The Licensing Letter

Disney

Looking Back: A History of the $100M+ Entertainment/Character Brand List

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com As we update our annual list of entertainment/character properties that generate over $100 million in licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada, let's take a moment to look back through the history of the list and its major trends. Namely: The $100 million club is getting bigger, and The immense staying power of brands … [Read more...] about Looking Back: A History of the $100M+ Entertainment/Character Brand List

Who’s News — 10/10/2017

Disney's new President Business Operations EMEA is Rebecca Campbell, based in London. She replaces Diego Lerner, who is moving to Argentina and takes up an unspecified international role at the company. In the U.S., Disney Channel hires Dina Hillier as VP Original Series. Universal Brand Development welcomes Ben Braun as CFO to manage the financial planning and analytics team, … [Read more...] about Who’s News — 10/10/2017

A(nother) Note on Disney

Updated: 10/13/2017 By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com If we were to define one trend of consumer products licensing in the last decade or so, it's Disney's unparalled dominance. TLL estimates that Disney accounts for roughly half of all entertainment/character brand-based licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada, and a slightly larger share worldwide (less than … [Read more...] about A(nother) Note on Disney

Who’s News — 10/2/2017

Walt Disney Intl. appoints Rebecca Campbell to serve as President of its EMEA business. Alpha Group expands into Latin America with the new appointment of Jose Antonio Espinoza as Head of Latin America operations. Tracy Griffiths joins Golden Bear as a Licensing Consultant. Spin Master-owned Toca Boca's CEO, Bjorn Jeffery, steps down. The Stockholm-based children’s mobile … [Read more...] about Who’s News — 10/2/2017

The Future of Ecommerce is In-store

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com With traditional retail business models crashing down, and ecommerce on the rise, retailers will need the power of brands to thrive. Two dominant trends emerge when looking at the future of retail: retail-tainment and omnichannel. Despite the rise of ecommerce, shoppers still prefer to see, touch, and experience products. … [Read more...] about The Future of Ecommerce is In-store

Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The top toy lists from Toys 'R' Us, Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Kohl's are out! Just over one-third of the top toys of the holiday season are licensed offerings. This year, we've identified which toys are licensed, their respective manufacturer, and which are exclusive to the retailer. See the complete list below. In 2016, … [Read more...] about Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season

TRU’s Debt & Other Toy/Game News

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com In the face of a $400 million debt due in 2018, Toys 'R' Us has retained a law firm to help restructure its financial obligations. The toy retailer has not ruled out bankruptcy as part of its plan, and is also looking at obtaining additional financing. TRU is also continuing to work with financial advisory firm Lazard, which … [Read more...] about TRU’s Debt & Other Toy/Game News

The State of Licensing In Mobile

Sanrio and Bandai Namco Entertainment team up for Hello Kitty ♥ PAC-MAN, a mobile game app and a limited edition merchandise collection including t-shirts, caps, socks, tote bags, pins, and collectible figures. SEGA Networks and WWE partner for WWE Tap Mania, a worldwide mobile game app that features a roster of past and present WWE Superstars facing off in the ring in … [Read more...] about The State of Licensing In Mobile

M&A & New Media

Hasbro launches its first-ever subscription service in April with the Gaming Crate, priced at $49.99 per crate, plus shipping. Each box includes three curated games that are new to the Hasbro Gaming portfolio. The crates fall into two themes: Family, which offers games designed to be played together by kids and adults, and Party, which contains games geared towards adult game … [Read more...] about M&A & New Media