Licensors are always looking to innovate by capitalizing on opportunities to pair a property with a rising consumer trend. That process can be more involved in the food industry than in other categories. But a handful of current food and beverage trends—some of which have been around for a while—are starting to spur the development […]
Archive | Food/Beverage
Flipping for Pancakes
By Karen Raugust on December 6, 2018 in Character/Entertainment, Food/Beverage, Licensing, Promotion
Licensors are looking beyond yogurt shops, donut bakeries, and hamburger chains for character and entertainment tie-in partners in the QSR and restaurant world. Pancake houses seem to be a preferred destination in 2018: Universal Partnerships & Licensing, Illumination, and Dr. Seuss Enterprises paired with IHOP for Grinch-themed pancakes, French toast, omelets, and hot chocolate to […]
A Spoonful of Sugar
So much for a healthy breakfast. A trend in the world of licensed and co-branded breakfast foods is to pair cereals with sugary snacks, with each of the big-three cereal makers recently introducing or announcing its own example: Kellogg’s confirmed in August that it would release a Pop Tarts cereal, Pop Tarts Crunch, in 2019. […]
Healthy Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Despite upheaval, consolidation, and the struggles of brands such as Blue Apron and Chef’d, the meal kit business continues to look to high-profile properties from outside the industry for new branded and signature programs. One of the strong pockets of activity of late consists of celebrities launching healthy meal kits, with many examples focused on […]
Produce Plus Protein
Grocery shoppers have seen a proliferation of healthy snacks that combine fruits or vegetables with protein in a single, convenient package for on-the-go eating. Licensed products are part of the mix, as these examples illustrate: B&G Foods and its master licensee for Green Giant Fresh, Growers Express, are debuting six vegetable-based meal bowls. They include […]
Grocers Have a Taste for Meal Kits
The meal kit business has experienced some potentially profound changes of late, with grocery store operators increasing their presence in the segment. They are entering in a number of ways: Purchasing existing meal kit companies. Kroger acquired Home Chef for $200 million (plus $500 million more if the program meets online and in-store sales goals) […]
Hard Liquor’s A Gonna Fall
The announcement last week that Bob Dylan was getting into the spirits game with a collection of premium whiskeys is just the latest in a raft of deals pairing musicians with wine, beer, and liquor marketers. More than a half dozen agreements announced this year so far illustrate the wide variety of music genres, business […]
Sweet Spot
Chocolate candy brands such as Hershey, M&Ms, and Godiva are known for their extensions (through licensing or ingredient sales) into compatible food categories such as coffee, ice cream, liqueurs, and the like. Meanwhile, candy-based properties outside the chocolate segment also have licensing programs that include complementary foods. In fact, the non-chocolate candy sector has been […]
Moveable Feasts
After a bit of a lull in activity, March 2018 has brought a number of new ventures involving licensed properties and meal kits: Marley Kitchen, a brand launched by the Bob Marley estate, paired with meal-delivery company Chef’d for a co-branded collection of Caribbean-inspired meals based on recipes provided by members of the family (three […]
Breaking New Ground
A handful of deals announced in the latter half of 2017—all focused on the food and beverage industry but involving different property types—illustrate some of the ways licensors and licensees can innovate, even in a very crowded landscape: Creating something brand new. In December, the Portland Trail Blazers paired with Brew Dr. for a special-edition […]