The abundance of emoji-related graphics and brands available for licensing and the strong presence of emoji-themed merchandise at retail this fall raise some questions for the licensing community. For example: What are my options if I want to create products featuring emoji-related designs and/or brands? Are emojis legally protectable in the first place? Do I […]
Archive | Branding/marketing
Conference Conflict: Decision Time for Artists and Agents
Next year’s earlier dates for Licensing Expo—May 23-25, compared to mid-June in previous years—creates a conundrum for artists and art agents that exhibit at both Licensing Expo and Surtex. The two shows will overlap in 2017, with Surtex taking place from May 21-23, its traditional timeframe. In the past, a large number of artists and […]
That’s a First
A handful of exhibitors at the recent Licensing International Expo launched licensing programs or signed deals that seemed to be firsts within the licensing business, or at least at the show. Each represents a trend that has become prominent in society in the last couple of years but is just starting to emerge within the […]
Generating Interest With Gen Y
Millennials—consumers ranging in age from 19 to 35 as of 2016—have become a holy grail for marketers of all kinds these days. This is thanks in part to the group’s sheer size; at more than 75 million strong, Generation Y now outnumbers baby boomers in the U.S. In addition, millennial parents are the conduit for […]
Crowdfunding in the Licensing Business
New research on crowdfunding and its use by the licensing community was presented for the first time as part of the Licensing University panel “Crowdfunding: A How-To for Licensors and Licensees” at Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas this week. Some highlights: Rewards-based crowdfunding, in which financial backers receive some sort of material reward for […]
Anniversaries in Australia: A Study in Localization
For a global licensing program, the goal is always to find a balance between maintaining a consistent brand image that crosses borders and satisfying tastes in individual territories through localization. Several recent anniversary programs tailored to the Australian market, all based on global character/entertainment properties, illustrate: This year, several local licensees are honoring the 80th […]
Kickstarting New Content
Some of the most successful crowdfunding programs to date have been those supporting the creation of new content based on classic characters: Aardman Animations ran a campaign to relaunch Morph, a stop-motion-animated character that had not appeared on television for 15 years. It generated £110,000 ($158,390) to fund 15 one-minute episodes for YouTube; U.K. children’s […]
Fostering Acceptance
By Karen Raugust on January 25, 2016 in Branding/marketing, Character/Entertainment, Content, Licensing
Over the past few years, a handful of catalogs and marketing campaigns have featured models with special needs, such as Down’s syndrome or physical disabilities. In general, the intent is not to call attention to these conditions, but simply to better represent the diversity of the marketers’ customer base. Examples have ranged from a Target […]
Blurred Lines
A new consumer-directed pop-culture event, Play Fair, will be held for the first time alongside this year’s New York International Toy Fair in February. Presented by Lego and Nickelodeon and organized by the Toy Industry Association and LeftField Media, the event will allow families and collectors to see exhibits and displays, listen to authors and […]
Getting Cosy with Emoji
The trend for emoji-related intellectual properties becoming available for licensing, which started to gain traction a year or more ago, initially focused on newly created brands. Examples included those with roots as emojis, such as LINE Friends from Japan, Tuzki from China, or The Emoji Company’s Emoji trademark, as well as those inspired by emojis, […]