A recent deal bringing Guinness into the Cornish pasty category is just the latest collaboration in this small niche of the licensing business. A Cornish pasty is a small savory baked pie, typically made with beef, potatoes, rutabagas (called swedes in England), and onions encased in shortcrust pastry. First developed in the 13th century, pasties […]
Archive | Food/Beverage
Spreading the Love for Butter-Themed Collabs
By Karen Raugust on March 12, 2026 in Design and content themes, Food/Beverage, Licensing, Lifestyle
Butter began catching on as a pop-culture phenomenon in the early 2020s, attracting significant mainstream notice in 2025 and remaining top of mind in early 2026. The trend manifests itself in many ways. Flavored butters (from truffle and miso to cinnamon-sugar), and butter boards for mixing and serving them, are everywhere online (hashtag #ButterTok). There […]
Putting Weight Behind GLP-1 Friendly Foods
GLP-1 is changing the way Americans and global consumers eat, and is just starting to give rise to opportunities for licensing and collaborations. The benefits of the hormone GLP-1 were discovered in the mid-1980s. The first FDA approval came in 2005, when Byetta became available for patients with type 2 diabetes; Ozempic followed much later, […]
Inside Scoop: Baked Goods and Ice Cream
Baked goods like cookies and cakes go hand-in-hand with ice cream as a taste treat. Several major players in the two categories have formalized these pairings in the last year through licensing deals bringing baked goods brands into the ice cream aisle or expanding existing efforts in the space: This month, Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Entenmann’s […]
Artists Capture the Spirit of the Horse
Lunar New Year is a big opportunity for limited-edition merchandise and collaborative marketing campaigns. Global marketers, in particular, often launch initiatives aimed at consumers in China and the rest of Asia, as well as worldwide, with many property types and product categories involved. One active segment this year — as in most years — consists […]
Honey Brands Buzz With Licensing Potential
Honey consumption in 2024 saw year-over-year per-capita growth of 25% (from 1.6 to 2 pounds per person), according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service report released in July 2025. Total honey consumption in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 668.6 million pounds that year. Some of the drivers of this upward […]
A Sugar Rush for Gamers
Chocolate and gaming go well together, as indicated by the number of limited-edition chocolates featuring characters with roots in interactive gaming that have popped up in the last couple of years. The pairings make sense in that chocolate is a popular choice as a snack during gaming sessions, and the products’ collectibility mirrors an element […]
Jazzing Up Home-Brewed Java
By Karen Raugust on January 12, 2026 in Celebrity, Character/Entertainment, Corporate brands, Food/Beverage, Licensing
Marketers of coffee creamers — including traditional, cold foam, and vegan offerings — have dramatically expanded their licensing and collaboration activities over the past five years or so. The trend began with food and beverage brands bringing their flavor profiles into the category. Collaborations with TV and other entertainment properties followed, resulting in products that […]
Going Bananas—and Plantains
The global plantain chip market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.51% from 2025 to 2032, after an increase of 5.27% in 2025, according to Research and Markets. The increase is driven by two main factors. First, the chips are a good fit with rising consumer demand for better-for-you snacks. […]
Westward Expansion
Western themes remain a key trend in fashion collaborations involving all sorts of properties, from entertainment IPs to celebrities to artists and beyond. As an example, food- and beverage-related brands, especially alcoholic beverages and restaurant chains, have been active in this space in 2025, with the collections being a way to highlight the corporate brands’ […]