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There's an interesting challenge that comes with building a successful licensed brand. The more successful the brand becomes, the more people begin designing for it. More licensees. More product categories. More retailers. More packaging formats. More designers interpreting the brand and looking for new ways to keep it … Read More

When brand owners sit down with prospective licensees, much of the conversation naturally centers around business. Categories. Territories. Distribution. Retail relationships. Royalties. Minimum guarantees. But there's another part of that conversation that I believe deserves a seat at the table. Design. A well-developed licensing style guide establishes a distinctive design … Read More

Walk through the aisles of almost any major retailer while looking for licensed products and you'll probably notice something interesting. Some licensed brands immediately command attention. Whether you're looking at toys, apparel, stationery, food or home décor, the products feel connected. They look like they belong together, even … Read More

Licensing can be one of the most effective ways for a brand to expand its reach, generate new revenue streams, and build long-term market presence. A successful licensing program allows a brand to enter new product categories, connect with new audiences, and create value through strategic partnerships. … Read More

For many licensed brand owners, the instinct is to keep design work in-house. This is understandable, since internal creative teams already understand the brand, know the stakeholders, and are deeply familiar with the company’s priorities. In many cases, that structure works well for campaign development, digital marketing, … Read More

If you’re responsible for a licensed brand, you’re not managing a static set of brand assets. You’re managing how that brand shows up across multiple product categories, through multiple partners, often all at once. This where things get complicated. The brand itself may already be well established, but … Read More

A style guide is one of the most important tools a licensed brand owner provides to its partners. It defines how the brand shows up across categories, channels, and product types. But unlike a static brand guide, a licensing style guide is constantly under pressure. New categories … Read More

If you manage a licensed brand, you have likely experienced this firsthand. You develop a well-conceived packaging program. You define the communication hierarchy to perfection. You establish its standardization guidelines. You create templates of a variety of packaging configurations. You explain how the package design system functions. … Read More

Licensed toy and entertainment products don’t fail at retail because the brand lacks recognition. They fail because the packaging fails to behave like a system. Retail buyers see this often. A strong licensed toy or entertainment brand is presented to them with products that look great individually, … Read More