At the beginning of the year, singer Thalía Sodi launched Adria by Thalía, a new haircare brand that offers seven SKUs of sprays, foams, and shampoos promoted as working well for all women’s hair types. The affordable brand is available at Walmart and select Target stores upon its launch. This venture follows a Thalía false […]
As Simple as Black and White
A black-and-white color palette—expressed in patterns, prints, or blocking—remains a top choice for designers in home furnishings, streetwear, hair accessories, and other sectors. Licensors and their licensees have been taking note of this trend in a variety of ways over the past year or more as they develop style guides and products: Many of Disney’s […]
It’s Not Just an Elf on the Shelf
A mini-explosion of Elf on the Shelf-like properties has occurred over the past couple of years. All are book-and-doll properties with many elements in common, although each has a slightly different objective, positioning, storyline, and target audience: My Buddy McSpuddy. Known in its home market of Ireland as the Irish Elf on the Shelf, My […]
From the Comfort of the Couch
Among all the news of exclusive licensing and collaboration deals involving retailers and etailers of all stripes, it can sometimes be forgotten that home shopping networks—or multichannel retailers, as they are sometimes known—continue to be important venues for many properties. These platforms, like bricks-and-mortar chains and pure e-commerce channels, often serve as exclusive distribution partners, […]
The ABCs of CBD
The licensing community’s interest in cannabis remains strong, but the emphasis of late has moved from products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to items containing cannabidiol (CBD). Both offer many of the same benefits, according to proponents, such as their ability to alleviate anxiety, ease pain, and reduce seizures. The primary difference is that THC, the main […]
Magical Mash-Ups
By Karen Raugust on February 21, 2019 in Character/Entertainment, Design and content themes, Licensing, Toys/Games
Ultra-cute, ultra-positive, and often-magical characters and images have permeated the toy industry and other categories of late and continue to represent a strong trend. Examples include unicorns in particular, as well as mermaids, rainbows, kittens, and the like. A newer, but already ubiquitous development consists of hybrids of some or all of the above, with […]
A Run on Pet Food
Interest in the pet food category has been on the rise over the past year, with a number of properties entering this space. For example: • Roobarb & Custard, a British animated TV series represented by Those Licensing People, paired with Two Near The Bone for a direct-to-consumer line of pet foods under the When […]
Labels for Rent
A subset of the subscription box sector consists of online personal styling services, sometimes known as rent-to-buy services or clothing rental boxes. In this model, subscribers set their preferences and, for a subscription fee, receive periodic boxes containing five to 10 items they might like, curated by the service’s staff stylists, to try for a […]
Exploring The Unknown
Celebrity adventurers have recently been looking to extend their brand equities—built on qualities such as curiosity and exploration, survival, overcoming challenges, protecting the environment, toughness, and never giving up—by entering the world of merchandise: Ed Stafford retained Brandgenuity as his licensing agent in October 2018, with plans for survival gear, outdoor apparel, knives and multipurpose […]
Celebrating the Year of the Pig
By Karen Raugust on February 4, 2019 in Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Holiday, Licensing
Tomorrow (February 5, 2019) is Chinese New Year, marking the start of the Year of the Pig on the Chinese lunar calendar. Global marketers in recent years have increasingly been embracing Chinese New Year in their January and February messaging and product releases, and that includes property owners involved in licensing and collaborations. The most […]