By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
IMC Licensing just announced it has launched a new division called IMC Consulting, with content creation veteran Simon Sikorski taking the helm.
IMC Licensing is a top global licensing agency, but says it decided to create IMC Consulting to “help brands unlock transformational growth through strategic alliances, co-branded partnerships and market expansion.”
Sikorski, a longtime leader of global creative and production businesses, joins as President of IMC Consulting and will open IMC’s new office in New York.
IMC has seen great success in developing licensed products for its clientele through a mixture of strategic planning, partner matchmaking, and detailed program management, but the firm says many of the brands in its portfolio now want more ways to explore all facets of the fast-growing partnership economy.
IMC Consulting was created to meet their needs, said IMC Licensing Senior VP Julie Brown.
“IMC strives to be the most recommended matchmaker in the global brand ecosystem,” Brown said. “Bringing our strategy and licensing experience into a full advisory practice lets us make even more great matches for the brands we love.”
She says the new division will draw on IMC’s existing strengths and Sikorski’s expertise in building long-lasting partnerships. Specifically, IMC Consulting will be tasked with working alongside clients’ executive teams to evaluate market opportunities, craft innovation roadmaps, and execute complex brand-to-brand collaborations.
Sikorski brings a wealth of global leadership experience to IMC Consulting, most recently as president of MurphyCobb, the global production consultancy. He was previously CEO of Craft and McCann Worldgroup Canada (IPG companies). Across his career, he has driven operational transformation and delivered results for both agencies and their clients.
“Some of the best growth I’ve seen came from two brands that each had something the other needed,” Sikorski said. “IMC has spent almost 30 years finding those matches and making them work. I’m excited to join a team that puts relationships first, and to build a practice that helps more brands grow bigger together.
“The launch of our New York office puts us close to many of the brands and partners we want to serve,” he added.
Stephen Reily, co-founder and CEO of IMC Licensing, says the new division will follow the company’s long-held formula for success.
“IMC’s ‘fewer, bigger, better’ strategy has delivered singular long-term successes for our clients,” Reily said. “Simon has spent his career earning the trust of global brands and leading teams that deliver for them. He shares our belief that growth starts with relationships, and he is the right person to drive the next era of growth for IMC.”
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