Following the success of the loveable Aussie blue heeler brand, Kate O’Connor has been promoted to head of licensing and brands, BBC Studios ANZ, overseeing all aspects of brand expansion for Bluey and other BBC Studios IP, including BBC Earth, Top Gear and Doctor Who, in Australia and New Zealand.
Previously BBC Studios head of commercial and business development, O’Connor has expanded her role to include leadership of the commercial franchise brands marketing team and the live events team, alongside existing responsibility for licensed consumer products and home entertainment.
As BBC Studios holds the global ancillary and merchandising rights, this brings all of the commercial aspects and audience-focused promotional activity for the Bluey brand in Australia and New Zealand under her direction.
Fiona Lang, GM of BBC Studios ANZ said: “Kate has played a key role in developing the commercial strategy and propelling the Bluey brand to achieve great success in Australia. Kate’s strategic leadership and commercial acumen, across all aspects of brand expansion and promotion, will offer clients a single point of expertise for all their brand requirements. I look forward to seeing the Bluey brand develop holistically – and with love – under her leadership.”
Kate O’Connor commented: “I’m thrilled to become the commercial and strategic voice of Bluey in region and enthusiastically look forward to the continued trials and triumphs that running Australia’s #1 kids brand brings. With my dedicated and energetic team, I am truly excited at what is to come for Bluey in 2022 and beyond – there are some very big things on the horizon that we can’t wait to bring to our legion of Bluey fans.”
In the new BBC Studios structure, the commercial franchise brands marketing team led by Madeleine Jelfs, the licensing team led by Jacqui Shilson-Josling and the live events team led by Renata Bisgaard, will report to O’Connor.
Kate O’Connor
CV: Kate O’Connor
A former lawyer with over a decade of experience in the television industry, O’Connor joined the BBC in 2018 to head up business development before taking the reins of BBC Studio’s commercial division to strategically drive the fast and phenomenal success of Bluey. Under her helm, Bluey has won a plethora of awards including ATA’s Preschool Licence of the Year twice and ABIA’S Book of the Year (for The Beach), launched sell out collaborations with Peter Alexander, Bonds, Smiggle, Wahu and Adairs and established a robust licensing program that spans major retailers such as Target, Big W, Kmart, Woolworths and Coles. She has just brokered a deal with Colgate that will see Bluey branded toothpaste and toothbrushes hit the shelves in early March, the first time Colgate has ever put an Australian brand on their product. As well as commercial deals, the team also work with partners on marketing partnerships that can bring unique experiences to Bluey fans, such as the current Airbnb partnership offering one family the chance to stay in the real-life Heeler house.
About Bluey
Bluey is produced by Ludo Studio and is co-commissioned by ABC and BBC Studios. BBC Studios is the international distributor and also holds the global merchandising rights, securing global deals with Disney, Moose Toys, Crayola and Penguin Random House. The home-grown animated series is the #1 children’s show in Australia across all age groups, the number one family franchise in home entertainment, the most-watched series ever on ABC iview and has enjoyed critical success in Australia and globally, winning a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children’s Program in 2019 and an International Emmy Kids Award in the pre-school category in 2020. Over 3 million Bluey books have been sold in Australia and Bluey The Album debuted on the ARIA album charts at #1 – the first ever children’s album to top the ARIA chart.
See also: Inside Ludo Studio, Brisbane home of global animated hit Bluey