A wide range of video game properties have found their way into the world of physical board, miniatures, and card games in the past six months. Some examples: Konami Cross Media NY just announced that its recently relaunched Bomberman and Contra titles would be turned into board and card games, respectively. IDW holds the rights […]
Latin Flavor
Last week MegaMex Foods, a joint venture between Herdez del Fuerte of Mexico and Hormel of the U.S., licensed its Herdez brand to Utz Quality Foods. Utz—which has distributed MegaMex Foods including Chi-Chi’s tortilla chips and Chi-Chi’s and Herdez salsas and dips since 2018—will now produce and market Herdez-branded white, yellow, and blue tortilla chips […]
Come Together
Merger and acquisition activity among licensees around the world has been a notable trend in 2019—as it was in 2018—as consumer products marketers continue to come together to strengthen their position in the marketplace. The reasons for the consolidation vary: Category extension. Clothing marketer Delta Galil purchased The Bogart Group, an intimate apparel specialist, in […]
Protests and Politics
Pockets of the global licensing business are facing significant financial impacts due to political fights, trade spats, and social protests around the world. Unlike cases where companies take a stand on a political issue and prepare to face the expected backlash, these are situations that have nothing to do with any individual company’s actions. But […]
A Pitch for Women’s Soccer Fans
Women’s football/soccer has been in the spotlight this summer after the July 7 conclusion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019, hosted by France and won by the U.S. team. Heightened global awareness for the women’s sport is increasingly leading to more endorsement opportunities for individual female athletes, more sponsorship revenue for women’s teams, and […]
Turning the Channel
News came to light this summer that three key players in kids’ animation are leaving the original production business, although they will remain active as distributors or licensing specialists: Amazon is moving away from investing in original children’s programming in favor of shows for family and young adult audiences. It will continue to acquire licensed […]
Scrumptious Style
Ecologically sound licensed products have been gaining traction over the last two years or so as the cost has come down and consumer demand has gone up. This is particularly true in the apparel, accessories, and footwear industries, where many initiatives have involved using recycled materials such as plastic or rubber, creating products that are […]
Advances in E-Sports Licensing
A number of trends in recent months have been moving the e-sports industry, including the licensing component, forward: Big sports licensees are doing deals. It was not that long ago that the first mainstream sports licensees joined e-sports specialists in doing deals with teams, leagues, and players. Since then, the floodgates seem to be opening. […]
Fashion Brand Reboots
Retro fashion labels that have been off the market for a while have been turning to licensing and collaborative partnerships as they attempt to reintroduce their brands. Among the announcements that have come to light in the past few months: Baby Phat was recently repurchased by its founder, Kimora Lee Simmons—who now designs it with […]
From Russia with Licensing
Russia has become the source of a rising number of children’s properties with eyes on the international market. Factors behind the increase include a boost in government support for the domestic animation industry since the 2000s, the growing sophistication of the licensing business in Russia, and the development of YouTube and other streaming channels as […]