License by Category, by Territory
Own the IP, operate nothing — license every brand to the best maker in each category and each market.
Authentic buys a brand's intellectual property and then licenses it out 'by category, by territory, to best-in-class partners' — the best sock-maker makes the socks, the best sportswear-maker makes the sportswear, a local operator runs each market. ABG never manufactures or retails; it collects royalties and polices the brand. This is what lets one company stand behind 50+ brands at once.
- Acquire IP, not operations — no factories, no owned stores, no inventory risk.
- Slice the brand by product category AND by geography; license each slice to the single best operator.
- Your job as owner is brand stewardship and royalty collection, not making product.
Refined out of Salter's licensing work at Hilco Consumer Capital (2006–2010); became the founding operating system of ABG when he split from Hilco and launched with Leonard Green in 2010.
Source · VIDEO
Jamie Salter on Brand Strategy & AI — Reuters Momentum (AC15) editorial interview