Some licensed product packaging programs are underachievers. They consist of very little in terms of package design assets and they offer very little direction with regard to standardization. The licensed brand owner doesn’t give packaging much thought or concern because they’re extremely product-focused. And they don’t realize … Read More
As the purpose and functionality of a licensing program style guide evolve to better serve both licensed brand owners and licensee partners, we see a shift in the questions we’re asked most often by our clients. Their questions shed light on the challenges they’re facing as the … Read More
Angry Birds are finally flying high in the real world thanks to the brand licensing partnership between Rovio and Capsule Skateboards. The collection includes seven different gnarly skate deck designs across five explorer boards and two cruiser boards, which are all inspired by the Angry Birds mobile … Read More
When consumers make purchases in retail environments, they're usually making up their minds in as little 10 to 20 seconds – according to research conducted by consumer behavior experts. They also ignore up to 2/3 of competitive products in the process. These statistics show just how difficult … Read More
Licensed products always get into trouble if they're not performing well. Even more so now, as retailers have become more discerning with regard to the brands they'll purchase for their store shelves. This got me thinking about more than the design development work we do for our toy … Read More
Although there are anniversary celebrations for licensed brands every year, there seems to be an exorbitant number of brands hitting major milestones of late. And many seem to be happening next year – enough to prompt Licensing International to refer to 2023 as the “Year of the … Read More
One thing I could never overemphasize is the importance of establishing a perfect fit between licensed brand and licensee partner. Every licensed brand owner should pursue “perfect fits” rather than granting a license to anyone who would be willing to enter into an agreement and emblazon their … Read More
As Hasbro continues blazing the path of sustainability by eliminating all plastic components from their toy packaging by the end of 2022, it’s interesting to see the innovative solutions that they’ve instituted to replace a broad variety of structural configurations that relied heavily on blisters and acetate … Read More
Two of my favorite brands, Vans and Crayola, have come together yet again for what I refer to as a “perfect fit” colab. Twelve years after their first partnership, the brands are getting back together with the much bigger and more explosively-colorful Vans x Crayola Capsule Collection. … Read More
If you’ve been in the toy industry for as long as I have, you have fond memories of the glory days of NY Toy Fair… the incomparable human traffic jam at the front doors of 200 5th Avenue (aka the International Toy Center, which we lovingly referred … Read More
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