The Licensing Letter

Celebrity

Is Rachael Ray the Next Big Celebrity Lifestyle Brand?

By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. POP QUIZ "I'm not an interior designer. But I've developed my own take on all things home and creating a [home furnishings] collection that represents my daily life is a natural evolution for my lifestyle brand." Question Which celebrity said this?   Taylor Swift Jessica Alba Reese Witherspoon Gwyneth Paltrow None of the above Answer None of … [Read more...] about Is Rachael Ray the Next Big Celebrity Lifestyle Brand?

Six New Streaming Shows with Licensing Potential

News of new kids' TV distribution deals made by Netflix and Amazon last week drove home a discussion we have increasingly been having with licensing executives about the ability of digital platforms to launch new properties (as well as boost business for existing brands). While hard data showing a positive causal relationship between viewership on digital platforms and … [Read more...] about Six New Streaming Shows with Licensing Potential

As Pet Pampering Grows, Licensing Goes to the Dogs

By Marcy Magiera For evidence of Americans' preoccupation with their pets, look no further than Super Bowl Sunday, when Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl XII (in VR, no less) and Hallmark Channel's Kitten Bowl III will fill the hours leading up to the main gridiron event. Or the fact that a Petco survey during the fourth quarter showed that 82% of respondents intended to … [Read more...] about As Pet Pampering Grows, Licensing Goes to the Dogs

Licensing for Mobile Games Opens Up to New Players

The mobile game licensing paradigm is changing. Although powerful gaming apps like Angry Birds still rule the roost, new players are getting into the game—not just licensees who turn digital properties into non-digital products but also licensors who license their own property for apps and mobile games. While retail sales of licensed video games/software fell -26.4% to $2.93 … [Read more...] about Licensing for Mobile Games Opens Up to New Players

Visions of the Future from Stream Con

By Karina Masolova This Halloween weekend, New York saw its first digital content and creator convention, Stream Con NYC. The East Coast alternative to VidCon welcomed thousands of digital content fans, creators and professionals as they negotiated the future of branding and content consumption—and, of course, the implications for licensing. Celebrities from social media, and … [Read more...] about Visions of the Future from Stream Con

Social Media Ledger

By Karina Masolova At Brand Licensing Europe, keynote speaker Cassey Ho outlined the history behind her successful merchandising program (over 200 SKUs available from her online store and speciality boutiques). Her key points for building a successful brand—staying true to oneself, listening to the fan community—ring true for all digital celebs TLL identified as licensing … [Read more...] about Social Media Ledger

Licensed Digital Celebrities

By Karina Masolova The licensing industry is looking towards digital celebrities as the new frontier. For the first time, a YouTube celebrity is set to lead the keynote address at Brand Licensing Europe 2015 (BLE) on October 13, 2015. Fitness guru Cassey Ho will take the stage alongside YouTube's Global Head Top Creators, Benjamin Grubbs. You might recall that Grubbs had also … [Read more...] about Licensed Digital Celebrities

Philadelphia Flooded with Pope Products

By Marcy Magiera Updated Sept. 8, 2015 With less than three weeks until Pope Francis arrives on his first apostolic journey to the U.S., Philadelphia is reportedly becoming awash in papal products, both licensed and unlicensed. ‘Pope Rosary? Licensed. ‘Papal bobblehead? Licensed. ‘Pontiff wine glasses, Christmas ornaments, plush dolls, lifesize standees, etc.? All licensed. But … [Read more...] about Philadelphia Flooded with Pope Products