The last year has brought a burst of collaborations that combine savory food flavors with alcoholic beverages in offbeat pairings. A few years ago, these novelty spirits would have turned out to be April Fool’s jokes. In today’s landscape, however, they are real products that are released throughout the year. And, while the purpose is […]
Archive | Corporate brands
A Double Dose of Sweetness
Two new candy-based soft drinks debuted in the first week of March 2024: Ring Pop soda from Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda and Stardust Sparkling Ice drinks from Talking Rain. These are just the latest additions to a growing list of collaborations over the past five or so years that have brought some big names in […]
Licensing at Sea
Boats and yachts, especially of the luxury variety, comprise a business that does not often come to mind as a potential licensing category. But marine manufacturers are regularly involved in licensing partnerships and collaborations. A handful of initiatives that have occurred in recent months illustrate: Frauscher Shipyard paired with Porsche for the 850 Fantom Air, […]
Bringing the Heat
Gen Z and millennials are currently driving strong demand for hot and spicy flavors. The Specialty Food Association and Instacart (with the Harris Poll) are among the organizations that have identified hot and spicy as one of the key flavor trends of 2023. Research and Markets predicts the global market for hot sauces and condiments […]
Raising a Glass to Whiskey Collaborations
Brands of whiskey are long-time and still growing participants in the world of fashion. The collaborative collections of apparel and lifestyle goods typically incorporate design elements tied to the properties’ brand heritage and the distilling process. The marketing messages supporting the initiatives often call out the quality and craftsmanship of the jointly developed pieces, reflecting […]
Toy Companies Offer Tasty Treats
By Karen Raugust on November 16, 2023 in Corporate brands, Food/Beverage, Gifts/Novelties, Licensing, Toys/Games
Plush is always a core category within the toy industry. But it is doing particularly well of late. In 2022, category sales rose 31.1%, according to the Toy Industry Association’s annual sales data developed by the NPD Group (now Circana). That was by far the biggest growth rate for any category tracked, in a year […]
Sticking with Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a flavor profile that is always top of mind, but it just seems to be getting stronger and stronger as the focus of flavor-based food-to-food collaborations. The spice is perennially popular with a wide swath of consumers, it is very versatile, it is relevant both during holidays and for everyday use, and it […]
Making News with Consumer Products
Legacy newspaper and magazine brands have been struggling financially for years, in part because of increased competition from digital news and information sites. More recently, however, the latter have been facing equally steep challenges, as consumers rely less on—and often mistrust—official news organizations and turn instead to independent, often opinion-driven sources they follow on social […]
The Ingredients Tell The Story
Many collaborative alcoholic beverage releases involve pairing a beer or spirit with another food or beverage brand that offers a surprising but ultimately compatible flavor profile. Think Pinnacle’s Cinnabon vodka or Oskar Blues Brewery’s French’s Mustard beer. A smattering of collaborations over the years, however, have been built on the fact that the two partners’ […]
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 […]