Art museums around the world are expanding their licensing efforts, continuing a trend that has intensified over the past several years. Licensed products and experiences can be a way to raise awareness by bringing museums’ brands and artwork into new places, generate ancillary revenue that helps keep the institution open and support its mission, and […]
Archive | Nonprofit
Bloody Successful Promotions
By Karen Raugust on May 11, 2023 in Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, Licensing, Nonprofit
A Peanuts t-shirt offered in conjunction with the American Red Cross was recently in the news for successfully encouraging young-adult fans of the property to give blood. This is the latest in a fairly regular stream of promotions over the past five years or so in which character and entertainment properties are used to attract […]
Licensing for the Greater Good
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 […]
Sweet Charity
One result of consumers’ growing demand for retailers and marketers to make a positive pro-social impact is that non-profit groups are assuming a higher profile in the licensing business, especially over the past two years. They have always had a presence, of course, both as licensors and as promotional partners, but their involvement is slowly […]
Charity Work
A growing number of licensing deals and collaborations in the U.S. and internationally feature a charitable component, as consumers, especially young adults, choose to purchase from companies they perceive to be ethically and socially responsible. In many ways, this type of charitable tie-in has replaced traditional nonprofit brand licensing in the U.S. Of course, there […]
Culture Club
A number of cultural institutions—the bulk of which have traditionally handled their licensing and product development activities (if any) internally—have signed licensing agents in the past year, with most of the announcements coming since the beginning of the COVID era: The Metropolitan Museum of Art launched a global licensing program, announced in July, with Beanstalk […]
Offering Support to Soldiers
Nonprofit organizations and independent brands that support military troops, veterans, and families have recently been expanding their licensed merchandise arrays. Some properties of note include: Homefront Girl. This lifestyle brand from artist and military spouse Gaby Juergens, represented by Firefly Licensing, has newly signed Udi Behr for jewelry, TF Publishing for calendars, and Kurt Adler […]
British Museums Expand Their Empires
British museums, long active players in the licensing and merchandising landscape, continue to build their licensing efforts: The Imperial War Museums retained Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management to extend its merchandise program into North America. The National Gallery, London is introducing its brand and archives into international markets with agency JELC after beginning a licensing […]
Characters and Causes
A handful of cause-related deals announced this summer, all involving licensed characters, are a reminder of the potential for entertainment to help change behavior in society while enhancing the visibility and reputation of the properties themselves: Disney Channel paired with Girl Scouts of the USA to feature Disney’s new Hispanic princess, Elena of Avalor, in […]