Several high-profile influencers involved in licensing and collaborations have faced a backlash—in most cases with negative ramifications for their businesses—in the last month, due to past or present racist content: Shane Dawson posted a 20-minute video apologizing for using racist language and stereotypes, as well as blackface, along with other content such as jokes about […]
Archive | Celebrity
Going to the Dogs
The famed cats and dogs of the Internet can generate significant retail sales of licensed and collaborative merchandise. As a result, more and more “petfluencers” are signing with agents and/or launching licensing efforts. Dogs have been in the spotlight of late, with at least three notable examples having signed with agents to expand their merchandise […]
Piece of Cake
By Karen Raugust on June 1, 2020 in Celebrity, Food/Beverage, House and home, International, Licensing
U.K.-based celebrity chefs, cooking show presenters, and especially bakers have been at the center of a number of licensing, collaboration, and representation deals, and/or new products or promotions, over the past few weeks: Jane Devonshire, a past MasterChef winner who is known for her gluten-free cooking and cookbooks, retained Start Licensing as her agent for […]
Kid Stuff
At Toy Fair New York in February, one of the trends was the large number of influencers signing toy deals. Most of the celebrities associated with the products on display there were young adults whose content appealed to children or collectors. More recently, a raft of agency representation and toy-centric licensing agreements have been focused […]
Sketches and Scribbles
Last week, Firefly Brand Management announced that it had signed on to represent professional doodler Todd Goldman for licensing representation. That follows on the heels of Striker Entertainment being retained by the Doodle Boy. It turns out that a long list of professional doodle artists from around the world promote their hand-drawn patterns and characters […]
Influencing Playtime
Influencers with large social media followings, especially on YouTube, have had a noticeable and growing presence at Toy Fair New York over the past few years. With some important exceptions, their role has been more about endorsements than products. Recently, however, there has been a spike in signature toy lines tied to influencers and their […]
Is It Time to Try TikTok?
The social media platform TikTok, known for its very short-form mobile videos, particularly in the areas of comedy, talent showcases, and lip syncing, has quickly become popular among young consumers, especially teens. The app, introduced in China in 2012 and around the world in 2017, ranked as the seventh most downloaded app of the decade […]
The Noble Art of Licensing
Much has been written about the plans of Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to become financially independent. One step along the way has been a trademark application for the brand Sussex Royal in six categories (including clothing and printed matter), through the couple’s charitable foundation. Applications have been made in both […]
Marketers Stoked About Skateboarder Collabs
Current and former pro skateboarders are desirable collaboration partners for apparel and footwear companies. This is especially true for marketers specializing in, or with a strong business in, streetwear and/or sneakers, and that includes the biggest players. Most of the efforts take the form of capsule collections. Some examples from the past year: Reebok released […]
A Prescription for Pot
When it comes to exploring new licensing and branding opportunities in cannabis and CBD, celebrities have been at the forefront. Personalities from Snoop Dogg to Gwyneth Paltrow and her Goop brand have been entering this sector by forging licensing or other types of deals for CBD-infused products or cannabis strains, by launching or investing in […]