Are you hiring—or being promoted, changing jobs, retiring, launching a new company, or otherwise changing your employment? Email Jen at jen@plainlanguagemedia.com and we'll announce the news in our next issue of Who's News. Mark Kingston is promoted to SVP Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products. Mark will be based in London, reporting to CMO Pam Kaufman. In … [Read more...] about Who’s News—1/29/2018
Disney
Experiential Licensing: Targeting Travelers
Globally, the fastest-growing consumer segments are spenders hailing from Asia and, more generally, Millennials. These two cohorts are more likely then ever to spend money on an experience, rather than on some consumer good. According to Expedia’s 2018 Air Travel Outlook Report, for example, 74% of 18–65 year-olds would rather spend their money on experiences than possessions, … [Read more...] about Experiential Licensing: Targeting Travelers
Who’s News — 1/8/2018
Are you hiring—or being promoted, changing jobs, retiring, launching a new company, or otherwise changing your employment? Email Jen at jen@plainlanguagemedia.com and we'll announce the news in our next issue of Who's News. Wicked Cool Toys hires Herb Mitschele as EVP Global Sales & Operations Warner Bros. appoints Walter Hamada as President of its DC-based film … [Read more...] about Who’s News — 1/8/2018
46 Properties Make the $100+ Million Ent/Char List in 2016
Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com A grand total of 46 properties made the $100 million entertainment/character list for 2016 retail sales, with five new faces joining the pack. See the complete list here. All in all, the top properties generated $43 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise worldwide. Globally, that marks a $2 billion increase compared to … [Read more...] about 46 Properties Make the $100+ Million Ent/Char List in 2016
$100 Million Superhero Brands Grow 15% in 2016
Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com While the average $100 million entertainment/character brand grew 8% in U.S./Canada retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2016, superhero brands grew by nearly 15% from the previous year. See the complete list here. The top four superhero brands by retail sales in the U.S./Canada made up almost 11% of the $100 million list's … [Read more...] about $100 Million Superhero Brands Grow 15% in 2016
Roundup: Robotics, Video Games, and the IoT
By: Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Lucasfilm gathered Facebook, Fitbit, Industrial Light & Magic, Instagram, Twitter, and Google together to inspire the next generation of inventors at the first-ever Droidathon, an invention competition running from Nov. 15–Jan. 10. Using the littleBits Droid Inventor Kit as a starting point, teams of kid engineers, … [Read more...] about Roundup: Robotics, Video Games, and the IoT
In & Around 34th Street
By: Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com I try to trek down to 34th St. Herald Square, in central New York City, every once in a while. As we enter the holiday shopping season, there were some interesting licensed retail activities in and around town. The newest addition to Herald Square is the Build a Bear Workshop. The central attraction is the retailer's three … [Read more...] about In & Around 34th Street
Entertainment/Character Roundup
Disney's Star Wars will see a new film trilogy from The Last Jedi frontman Rian Johnson, separate from the episodic Skywalker saga. The media giant is also planning a new live-action Star Wars TV series for its SVOD service to launch in 2019. Also headed to SVOD are original TV series adaptations of Pixar’s Monsters Inc., Disney Channel’s High School Musical franchise, and … [Read more...] about Entertainment/Character Roundup
New Film & Media
Hasbro signs a new 5 year exclusive deal for movie and television development with Paramount. The development will be done by Hasbro’s newly organized Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, with Paramount distributing the films and TV series developed. The two companies have previously collaborated on five Transformers and two G.I. Joe films. Fox Animation acquires the … [Read more...] about New Film & Media
Experiential & Social Activations
Hasbro and Cityneon bring interactive exhibition Transformers Autobot Alliance to China in December 2017. The launch follows years of R&D—the walk-through exhibit is the first of its kind to showcase the larger-than-life robots, as well as special effects, reflex tests, virtual reality, motion sensing, and other features surrounding the Transformers brand. It will debut in … [Read more...] about Experiential & Social Activations