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, […]
Archive | Corporate brands
Out of Sight But Not Out of Mind
Camouflage licensing, an already-significant sector that encompasses proprietary camouflage designs and brand names such as Realtree and Mossy Oak, has continued to evolve and grow in a number of ways over time: New brands. Camouflage suppliers beyond the big two have entered licensing, as U.S. military specialist Tennier Industries did when it retained The Brand […]
Power Up
Consumers have become reliant on batteries, back-up power packs, and chargers to keep their mobile phones, tablets, and other electronics—and their lives—up and running. It follows, then, that the battery category has become the focus of an increasing number of licensing deals. These may be standalone agreements focusing on batteries and chargers or, more often, […]
Sticking with Tradition
Sometimes it seems as if every licensing deal these days takes the form of a capsule collection or limited edition, as licensors and licensees look to test a concept, reduce their risk, and generate excitement. But good old-fashioned brand extension is alive and well in many categories. Take the automotive industry as an example. This […]
Following the Crowd
A number of licensors have turned to crowdsourcing to inspire and test new products and categories. To name just a few examples, toy companies such as LEGO and Mattel have implemented innovation programs to allow their consumers to suggest and vote on new toy ideas, while a variety of crowdsourcing sites, Designed by Humans and […]
Unconventional, Yet Compatible
A number of unusual corporate licensing tie-ins have emerged within the last year. Each makes sense conceptually, although some definitely skew more toward the novelty end of the spectrum than toward the long-term, branded end. In one of the most recent examples, announced this month, General Mills and Fulton Brewery partnered for HefeWheaties, a limited-edition […]
Cleaning House
Practical household products and tools may not be the most exciting or highest-profile area of licensing, but they are at the center of a burst of brand-extension interest of late. Some of the areas of focus include: Vacuums and floor care. Bissell retained agency IMC to expand its brand into home goods, DIY products, and […]
Some Like It Hot
Hot sauces have long been an active area of interest for licensing, with properties from chefs to celebrities to colleges dabbling in the category. Recently, hot sauces’ availability for outbound licensing is expanding a bit as well, especially in the food and beverage category, as the brands and their licensees take advantage of an ever-growing […]
Boosting Brain Power
As the U.S. population grows older, more adults are seeking out brain-training games to maintain and improve their memory and mental acuity. Younger consumers are also turning to such games, often in app form, to help them reduce anxiety, increase focus, or simply perform better at work or school. Not surprisingly, the growth of brain […]
Corporate Design Collaborations Still In Fashion
The involvement of corporate brands in fashion collaborations continues, with some of the most active participants over the last six months or so being beverage and automotive brands. One recent example is Pepsi’s Project Cobalt, which introduced its first collection last week. Project Cobalt, a partnership between Pepsi and a consultancy called All Beuys Club, […]