As more states legalize marijuana for medical and/or recreational use, much of the attention from a licensing perspective has been on celebrities (mainly musicians and chefs) lending their names to marijuana strains and related products, and on marijuana brands extending into foods, topical creams, smoking accessories, and the like. Another growing opportunity centers on cannabis-related […]
Archive | Licensing
Anime Every Day
Anime TV series, from mainstream examples such as Pokémon to superfan favorites such as Yuri!!! on ICE, have long been popular in Western markets, albeit rising and falling cyclically, as is the case for any trend. Recently, widespread optimism about the long-term prospects of the genre has led a number of large organizations to stake […]
Agents of Change
Three leading licensing agencies, all handling a variety of property types but best known for their corporate trademark licensing activities, have debuted new consulting businesses this year: Seltzer Licensing Group added a proprietary suite of services—brand analytics and valuation, brand strategy assessment and development, market and retail entry strategy, and strategic alliance growth plans—under The […]
Retailers and Reality TV
Three recent retail exclusives involving reality TV series and their stars provide an illustration of how these types of shows can be a good fit for relevant product categories in the bricks-and-mortar environment: Project Runway, which airs on Lifetime, paired with JCPenney for a line of branded women’s clothing. Collections inspired by the winner of […]
Celebrities Reach Readers Through New Magazines
Three celebrity-connected brands are taking the plunge into the world of quarterly print periodicals: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand announced in April that it would introduce Goop magazine in partnership with Condé Nast this September. The publication brings the Goop lifestyle website to the print magazine format, with a focus on wellness. Blogger Ree Drummond paired […]
Meal Kit Moves
The meal kit industry has undergone a number of significant changes in the past two months. Although it’s still early days, these developments may signal trouble ahead for the start-ups that have dominated this sector, as big players increasingly enter the market, raising the level of competition. Meanwhile, the first IPO of a meal kit […]
Surf Style
Over the past few years, there has been an infusion of fashion into the wetsuit category. That has led to a number of collaborations pairing designers, fashion labels, and stylish and athletic celebrities with makers of wetsuits for men and women: Japanese ready-to-wear and accessories label Julien David worked with Quiksilver on a capsule that […]
Profiting from Niche or Novel Products
There are times when the only practical way for licensors to capitalize on an up-and-coming new category is to add it to an existing licensing agreement, rather than signing a new deal: Compressed timeframes. When a category becomes hot quickly—even if it is likely to burn out just as fast—licensors want to jump in, both […]
DIY Delicacies
Western consumers who have an interest in Japanese culture are familiar with a unique product category from that country: DIY candy kits. E-commerce sites and subscription boxes that specialize in snack foods or novelties from Japan often feature the kits, which also regularly appear in “unboxing” videos on YouTube. The kits, packaged in bags, contain […]
Merry Christmas in July
Christmas in July is an unofficial holiday celebrated mostly in the southern hemisphere. In countries such as Australia and South Africa, where December is a summer month, Christmas in July is a way to enjoy some of the seasonal trappings of a traditional Christmas celebration, as experienced in northern regions and as portrayed in film […]