With the holiday season coming up quickly, it seems like a good time to take a look at what toy industry players are doing to position themselves for success. In the midst of a changing retail landscape, evolving leisure time habits among kids, trade and tariff concerns, and other challenges, companies involved in the production […]
Archive | Licensing
Culture Clash
The NBA has been facing some significant challenges in the Chinese market since Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey dipped his toes into the political situation between Hong Kong and mainland China by tweeting support for the Hong Kong protesters. The situation serves as an example of the ramifications of being perceived as culturally or […]
Designs on Pop Culture
Collaborations pairing fashion brands and entertainment/character properties tend to involve design labels that are fresh and cutting-edge and/or appeal to younger consumers. Think streetwear brands, emerging global design stars, or fast-fashion retailers. Recently, however, some very well established designers are increasingly participating in this strategy, creating collections tied to TV shows, video games, comic strips, […]
A Horrifying Licensing Opportunity
Halloween costumes have long been a key licensing category, especially for entertainment/character properties. Halloween makeup kits have also been on the rise of late, sold by not only Halloween costume companies but increasingly by theatrical makeup marketers and suppliers of replica armor, swords, and other realistic costume supplies. Products range from packages for casual trick-or-treaters […]
Gun Brand Licensing in a Polarized Landscape
By Karen Raugust on October 28, 2019 in Corporate brands, Licensing, Politics/social movements, Sporting goods
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 […]
Reason to Celebrate
Properties including Popeye and Garfield have recently signed deals for epiphany figurines to be sold in France. Announcements such as these serve as a reminder of regional licensing opportunities that may exist for products and services tied to local cultures and traditions. Epiphany figurines, also known as epiphany charms or fèves, are small, hand-painted porcelain […]
Bitten by the Pest-Control Bug
A handful of licensors have extended their names into pest prevention and control, with at least three new deals signed this year: In May, Black + Decker and its agent Beanstalk signed CYA Trading for a line of ultrasonic indoor pest control products. In February, The Royal Horticultural Society teamed with Agralan on a collection […]
Taking a Chance on Sports Betting
In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The decision effectively allowed states to legalize sports betting—outside of Nevada, where it was already legal—although there are some court challenges ongoing related to the Wire Act that may alter the landscape somewhat. In the year and a half since […]
Secondhand Clothes
Resale marketplace sites and consignment apps, which allow consumers to sell and purchase used and vintage goods—often higher-end and/or limited-edition fashion items—have been on the upswing in 2018 and 2019. The resale clothing market overall is expected to reach $51 billion by 2023, according to ThredUp’s 2019 Resale Report, compared to $24 billion in 2018. […]
Immersed in Art
By Karen Raugust on October 7, 2019 in Art, Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, Licensing
Art exhibits can generate awareness and fan engagement for entertainment/character properties with enough content and history to support this sort of experiential initiative. A few examples from this year and last illustrate some of the elements that are common to such ventures, as well as the unique twists that are possible depending on the nature […]