Cookbook Media: A developed portfolio of really strong partners

Headquartered in New York, Cookbook Media is a global franchise management agency that offers a turnkey solution for intellectual property development, digital strategy, consumer products licensing, and global content distribution. The company was launched just a few days before the world shut down due to the Covid pandemic. "We were really fortunate in the sense that so much of our day to day business was already done via Zoom, so we didn’t need a transition," reminded Claudia Scott-Hansen, in an interview with Señal News. “During that terrible period, the silver lining for our business was that we were immediately plugged in to all of our partners’ day to day. From our base in New York, we very quickly integrated with teams in Bangkok, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta” she added.

"Bringing the relationships that we have established over the years was also very helpful," mentioned Rob Bencal, Cookbook Media co-founder. "We knew a lot of the players with connections to other people who were looking for services that we offered and needed our help. Strong relationships and a good reputation are incredibly important entry points in our industry," he noted.

FINDING THE GAP
Scott-Hansen commented that Cookbook Media identified from the very beginning the need in the industry to help creators or small studios who are looking to launch their own independent IP, their own fully owned IP and bring it to market. "We make sure they have the right strategy, make sure they have the materials, the representation, that they are weaving in all the commercial elements to make their property a successful franchise," she explained.

Currently, Cookbook Media has developed a portfolio of really strong partners, and the company doesn’t just represent studios, but also brands. "We are working in different capacities with partners such as Island of Misfits (IOM Media Ventures), Battat Entertainment and Great Wolf Resorts," Scott-Hansen said. "We're also working with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the iconic modern dance company; we have a partnership with T&B Media Global, a large studio in Bangkok that aims to strategize extensions for North American projects; and we're working with Greg Grabianski (Beavis and Butt-Head, Angelo Rules) on a personal and hilarious animated project based on his experiences of becoming a stepfather at age 40.”

On the other hand, Bencal stood out that during the Covid shutdown, the physical markets were impossible to take place, so one of the services Cookbook Media offered was to facilitate connections between different companies looking for co-productions or investments, for example. "With no in-person introductions available, that was a valuable thing we were able to offer our clients," he pointed out.

360 STRATEGIES
To develop an IP into a successful franchise, Cookbook Media offers a 360° strategy. "We've really worked in a flexible way, depending on what partners need. That's been the most fun because we can jump in from the idea stage, all the way to the screen or to the shop shelf, depending on the needs of our partners," Scott-Hansen expressed.

"We've also been pushing 360 into other forms of content. We have a background in creating supportive digital content from the early days of YouTube (think Mattel’s Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse), so we work with digital content partners like Driver Studios to help IP owners and brands grow awareness through social platforms," said Bencal. "We've also been exploring other extensions like digital publishing, podcasts for kids and gaming, and recently we've taken on some web3 projects", he mentioned.

One of these new digital initiatives has Cookbook Media working on NFT project with the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and a company called Mintroad, who are developing IP for the Web3 space and also eventually expand into content. "We are launching our Skateboarding Hall of Fame NFT project as a series of digital collectibles and exclusive membership perks, while using the revenues to fund growth initiatives for the museum and the brand itself", Bencal asserted.