Since we last covered non-profit groups’ growing presence in the licensing business, in August 2022, the emphasis on integrating charitable components into licensing initiatives of all stripes has continued. Licensors and licensees are taking a number of approaches to working with charities as one means of demonstrating to consumers that they are making a positive […]
Tag Archives | Hasbro
Controlling the Narrative
By Karen Raugust on November 21, 2022 in Character/Entertainment, Interactive gaming, Licensing, Toys/Games
For years now, toy companies have been launching or acquiring entertainment and gaming studios, in the hopes that bringing these businesses in-house will strengthen their ability to control their all-important forays into TV, film, and interactive gaming productions based on their proprietary brands. There has been some news on this front since the start of […]
In It To Win It
Sales of tabletop games and puzzles in the U.S. grew 14.4% in 2021 versus 2020, according to NPD Group research conducted for the Toy Industry Association. That was on top of a 32.5% increase during the peak lockdown year of 2020. While sales are unlikely to maintain these lofty growth rates in 2022, marketers and […]
Breaking Out of the Metaverse
New deals are revealed almost every day to bring licensed IP into the metaverse, with the partners creating branded virtual goods, storefronts, events, or other implementations, especially in popular gaming worlds such as Roblox. Conversely, several games that originated in Roblox have lately started to break out as licensed properties in their own right. They […]
Rock On
The music sector is one of most active in the licensing and collaboration field these days, with new deals announced almost daily. Initiatives are wide ranging: Ariana Grande has lent her name and likeness to a new bundle of virtual goods, as well as presenting a concert series, in Fortnite; My Chemical Romance released its […]
Food Truck Feast
By Karen Raugust on October 21, 2021 in Character/Entertainment, Content, Design and content themes, Licensing, Toys/Games
Food trucks have become ubiquitous on street corners across the U.S. and in some other territories since at least the mid-2010s. As a result, they have emerged as a frequent element within children’s storytelling—including both food-centric and non-food-centric TV shows, books, games, and movies—as well as a common theme in kids’ consumer products, especially toys. […]
The Numbers Are In
The toy industry is having a good year in 2021, as measured by the major public toy companies’ quarterly results to date. Some observers had thought industry growth would slow in 2021 after a significant bump in dollar sales in 2020, fueled by the need to keep families occupied during the COVID lockdowns. In addition, […]
Listen Up
Children’s podcasts have been popping up for a while now, including a few based on licensed IP. Almost a third of parents (32%) say they are very or somewhat likely to purchase a subscription to a paid podcast service for their child, according to a survey conducted by Morning Consult in November. Half of children […]
Competitive Advantage
Thanks at least in part to the rise in board games’ popularity during the pandemic, corporate and fashion marketers have gravitated to this category. Several have recently created limited-edition board game releases as a means to promote their brands: Vivetta Ponti, an emerging Italian designer, paired with Mattel’s new collaborations platform, Mattel Creations, for a […]
Seeing Green
St. Patrick’s Day has become an increasingly important occasion for collaborations and promotions, as licensors and licensees consider holidays throughout the year as potential reasons to debut new products or highlight existing ones. While nowhere near as big as more high-profile milestones such as Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, and the like, St. Patrick’s Day […]