Swami Bogus Sekali created shock waves recently when he announced he was departing from his job as head of licensing at one of Hollywood's most renowned studios and was moving to Manhattan to open Three Little Pigs Inc., a licensing agency specializing in the representation of corporate brands. His autobiography, From Royalty to Royalties, a beautifully told tale of his journey from a small and ancient town on the India-Tibet border to his first major studio licensing job in L.A., and The Zen of Licensing, a holistic guide to spirituality in the licensing business, have both become classics in the growing field of licensing literature. Brandweek columnist Seth M. Siegel caught up with Swami Bogus in the food court at the Javits Center as he was getting ready for the industry's annual trade event, the Licensing Show in New York, sponsored by the Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association.
Brands are where it's at.
One day, I was multi-tasking in my backyard in Beverly Hills. I was simultaneously meditating and making a pitch on my cell phone to one of the big toy companies. I explained that it wasn't a license, it was a brand. Yet, we've never been closer to entertainment properties becoming brands. There's Star Wars, of course, but also Rugrats, Teletubbies and many others.