🎙️ Shelf Help Podcast: The Man Behind BIG Licensing Deals in CPG - Rhett Silverstein

On this episode, we're joined by Rhett Silverstein, Founder and President of Hegemon - the agency that represents manufacturers and brands on the licensee side of licensing deals, brand collaborations, and celebrity partnerships. Rhett started out as an IP attorney, worked as a sports agent at Lagardère and a brand licensing agent at an Omnicom-owned agency before ultimately launching Hegemon in 2014. Rhett breaks down why he built an agency for the licensee side after years of sitting across the table from manufacturers who had no one negotiating for them, even though they carry the lion's share of the risk. He walks through how Hegemon helped Ghost land Warheads as its first candy collab, which grew into a six-property deal with Mondelez across Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Sour Patch Kids, and Swedish Fish. He also shares why Ghost put real cookie pieces in its protein, even though it meant giving up zero sugar. We also get into deal economics: royalty rates, minimum guarantees, and why the licensee always has to make the first offer. We cover straight licenses vs. co-branded collabs, evergreen SKUs vs. limited drops, who holds final packaging approval, and how to revive legacy brands like Teddy Ruxpin, Jolt, and Certs for a generation that's never heard of them. --------------- Episode Highlights: ⚖️ From IP attorney to sports agent to licensing agent 🪑 Why licensees never had anyone on their side of the table 💼 How The Angel Group and Hegemon feed each other ⚠️ Why licensees carry the lion's share of the risk 🍬 How Ghost landed Warheads as its first candy collab 🍪 Real Oreo pieces and the decision to give up zero sugar 💰 Royalties, minimum guarantees, and making the first offer 🤝 Straight licenses vs. co-branded collabs 🧳 A Wrangler luggage license now in year 10 at Walmart ✅ Who holds final approval on packaging 🧸 Reviving legacy brands (Teddy Ruxpin, Jolt, Certs) 🌟 Celebrity JVs, equity splits, and the celebrity brand graveyard 📈 Why Hegemon gets paid on sales, not retainers --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:47 – From IP attorney to sports agent 03:02 – Why licensees had no one on their side 05:48 – Why Hegemon stays behind the scenes 07:05 – Joining The Angel Group 08:46 – Licensees carry most of the risk 10:01 – The pay-to-play reality of licensing 11:37 – Ghost and the Warheads deal 15:40 – What makes a good-fit collab partner 17:14 – Real Oreo pieces and giving up zero sugar 18:54 – Deal economics and making the first offer 22:15 – Have deal terms shifted toward licensees? 23:26 – Straight licenses vs. co-branded collabs 26:42 – Evergreen SKUs vs. limited drops 28:36 – Who owns creative approval 30:42 – Reviving legacy brands 34:46 – Celebrity JVs and equity splits 37:34 – Why Hegemon doesn't take retainers --------------- Links: Hegemon – https://www.hegemonagency.com/ Follow Rhett on LinkedIn –   / rhettsilverstein   Follow me on LinkedIn –   / adam-martin-steinberg   For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out https://www.kitprint.co/ Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees. Looking to dominate the cognitive health space? Upgrade your formula with Cognizin. It’s the branded, clinically backed citicoline trusted by top innovators in supplements, foods, and beverages. Differentiate your brand today at Cognizin.com.