In a move to better manage its evergreen properties like SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon has aligned and integrated all of its consumer products affairs within the network’s overall business structure.

The organizational re-structuring puts toys and apparel at the forefront and is designed to emphasize more global, cross-platform property plans.

Under the new management structure, toys, interactive and consumer electronics, and soft goods, headed by Manuel Torres and Hal Snik, will be handled by strategic business operations, headed by Sarah Kirshbaum Levy, COO of Nickelodeon Group.

Nickelodeon’s publishing and home entertainment businesses in the US, headed by Paula Allen and Sherice Torres, will now be managed by the Nickelodeon Digital team, led by Steve Youngwood, EVP of Digital for Nickelodeon Group.

Retail marketing, which is overseen by Ron Johnson, will now report to Nickelodeon Group CMO Pam Kaufman. Packaged Goods will report to advertising sales partnerships, led by Sharon Cohen, SVP of integrated marketing and ad sales at Nickelodeon Group, and all international consumer products operations will continue to be led by Michael Connolly and report to Pierluigi Gazzolo, COO of Viacom International Media Networks.

As the world’s number-one TV-based licensing business, Nickelodeon says the renewed emphasis on business development, marketing and retail will shape the next phase of the company’s growth.