Last week, the U.S. government submitted a court filing that assigned responsibility to Academy Sports, a sporting goods discount chain with more than 250 stores in 16 states, for contributing to a church shooting in Texas in 2017. The retailer had sold the shooter the semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazine used in the shooting. The […]
Archive | Corporate brands
Sugar Rush
About a year ago, we wrote about sweet snacks making their way into the cereal category. That trend has intensified since then, with a long list of candy, ice cream, and cookie brands being licensed for breakfast cereals: General Mills debuted Nestlé Drumstick and Honey Maid S’More cereals, as well as Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Crème […]
Corporate Culture
During and after the global recession that began in 2007, the trend in corporate licensing was for branded products to serve as key complements to the core business—true brand extension—rather than falling under the heading of awareness-generation. But the pendulum definitely seems to be swinging back these days, as marketers create merchandise that is primarily […]
A Different Kind of Commute
Some consumers—a growing, albeit still small, number—are considering alternatives to gas-guzzling cars as a means of getting to work. As a result, relevant corporate licensors have been taking a closer look at commuter scooters as a potential brand-extension category. This segment includes high-end and street-legal vehicles such as foot-powered kick scooters, Segway-like personal transportation, electric […]
A Spoonful of Sugar
So much for a healthy breakfast. A trend in the world of licensed and co-branded breakfast foods is to pair cereals with sugary snacks, with each of the big-three cereal makers recently introducing or announcing its own example: Kellogg’s confirmed in August that it would release a Pop Tarts cereal, Pop Tarts Crunch, in 2019. […]
Offline Offerings
Most of the attention when it comes to licensed properties with digital origins—e.g., downloading, streaming, social media—has historically been on influencers, entertainment properties, and games. Add to that list a growing number of brands associated with distribution platforms and lifestyle destinations, which have been proliferating in the licensing and experiential arenas since early 2017. Among […]
Stirring the Pot
Trademark licensing has been a notable factor in the marijuana industry since at least 2015—especially involving musicians, chefs, cannabis brands, and related lifestyle labels—and has been growing as more states and countries legalize the production, sale, and use of the substance. (Colorado and Washington were the first states in the U.S. to legalize marijuana for […]
Pet-to-Pet Brand Extension
A seldom-noticed and relatively small, but increasingly active, segment of the pet products market consists of pet-related brands extending into adjacent categories. Examples come from all corners of the industry: Food. The Dog for Dog premium pet food brand licensed G-Mason earlier this year for crate mats, training pads, and other products, as well as […]
Scents That Sparkle
Last month, Graff Diamonds announced a licensing agreement with Inter Parfums for a multi-scent fragrance line that will launch in 2019 in high-end department stores, upscale travel retail, and Graff jewelry stores. The deal is a reminder that luxury brands with roots in fine jewelry are a force on the prestige end of the fragrance […]
Where the Rubber Meets the Sidewalk
Tire companies have long extended their brands into the footwear category, not only lending their names to the collaborative shoe lines, but also providing rubber for the soles. In many cases, their brand name appears only on the bottom of the shoe. Some examples: Michelin’s footwear licensing business includes hiking boots, athletic shoes, non-slip shoes […]