By Marcy Magiera The Disney kingdom may have been started by a Mouse, but the biggest news out of the company's D23 fan convention suggests that the theme park realm is now steered by a more celestial Force. The Star Wars franchise, which will next blast into theaters Dec. 18 with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, took center stage at Disney's expo in Anaheim, … [Read more...] about The Force is Flowing to Disney Theme Parks
Experiential Licensing
Hello Kitty Hits the Road
Hello Kitty, one of the properties widely believed to have been squeezed by Frozen’s wild popularity in 2014, is taking to the road to defend her turf. The Sanrio property, an almost $4 billion globally licensed brand in 2013, is at the center of Hello Kitty’s Supercute Friendship Festival, the property’s first-ever North America touring show. The live entertainment show will … [Read more...] about Hello Kitty Hits the Road
Licensed Properties Steer Touring Shows
Experiential licensing is not limited to theme parks. Touring exhibitions and other location-based attractions can provide both revenue and ongoing exposure to build or maintain relationships with fans. For example, Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice, reportedly expects to sell more than three million tickets for the full run of its Frozen version of the ice show, … [Read more...] about Licensed Properties Steer Touring Shows
Licensing to Theme Parks Builds Revenue & Brand Exposure
One of the editors of The Licensing Letter was recently at a party on the Universal Studios backlot when some fellow guests began, by their own admission, to "geek out" over the distant spires of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is under construction for a planned opening next year. The attraction, based on the J.K. Rowling books and Warner Bros. movies, is expected … [Read more...] about Licensing to Theme Parks Builds Revenue & Brand Exposure
Pop Goes 24 Hour Fitness
Speaking of girl power, fitness maven Cassey Ho is the latest digital celebrity to heighten her profile through licensing. 24 Hour Fitness is working with the fitness instructor and YouTube personality to roll out her POP Pilates regimen in its fitness clubs nationally. Ho’s Blogilates claims to be the No. 1 female fitness channel on YouTube, with 2.1 million subscribers and … [Read more...] about Pop Goes 24 Hour Fitness
Harry Potter Drives Theme Park Profits
Universal Studios has ridden new Harry Potter attractions, like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which opened in Orlando last sum- mer, to increase its theme park profits 38%. Theme park revenues rose to $735 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to Comcast financial reports. … [Read more...] about Harry Potter Drives Theme Park Profits
Variations on a Retail Theme
Five years ago, Toys 'R' Us opened 350 holiday express pop-up stores during the fourth quarter. The program was vastly scaled back the following year and has pretty much disappeared. And while TRU wasn’t the first to implement a pop-up concept, its efforts in 2009 gave rise to a wide array of much smaller—often single-unit pop-ups—that have been as much about promotion as … [Read more...] about Variations on a Retail Theme