By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
WildBrain has appointed experienced industry executive, Erin Morris, as its new VP of strategic global franchise and retail.
In her newly created position at the company, Morris will be responsible for leading Wildbrain’s global franchise development teams to expand key entertainment franchises such as Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies.
This will include teams from WildBrain’s dedicated licensing division WildBrain CPLG, as well as local agency partners in key regions around the world including Latin America and the U.S.
Alongside these global teams, Morris will work towards optimizing the company’s long-term commercial plans across content creation, audience engagement and global licensing initiatives.
“The work our franchise and licensing teams have done over the last few years to drive strong growth and engagement for Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies has been remarkable,” said WildBrain EVP, Tim Erickson. “Erin joining our team marks the next phase of our franchise growth strategy. She is well known across the industry as an experienced licensing and merchandising executive, brand strategist, deal maker and retail business leader who gets results through forward-thinking strategies,” added Erickson. “Her rich history in driving consumer products and retail successes for major entertainment companies in territories around the world makes Erin an ideal addition to our team as we look to further accelerate the growth of our franchises worldwide.”
Morris brings over 25 years of experience to Wildbrain through her work across franchise development, retail strategies and commercial initiatives.
Prior to joining Wildbrain, Morris served in leadership roles at several high-profile entertainment companies including Disney, DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox.
During her time with these companies, she was responsible for developing and driving commercial, retail and franchise strategies for a number of family-friendly entertainment properties.
“I’ve long admired WildBrain’s portfolio of iconic franchises, especially Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies, and I am excited to lead the teams driving the impressive growth of these beloved brands,” said Morris. “I believe that, given WildBrain’s extensive capabilities in driving brand engagement and licensing partnerships, the opportunity exists to build on this strong foundation to take the commercialization of these franchises to the next level,” added Morris. “I look forward to working with teams across the company to help drive that next phase of global growth.”
WildBrain’s existing VP of franchise strategy, Elizabeth Litten Miller, will continue to lead the marketing strategy for both Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies alongside her team and will now report to Erin Morris.