Innovative minds behind the Olivia universe
The secret behind the expansion of the Olivia universe to ever-new platforms is unshakeable confidence, interdisciplinary cooperation, management support and the desire to drop restrictive routines.
In just a short space of time, the Olivia magazine has grown into far more than a mere print publication. Creative minds at Serieforlaget in Denmark have successfully moved the universe to a growing number of new platforms.
As a result, Danish 8-12-year-old girls can also be part of the universe at Olivianet.dk when they listen to the Olivia Volume #1 CD or dress in the smart Olivia fashions sold by Coops stores. Magazine readership has topped 50,000, the website boasts over a million page views a month while 11,500 copies of the CD have been sold and almost 70 different clothing designs have been launched.
This achievement – beginning with a magazine concept already developed and tested in the rest of the Nordic region – has called for innovation, or in other words one of the hottest themes of Egmont management strategy for the future.
Multidisciplinary teamwork
“The team’s overarching goal has been to center all innovation on strengthening our core business – the Olivia magazine. The target group’s activities on multiple platforms today represent latent potential, and our aim is to use our business sense to realize ideas that increase either profitability or brand awareness,” says Michael Benzon. As licensing manager at Egmont Serieforlaget, he has been responsible in recent years for leveraging the ownership rights to the Olivia license on platforms other than those already in-house: the cell phone, Internet and magazine platforms.
In his view, a key innovation that helped propel the Olivia universe to new platforms is the teamwork between various Egmont companies.
“I particularly like the Olivia CD project. The record company NSM from MBO under Nordisk Film produced it. The digital department hosted the cell phone competition where Olivia readers were asked to select the tracks, while the Olivia editorial team approved the resulting product and ensured brand consistency,” Michael Benzon explains.
Without missing a beat he pinpoints the qualities he believes it took to create the innovation that is the secret to broadening Olivia into other platforms.
“For me, the crucial factor was the way Serieforlaget’s management, spearheaded by Jan Neiiendam, communicated the direction and dared take a risk with an unconventional publishing guy like me while giving the go-ahead for everyone else to devote time to it as well,” says Michael Benzon.
Egmont offers huge possibilities
He also stresses the importance of change readiness in the organization.
“A single committed employee is not enough. Many people have to believe in the idea and be willing to drop familiar routines. Serieforlaget has been fortunate to have these employees. We don’t all have the same knack for spotting potential – but all of us can. And if we dare to fight for the cause and keep the faith, we can go far, Michael Benzon points out.
He believes Egmont holds huge potential for repeating Olivia’s success with other brands and for using licensers on new platforms across its companies.
“But it can’t be done without management backing and focused employees. And generally we need to talk a lot more together across the divisions.”
As a result, Danish 8-12-year-old girls can also be part of the universe at Olivianet.dk when they listen to the Olivia Volume #1 CD or dress in the smart Olivia fashions sold by Coops stores. Magazine readership has topped 50,000, the website boasts over a million page views a month while 11,500 copies of the CD have been sold and almost 70 different clothing designs have been launched.
This achievement – beginning with a magazine concept already developed and tested in the rest of the Nordic region – has called for innovation, or in other words one of the hottest themes of Egmont management strategy for the future.
Multidisciplinary teamwork
“The team’s overarching goal has been to center all innovation on strengthening our core business – the Olivia magazine. The target group’s activities on multiple platforms today represent latent potential, and our aim is to use our business sense to realize ideas that increase either profitability or brand awareness,” says Michael Benzon. As licensing manager at Egmont Serieforlaget, he has been responsible in recent years for leveraging the ownership rights to the Olivia license on platforms other than those already in-house: the cell phone, Internet and magazine platforms.
In his view, a key innovation that helped propel the Olivia universe to new platforms is the teamwork between various Egmont companies.
“I particularly like the Olivia CD project. The record company NSM from MBO under Nordisk Film produced it. The digital department hosted the cell phone competition where Olivia readers were asked to select the tracks, while the Olivia editorial team approved the resulting product and ensured brand consistency,” Michael Benzon explains.
Without missing a beat he pinpoints the qualities he believes it took to create the innovation that is the secret to broadening Olivia into other platforms.
“For me, the crucial factor was the way Serieforlaget’s management, spearheaded by Jan Neiiendam, communicated the direction and dared take a risk with an unconventional publishing guy like me while giving the go-ahead for everyone else to devote time to it as well,” says Michael Benzon.
Egmont offers huge possibilities
He also stresses the importance of change readiness in the organization.
“A single committed employee is not enough. Many people have to believe in the idea and be willing to drop familiar routines. Serieforlaget has been fortunate to have these employees. We don’t all have the same knack for spotting potential – but all of us can. And if we dare to fight for the cause and keep the faith, we can go far, Michael Benzon points out.
He believes Egmont holds huge potential for repeating Olivia’s success with other brands and for using licensers on new platforms across its companies.
“But it can’t be done without management backing and focused employees. And generally we need to talk a lot more together across the divisions.”
October 2008
