COVID-19 has had a big impact on global esports revenues. Newzoo predicted in July 2020 that revenues for the esports industry worldwide would increase by 1.7% this year, compared to growth of 23.3% year-on-year in 2019. Sales of esports merchandise and tickets—Newzoo tracks the two revenue streams as one segment of the total industry—will take […]
Student Unions
A handful of collaborations this past summer involving schools of fashion served as a reminder that working with student designers can be a good way to infuse fresh looks into products tied to established properties or brands: In August, the Girl Scouts of the USA paired with three design students from the Fashion Institute of […]
Sporting Goods Get a Workout
Consumers have been boosting their purchases of sporting goods and outdoors products during the pandemic, as they search for ways to exercise safely, look to break up their homebound routines with activities outside, and, in some cases, address their fears in a turbulent time. Total retail sales of sporting goods in June 2020 were up […]
Bad Behavior
Two months ago, in July, we wrote about a group of influencers who had been called out for racist comments or actions. Bad behavior on the part of influencers has continued and even intensified since then, as a number of social media celebrities around the world have been arrested or investigated by the authorities in […]
Surviving the Blast
The ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut on August 4, which killed more than 200, turned 300,000 people homeless, and damaged and destroyed businesses throughout the city, occurred close to the shopping and arts district. This is an area where luxury designer shops and the headquarters of many creative companies, including fashion designers—of which the city […]
A Toast to Beer-Branded Foods
Hard liquor labels tend to get most of the attention when it comes to the extension of alcohol trademarks into food categories. Examples include brands of cognac (Courvoisier licensed into truffles), bourbon (Jim Beam into potato chips), and liqueur (Bailey’s into bakery goods). But some of the big names in beer have also been increasingly […]
The Rise of Anti-COVID Soft Goods
Since April, when it started to become evident that the coronavirus would likely stay around for a while, technology companies, fabric suppliers, and research institutions, as well as soft goods brands, began introducing anti-viral fabrics to repel SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—for use in apparel and home textiles. Anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal fabrics have been […]
Merchandise To Support Mental Health
The consumer products community’s embrace of mental health as a theme for licensed products and promotions, which we last covered in February, continues through the pandemic. This is not surprising given COVID-fueled stresses such as working and learning at home, experiencing financial suffering, and dealing with a lack of in-person connection, along with the feeling […]
Cannabis Deals Continue During COVID-19
The cannabis industry—encompassing both intoxicating THC-based and non-psychoactive CBD-based products—represents one area of the licensing business that has not seen much of a decline in new deals during the coronavirus crisis. In fact, the oft-touted benefits of cannabis-based products, both ingestible and topical, for stress reduction and general wellness are likely bigger selling points during […]
Universal Skincare
By Karen Raugust on August 24, 2020 in Celebrity, Diversity/Inclusion, Health/beauty, Licensing, Wellness
One trend we’ve been watching for the past couple of years is the proliferation of celebrity cosmetics collaborations aimed at a diverse spectrum of colors and ethnicities. A more recent twist on the trend has consisted of skincare collaborations. Rather than a rainbow of different hues to appeal to the entire spectrum of skin color, […]