For such reasons, confectionery companies have been feeding this insatiable appetite for the latest fads for decades now by marketing a range of licensed goodies. However, the game is now being taken to another level. Figures from market analyst Mintel show that character licensing in food and drink grew steadily during the last decade to reach sales of around £700m a year, with confectionery taking the lion's share of that appetising figure. Now the sum is predicted to grow even further with Mars about to start cashing in on its reported multi-million pound outlay for the Harry Potter licence. The confectionery giant releases the first of a range of goodies based on author JK Rowling's boy wizard on Monday (September 24) with Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. More products inspired by Rowling's books are also planned. And with Warner Bros' Harry Potter movie hitting cinema screens in November, few are betting against Mars scoring the biggest success in confectionery merchandising history. Dave Lawrence, head of planning at kids marketing agency Logistix Kids, which counts Cadbury among its clients, says: "Mars won't reveal how much it paid for the licence but it is likely to have stretched into millions. However, I have no doubt that they will recover their outlay and much more besides." What is most interesting about Mars' Harry Potter coup is that it signals a departure for the company, which has largely been content to thrive on the success of its famous brands. Also aimed at children aged from eight, Mars is tackling the increasingly sophisticated and hard-to-please Tweenies' market which both Lawrence and Mintel agree is now more turned on by brands than sweet wrappings carrying the latest icons. But while licensing agreements may be nothing new for the big players in confectionery, they can be the lifeblood of others. For example, Bon Bon Buddies, Mr Lucky Bags and Kinnerton may not be brands which roll off the tongue of your average six-year-old, but he or she will be able to name their predominantly licence-based products such as kids' favourites Groovy Chick and The Simpsons. The characters don't even have to be signed up exclusively to produce a successful line ­ both Mr Lucky Bags and Bon Bon Buddies are making Action Man products. "There is nothing stopping two companies doing well out of the same licence," says Lawrence, "although the success of licence-based merchandising means many are getting snapped up exclusively within seconds of going on the market." Lawrence and Mintel also agree that the battle to snap up licences is likely to intensify, although Mintel warns that manufacturers may have to pull out the stops to sustain market growth because of the falling UK child population. However, there is one encouraging sign. The collective annual income of Britain's children aged between seven and 14 now stands at a record £3bn, with more than half that giant figure being spent on sweets and confectionery. The huge slice dwarfs spending on computer/video games and mobile phone cards which polled just 15% and 13% respectively. Meanwhile, Cadbury and Nestlé, while remaining coy about future licensing products, both indicate that further opportunities lie ahead. Chris Morgan, spokesman for Cadbury, which has counted the Spice Girls, Power Rangers, West Life and Star Wars among its successful licences, says: "The use of character licensing to add value to a brand proposition is a well-tested concept which we've embraced. "Adding a character to a product adds re-assurance of quality and value. In many cases the character is the brand and drives purchases alone." {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}