{"id":1744,"date":"2018-08-31T16:13:38","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T16:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/?p=1744"},"modified":"2019-04-17T15:10:29","modified_gmt":"2019-04-17T15:10:29","slug":"from-our-ceo-introducing-icons-b-locked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/08\/31\/from-our-ceo-introducing-icons-b-locked\/","title":{"rendered":"From Our CEO: Introducing… Icons b-locked"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Last night, I sat down with my wife and talked her through my day over dinner. I had just spent it briefing our team about a brand new project of ours called Icons b-locked. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Icons b-locked is a new service that will forever change the way signed memorabilia is authenticated. It uses state-of-the-art blockchain technology to make the creation, validation and selling of signed items 100% verifiable in a quick, simple and easy way.<\/p>\n

I had wanted to explain this to our team in depth, giving them an idea of the vision and the technology behind the project. I wanted to make the talk accessible and understandable while explaining how this brand new blockchain solution is going to help us fight the good fight against the frauds who sell faked \u2018memorabilia\u2019 to an unsuspecting public. Now, I was repeating that talk for my wife.<\/p>\n

But as I did so, I found myself getting annoyed as I spoke of so-called \u2018competitors\u2019 ripping off our images, stealing our copy and even using robots to fake signatures. After a few minutes, my wife said: \u201cThis is all very negative. I thought you do what you do because you believe in heroes?\u201d<\/p>\n

My wife has worked in communications in the charity sector for years and she says that in the past a popular fundraising technique was to showcase problems and issues that tug at the heart strings. But donations started to dry up as compassion fatigue set in with a desensitised public. And it’s because of this fatigue that charities and NGOs now focus on hopes, dreams and aspirations. Icons should follow suit, my wife suggested.<\/p>\n

Take the latest Barnardo\u2019s campaign, for example. It doesn\u2019t show miserable kids being taken into care. Its focus is not to plead with the viewer to bring an end to an awful situation. Quite the opposite. It shows a young ballet dancer practicing over and over again in a dingy flat with the strap-line \u2018Believe in me\u2019. It says: this could<\/em> be a great thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hearing this, I realised I needed to refocus my message for Icons b-locked. At Icons, we do what we do because we believe in heroes. We love what we do. We get to meet the world\u2019s best-known sportspeople. Through our products, we get to deliver joy and happiness to people around the world who are just like us. People who just want to get closer to their favourite icons.<\/p>\n

We chose \u2018Be authentic\u2019 as our project strap-line because, not only do we feel it reflects our products and how we do business, but also because it reflects us as people. We turn up on time, we pay our bills and we do what we say we will. Believe me, that is far more unusual in the sports industry than you may think.<\/p>\n

Which brings us to blockchain. Our use of blockchain technology is the latest application of our core belief that authenticity should be at the heart of everything we do. It’s why we decided to build the tech behind Icons b-locked to make this project a reality. We have faith in this new and exciting tool for truth and we leapt into its relative unknown because we believe in its possibilities. We believe in transparency; we believe in truth. And Icons b-locked is the next big step on our journey towards proving that beyond doubt.<\/p>\n

“That sounds much better,\u201d my wife said. \u201cI buy into that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

For more information on the Icons b-locked project, visit b-locked.icons.com<\/a> and join us on Telegram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last night, I sat down with my wife and talked her through my day over dinner. I had just spent it briefing our team about a brand new project of ours called Icons b-locked. Icons b-locked is a new service that will forever change the way signed memorabilia is authenticated. It uses state-of-the-art blockchain technology… <\/p>\n

Read More<\/i><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[465],"tags":[381,429,428,427],"class_list":["post-1744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-our-ceo","tag-authenticity","tag-b-locked","tag-blockchain","tag-icons-b-locked"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfQcey-s8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1773,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/09\/20\/pioneering-blockchain-tech-in-the-fight-against-fakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1744,"position":0},"title":"Press Release: We’re pioneering blockchain tech in the fight against fakes","author":"Icons.com","date":"September 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Market leader Icons worked with digital agency\u00a0Zone to launch blockchain application Revolutionary tech will enhance consumer trust by tracking the provenance of signed items App will also be used in the fight against fakes and frauds Leo Messi signed shirts among the first items to be \u2018b-locked' London, 18 September\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Icons-b-locked-Player-Montage-V2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1511,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2018\/03\/06\/icons-ceo-instrumental-in-bringing-fraudsters-to-justice\/","url_meta":{"origin":1744,"position":1},"title":"Icons CEO Instrumental In Bringing Fraudsters To Justice","author":"Icons.com","date":"March 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Icons Shop Limited CEO, Dan Jamieson, and former head of A1 Sporting Memorabilia, Terry Baker, played key roles in the jailing of David Rennie from FA Premier Signings for the sale of faked signatures. As one of three expert witnesses during the trial, Dan brought forth his expertise in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Miscellaneous"","block_context":{"text":"Miscellaneous","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/miscellaneous\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1-1024x499.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1-1024x499.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1-1024x499.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4573,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2025\/12\/30\/the-road-to-b-corp-icons-coms-10-step-journey-toward-certified-sustainability\/","url_meta":{"origin":1744,"position":2},"title":"The Road to B Corp Status","author":"Dan Jamieson","date":"December 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Road to B Corp Status: Icons Shop Ltd's 10-Step Journey Toward Certified SustainabilityBy Dan Jamieson, CEO When we started Icons.com, our mission was to connect fans with authentic pieces of football history. But as we've grown, so has our responsibility to the communities and planet that make this beautiful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "From Our CEO"","block_context":{"text":"From Our CEO","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/from-our-ceo\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Road To B Corp Status","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/THUMBNAIL-BCORP-scaled.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/THUMBNAIL-BCORP-scaled.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/THUMBNAIL-BCORP-scaled.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/THUMBNAIL-BCORP-scaled.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/THUMBNAIL-BCORP-scaled.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/THUMBNAIL-BCORP-scaled.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":173,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2015\/10\/15\/icons-com-relaunches-the-worlds-best-memorabilia-brand-now-has-the-worlds-best-site\/","url_meta":{"origin":1744,"position":3},"title":"Relaunched: The World\u2019s Best Memorabilia Brand Now Has The World\u2019s Best Website","author":"Icons.com","date":"October 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Icons.com relaunches. The world\u2019s best memorabilia brand now has the world\u2019s best site Today, we\u2019re very excited to relaunch the Icons website. We just wanted to explain what we\u2019ve done and why we\u2019ve done it. Designed for tablets and mobiles The site has been completely rebuilt and now has a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Icons-World-Best-Site","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Icons-World-Best-Site.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Icons-World-Best-Site.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Icons-World-Best-Site.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2015\/06\/15\/icons-becomes-worlds-largest-football-memorabilia-company\/","url_meta":{"origin":1744,"position":4},"title":"Icons Shop Limited Becomes The World’s Largest Football Memorabilia Company","author":"Icons.com","date":"June 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"ICONS BECOMES WORLD\u2019S LARGEST FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA COMPANY - Marka PJSC acquires a majority stake in Icons Shop Limited - Icons buys assets of A1 Sporting Memorabilia, to create world\u2019s largest football memorabilia company London \u2013 June 15, 2015 \u2013 Icons Shop Limited, the UK-based signed memorabilia company today announced that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"image (4)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/image-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2114,"url":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/2020\/08\/04\/press-release-icons-completes-management-buyout\/","url_meta":{"origin":1744,"position":5},"title":"Press Release: Icons Completes Management Buyout","author":"Icons.com","date":"August 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Directors of Icons have bought the majority stake back from Marka PJSC and now have full control of the company. London, 4 August 2020 \u2013 Icons Shop Limited, the UK-based signed memorabilia company, today announced that it had bought back the majority stake previously owned by\u00a0 Marka PJSC. Marka\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Work-For-Us-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1744"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1765,"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1744\/revisions\/1765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}