Almost a half dozen new licensing agencies have formed in the last few months, many headed by big names in the licensing business who have recently left corporate positions with major property owners. Each claims a distinct positioning within the market: Last week, Robert Marick, most recently head of consumer products at MGM Studios, a […]
Archive | Licensing
Maple Sugar Rush
New flavor trends that come into favor in restaurants and homes typically spur marketers to consider collaborations that bring brands associated with those flavors into new categories. Examples in recent years range from cereal and cinnamon to pickles, all of which have made their way into a variety of pairings, both logical and unexpected. Some […]
Strange Bedfellows No More
Toy companies are increasingly working with their direct competitors to refresh, extend, or strengthen their own brands. This would have been almost inconceivable in the past and shows how much the toy industry has changed over the past decade or more as players in this sector face numerous challenges: competition from video games, social media, […]
Young at Heart
Classic entertainment properties looking for fresh programming ideas, a way to reach new audiences, and/or a boost to merchandise sales have long created child or baby versions of their well-known characters. Examples extend from Tiny Toon Adventures in the early 1990s to Spidey and his Amazing Friends in recent years—to name just two of many. […]
A 4/20 Focus on Health and Wellness
The interest among licensed property owners in cannabis-industry collaborations has waned slightly as the challenges of succeeding in this complex market have become evident. But, as the industry and its consumers celebrated the unofficial 4/20 holiday this weekend, celebrity brands and other licensed IP with a logical connection to the category continue to partner regularly […]
Podcasters Look Beyond DTC Into Licensing
By Karen Raugust on April 18, 2024 in Branding/marketing, Character/Entertainment, Licensing, Promotion
Within the licensing business, podcasters primarily play a role as licensees, pairing with owners of licensed properties to create new audio productions. The podcast producers see licensed IP as a way to capture new audiences, while the licensors typically view the medium as another way for consumers to experience their properties and another touchpoint to […]
Luxury Autos Drive Limited Sneaker Designs
News recently came to light about two limited-edition sneaker collaborations, namely Alfa Romeo pairing with Greats and Porsche teaming with Puma. These new initiatives are a reminder of how car brands, especially on the luxury end of the scale, have been common and high-profile players in the crowded sneaker-collaboration space for years, with the frequency […]
A Flurry of Food-Brand Agency Agreements
Food and beverage brands have represented one of the most active sectors in licensing for quite some time, and the trend shows no sign of waning. As one illustration, in the 15 weeks since January 1, 2024, more than a half dozen food and beverage brands have retained new licensing agents to expand their outbound […]
New Players in Fashion-Licensed Beauty
Fragrance and, increasingly, other categories of beauty such as cosmetics and skincare, are staples of most fashion licensors’ businesses. Conversely, fashion labels are a foundational component of the portfolios of most of the largest players in fragrance and beauty. Yet there are still a few established fashion labels that have just recently signed their first […]
Rappers Tee Up Golf Collaborations
In recent years, rappers and their fashion and lifestyle labels have become increasingly involved in licensing and collaboration deals yielding collections of golf-influenced apparel, accessories, and footwear. In fact, in some cases, the artists’ lifestyle brands themselves are golf-related. Some examples from the last 12 months illustrate the accelerating trend: Tyler, the Creator’s Golf Le […]