Property owners in the realms of entertainment, sports, and celebrity licensing, on the hunt for ways to put new spins on their properties, are increasingly launching collections focused on villainous characters, both fictional and real: Disney was the pioneer in this technique, launching its Disney Villains brand many years ago and regularly offering products under […]
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Building a Foundation in Construction Toys
Building kits, led by Lego, have been one of the bright spots in the toy industry over the past several years. In the U.S., construction toy sales were up 16% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Circana figures, representing a significantly higher rate of growth than any other supercategory tracked. The same was true […]
Seeing Things in a Different Light
For at least five years, eyewear manufacturers have been entering into collaborations for glasses that block blue UV light from computer and other device screens, and the frequency of deals has steadily grown over that time. This is especially true for initiatives involving gaming-related properties, whose fans not only spend a lot of time in […]
Better Together
Licensors have over the years become more flexible in how their IP is integrated into licensed merchandise, as they look for ways to keep their properties and products fresh and embrace ideas from their licensees on how to do so. A relatively new manifestation of this trend is some licensors’ openness to redesigning their corporate […]
Linking Merchandise and the Metaverse
While there are a number of different potential objectives for marketers to step into the metaverse, one hope is often to use the effort to help drive purchases of traditional physical products. A growing number of brands, especially in the fashion industry, are experimenting with new ways to strengthen the link between digital and physical […]
Counting Down the Days to Christmas
Advent calendars are getting more sophisticated each year, featuring increasingly elaborate packaging, daily surprises of higher value, and a growing range of themes and categories, from jerky, healing crystals, and nail polish to cat food, instant noodles, and wine. Licensors across property types have gotten into the game, typically either through in-house-produced examples or with […]
Of Hot Markets and Halloween
By Karen Raugust on October 11, 2021 in Character/Entertainment, Hot markets, International, Licensing
The South Korean television series Squid Game, which launched in September, is currently the top Netflix show in 90 countries and is trending to be the most-viewed series ever on Netflix in the U.S. Its fast rise, which has occurred through word of mouth, despite a lack of promotion to back the show, has naturally […]
Playing Games
Many entertainment/character licensors have had difficulty extending their properties into branded video games successfully. But they increasingly need to be in the video game space, since that is where their fans, of all ages, spend a lot of their time. One way to achieve this goal without as much risk is to integrate their properties […]
Game Play
Three leading toy companies recently signed renewals of existing licensing deals tied to mainstream video game properties, or otherwise expanded their current assortments. This is a reminder of how the toy-licensing landscape has changed over time from almost entirely TV- and film-based to an environment where video games, one of today’s major leisure-time activities, play […]
An Extra Scary Halloween
Halloween, coming up this Saturday, is naturally forcing consumers, marketers, and retailers to adapt their approach for the COVID era. How will that impact sales of Halloween-related products? The National Retail Federation predicts overall spending for the holiday will fall 8%, from $8.8 billion in 2019 to $8 billion this year, although those who do […]