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 […]
Where’s the Beef?
Plant-based meat alternatives that serve as substitutes for hamburgers or chicken have hit the mainstream in a big way in the last month or two, with the Impossible and Beyond brands being at the forefront. These are plant-based alternatives to meat, which emulate the taste and feel of the real thing, as opposed to the […]
Going for the Win
Deals announced in summer and fall 2019 illustrate some of the key current trends in the sports licensing business: Rising activity around women’s sports. The English Netball League, a 90-plus-year-old women’s sports entity, signed a deal with British retailer Oasis for a range of apparel, with players Ama Agbze, Eboni Usoro-Brown, and Jade Clarke appearing […]
A Modest Proposal
A trend emerging in the fashion-licensing sector involves collaborations focused on hip-but-modest clothing designs, with religious beliefs often serving as the impetus for the ventures: • Hana Tajima is one of the most prominent of a small group of designers creating clothing for Muslim women. Her latest collection for retailer Uniqlo includes modest dresses, separates, […]
Not An Open and Shut Case
Several trademark applications that have made the news recently have centered on common words or phrases: • The fashion label Off-White, led by designer Virgil Abloh, tried to register the phrase “PRODUCT BAG,” including the quotation marks around it, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The label has been using the words since […]
Sugar Rush
About a year ago, we wrote about sweet snacks making their way into the cereal category. That trend has intensified since then, with a long list of candy, ice cream, and cookie brands being licensed for breakfast cereals: General Mills debuted Nestlé Drumstick and Honey Maid S’More cereals, as well as Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Crème […]
The Experience Economy
By Karen Raugust on September 16, 2019 in Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, Licensing
As entertainment licensors create experiential extensions of their properties, such as theme park attractions, stage plays, and exhibitions, it is standard practice to create merchandise dedicated to the special event, to be sold at the venue as well as in the licensor’s and sometimes the licensee’s proprietary online and retail channels. For the biggest licensors, […]
Learning Curve
Over the past couple of years, we have taken many looks at the plus- and extended-size market, a hot and still growing space within the licensing business and the apparel industry in general. One very logical niche within that segment consists of deals between apparel marketers and curve models (who specialize in the plus-size market). […]
First Signs of Fall
The introduction of pumpkin spice-influenced products in restaurant chains, consumer packaged goods, and pop culture—a signal that summer is turning to autumn—begins earlier every year, with sightings as soon as mid-August. Naturally, licensed products and collaborations are in the mix. Some of the strategies for pumpkin spice-related initiatives include: Focusing on flavor. McDonald’s and Kraft […]