Character licensing – encompassing television and movie properties, as well as other entertainment entities – is one of the highest profile areas of licensing. Indeed, it is also the largest single sector, according to LIMA’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. In 2010, this sector accounted for $2.37 billion in royalties payments to licensors, and approximately $45.9 [...] -More-
Just when you thought the cost of television airtime couldn’t climb any higher, thirty-second spots for last Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVI clocked in at a record average of $3.5 million. Although stratospheric, these bucks came with a huge bang, as the NFL anticipated scoring its largest television audience ever with a projected viewership of more [...] -More-
As many of you know, I spent most of my professional life as a business reporter and editor, covering such industries as consumer electronics, retail and, oh yes, licensing. One of the things that is drummed into any reporter (or should be) is the need for clarity in all phases of the editorial process — [...] -More-
Sports is one of the highest-profile property types in the licensing business, and the easiest to relate to one of the primary drivers of licensing in general: EMOTION. All licensing is built on emotion, be it trust in a brand, the sense of humor associated with a character appreciation of a piece of art or [...] -More-
Amid the chaos and uncertainty that defined retail in 2011, a few happenings went largely unheralded. Below, I take a look back at two that promise to create a big bang in branding and retail in 2012, and throw in a few predictions to set the stage for next year-and-beyond strategy. Global Power Launches State-of-the-art [...] -More-
In a presentation in Bentonville last month, Walmart’s EVP and chief merchandising officer Duncan MacNaughton reiterated Walmart’s plan to apply a “broad application of price investments” that will amount to a $2 billion everyday low price insurance policy. Tough markets call for tough measures and everything is a race to the bottom, right? Not so [...] -More-
The art licensing business is in the midst of a significant transformation, as some merchandise categories that formerly were mainstays of the business wane, while some newer sectors show significant growth potential. According to LIMA’s Annual Licensing Business Survey, retail sales of art licensed products in North America reached $3.75 billion in 2010. While lower [...] -More-
The corporate licensing sector has long been one of the key components of the global licensing business, nowhere more so than in the U.S. According to the most recent edition of LIMA’s Annual Licensing Survey, corporate brand licensing accounted for $19.7 billion in retail sales in the U.S. in 2010 – 18.9% of the total [...] -More-
One of the most striking themes running through this month’s LIMA Retail & Branding Conference was the importance of storytelling in building a strong brand. Whether it’s the positioning of Iconix’ Material Girl fast fashion juniors brand at Macy’s around Madonna’s 14-year-old daughter Lola, or the attempted reinvention of Kmart’s apparel and home business as [...] -More-
Back in 2009, I wrote an article in which I lamented retailers’ then-current obsession with clutter clearing and other “retail rehab” measures. I questioned whether they would have achieved their ideal once the majority of their stores were remodeled, cleaned up, and optimized, or whether their customers would simply let out a collective “meh.” In [...] -More-
What is brand identity? Several years ago, I participated in a licensing conference at which one of the speakers ruminated on how brand names that once derived their equity from their origins have in some cases become so distant from their roots as to be unrecognizable. The example he used was the Amana brand of [...] -More-
Flagship stores tend to be characterized by cutting-edge creativity, soup-to-nuts assortments, and wow-factor fripperies that reinforce the brand like nothing else can. That’s why they will remain an irresistible option for retailers, even as they shift toward small formats in order to build scale. Manhattan remains a flagship mecca for retailers such as Aeropostale, with [...] -More-
I had the pleasure of speaking with Rick Darling, president of LF USA, following his terrific keynote presentation at the International Licensing Expo in June. LF USA is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-headquartered Li & Fung Limited, the multinational consumer goods export and logistics group. Darling oversees LF USA’s rapidly expanding business in the U.S., [...] -More-
I had the pleasure of speaking with Rick Darling, president of LF USA, following his terrific keynote presentation at the International Licensing Expo. LF USA is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-headquartered Li & Fung Limited, the multinational consumer goods export and logistics group. Darling oversees LF USA’s rapidly expanding business in the U.S., where its [...] -More-
How do you add value to a retailer who is already designing, developing, and building a supply chain on an almost direct basis? As a member of last June’s Licensing Expo keynote panel, Rick Darling, president of LF USA, identified this conundrum as one of his organization’s significant challenges. At that time, designing and developing [...] -More-
Last week, the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children — which includes representatives of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — held a public hearing into its proposals that would guide food companies in their marketing efforts toward [...] -More-
What do Best Buy, J.C. Penney, and Walmart have in common? For starters, all are among the directional retailers that we have selected as stops on this year’s LIMA retail safari, which will immediately follow my presentation on the State of U.S. Retail, at the 2011 International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on Sunday, June [...] -More-
Ah! Battersea! Rolls off the tongue just as well as Westminster, or Bloomsbury. Is it Battersea, though, and not Wandsworth ( really )? Whatever, I’m standing on the 13th floor of the Hotel Verta, overlooking the River Thames, in late February, and I’m wondering if I can persuade one hundred-plus LIMA members to come out [...] -More-
The recently-released April retail sales figures for the 25 retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters showed an 8.9% gain in same-store sales for stores open more than a year, which is the best performance since March 2010. Profits at America’s biggest corporations are running 26% higher than they were a year ago, and are on track [...] -More-
“I don’t believe that if you are going to build a long-term sustainable brand that you can chop up every component part and expect everyone to have a perfect P&L. It just does not work that way.” It would be easy to dismiss a sentiment, like the one posted above, as flippant or even out [...] -More-
(12-bar in E) Way down in South West one, that big house lit up fine Said way down in SW1, baby, folks are waitin’ for party time Surely I can’t be the only one, got something on my mind In every corner of every store, honey, Royal wedding gifts ain’t worth a dime Man [...] -More-
Wall Street analysts are giddy anticipating the next wave of retail mergers, acquisitions, and buyouts. After a brutal couple of years in retail, money is cheap as the Fed attempts to spark economic recovery with lower interest rates. War chests are deep as lean-running companies make acquisition opportunism a top priority. Recent deals, such as [...] -More-
“How many stores did we get?” That’s a question I got used to asking back in my supplier days; the answers were often thrilling because store counts escalated into the thousands for the first time in history while, at the same time, all-store buys remained the industry standard. At one point, I was managing key [...] -More-
The following comes from Fumihiko “Pochi” Kusama, Managing Director of LIMA Japan, and Roger Berman, Advisor Dear fellow LIMA members and global licensing industry colleagues, At this time of writing (Saturday 19th March), just over one week has passed since the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake struck Japan at 14:46 local time on Friday, 11 March 2011. [...] -More-
Over the past couple of years, I’ve contended that transparency would be the next game-changer for retailers and brands, and the latest surge of show-and-tell schemes certainly bears that out. How is the licensing community responding? A new wave of open-door regulation in retail (both self-directed and imposed), begs licensors and licensees to incorporate regulatory [...] -More-
I’ve often heard discussions of instances when sponsorship and licensing butted heads, but had never really been conscious of running into one as a consumer. Then came my journey to Brand Licensing Central & Eastern Europe earlier this month. I was passing through Heathrow airport, including killing some time in the still gleaming Terminal 5 [...] -More-
Over the past decade, many retailers have set their sights on centralization, aiming to speed up trend and markdown reaction, achieve greater efficiency of scale, and maintain brand and assortment consistency. Although slow to embrace the shift to centralization, J.C. Penney took the plunge in the early 2000’s, abolishing its store-level buying structure under growing [...] -More-
Corporate brand licensing has already taken off in Asia, with a number of Western brands realizing remarkable success. But in contrast to many highly acclaimed licensing deals, there are numerous spectacular failures. As a brand licensor, you need to understand some of the key differences in licensing practices in Asia versus the West, and adapt your licensing strategy accordingly. -More-
“Our intent is to own outright the strategic territory of ‘well,’ where health and happiness meet.” This ambitious quote may seem well-suited to a chain of clinics, or, even, to an insurance company, but, it actually came last month from Greg Wasson, CEO of Walgreen Co., when he addressed the company’s shareholders. Walgreens is in [...] -More-
This month, Dressbarn, which operates over 2,400 stores under the Dressbarn, Justice, and Maurice’s monikers, changed its name to Ascena Retail Group since, according to CEO David Jaffe, Dress Barn bas become “a fundamentally different company that extends well beyond the original Dressbarn concept and brand.” In their 2010 annual report released this month, the [...] -More-
Well, we do at LIMA anyway. As many of you will know, I consider it a vital part of our work here at LIMA UK to get the word on licensing out to the wider business community. Although we can justifiably claim that licensing is a significant industry, we also must acknowledge that we don’t [...] -More-
“We decided that we are a retailer and we can sell anything.” That seemingly straightforward statement by Andrew Higginson, Tesco’s Chief Executive of Retailing Services and Group Strategy, seemed to raise few eyebrows among attendees at this month’s “Big Show” staged by the National Retail Federation (NRF), but it grabbed my attention because it perfectly describes a mind shift that is transforming retail as we know it. -More-
In an Oracle-sponsored presentation that centered on how technology was being used to both enhance the customer experience as well as improve productivity of its newest Disney Store design, Disney’s Stephen Finney offered a basic rationale to answer a basic question: Why would Disney “take on the business risk associated with running a global specialty [...] -More-
Among the overarching themes we encountered during this week’s annual convention of the National Retail Federation in New York were the globalization of retail, retailers’ desire to make themselves into brands as important as those on the products they carry, and the overwhelming role that technology is playing in the sector. The trade show portion [...] -More-
During my early years in licensing the first week of January meant one thing and one thing only: getting ready for Harrogate. This esteemed and historic UK toy fair was seemingly an institution, with all the major toy companies, British and international, exhibiting in this genteel spa town in Yorkshire. The Harrogate fair still continues [...] -More-
Over the past several years, the major U.S. sports leagues have become increasingly adept at creating and leveraging “hot market” licensing and merchandising opportunities. For example, though the news release is bereft of actual sales figures, the National Hockey League is crowing over growth of merchandise sales at the recent Winter Classic (the annual outdoor [...] -More-
As I’m faced by a last day’s endeavours before the Christmas break, I wonder has there been anything different about advent this year? I reckon that for the first time I’ve received far more electronic Christmas cards than printed cards. Some plain and simple, a few with bells and whistles, although the latter are now [...] -More-
While merchandise licensing in India is still in a “nascent” stage – to use a phrase heard repeatedly during the two-day Brand Licensing India conference in Delhi this past weekend – the attendance at the conference and the presentations by local retail, manufacturing and licensing executives portend a bright future for the business there. (LIMA [...] -More-
I’m in the midst of a series of visits to shows and conferences in markets where the licensing business is still relatively undeveloped. In recent weeks, that’s included a trip to Zagreb, Croatia for Licensing New Europe, and to Dubai for the Dubai International Character and Licensing Fair. On December 11-12, it will be Brand [...] -More-
It was with some trepidation that Saphia and I arrived at Centre Point at 7.30 am on a sub-zero morning last Thursday, ready to set up for the Licensing Essentials Course. Trepidation due to the harsh weather, that’s to say. With the best part of a week’s worth of snow in the UK, up to [...] -More-
A sharp-eared friend heard one of my rare appearances on the radio yesterday. Last summer I was asked to contribute to a Radio 4 programme about Calvin and Hobbes, the famous syndicated cartoon strip. The show was presented by UK comedian Phil Jupitus, who is a big fan of the strip. The reason I was [...] -More-
I just finished moderating a really good LIMA webinar, with Will Thompson of Changes Inc. and Rick Mallow of Making Connections offering their perspectives on how licensees evaluate licenses -- and the companies that own them. -More-
In addition to brand owners, manufacturers and agents, LIMA Germany's annual Licensing Market in Munich last week drew an impressive array of key retailers. The day was capped off by the presentation of the LIMA Germany 2010 Awards at a gala evening networking event. -More-
Getting back last night after BLE 2010, for once I was grateful to be arriving at an empty house. With my family all away on sundry musical/business and educational missions, only my ageing cat, Alice, was around. Alice, being a typical feline, is far too wise to expend energy on conversation, so I was free [...] -More-
Last week, I stopped into the Hot Topic store in the spanking new Santa Monica Place shopping center in Southern California and noted an interesting pattern in the adult Halloween section. Virtually all the adult costumes were private label SKUs that verge on knock-offs of licensed properties ( i.e. “Miss Wonderland” that could be seen [...] -More-
The following also appears as a column in the Fall/Autumn issue of Total Licensing magazine, viewable at http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/d5f6ae6e ****** Years ago, I attended a business conference whose featured speaker was Alan Greenspan, best known recently as the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, a key economic policy-setting part of the U.S. government. When he [...] -More-
Thursday last saw the fifth annual Licensing Awards in London in the new format launched by the team at Max Publishing in 2006. The occasion lived up to all expectations with plenty of entertainment, from comedian Chris Addison to the plethora of special videos created by a variety of UK licensors and event sponsors. More [...] -More-
All licensing is built around emotion. A brand might evoke trust, nostalgia, ruggedness or some other property. A character might play on humor, cuteness or some other feeling. Sports licensing is built on team identification, the classic logo, or maybe commemoration of an achievement. -More-
Yogi Berra – the Hall of Fame baseball player perhaps better known for his alleged malaprops than for his considerable playing skills – was once quoted as having said about a restaurant: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s always too crowded.” The irony of that remark popped into my mind over the past week whenever anybody [...] -More-
It says a lot about Lois Sloane that she chose to name her agency SloaneVision Unlimited. As a creative thinker and marketer, her vision wasn’t limited to replicating that which had come before, but rather moved well — to use a tired but appropriate phrase — outside the box. It was apparent by the large [...] -More-
I attended and spoke at a two-day Brand Licensing and Merchandising Show, staged earlier this month in New Delhi by License India. Licensing is still a relatively small business in India, and this event – more workshop and seminar than show — is one of many being assembled by License India in Delhi, Mumbai and [...] -More-
The Toy Industry Association sent an alert to its NY-based members this week, asking them to contact City Council members urging defeat of a bill that would ban the use of phthalates and BPA in toys sold in New York City. The text of the TIA alert is reproduced below: Dear New York City Toy [...] -More-
Today’s announcement that Macy’s has become the exclusive U.S. department store retailer of Sean John men’s sportswear is only the latest in a long line of retailer moves that is having a profound effect on the licensing business. In a phased rollout beginning in Spring 2011, Macy’s and macys.com will be the only retailers selling [...] -More-
This morning’s announcement of the purchase of the Peanuts characters and United Media Licensing by a joint venture formed by the heretofore fashion-centric Iconix Brand Group and the family of Peanuts icon Charles Schulz is indeed a stunner. There have been many rumored suitors since UM parent E.W. Scripps announced earlier this year that it [...] -More-
I spent an interesting afternoon last week listening to Michael Stone’s guest lecture to 35 students in an MBA class at Boston University. The 90-minute lecture – initiated via an initial contact by LIMA — was part of a branding course taught by Associate Professor Susan Fournier. Interestingly, Stone’s opening thesis didn’t present licensing overtly [...] -More-
Just back from a hastily re-arranged trip to Bologna. Hastily re-arranged courtesy of the British Airways cabin-crew strike, but rearranged in different ways, too. I’ve been a regular visitor to Bologna in early spring since 1981, to the long-standing Children’s Book Fair. Publishing is a core activity for licensing, of course, and anyone in children’s [...] -More-
The inaugural Brand Licensing Central & Eastern Europe earlier this week had a good buzz about it for its two-day run in Budapest. Though their goals coming into the show varied -– some were looking primarily to find new licensees, others more to cement and enhance existing relationships – the 18 exhibitors seemed by and [...] -More-
U.S. media company EW Scripps said Tuesday announced that it’s “exploring strategic options for United Media Licensing, the wholly owned character licensing operation of United Media. Among the possible outcomes of the exploratory process are a sale or joint venture involving all or part of United Media Licensing. Another option is to keep operating the business [...] -More-
Rick Isaacson, one of the true “characters” of the licensing business, who was a key builder of the sports licensing business as one of the earliest and longest-tenured employees of IMG, died over the weekend after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Rick was a valued friend, source, sounding post for me and many others [...] -More-
File this under “Just when you thought you’d seen everything involving rights issues…” Washingtonpost.com this morning has an article a suit filed ni France by infamous terrorist Carlos the Jackal to protect his image’s use in a documentary on his life. Read it at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/25/AR2010012503690.html?hpid=moreheadlines -More-
Ran into an unexpected licensing application during a trip through Mattel’s pre-Toy Fair sneak preview. Under its Radica brand, the company this fall will introduce Twitter-licensed “Puppy Tweets” — a system that includes an electronic tag to be hung from a dog’s collar, a USB receiver, and a software download. Create a Twitter™ account for [...] -More-
I’ve recently returned from India where I chaired the second annual Brand Licensing Conference in Delhi. As in all sectors of business, licensing looks upon India and its sensational economic growth with ambitious eyes. The large middle class, the high level of graduate education, the improving retail environment, all make for a heady mix to [...] -More-
“Anyone who hasn’t been thinking of their licensing business in global terms is in trouble.” That statement by a U.S.-based licensing agent is both a comment on the state of the U.S. retail scene in 2009, as well as an acknowledgement about where the biggest growth is likely to come from in the years ahead. [...] -More-
Speculation of about a possible purchase of Playboy by Iconix Brand Group – owner of such fashion brands as Ecko unltd, London Fog, Joe Boxer, and Starter — spotlights the vibrancy of strategic brand licensing as an important business model. Iconix’ interest in Playboy stems from its value as a lifestyle brand, not as the [...] -More-
The fact that the third quarter numbers published earlier this week by NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Ltd and Enterbrain showed a decline in unit sales of videogame software couldn’t have surprised anyone vaguely familiar with the category. In Japan, unit sales were off 15% from the year-earlier period (which itself was off 20% from the [...] -More-
Just in case you’ve missed our emails… Mark your calendar to come hear Dan Stanek, EVP of consulting group TNS Retail Forward in the first-ever FREE Keynote Session at Licensing Expo. Dan’s a dynamic speaker, and will address the ongoing shifts in consumer attitudes and shopping patterns, and give insights into which of those shifts [...] -More-
The sometimes uneasy relationship between promotions and consumer products licensing hits the headlines again. Two years after laying off the vast majority of its consumer products licensing business to The Beanstalk Group, Universal Studios is bringing it back inhouse, creating Universal Partnerships and Licensing (UP&L). The move brings product licensing into the orbit of Stephanie [...] -More-
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