Since April, when it started to become evident that the coronavirus would likely stay around for a while, technology companies, fabric suppliers, and research institutions, as well as soft goods brands, began introducing anti-viral fabrics to repel SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—for use in apparel and home textiles. Anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal fabrics have been […]
Archive | Licensing
Merchandise To Support Mental Health
The consumer products community’s embrace of mental health as a theme for licensed products and promotions, which we last covered in February, continues through the pandemic. This is not surprising given COVID-fueled stresses such as working and learning at home, experiencing financial suffering, and dealing with a lack of in-person connection, along with the feeling […]
Cannabis Deals Continue During COVID-19
The cannabis industry—encompassing both intoxicating THC-based and non-psychoactive CBD-based products—represents one area of the licensing business that has not seen much of a decline in new deals during the coronavirus crisis. In fact, the oft-touted benefits of cannabis-based products, both ingestible and topical, for stress reduction and general wellness are likely bigger selling points during […]
Universal Skincare
By Karen Raugust on August 24, 2020 in Celebrity, Diversity/Inclusion, Health/beauty, Licensing, Wellness
One trend we’ve been watching for the past couple of years is the proliferation of celebrity cosmetics collaborations aimed at a diverse spectrum of colors and ethnicities. A more recent twist on the trend has consisted of skincare collaborations. Rather than a rainbow of different hues to appeal to the entire spectrum of skin color, […]
Pandemic Products with Partnership Potential
The COVID-19 crisis, for all the disruption and challenges it has brought to the licensing business, has also given rise to some wholly new opportunities. Face coverings are a notable example, of course, with the category going from zero to ubiquitous almost instantaneously. As the pandemic has worn on, additional brand-new categories are springing up […]
I, Robot
Virtual influencers have been proliferating over the past three to four years, with examples springing up all around the world and some garnering millions of followers. While they still are relatively few in number and are just starting to gain mainstream awareness, several have been in the news in the past couple of months. Sometimes […]
A Sweet Way to Stay Strong
Sugary comfort foods meet hardcore health and wellness in a handful of recent deals involving sweet-treat brands being licensed for protein powders: Just last week, Hostess Brands teamed with Bodybuilding.com for Remix Nutrition protein powders in Hostess Twinkies and Hostess Chocolate CupCakes flavors. Additional Hostess snack cake varieties may be added to the line of […]
Honoring Indigenous Artists
Indigenous artists from around the world have been at the core of several recent initiatives in the worlds of licensing, collaboration, fashion, and retail. Some announcements in the past couple of months have included: Last week’s debut of the National Indigenous Fashion Awards in Australia, developed by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation. Nominations included […]
Viva el Maquillaje
Latina singers have been in high demand for makeup collaborations of late, with at least three deals signed this year after several introductions in 2018 and 2019. These celebrities have an advantage in that they tend to attract a mainstream audience that includes ethnically and racially diverse consumers, something that increasingly appeals to cosmetics marketers […]
Contemplating Kombucha
Brands of kombucha, a fermented, sweetened black or green tea, have been increasingly active as partners for collaboration, with a focus on limited-edition products, over the past three years. A pairing of the River Cottage cooking brand and Equinox Kombucha, announced in July, is one of the most recent examples. Alliances to date have featured […]