Direct-to-retail licensing agreements and exclusive distribution deals in the office supply channel have popped up sporadically for many years, with properties from TV financial expert Jean Schatzky to interior designer Christopher Lowell among those entering the market. But the incidence of such deals is slowly on the rise. This year, Martha Stewart renewed and expanded […]
Archive | Licensing
Gaining a Foothold
After many years of anticipation, soccer finally seems to be reaching a tipping point at U.S. retail. As a result, a number of leading global football clubs have retained U.S. licensing agents within the past year to assist them in expanding their presence in North America. Most are working with one of three agents that […]
More Fashion Options for Your Pet
The pet products category has seen a recent bump in activity tied to celebrity-driven fashion and lifestyle brands. Notable names entering or announcing their entrance into the market over the past six months include: Ellen DeGeneres, who licensed Posh Paws for a line of pet accessories under her ED lifestyle brand, which also has deals […]
A Penny Saved Is a Penny Earned
IP owners have been testing various forms of financial services as potential avenues for licensing. Branded credit and, more recently, debit cards have become a must-consider category, of course, with properties from chef Jason Santos to Star Trek and Garfield to Pan Am—among many others—having deals in place. But other areas of exploration have started […]
Where There’s Smoke
Snoop Dogg’s newly revealed line of marijuana flowers, concentrates, and cannabis-infused chocolate bars and gummies, marketed under the Leafs By Snoop brand and manufactured by Beyond Broadway, is the latest in a string of musician-branded, pot-related products introduced or announced in the last year or so. Others include: The Bob Marley estate’s Marley Natural brand […]
Cosplay: The Next Celebrity-Licensing Frontier?
Last month, celebrity cosplayer Yaya Han announced that she had partnered with Wyla Fabrics’ new Cosplay Fabrics division to create a line of 77 textile SKUs designed specifically for cosplay. The line, which will be distributed exclusively through Jo-Ann Fabrics starting next spring, includes stretch knits, Spandex, metallic and textured fabrics, and other goods tailored […]
They’re Driving Us To Drink
The craft beer industry continues its upward trajectory, with sales expected to increase 22% in 2015 alone, according to just-released research from Mintel. This follows significant growth from 2009 to 2014, when the craft sector’s share of total beer volume rose 83% (to 8.5%). Beer sales overall declined 2% over the same period. The explosion […]
Parallel Lines
The foundation of the licensing business is the existence of unique, legally protected properties that create a real point of difference for licensees. As a number of current initiatives attest, however, it is possible to oversee a viable licensing program even when full copyright or trademark protection is impossible. The vagaries of international trademark law […]
Man’s Best Friend
Art trends come and go, but photographs of cute dogs and cats—often dressed, digitally or otherwise, and/or behaving anthropomorphically—always seem to be in style. That ongoing popularity has translated to well-established global licensing programs for pet photographers based in territories all around the world: American Keith Kimberlin offers a large archive of photographs of kittens […]
Plotting a Course for Licensing
Maps are growing as a design theme for licensed apparel, gifts, and home décor, particularly in the U.K. market: Rocket Licensing is expanding the A-Z brand, founded in 1936. New launches for 2016 include a capsule collection from men’s fashion brand Ben Sherman highlighting 1960s-era maps of Carnaby Street, Portobello Road, and other locations where […]