Book and comic book publishers have long sought some sort of added value to differentiate their licensed titles from their competitors’, give retailers something exclusive, and entice consumers. These perks historically have been likely to take forms such as premiums (e.g., crayons or collectible toys) affixed to the cover; design elements (foil or sparkles, a […]
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A Burst of Exclusive Bricks-and-Mortar Business
On Tuesday of this week (July 11) came news of four separate retail-exclusive product lines (three introductions and one expansion) that collectively illustrate, in microcosm, the breadth of this still-vibrant business model. Each of the four announcements covers a different retail channel, property type, and product sector: Toca Boca is introducing its first-ever consumer products […]
Share and Share Alike
One way to keep a licensing program alive over time is to regularly release new characters, storylines, or art styles that licensees can use to freshen their product assortment. Increasingly, licensors are enlisting their licensees in this effort by facilitating the sharing of licensee-developed assets for new merchandise collections in other categories. NBCUniversal partnered with […]
Long Legs for Adult Coloring
The adult coloring book trend persists, showing much more longevity than many observers had predicted. Barnes & Noble, which has been adult coloring central for the last couple of years, continues to give the category a lot of space and prominent placement. One large store currently features a large wall display and three tables right […]
More Than Memoirs
Bookstore and book department shelves have long been filled with celebrity-penned memoirs, humor titles, cookbooks, picture books, and lifestyle tomes. A more recent development, however, is for celebrities to launch entire publishing imprints tied to their names or lifestyle brands. The imprints serve as a trade name or umbrella for not only the celebrity’s own […]