The Licensing Letter

Articles

Branded Weed in Full Bloom

2016 may be the year the market for celebrity licensed marijuana products finally takes off. Marley Natural, the official Bob Marley cannabis brand, went on sale in California in February, with plans to expand to other U.S. states where cannabis is legal in 2016 and internationally in 2017. Whoopi Goldberg's Whoopi & Maya brand, a line of cannabis products created to … [Read more...] about Branded Weed in Full Bloom

Gender Gap in Licensing? Don’t Count on It

The following is an excerpt from TLL’s feature story on compensation. See the complete run-down here, including job satisfaction, hours worked and breakdowns by title. By Karina Masolova. According to respondents to The Licensing Letter’s 2016 Salary Survey, all is well for gender parity in licensing. Industry men and women work the same hours and draw the same paycheck, after … [Read more...] about Gender Gap in Licensing? Don’t Count on It

Mergers, Acquisitions, Partnerships and Something New

Banijay and Zodiak Media unite their complementary catalogues and production units. Stéphane Courbit is named Chairman and Marco Bassetti is appointed CEO of the new Banijay Group. Leading formats and shows include Versailles, The Secret Life of Four Year Olds, Temptation Island, Popstars, Beat Your Host, 71 Degrees North, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Fort Boyard, Making of … [Read more...] about Mergers, Acquisitions, Partnerships and Something New

Trends in Sports Licensing: Women, New Models and Hot Markets

The following is an excerpt from TLL’s feature story on sports licensing. See the complete run-down here, including breakdowns by league, product category and distribution channel. While the extent of growth in retail sales over the past two years (5% in 2014, 4.8% in 2015) may be a bit of an anomaly, the outlook of sports licensing is incredibly positive. The growing … [Read more...] about Trends in Sports Licensing: Women, New Models and Hot Markets

Who’s News

James Pitaro is now Chairman of Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media as Leslie Ferraro departs. Kirsten Fallon has been appointed as Director on the LMCA’s NY HQ staff. VIMN promotes Claire O'Connor to VP Consumer Products in Asia, Australia and New Zealand Xilam grows with Marie-Laure Marchand, who will head up global consumer products at the French animation … [Read more...] about Who’s News

4.8% Growth in Retail Sales of Sports-Licensed Goods in 2015: Stellar Years for MLB, NBA, NASCAR and MLS

No Olympics? No problem. Sports licensing still thrived in 2015 at just below $14.8 billion in U.S./Canada sales, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. For the second year in a row, sports outperformed every other sector with the exception of entertainment. Its 4.8% increase was double U.S. GDP growth (2.6%) and easily exceeded the 3.6% overall industry-wide … [Read more...] about 4.8% Growth in Retail Sales of Sports-Licensed Goods in 2015: Stellar Years for MLB, NBA, NASCAR and MLS

Video Game-based Merchandise Back on Track

This year video game/interactive/online-based merchandise turned around from a 4% loss in retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2014 to a 2% gain for 2015 according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Business Survey. The category has begun to recover from the sharp decline caused by Angry Birds, which made up the bulk of sales in the sector. Growth came from the resurgence of … [Read more...] about Video Game-based Merchandise Back on Track

Turtles Toys Twice as Big as 2014

Licensed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures from Playmates were the top toy of 2014, according to The NPD Group, when the last franchise feature film was in theaters. In an effort to build on that success, the toy lines for this year's TMNT: Out of the Shadows are expected to be twice as big, sources recently told TLL. Nickelodeon last week announced lines from Playmates … [Read more...] about Turtles Toys Twice as Big as 2014

Giorgio Armani Becomes Latest High Profile Fashion Designer to Go Fur Free

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. Respondents to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey have waxed poetic about the need for personal connection between brand and customer for years. But while the objective remains the same, the tactics are changing. Forging personal connections now requires engagement at the community level. "Today's consumer judges brands not just by quality but the … [Read more...] about Giorgio Armani Becomes Latest High Profile Fashion Designer to Go Fur Free

Emily Weiss Gives Beauty a Millennial Makeover

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. Unless you're a close follower of the beauty market, this week's launch of the Glossier (pronounced "glossy AY," as in "dossier") Phase 2 Set might have escaped your notice. But while the new makeup set is no game changer, Emily Weiss, the persona behind the Glossier brand is. Weiss and the digital company she founded three years ago are in many ways the … [Read more...] about Emily Weiss Gives Beauty a Millennial Makeover