen the sports and lifestyle offerings.

Viacom18 Consumer Products has inked partnerships with FCBM (Football Club Barcelona Merchandise) and Rainbow International for strengthening its sports and lifestyle portfolios.

As a part of these partnerships, Viacom18 Consumer Products has acquired the master licensing rights in India for FC Barcelona (popularly known as Barca) merchandize and Italian fashion brand, Winx Club.

Barca fans can now buy everything from apparel to sports gear right here in India. The entire FCB product portfolio consists of about over 200 SKU's to start with and will be available at all leading online retail websites and retail stores across India.

Adding scale to its range, the company is launching apparel line of Winx fairies aiming to make it the most popular fashion brand in India for young girls. The merchandise will also include toys and will be available across the biggest offline and online retails stores by early next calendar year.

These are just an addition to the already significantly huge brand portfolio. As of now, Viacom18 Consumer Products sells around 18 brands with 50 categories, 2000+ SKUs (Stock keeping unit), 10000+ retail points with millions more through online.

Besides the new collections, the company offers branded products with branding of Motu Patlu (apparel, back to school products), Ninja Hatori (toys), Power Rangers (apparel, toys, footwear), bCreative Comedy Central (Tees, Novelty, Collectibles), Dora the Explorer, Shaun the Sheep, Jungle Book, Peanuts, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

According to Saugato Bhowmik, senior vice president - Consumer Products, Viacom18 Media, the company is now moving into a space where all segments and need gaps have been filled. "The vision is clear - we want to be the house of iconic brands in the country. We not only have classical licensing capabilities but we have a hugely powerful media network that reaches over 150 million people every month and 80 million people on its digital platform every month," he says.

Viacom18 Consumer Products is playing in the industry which is estimated to around Rs 3,000-3,500 crore. The new additions to the portfolio aim at attracting more share of this number.

In addition to launching merchadise for the brands, the company is leveraging digital, TV and on-ground platforms to create the right buzz around the same. For instance, Dora is seen in stores, in the market, same as the Power Rangers who go to houses, meet kids. "This is how we are investing behind these brands. We don't just license but also nurture them as we go along. We are not only expanding the portfolio, but also the product range. We produced 500 SKUs last year and now within next two months, 2000+ SKUs will be produced," Bhowmik avers.