The Licensing Letter

TLL

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

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

Menswear Thriving on E-commerce

Who would have guessed? The fastest growing category of e-commerce sales is menswear. According to the research firm IbisWorld, between 2010 to 2015, online sales of menswear grew an average 17% per year, highest of any category studied. Only seven other categories had double-digit average annual growth: Groceries: 16.7% Shoes: 13.6% Health products, vitamins, supplements: … [Read more...] about Menswear Thriving on E-commerce

Who Owns the Left Shark?

The loveable, rhythmically challenged “Left Shark” who stole the show during the Katy Perry Super Bowl halftime performance is at the center of a legal battle. Perry claims the dancing (and we use that term loosely) sea creature is her copyrighted intellectual property and sued Shapeways for selling Left Shark figurines without a license. Shapeways backed down but doll … [Read more...] about Who Owns the Left Shark?