About Us
Totemic Brands is a boutique licensing agency representing high-profile art brands with global reach. Through our creative consultancy practice, artists, designers and creatives engage Totemic to facilitate brand innovation, development and licensing program management in the areas of:
Publishing . Home/Garden . Apparel/Accessories . Craft. Children . Pets
We endeavor to deliver maximum visual impact, emotional appeal and consumer acceptance – all while practicing a skilled adherence to predetermined schedules and budgets.
After all, a compelling story is the kernel from which a brand is developed, and more than anything else, quality brand history begets brand equity. The practice of identifying these facets and nurturing them from a nascent state to develop and harness long-lasting brand equity may rightfully be referred to as a form of alchemy.
As a boutique agency formed by art property licensors striving for a level of excellence uncommon in our industry, we wield a clear and precise understanding of client needs. When appropriate, we partner with other firms to co-conceptualize and facilitate naming, brand identity design, environmental branding, product, packaging, and campaign design – all facets of a cohesive brand strategy.
Understanding an artist’s position, employing our marketing expertise, strategic planning and intuitive design capabilities, we strive to provide our clients with the most viable brand development programs in the marketplace.
Our Team
PRESIDENTJay Burch, President
As a youth, even before graduating from The School of Cinematic Arts at The University of Southern California, Jay was an independent filmmaker, writing, directing, and producing short films.
In 1999, he began working with his mother, artist and designer, Laurel Burch. He worked alongside her and served in various capacities until becoming president of and managing her eponymous brand worldwide.
In 2005, Jay partnered with longtime friend and fellow entrepreneur, Devin Grant to form the Rogue River Trading Company. Initially, Rogue River reintroduced the Laurel Burch jewelry line, sending Jay to Taiwan and China to reconnect with the artisans with whom Laurel collaborated for the production of her original designs in the 70s and 80s. Then in 2007, Rogue River launched a brick and mortar retail division in China and opened a Laurel Burch concept store in the city of Guangzhou.
In 2012, recognizing the emergence of opportunities to collaborate with and represent other artists, Jay and Devin formed Totemic, a boutique licensing agency, which debuted at Licensing Expo Las Vegas in 2013. This precipitated the closure of the Rogue River Trading Company.
In 2020, Jay set out to expand Totemic into a group structure with verticals for IP management and consulting, marketplaces and SaaS offerings.
Jay holds a BA in Film Production from the University of Southern California
Business DevelopmentSandeep Sista, Business Development
Sandeep has thirty years of experience delivering high-value business transformation programs. Focused on business strategy, leveraging process alignment, talent transformation and technology, his background includes diverse cultural experiences studying and working in the UK, China, Korea, Singapore and UAE. Sandeep holds an MBA from the National University of Singapore.