Dropping in

Musings from Dennis #274. Back in my Disney licensing days, I made it a point - whenever possible - to visit a potential licensee’s premises by the first or second meeting. It was certainly easier to meet at our office or over coffee, but my POV was simple: I didn’t believe in agreeing to any deal or terms until I’d seen how they actually operated.

A site visit tells you far more than a pitch deck ever can. It helps you gauge their level of interest and operational proficiency - and after all, aren’t we always looking for best‑in‑class licensees? Beyond that, it gives you important signals about their financial health and where their real strengths lie. Often, companies are excellent in one product category but eager to work on another where they have little to no experience.

Two encounters with Malaysian companies really cemented this perspective for me.

In the first case, a company approached me wanting to become a licensee‑distributor for Elmer’s Glue featuring Disney IP. On paper, it seemed straightforward and sensible. Still, I insisted on visiting his office. When I arrived, it became very clear that his core business was actually rubber stamp manufacturing and retail—and not just casually so. He was one of the key players in that subcategory.

Instead of pursuing the Elmer’s idea, I encouraged him to lean into his real strength. The result? He signed on for a multi‑character Disney deal focused on a single SKU: rubber stamps. It was a far better fit commercially and operationally.

On another occasion, when I was GM for Malaysia and happened to be in market, I visited a bedlinen company’s factory on behalf of my teammate. They were keen to sign a Disney bedlinen deal, but a walk through their premises told a different story. The most prominent sight was a sky‑high pile of baby mattresses, pillows, and bolsters. Clearly, their core strength was in baby bedding wholesale manufacturing.

I suggested that, financially and strategically, it made more sense for them to build on what they already did best rather than branch into something entirely new. They agreed, and we handed the opportunity over for the next level of discussions.

The takeaway? Sometimes a simple site visit can uncover a high‑potential product subcategory that’s been sitting quietly on your white‑matrix list all along - just waiting to be activated.