Toy companies are increasingly working with their direct competitors to refresh, extend, or strengthen their own brands. This would have been almost inconceivable in the past and shows how much the toy industry has changed over the past decade or more as players in this sector face numerous challenges: competition from video games, social media, […]
Tag Archives | LEGO
Eyes on the Sky
Interest in space-themed merchandise remains strong, thanks to a number of factors. In the past year, the inaugural commercial flights of the for-profit space tourism firms Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic, along with frequent news about the International Space Station, have attracted attention. Since early 2020, there has been a pandemic-fueled increase in enthusiasm […]
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 […]
It’s Anyone’s Game
TV competition shows are a growing area of interest for brand extension, particularly for properties from the worlds of board games, interactive gaming, and character/entertainment. Some of the IPs, gaming-based and otherwise, that are lending their names to current and upcoming reality competition shows include: Harry Potter. A four-part quiz show, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament […]
Now Hear This
By Karen Raugust on July 15, 2021 in Character/Entertainment, Consumer electronics, Content, Licensing
Kids’ audio is hot, with everything from podcasts to musical albums on the rise. One of the most active areas within this sector consists of a growing number of low-tech, screenless audio players designed to allow young children to control what they listen to independently and safely in a closed eco-system. The proliferation of these […]
Pride Collections for All
By Karen Raugust on May 24, 2021 in Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Diversity/Inclusion, Licensing, Politics/social movements
As we approach Pride Month, companies on the long and still-growing list of marketers celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride each June have been releasing their plans for this year. As always, these include a variety of typically rainbow-hued lifestyle collections for adults, with a focus on accessories, beauty, footwear, and especially apparel. One new wrinkle that has […]
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 […]
More Visibility for Disability
By Karen Raugust on March 16, 2020 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Licensing, Toys/Games
Over the past several years there has been a focus on diversity and inclusion of all types in advertising, content, and consumer products. The introduction of characters with physical and mental disabilities has been a recent manifestation of this trend, with more and more examples in the toy and children’s entertainment industries, especially in the […]
Locked In
When we last covered the escape room phenomenon, in June of 2017, the industry was well established, but licensing was still relatively new to the sector. Things have changed since then, with a wide variety of entertainment/character licensing now in the mix and new examples still joining the fray on a regular basis. Some of […]
To Market, To Market
Licensors, brand owners, and retailers are starting to view online marketplaces as viable partners for a variety of collaborative ventures. In these digital “malls,” vendors small and large operate independent boutiques side by side, creating a one-stop destination for the buyers and attracting higher traffic for the sellers. The configurations of marketers’ relationships with these […]