Licensed brands achieve greatness by design. Clear strategy, consistent brand management, implementable tactics, as well as stellar design make superstars among a sea of licensed properties that often fail to live up to expectations. Design is a crucial component of the marketing mix. It represents both art and … Read More
Experiential marketing is a tactic used by brands to appeal to consumers' senses to engage them more meaningfully. Experiential branding goes much deeper. It's a powerful differentiator, generating excitement and pleasure for consumers that lead to stronger brand preferences, purchases and loyalty. Entertainment brands are experiential by their … Read More
It's always exciting and challenging to work with any new consumer product brand or entertainment property, but for the owners of these brands, the learning curve can be a steep one. The first focus has to be on creating a unique brand and building equity from scratch, … Read More
There's no denying the value of establishing standardization for a well-designed consumer product style guide. It's essential to maintaining the property's visual aesthetic across all consumer products in every category. Without guidelines for standardization, each licensee would be free to develop their licensed products as they choose, … Read More
When I first met Steve Kaplan, it was clear to me that the man had a deep passion and conviction for the WAL, the acronym for his brainchild, the World Armwrestling League. I've been a diehard sports fan all my life. Being a native Philadelphian, it's difficult … Read More
In a conversation I had recently with a prospective client, I was asked what the potential revenue generation would be if they were to invest a particular dollar amount on a licensing program style guide for their brand. Initially, I found this inquiry to be peculiar. But, … Read More
Over the course of the past year, many of our most avid BOLT! readers who are our clients in the licensing industry have asked us if we would address some very specific topics related to style guide and packaging program development in future issues. It's great to … Read More
About a year ago, I wrote an article about the downfall of the consumer product style guide as a highly-immersive, printed masterpiece that stopped us in our tracks and commanded our attention. In the glory days of the printed style guide, its purpose was to deliver brand … Read More
The marketers of strong brands inevitably turn their attention to licensing. It's a natural progression of things. Usually, their focus is on building even more brand awareness, sales and profits. It might sound counterintuitive, but that shouldn't be their primary goal. Their thought processes should be on … Read More
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