Private equity-backed brand-management groups, such as Bluestar Alliance, Marquee Brands, Authentic Brands Group, WHP Global, and others, have been increasing their footprint in the licensing business for decades, acquiring intellectual properties and adding value through a 100% licensing model. They overwhelmingly focus on fashion brands, but over the years have diversified to include some retail […]
Tag Archives | Marquee Brands
Change in the Innerwear Industry
The innerwear category has seen a lot of structural change in the past year, through mergers, acquisitions, and new or restructured licensing models: Wacoal International, a global innerwear company based in Japan, acquired Glamorise, a direct-to-consumer plus-size lingerie specialist, in a deal announced last week. Wacoal, which in the U.S. sells primarily to the department […]
First-Timers Add Freshness to Soft Home
Facing challenging times, players in the soft home sector have been turning their attention even more toward licensing, looking for brands that will resonate with consumers while setting them apart within the category. Their pro-licensing outlook offers opportunities for IP owners, including those that are taking advantage of the trend by entering the home textiles […]
Fashion Acquisitions Highlight Brand-Management Model
A raft of fashion brands were acquired by one of the major licensing-forward brand management companies in 2024, and the trend already seems to be continuing into 2025. The sheer number of such purchases is an indicator of the power of this long-important business model to rescue and right the operations of struggling fashion brands […]
Solidifying the Future Through Licensing
Transitioning to an all-licensing model has become a go-to option for fashion (and other) labels facing financial hardship. Most often this move comes after the challenged brand is purchased by one of the leading management groups, whose business model is to buy up struggling IPs and turn them around through a licensing-only approach. But it […]
Good Buys
The home goods industry struggled in 2022 after the robust sales of the lockdown era, and most observers expect that trend to continue into 2023. But licensing has been a bright spot lately, and new licensing deals continue to be forged at a regular pace. One notable current trend—not surprising given consumers’ concerns about inflation […]
CE Brand Extension: A Note of Nostalgia
The recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show is a good time to take stock of what’s new in brand-extension licensing in the CE industry. Following are some recent deals involving electronics brands expanding into adjacent categories. Most reflect a resurgence of nostalgic, legacy, and retro brands, reimagined for modern consumers. This represents a key current trend […]
Basic Training
A number of property owners have announced the launch this fall of branded educational courses, online at the moment, mostly through partnerships with education providers. All are focused on professional training. The timing makes sense given the high number of furloughs and layoffs that have occurred since the start of the pandemic. Many adults want […]