By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
The McIlhenny Company has appointed IMG as its global licensing agency for its Tabasco hot sauce brand.
A subsidiary of Endeavor, IMG is a global company that provides a wide range of services for the sports, entertainment and licensing industries.
Its offered services include brand management, event organization, licensing representation, multi-channel content production and more.
As part of the multi-year agreement, IMG will leverage its global network of licensing partners to develop a range of Tabasco branded food and lifestyle collaborations.
“IMG will bring its signature mix of global strategy and local expertise to leverage the power of the Tabasco Brand into untapped product and service categories to help create new and meaningful connection points with our fans,” said McIlhenny Company CMO, Lee Susen. “We believe IMG will help us unlock new ways to engage Tabasco Sauce lovers worldwide and we are very excited to welcome them to Team Tabasco.”
Tabasco is an American hot sauce brand that has been manufactured by the family-owned McIlhenny Company since 1868.
Since its initial creation, the Tabasco brand has expanded to include nine different hot sauce varieties that are available in nearly 200 countries and territories worldwide.
“Food and flavor have the ability to invoke strong human emotions and make powerful connections, as seen by the universal appeal and strong loyalty of the Tabasco Brand,” said IMG SVP, Ricky Yoselevitz. “We are excited to help people truly embrace the Tabasco Brand lifestyle by weaving these well-loved flavors and iconography into authentic new products and experiences.”
IMG intends to develop an extensive global licensing program for the Tabasco brand that includes co-branded consumer products, promotions, and experiential offerings.
The Tabasco brand’s range of hot pepper sauces currently includes Tabasco Original Red sauce, Tabasco Jalapeño sauce, Tabasco Chipotle sauce, Tabasco Sweet & Spicy sauce, Tabasco Cayenne Garlic sauce, Tabasco Sriracha, Tabasco Habanero sauce, and Tabasco Scorpion sauce.