Royalties on licensed retail goods in U.S. and Canada in 2014 represented the picture of longterm stability, capping a decade-long trend of little to no movement. The average royalty in 2014 was 8.68%, compared to 8.67% in 2013, a change of just 0.01%. Since 2005, the average royalty rate across property types and product categories has been in the 8.6% to 8.8% range. More … [Read more...] about Average Royalty Rates in U.S. & Canada Steady for Decade; Entertainment Fees Climb, Guarantees & Advances Flat
Articles
Who’s News
Anne Globe is the new chief marketing officer for Skydance Productions and will head up marketing, publicity, licensing and promotion of the five-year-old companies brands including 2015 releases “Terminator: Genisys” and “Mission: Impossible 5.”Brand Central promotes two key employees: Jodi Bogdanoff to vice president of licensing responsible for overseeing the agency’s food … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Single-Serving Products Make Coffee Rich Ground for Licensing
Two decades ago, Keurig Green Mountain introduced the world to its patented K-cup single brewing system. Coffee consumption would never be the same. Soon "K-cup" had become a generic term, and the communal pot of coffee for office or home consumption became an endangered species—at least in wealthy parts of the world like North America and Europe where consumers could afford … [Read more...] about Single-Serving Products Make Coffee Rich Ground for Licensing
Licensing Silver Lining for DreamWorks
Consumer products licensing was the bright spot in a challenging 2014 for DreamWorks Animation, which saw its films Penguins of Madagascar and Mr. Peabody and Sherman under-perform in theaters. Consumer product revenue rose 77.5% to $22.1 million in the fourth quarter, while segment gross profit rose to $6.1 million due to higher sales of the studio’s merchandise, … [Read more...] about Licensing Silver Lining for DreamWorks
Adidas Sells More, Makes Less
The good news for Adidas is that sales of brand products in the fourth quarter increased 11% thanks to double-digit sales growth in the sport performance training and running categories. Adidas Originals and Adidas NEO product sales also jumped more than 10% during the quarter. Reebok sales grew by a more modest 1%. Overall, Adidas’s sales for the year are up by 6%. The bad … [Read more...] about Adidas Sells More, Makes Less
Left Shark Hits Shelves
Less than a month after her attorneys put Shapeways’s unlicensed Left Shark figurines out of business, Katy Perry (Bravado Intl. Group Merchandising Services) has launched her own, official products featuring the choreographically clutzy fish that became an instant Internet sensation during the Super Bowl halftime show. There are two official Left Shark offerings: a print … [Read more...] about Left Shark Hits Shelves
Retail Sales of Licensed Goods in U.S./Canada Grow 2.5% in 2014: Entertainment, Sports, Food Make Biggest Gains
Retail sales of licensed goods in the U.S. and Canada reached $99.9 billion in 2014, according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. That's a 2.5% increase over the $97.5 billion in retail licensed goods sales generated in 2013. 2014 is the fourth positive growth year in a row for the licensing business in the U.S. and Canada. The 2.5% rate of increase in … [Read more...] about Retail Sales of Licensed Goods in U.S./Canada Grow 2.5% in 2014: Entertainment, Sports, Food Make Biggest Gains
Disney Goes 4D
Disney and children’s publisher Bendon have teamed up to bring coloring books to life via new 4D technology. The Disney Color and Play app allows Disney characters to jump off the pages of the Bendon coloring books and into the kid’s iPad. Kids can also use the app to turn their own drawings into jigsaw puzzles. … [Read more...] about Disney Goes 4D
Fifty Shades of Green
Lingerie company Bluebella had never done a licensing deal before deciding to make a pitch for Fifty Shades of Grey lingerie. They got the license and created two lines: The F&F featuring soft pinks and silk trims for the mainstream play on the conventional love story part of the plot; The bondage-inspired Black Label line pick up on the story’s kinky side. Both … [Read more...] about Fifty Shades of Green
Ninja Turtles Tops $1 Billions
Global retail sales of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exceeded $1 billion in 2014, according to a Viacom International Media Networks executive at a Nickelodeon-Viacom Australian media event. “Turtles are a bigger consumer products success story than we ever imagined,” said the exec. The company also has aggressive plans to keep Turtles momentum alive in 2016, including a second … [Read more...] about Ninja Turtles Tops $1 Billions