The recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show is a good time to take stock of what’s new in brand-extension licensing in the CE industry. Following are some recent deals involving electronics brands expanding into adjacent categories. Most reflect a resurgence of nostalgic, legacy, and retro brands, reimagined for modern consumers. This represents a key current trend […]
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Profiting from Niche or Novel Products
There are times when the only practical way for licensors to capitalize on an up-and-coming new category is to add it to an existing licensing agreement, rather than signing a new deal: Compressed timeframes. When a category becomes hot quickly—even if it is likely to burn out just as fast—licensors want to jump in, both […]
Flying High
Sales of drones in the U.S. more than doubled in 2016, according to the NPD Group, with sales of higher-end products (retailing for $300 and up) growing the fastest in terms of dollar revenue and consumer-level models (priced from $50 to $100) seeing unit sales spike during the holiday season. The latter accounted for 42% […]
An Ear for Music
Key players in the headphone industry have been experiencing some upheaval in the past few months, thanks to bankruptcies, mergers, and lawsuits: SMS Audio, rapper 50 Cent’s company, filed for bankruptcy in April and shut down in August. Its licensed and signature products included gear for Reebok; Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars; and 50 Cent. […]
Working Out
Licensors of gyms and fitness brands represent an energetic sector for licensing, launching functional apparel, exercise equipment, fitness trackers, and other product lines closely related to their core mission. Recent activity includes: New licensing programs. Last year, Hard Candy Fitness, a chain of boutique gyms founded by Madonna and named after one of her albums, […]
Wearables as Playthings
Licensed wearable devices for children represent a small but growing sector of the toy, accessories, and electronics industries. Their positioning and functionality often differ somewhat from the typical adult-skewing licensed wearable; namely, they focus less on fitness and more on play. A few examples: Disney’s Playmation, a line of connected toys developed with Hasbro and […]