Since we last covered non-profit groups’ growing presence in the licensing business, in August 2022, the emphasis on integrating charitable components into licensing initiatives of all stripes has continued. Licensors and licensees are taking a number of approaches to working with charities as one means of demonstrating to consumers that they are making a positive […]
Archive | Licensing
CE Brand Extension: A Note of Nostalgia
The recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show is a good time to take stock of what’s new in brand-extension licensing in the CE industry. Following are some recent deals involving electronics brands expanding into adjacent categories. Most reflect a resurgence of nostalgic, legacy, and retro brands, reimagined for modern consumers. This represents a key current trend […]
Collaborative Cups of Tea
Specialty teas and gift sets centered around tea do not represent a new category for licensing, but the number of deals (mostly for limited editions) and the variety of properties involved have both been growing recently. Here is some of what four leading licensed tea purveyors have been up to when it comes to collaborations: […]
Designers On the Scent of New Licensees
The world of fragrances tied to fashion and lifestyle labels has been somewhat turbulent in the past 24 months, with a lot of changes in licensing partnerships and in licensees’ strategies for their designer portfolios. Some of the notable developments include: Fashion sport brand Lacoste signed Inter Parfums to a 15-year global agreement that begins […]
Raising a Glass to the Season
The 2022 holiday season has given rise to a handful of collaborations pairing the flavors of eggnog and spirits. For example: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a frequent collaborator with outside brands, teamed with Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey for a non-alcoholic Boozy Eggnog ice cream flavor. The limited edition is available in Jeni’s scoop shops nationwide, […]
A Higher Profile for Hanukkah at Retail
As Hanukkah began last evening (December 18, 2022), it seems like a logical time to look at the increased focus on Hanukkah products at retail this year, with expanded merchandise arrays at retailers from Target to Michaels. The trend includes a number of collaborations—although these remain relatively rare overall—often involving designers: Judaica Standard Time, a […]
Hoteliers Look to Licensing
Branded hotels had been an up-and-coming form of experiential licensing for at least five years prior to the start of the pandemic, and they are back, if the number of new deals and openings announced in the last year or so is any indication: Lagardère Group’s ELLE magazine brand opened its first hotel, in Paris, […]
Influential Collaborations
Signature product lines tied to social media influencers have become standard practice in many categories. A half dozen recent deals provide an illustration of the wide variety of influencers and partners involved in such collaborations in 2022: On December 6, MeganPlays, a leading video gaming content creator, paired with retailer Claire’s for a 23-piece line […]
Health Food
Kids’ properties often lend their names to healthy snacks, although the practice tends to rise and fall cyclically. This year seems to be an active period for such pairings—some long-term, some short-term and promotional—with a number of properties and a number of different product types involved. Nearly all of these products are veggie- and fruit-forward, […]
Support and Self-Care for Monthly Cycles
In September, we wrote about collaborations focused on a topic not often represented in licensing, namely menopause. Another area of women’s health that has rarely been spoken of in the licensing business, but is starting to emerge as a viable area for partnership: menstruation. A handful of IP owners have recently entered the “period wear” […]