Appointment is latest step in company's plans to expand presence of 'THE 99' in new markets
KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait, April 8, 2008 — Teshkeel Media Group KSC announced today that it has named Mendia Licensing as its new licensing representative in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Mendia Licensing will oversee all sales, retail, merchandising and marketing of "THE 99" in Iberian Europe, important territories that have terrific potential for growth for THE 99 brand.
The appointment of Mendia Licensing is the latest step in Teshkeel's continuing international expansion plans for THE 99 property in 2008. Teshkeel has recently begun a new round of development of the THE 99 property in publishing, online, animation and other categories, and announcements regarding further European expansion are expected in the near future.
Mendia Licensing will build relationships with Spanish and Portuguese licensees and develop new categories and products throughout the Iberian territories. Mendia Licensing will work closely with licensees on product development, positioning, and rollout strategies for various different merchandise categories. Mendia Licensing will also work with local retailers to ensure successful promotion of THE 99 franchise.
"Sofia Noguera and her team at Mendia Licensing have a terrific level of knowledge and experience working in the Iberian territories. They have helped popularize classic brands like Felix the Cat and Route 66 in the region. Now, they will use that experience to leverage marketing and licensing efforts for our 'new classic,' THE 99. I'm sure that working with them will greatly expand both brand awareness for THE 99 and the size of our business in these territories," said Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, CEO of Teshkeel Media Group, KSC.
v "The Mendia team are very excited about working with a property like THE 99," said Sofia Noguera, President, Mendia Licensing. "THE 99 characters are exciting and appealing to kids across the world but Spain shares a special bond with this story. Our unique historical ties to Islamic culture make the Iberian territories a natural market for this unique property. We believe that we will achieve tremendous success by continuing to build on the strength of these characters with innovative, brand-building licenses and merchandising programs."
About Teshkeel Media Group, KSC
Teshkeel Media Group, KSC (http://www.teshkeel.com) is one of the Middle East's leading developers of comic books, magazines, and other forms of children's entertainment. Based in Kuwait, and with offices in New York and Cairo, the company's mission is to fill a significant void in positive, high-quality children's content in the region, including in print and electronic media, film, and television. In addition to working with global publishers like DC, Marvel, and Archie Comics, Teshkeel also develops its own original character properties, including THE 99 (http://www.the99.org), an award-winning original superhero property based on Islamic culture and history, which debuted in June 2006. FORBES magazine recently identified THE 99 as one of the "Top Twenty Trends Sweeping the Globe."
About Mendia Licensing
Mendia Licensing was created in year 2002 as an independent agency offering marketing services within the Licensing Industry. The company's founder, Sofia Noguera, has over 20 years of experience in the industry, most recently as the founding Managing Director for Copyright Promotions' Spain and Portugal offices. Noguera works with a small, dedicated team of staffers to provide maximum value and exposure in the Iberian market for numerous international brands including Felix the Cat, British Motor Heritage and Bad Alice.
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Media Contacts:
Teshkeel Media Group, KSC
Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa
Chairman & CEO
Tel: +965-961-8666 (Kuwait)
Tel: +1-917-689-8880 (New York)
E-mail: Email
Mendia Licensing
Sofia Noguera
President
Tel: +34 972 661 911
E-Mail: Email