How Commercialization Expands a Children’s Book into a World: Pooh and Beyond
Title and/or Affiliation
Marketing Leader and Author
Presenter Bio
Leah Keggi is a marketing professional with more than a decade of experience in consumer goods and the author of The Merch Blueprint a book about how to expand your marketing strategy with merchandise and stay on brand. She is also an aspiring children’s book author and mother of a sweet toddler who we call “Pooh” when she’s especially sleepy.
Session
Pooh’s Enduring Appeal
Start Date
10-7-2026 1:45 PM
End Date
10-7-2026 3:00 PM
Abstract
While the commercialization of literary works can feel like a cash-grab in a capitalist sense, merchandise and other brand extensions can build a world that better reaches children.
In this presentation, I’ll explore the expansion of merchandise and licensing in children’s literature (focusing on Winnie the Pooh, of course) from the 1930s to present day properties. From toys to apparel, I will present that merchandise can build not just a brand but a world for children around books.
I will also propose ways that publishers and authors can incorporate elements into their own book launches, without a Disney budget.
How Commercialization Expands a Children’s Book into a World: Pooh and Beyond
While the commercialization of literary works can feel like a cash-grab in a capitalist sense, merchandise and other brand extensions can build a world that better reaches children.
In this presentation, I’ll explore the expansion of merchandise and licensing in children’s literature (focusing on Winnie the Pooh, of course) from the 1930s to present day properties. From toys to apparel, I will present that merchandise can build not just a brand but a world for children around books.
I will also propose ways that publishers and authors can incorporate elements into their own book launches, without a Disney budget.