He is constantly looking to the future and his next big deal, and he has a strong vision for where he’d like the company to go. It’s just the nature of the business. It has a great presence in Europe and Asia, in particular. We also have tremendous sourcing capabilities, and we can make every type of children’s footwear there is. We are very conscious of that. Polo is our strongest brand by far. They make sure there is a great new movie coming out every year or so, and whatever they do is gold. We want to focus on building the brands we have. We don’t want to take on too many more, though. He discovered a way to make children’s shoes out of quota, and customers flocked to him. Guess is good, but growing much better in Europe because one thing we’ve found is that you need a strong clothing line to support it, and Guess has a tremendous apparel business in Europe. and bouncing between BBC’s Boston and Boca Raton, Fla., offices. His passion for the kids’ shoe business is boundless, and he’s not afraid to take risks, something that has paid off for him over the years. Guess was added in 2006 and, more recently, Born and DKNY. The company, which last year shipped more than 50 million pairs of shoes, distributes its products in every retail channel. Our biggest hesitation — and the reason we’re holding off for now — is that we don’t want to take our focus away from our licensing partners. Despite not knowing anything about it, he took a chance and acquired the shoe license for the brand. “It’s something I don’t think any other kids’ company can say.” While he is quick to credit his team — including minority partners Donald Wilborn, Tracey McLeod and Donald Lee — for BBC’s success, Campbell is clearly the lifeblood of the company. What’s driving the sudden interest? BC: Everybody is looking for additional business. “I found a niche, and I guess it worked out pretty well.” To say the least. “I believe we’re the best there is in the kids’ business, but we want to become even better,” he said. It needs to be this way to make it possible for us to be in the mass market, [while at the same time] do a huge branded business [with the higher-end retailers]. Then there are other exciting licenses that come along, like Glee, which you just know will be hot. It really is a magical name. I think the entertainment companies go after them, and they love co-branding because it’s a way to elevate their own brands. “We don’t just look to get orders; we look to build partnerships.” Today, at 73, Campbell dismisses talk of retirement and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a real possibility. Also, we are truly unique in terms of what we do and the size of our business. They don’t study it and specialize in it like we do. FN: What’s your take on the growing number of adult brands setting their sights on the kids’ business? BC: Almost every single adult company wants to get into the kids’ market because they’re looking for additional business, and most try to do it themselves. How do you find the hits, the licensed properties that will have commercial success and longevity? BC: [What helps us is having a partnership] with Disney, which is one of the biggest players in the entertainment business. DKNY, which is new for us [for spring '11], is looking really strong. How do you manage to successfully balance the two and keep your many licensing partners happy? BC: We physically separate the divisions. A year after he founded BBC International in 1975, footwear import quotas were introduced and Campbell’s fierce entrepreneurial instincts kicked in. In the children’s market, there are not many companies like ours. “I didn’t know anything about the kids’ business, but I became known for certain constructions,” he told in an exclusive interview earlier this month. It’s important that [the two businesses] are kept completely separate because if you push it all together, you’re going to lose something. FN: How is the branded division performing in this tough retail environment? BC: We continue to see good growth. Born is doing very well. They do a great job with what they do in women’s or men’s, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the kids’ business. Most adult companies don’t understand that. Bob Campbell knows how to make the most of an opportunity. FN: Many companies — from sneaker brands to fashion players — are getting into character licensing. Our Boca office does all the character licensing, and our brands are run out of the Boston office. We have incredible people, from our designers to our salespeople to our customer service [reps]. The Born adult brand has great recognition in the department stores and big chains, so that has been helpful [in building the kids' line]. But it’s a very small business for them; it’s a novelty thing. I’ve found that it’s not good to be too overaggressive, or to let your ego get the best of you. The smart ones leave it to the specialists. But they just don’t put the time and commitment into it, and then the business doesn’t grow. And we won’t take just any brand. We also keep the ideas separate: the Boca office is not allowed to copy designs from the Boston office. You have to be logical. Our goal is to create a very well-rounded offering of collections, and we will never sign a brand that conflicts with one of our others, especially Polo. In 1980, when BBC was still a fledgling business, Campbell heard about a quirky little entertainment brand called The Smurfs, based on a Belgian comic strip. We’re seeing a lot of co-branding right now, especially with the big athletic brands. What’s beautiful about it is that it’s known everywhere around the world. that is still going strong today and that has helped make BBC a leader in the ultra-competitive licensing game. and its parent, F.W. We’ve been exploring it. We go to every licensing show and keep an eye on everything happening in the business. BBC moved into the branded business 10 years ago, when its long-standing design and sourcing relationship with Reebok led to an opportunity to take over the Polo Ralph Lauren kids’ footwear license from Reebok. Under Campbell’s leadership, what began then as a modest enterprise has grown into a global powerhouse with a stable of A-list brands, including Polo Ralph Lauren and Guess; an enviable roster of entertainment licenses; and a booming private-label business. Right now, we’re probably in about 40 countries with the brand. Each division has its own management, designers and factories. “And when I showed it to some retailers, they all said, ‘What the heck is this?’ But then the TV show hit, and the whole thing just exploded.” He parlayed that success into other licensing ventures, and in 1994, commenced an exclusive partnership with The Walt Disney Co. “We still have a lot of work left to do.” FN: What are BBC’s biggest strengths? BC: Our people, first and foremost. FN: There is a staggering amount of entertainment content competing for kids’ attention today. They believe they can just knock down a shoe, but kids’ is not a take-down business. FN: Are you eyeing any other brands? BC: We’re looking at two very interesting brands right now — one we’re hoping to announce in the next few months. He maintains a relentless travel schedule, flying overseas to scout new sourcing partners, visiting major retailers around the U.S. FN: Will we ever see shoes under the BBC brand name? BC: Someday, yes. Although he is clearly proud of the company he has built, Campbell said he feels BBC’s potential is still far from realized. “I had absolutely no licensing experience; I didn’t even have a lawyer with me, but I signed the deal and put a line together,” Campbell recalled. FN: You do both licensed character footwear and higher-end branded shoes, which are two very different businesses. “We sell to everybody,” Campbell said. We try to be very selective about the licenses we take on, but sometimes we slip and miss. Woolworth Co., Campbell fell into the kids’ business by chance. “We have a reputation for really respecting the brands we work with, and that’s brought us a lot of great opportunities,” Campbell said. An avid philanthropist, he also gives generously to organizations including the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, American Heart Association and local charities in his hometown of Boca Raton. It’s a completely different business, and it’s a very complicated one: You’ve got everything from stitch-and-turn baby shoes to sneakers for 8-year-olds, and that’s a huge range. A veteran of the women’s market who spent two decades moving up the ranks at retailer Kinney Shoe Corp.
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Sep 30, 2010 by News Gatherer
