The Licensing Letter

Celebrity

To Sell Shark Tank Goods, Cuban Makes Bet on
E-Commerce

Celebrity entrepreneur Mark Cuban is making a new investment in e-commerce, the fastest growing retail channel for licensed goods. Cuban's eponymous Mark Cuban Collection of products featured on the TV show Shark Tank debuted June 1 on Amazon.com, forgoing Walmart, Target and other large retailers. The Mark Cuban Collection is in the Amazon Exclusives store, which stocks … [Read more...] about To Sell Shark Tank Goods, Cuban Makes Bet on
E-Commerce

Rihanna Shows Strength for Puma, Foot Locker

By Marcy Magiera In the competitive world of licensed athletic gear, pop singer and fashion icon Rihanna is riding the demand for athleisure apparel to go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest athletes in the NBA. Athletic retailer Foot Locker on Friday posted its highest quarterly net income ($191 million, up 3.8%) and earnings per share ($1.39) in the company's history, but … [Read more...] about Rihanna Shows Strength for Puma, Foot Locker

Are Celebrity Chefs the Next Wave in Marijuana Branding?

Celebrities have been quick to seize the branding opportunities offered by the $2.7 billion legal marijuana industry. But up to now, most of the celebrity branding deals have involved maverick musicians like Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and other rappers. (See TLL's live chart of celebrities that have lent their names to a marijuana brand.) But a new kind of celebrity … [Read more...] about Are Celebrity Chefs the Next Wave in Marijuana Branding?

Male Celebrities to Bolster H&B

As licensed sales of health and beauty products are flagging (according to The Licensing Letter’s Annual Licensing Business Survey, licensed sales were flat at 0.1% in 2015), men’s products are proving to be a silver lining as one of the fastest growing markets. Former England, Real Madrid and Manchester United star David Beckham, in a deal negotiated with Seven Global, is now … [Read more...] about Male Celebrities to Bolster H&B

Lady Gaga and Elton John Become the Latest to Launch a Macy’s Exclusive

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. Limited-edition celebrity lines are an old hat for Macy's. But the upcoming Love Bravery line set to debut at 150 stores next week is a bit different. The exclusive apparel and accessories collection comes from not one, but two, slightly offbeat celebs who don't normally do many of these deals—Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John. Love Bravery is also a … [Read more...] about Lady Gaga and Elton John Become the Latest to Launch a Macy’s Exclusive

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

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

Licensed Housewares at IHHS

Retail sales of licensed housewares goods in the U.S. and Canada grew a 1.5% in 2015 after a flat perfomance in 2014, according to The Licensing Letter’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. And as consumer confidence in the economy grows, sales are only expected to increase. The International Home + Housewares Show (IHHS) in Chicago offers a glimpse of licensing activity in … [Read more...] about Licensed Housewares at IHHS

Freshness Eludes Celebrity Scents

By Marcy Magiera Despite a small rush of celebrity-licensed fragrances introduced to retail in the late summer and fall, the category still smells off, with marketers Elizabeth Arden, Coty and Parlux all reporting recent sales declines as a result of soft demand for mass market scents. Elizabeth Arden reported earlier this month that sales for its fiscal second quarter, ended … [Read more...] about Freshness Eludes Celebrity Scents