New Member Spotlight: Octane5
Featuring Mike Dunn, Co-Founder and President, Octane5
When and where was Octane5 started? Tell us about their history and about the team.
My brother Matt and I started Octane5 in 2010 after we ran another licensing software and brand protection company for about 10 years. At the outset, there were just the two of us, and today we have nearly 50 team members supporting clients from three offices in the US, and another office in the UK.
What is your history with Octane5 and your background?
We have both always been involved in supporting brands — I was always on the brand/marketing side while my brother has always been on the technology side. We joined forces nearly 20 years ago and it’s been a great partnership ever since.
Tell us in your words about the services Octane5 provides.
Our mantra is that we provide ‘contract to consumer’ brand compliance for a brand’s licensing lifecycle. This means from the time a brand starts negotiating a contract with a prospective licensee or partner, to the time at which the consumer interacts with the licensed product, we deliver products, tools, and services that manage all that activity. We do this with two primary products/services — BrandComply licensing management software that allows any kind of licensor (corporate brands, colleges, football clubs, apparel) to manage their brand licensing program from a single tool and product authentication with our proprietary line of security tags/labels that we’ve developed in conjunction with Crane Currency.
What are the target markets for Octane5?
We work primarily with licensors that want to get control of their licensing program, but, are rapidly expanding into other markets beyond licensing to other brands that want to improve brand compliance and product authentication.
Do you have any plans for partnerships with Octane5 or expanding your offerings into different industries/markets?
Product authentication and anti-counterfeiting are very important aspects of brand compliance. To support this important initiative, we have partnered with Crane Currency to bring the highest levels of product authentication to corporate brands. Crane produces security features used in US currency — including the $100 bill — so this delivers true world-class product authentication, but it is also visually interesting and very easy for consumers to validate. When we implement these programs, we also deliver a proprietary consumer engagement program to engage consumers and deliver incredible data to the brand owner.
What are some upcoming plans for Octane5? Where do you see Octane5 five years from now, and so on?
This partnership with Crane is still quite new and is really going to transform our business. Market response has been incredible and we have been hearing from many brands who want to protect their products and engage their consumers through this technology. This will continue to be a key area of growth for us.
What is one thing people should know about Octane5 that they may not know from the website?
This is going to sound like a cliché, but it is that we view ourselves as true partners with our clients. We are regularly working with our clients to ensure we are meeting their changing needs and responding. At the same time, our clients regularly share great ideas with us on how we can enhance our services. This ongoing partnership has been key to our success and growth.
How and why did Octane5 come to become an SFIA member? Share how you heard about us and your experiences.
For years we’ve been involved in delivering brand compliance in sports — European football clubs, collegiate programs, sporting goods, and apparel brands. We’ve realized there is an incredible value we can bring to this industry, and we want to be even more involved in supporting it. Joining SFIA was just a natural next step for us.
How do you see Octane5 services and expertise benefitting the SFIA community?
There are multiple ways we can help the SFIA community:
— For members that license their brands, we can deliver efficiency and better data through our BrandComply software
— For members that work with third-party manufacturers and need better controls on those relationships, our BrandComply software can really help manage the workload
— For members that struggle with infringing or gray market products, we can help regain control of your brand with our secure marking program
— For members that want to get closer to their consumers, we deliver programs that engage with your consumers at the point of sale and deliver compelling data
Learn more about Octane5 here: https://www.octane5.com/
