Spreading the Word

The number of magazine brands exhibiting at Licensing Expo has long been on the rise, reflecting the growth of this sector over the past decade or more. That remained true at last month’s show, where dozens of titles, from Healthy Living to High Times, were on display.

New deals timed to the Expo give a taste of the diversity of magazine-related licensing:

• Hustler and its agent The Sharpe Company said they were extending that brand into fragrances through a deal with Wonder Beauty; the scents for men and women will appear in stores this fall. Hustler also has deals in place for adult toys and entertainment, liquor, and vaping supplies.
• Car and Driver, represented by The Joester Loria Group, recently signed Mobile Power for jump starters, air compressors, multifunction work lights, and portable power banks that will launch at year’s end. Sales of the publication’s line of automotive cleaning products, emergency assistance tools, cargo and organization solutions, and more from licensee Argento SC grew 70%, through 5,000 retail doors, in 2015.
• Men’s Health and its licensing rep, The Wildflower Group, reported a deal with Box Out Group for a subscription box program encompassing fitness, grooming, technology, and nutrition products selected by the title’s editors and featured in the magazine. Earlier this year the brand extended into frozen entrées in the U.K., where Golden Goose is its agent.
• Music trade publication Billboard announced that it would enter the Philippines with its core print and mobile publishing; radio, television, and Internet programming; and music conference businesses, through a deal with AlgoRhythm Communications. This follows the launch of a lifestyle apparel program in that country, made public in April, with retailer Oxygen. The magazine revealed in February that IMG would be its licensing agency in Asia and in June that CPLG would serve in the same role in the EMEA region.

The magazine-related deal-making has continued post-Expo. Just last week, Elle Décor and its new licensee Trident Limited disclosed that they had launched a bed and bath range in India, brokered by LicenseWorks, the brand’s agent in that country.