TLL Featured Story
The Jel Sert Company, renowned for its iconic and top-selling brands, including Wyler’s Light, Fla-Vor-Ice, Otter Pops, and Pure Kick, is strategically shifting its focus by expanding its business model into an outbound licensing program.
Consumers have been seeking new and innovative products from these iconic brands and Jel Sert is now seeking to partner with other Food and Beverage brands in the beverage, confectionary, snacks, supplements, and other relevant categories.
Jel Sert is partnering with Broad Street Licensing Group, a leading food and beverage licensing agency, to spearhead this initiative.
With a track record of facilitating licensing deals that generate billions in retail revenue for globally recognized brands such as Subway, Tony Roma’s, Hard Rock Café, and more, Broad Street will play an integral role in supporting Jel Sert’s strategic outbound licensing initiatives.
As a powerhouse manufacturer of powdered drink mixes, dessert mixes, and frozen novelties, Jel Sert stands at the forefront of innovation in the dessert and beverage industry. Preparing to celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 2026, Jel Sert has been producing tens of billions of freezer pops and “Singles to Go” stick packs annually, all of which have commanded a significant presence in the retail market.
Broad Street to Represent Jel Sert at Licensing Expo for Outbound Licensing
Peter Cross, Director at Broad Street Licensing Group, will represent Jel Sert for outbound licensing at this year’s Licensing Expo. The agency will work to secure opportunities that extend Wyler’s Light, Fla-Vor-Ice, Otter Pops, and Pure Kick into new categories, allowing retailers and consumers to interact with the brands.
Cross underscores the impactful opportunities for licensees across key categories, emphasizing the company’s strength as a strategic partner. “Jel Sert is completely committed to its outbound licensing initiative.”
New VP of Licensing and Partnerships Amy Pagels is Focused on Outbound Licensing
Amy Pagels, the newly appointed Vice President of Licensing and Partnerships at Jel Sert, is dedicated to driving the company’s outbound licensing efforts while infusing creativity and innovation into promotional strategies. With a successful background at Ferrara Candy Company, McDonalds and working with Conagra, Pagels brings valuable expertise to her role. She emphasizes the importance of fostering promotional partnerships in addition to traditional licensing efforts.
“At Jel Sert, a significant portion of our future growth will come from promotions supporting the launch of new licenses as well as our core Jel Sert brands,” says Pagels. “As we explore new outbound licensing opportunities, I’m excited to cultivate close partnerships with our licensees. Our goal is to not only expand our brand presence but also create mutually beneficial opportunities that drive growth in diverse categories.”
When working with brands, she says, “I’m passionate about collaborating with partners to explore creative and unique ways to launch our products. Promotional initiatives play a crucial role in our business, and I’m committed to finding innovative approaches that set us apart.
“We prioritize creating promotional licensing campaigns that tap into current consumer trends in a way that’s unexpected, creative, and cuts through the noise,” she adds, emphasizing the company’s commitment to driving impactful and memorable brand experiences.
Pagels reinforced that her team is fully dedicated to championing and supporting the partnership and the product. “As licensees, we are our partner’s biggest cheerleaders, providing robust support for their launch and marketing endeavors.” This support extends across various channels, including an extensive influencer network and strategic PR initiatives bolstered by a prominent Amazon presence and dynamic engagement on social and digital platforms.
Jel Sert Showcasing Its Innovation and Licensing Expertise
Jel Sert and Broad Street share a mutual appreciation for Jel Sert’s innovative spirit, which has driven the company’s success for nearly a century. “Jel Sert is a company rooted in innovation,” remarks Pagels. “Despite our long history, we continue to lead the way in developing new products and technologies. This commitment to innovation sets Jel Sert apart from other licensing partners and opens doors to unique opportunities.”
Pagels attributes Jel Sert’s innovative culture to its rich heritage, tracing back to its founders, Charles T. Wegner, and Lillian Wegner, who established the company in 1926. As a family-owned and operated enterprise, Jel Sert has maintained its entrepreneurial spirit across generations, enabling swift decision-making and agile responses to market trends.
Under the leadership of President Ken Wegner (seen in top photo with Amy Pagels), Jel Sert remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation. Today, the company employs 1000 workers at its facilities, which span 650,000 square feet, and has been responsible for keeping America cool year-round, producing an astonishing one million freezer pops per hour to satisfy consumer demand.
Jel Sert’s robust R&D department has been responsible for making top-selling products, focusing on a combination of flavor, quality, and function. This winning combination has earned the company the distinction of being the overwhelming leader of the powdered drink stick category, with 85 million units sold annually, accounting for 1 in 4 drink mix stick units sold nationally.
For Pagels, Jel Sert’s continuity and family ownership provides a tangible advantage in navigating the dynamic beverage and dessert industry landscape.
“The entrepreneurial approach at Jel Sert inspires me,” Pagels said. “We have the agility and flexibility to seize new opportunities swiftly, whether capitalizing on emerging trends like the ‘Water-Tok’ phenomenon or forging strategic partnerships. This nimbleness is integral to our success.”
Jel Sert’s Brands Go Viral
Jel Sert’s products have driven the #WaterTok trend, igniting its popularity on TikTok and beyond. Originating with influencers who creatively used Jel Sert Singles-To-Go stick packs to coconut flavored waters like “orange mermaid” and “salted caramel apple” water as part of their wellness journey, the trend quickly gained momentum.
As a leader in the single-serve drink mixes category, Jel Sert was uniquely positioned to seize upon the trend, and consumers began experimenting with the company’s vast selection of both owned and licensed products.
Taking it a step further, the company launched singlestogo.com, a dedicated platform featuring #WaterTok recipes and ideas. It also began a listening campaign, zeroing in on the flavors TikTok creators said they’d wished were available as drink mixes.
Jel Sert quickly developed TikTok-inspired products for its Wyler’s Light brand, giving its audience the fun and unique flavors it craved: Peach Ring, Unicorn, Mermaid, and more. Leveraging its flat organizational structure, Jel Sert demonstrated remarkable agility and creativity, swiftly responding to market demands and consumer preferences.
Pagels underscores this nimbleness, emphasizing, “The incredible thing about Jel Sert is that there is no red tape. We can be really quick and creative to capitalize on current trends.” She commented, “Jel Sert’s products are a testament to our innovation and market understanding. Our TikTok-inspired products became instant hits, selling out on Amazon in a matter of days and experiencing high demand across retail channels without any marketing or PR efforts behind them.
Looking ahead, Jel Sert aims to capitalize further on its success by expanding its reach through strategic partnerships with social media influencers at the forefront of emerging trends, leveraging its reach and resonance to amplify brand messaging effectively.
Outbound Licensing Opportunities
As Jel Sert prepares to showcase its portfolio at the Licensing Expo, the company and its partner, Broad Street, are focused on creating partnerships for Wyler’s Light, Pure Kick, Otter Pops, and Fla-Vor-Ice within the categories of beverages, confections, snacks, and supplements.
Parties interested in licensing opportunities with Jel Sert can contact Peter Cross by email at peter.cross@bslg.com, or set up a meeting time at Licensing Expo through the event’s Meeting Platform. You can also find a wealth of information about Jel Sert at their website: jelsert.com