The Licensing Letter

Celebrity

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

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