The Deep Media Pulse

In the third episode of our BLE season, we explore the evolving world of children's entertainment and the opportunities for developing globally relevant IP with Valeria Korotina, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Animotion Media Group. With, we discuss the UAE's potential as a hub for international IP development, the importance of creating characters that resonate across cultures, an...

In this episode, we dive into the world of Miffy with Mark Teunissen, Senior Project Manager at Mercis BV, to explore how a simple, instantly recognisable character has captured hearts across generations and cultures. From preserving Dick Bruna’s original artistic vision to navigating global brand collaborations, we discuss how Miffy continues to evolve while staying true to her roots. What makes...

In the first episode live from BLE, we explore the secrets behind Sanrio’s long-lasting success and the global appeal of Hello Kitty with Silvia Figini, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sanrio GmbH. How have social media, influencers, and user-generated content transformed the relationship between brands and their audiences? What makes Hello Kitty such a powerful visual icon, extending far beyond...

In this fourth special episode, we meet Verena Urbschat, Director, Visitor & Exhibitor Marketing at Spielwarenmesse, the largest international trade fair for toys and games, that takes place every year in Nuremberg. With her, we talk about the current trends in the toy market and how the book industry can learn from them to ensure successful adaptations.

Lulu Mazzocco Skanzte, Publisher and Creative Director at Storytime, sits with us to talk about what makes an IP strong enough to last beyond the initial buzz. Thanks to her expertise in building in kids publishing, she shares her insights and hopes for the future of the industry, as well as highlighting the gaps that could be filled.

Today we are joined by Ben Peace, Executive Vice President, Franchise at WildBrain, to explore why fandom has become such an important measure of an IP’s strength and how brands can build meaningful, long-term relationships with their audiences. Together, we discuss how WildBrain is evolving its content and distribution strategies to deepen engagement, as well as how consumer products and partners...

Ella Haynes, Event Director and Laura Freedman-Dagg, Head of Retail at Brand Licensing Europe join us to explore how licensing is evolving. From developing stories that can live across different platforms and formats to understanding when an IP should start thinking about consumer products, we discuss how fandom is shaping retail demand, why physical industry gatherings such as Brand Licensing Eur...

Maura Regan, President and CEO of Licensing International, sits with us to explore the evolving role of licensing in the global entertainment industry. From understanding when licensing makes sense for content producers to building an IP with consumer products in mind, we discuss how licensing can become a strategic asset throughout an IP’s journey.

In this episode of the podcast, we welcome Ivan Agenjo, Co-Founder, CEO and Executive Producer at Peekaboo Animation. Together, we explore the importance of co-productions in the European animation market and discuss what it takes to create a successful animation IP.

On this episode, together with Kanji Kazahaya, President and CEO of Culture Connect, we explore the global potential of manga and the expertise behind the industry. We look at the history of manga’s international success, its ongoing expansion, and the ways in which the industry has transformed over the years.

Together with Nic Cabana, guest of this episode of our podcast, we delve into Claynosaurz—one of the most disruptive concepts of recent years. We unpack what it means to build a community before launching a product, and the risks and opportunities that come with that approach.

In this episode, we welcome Ambra Malanca, Head of Production at Aupa Studio, a Spain-based studio with an international outlook focused on storyboarding. Together, we explore the crucial role storyboards play in the animation production process, and the risks that arise when this essential stage is undervalued.

In this episode, Mark Tayton, founder and Chief Adult Animation Adventurer at the newly established Marky Sparky Media Ltd, brings us the world of adult animation, examining the growing potential of mature content and why building a strong community is essential to successfully branding adult animated series and films.

In Episode 5 of Season 2 — entirely in Italian — Sio and Fraffrog take us through their adventure at Annecy, the world's most important animation festival. We retrace their journey, talk about future projects, and discover their new creative ambitions — including a musical dedicated to Napoleon!

In this episode, we welcome Lumatic’s Animator Director and Co-Founder Tomer Eshed to unveil the studio’s philosophy on animation, its approach to visual style and production values, as well as its upcoming slate of projects, including those presented at Annecy.

In the third episode of the second season of the podcast, we dive into Crunchyroll’s future with Mitchell Berger, EVP of Global Commerce. We explore how Gen Alpha and Gen Z are shaping the future of streaming, and what Hollywood can learn from the world of anime.

Founder of JUST B, a bespoke consultancy firm established in 2013 that supports creators, producers, and distributors in developing, financing, and scaling animated intellectual properties (IP) for global audiences, Justine Bannister sits with us to discuss where producers go wrong, what buyers actually want, and how to identify true originality.

 In the first episode of the second season of the podcast, we speak with Sébastien Célimon, one of Europe’s leading experts on manga and webtoons, to explore the global potential of Asian storytelling. Partner and co-founder of the PLeaSe Comics Rights & Events agency, and CEO of White Dragon Event, he also discusses whether the Western entertainment industry has truly recognized the power of...

Veronica Buide, Founder of Pulpa Rights, is our last guest from the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids. Thanks to her expertise in consultancy, specialized in intellectual property (IP) for media, Veronica explained how the rights chain really works and what are the correct ways to approach it, as well as highlighting the current regulations— or lack thereof— surrounding AI.

For our eighth episode, Greg Childs, Editorial Director at The Children’s Media Conference, brings his multi-decade expertise in the kids sector to deliver a very interesting perspective on the role of the broadcasters in the delivery of content. We focused on the risks in the lack of content gatekeeping on a platform like YouTube, as well as the necessary role of events to ensure that the adults...

Christian Fonnesbech, Founder and Head of IP at Leverage, sat down with us to answer a difficult question: “What does transmedia mean in 2026?” On the way, we discussed the most common mistakes that should be avoided when working with an IP as well as the way IPs are changing with the evolving media landscape.

In the sixth episode — entirely Italian — Emanuele Di Giorgi, Managing Director of Tunué, the publishing house behind the beloved Pera Toons (born Alessandro Perugini), tells us about the expansion strategies from comics to audiovisual, through social media. How far along is the international approach? What are the mistakes that, looking back, should never have been made? Follow the episode to fin...

Erin Morris, VP of Global Franchise and Retail Strategy at Wildbrain, explores the concept of Newstalgia, bringing examples from her company, such as Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake. What are the biggest risks and fears when working with it? How is it possible to use social media in a profitable way to enhance Newstalgia? Find us with us!

Thierry Baujard, co-founder of Spielfabrique, is the guest of our fourth episode. With him, we explore the cross-media content ecosystem, unpacking the main elements that will characterize the near future of gaming. In particular, Thierry discusses the potential risks and possibilities that working across countries could bring.

Luca Bonecchi, VP of Licensing for Europe at Miraculous, is the perfect guest to discuss transmedia. After unveiling the secrets of The Smurfs’ success, it is now time to explore the world of Miraculous® to find out about the correct strategies to apply when working with IP across different platforms.