Dew Tour Kicks Off in Ocean City, Maryland

Last week, the 2012 Dew Tour got underway with the Beach Championships in Ocean City, Maryland.  Highlights of this first tour stop included: the debut of three new events: BMX Mega 2.0, BMX Flatland and Skate Mega 2.0; six fan favorite events; a new larger arena and nine musical acts including Lupe Fiasco.

Coinciding with the beginning of the tour, Dew Tour skateboards hit Walmart stores nationwide on August 18th.  The skateboards feature a painted-dipped, 7-ply all Canadian Maple deck, seven speed bearings, alloy powder coated trucks, deluxe grip tape, and exclusive Dew Tour graphics.  The boards are a result of a licensing partnership with MotionTrendz/Ballard Pacific Resources brokered by The Joester Loria Group.

The Ocean City tour stop boasted a record setting 93,000 fans throughout the weekend!
For a complete recap of the tour and highlights, visit:
http://www.allisports.com/dew-tour/event/ocean-city-2012/news

Special congrats to our colleague and friend Chris Miller of Alli Sports on his Dew Tour Legends Jam win! To read more about his win, visit: http://www.allisports.com/dew-tour/event/ocean-city-2012/news/chris-miller-dominates-skate-bowl-legends-jam.

Discovery’s “Shark Week” Takes a Bite Out Of Pop Culture

In 1987 “Shark Week” began after a Discovery Channel brainstorming session with the goal of gaining more viewers.  Every time a shark program aired previously, the network, which was just two years old at the time, noticed an increase in ratings.  What no one predicted was a pop culture phenomenon would be born, attracting more than 20 million viewers each year.  Last year alone, 27 million people tuned in to get their dose of shark-themed programming.  “Shark Week” airs at the end of July, and attracts advertisers because of the younger audience it brings in.

As technology and science continue to advance, more and more knowledge about these fascinating creatures becomes available giving the network ongoing, fresh content.  During the 25 years of “Shark Week,” Discovery has aired 151 programs for viewers to chomp on.

In recognition of the 25^th Anniversary of Shark Week, a consumer products program was launched for the brand in 2012.  This year, a collection of t-shirts for men, women and children are available in-stores at national retailers and in 2013, a broader collection of product will be available in national chains and resort retailers.  In addition, you can find official Shark Week merchandise on Discovery’s Online Store

The Joester Loria Group is the exclusive licensing agency for  “Shark Week.”  It’s one of our favorite weeks of the year and for shark fin-atics out there we recommend following @sharkweek on Twitter for a daily dose of videos, facts, trivia and more.

AdAge recently covered the success and origins of “Shark Week” in its article How ‘Shark Week’ Went Rogue.

Debra Joester Joins K.I.D.S. and Operation Homefront, Tri-State to Deliver Back-to-School Apparel, Accessories and School Supplies

This past weekend, Debra Joester, President and CEO of The Joester Loria Group, participated in an event that provided back-to-school clothing to children of military families.  Debra is on the board of Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) a national non-profit organization, that teamed up with Operation Homefront, Tri-State.  As part of the partnership, apparel was supplied to four military bases in the Tri-State area.

On average, American families spend more than $400 on back-to-school essentials, and we are proud to be associated with an event that supports military families and acknowledges their sacrifice.

Olympic Aftermath: Turning Gold Medals into Endorsement Deals

Even though the Olympic games have come to an end, many of the Olympic medalists have lasting star power as potential brand ambassadors for a wide variety of brands. Our client Kellogg’s has already tapped the “Fierce Five” of the 2012 U.S. women’s gymnastics team to participate in their Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions that will visit 40 cities across the country starting in September. The Fierce Five will appear on the company’s cereal boxes and star gymnast, Gabby Douglas, will even appear on own box this Fall as part of her endorsement deal.

A recent Brandchannel article highlighted USA Gymnastics’ attempt to trademark the phrase “Fierce Five” in an effort to build a brand for the team. If they are successful in securing this trademark, the organization could stand make a large profit on any merchandise bearing this phrase.

The Brandchannel piece also discussed how Olympic athletes from other countries fare in terms of endorsement deals. For example, while Canadians love the Olympics, it’s very unlikely that any Canadian athletes will snag lucrative endorsement deals. The article also noted that athletes from certain sports are more appealing to brands. For example, a gold medalist in gymnastics is much more appealing than an gold medalist in judo.  All of these variables will determine which of the athletes will become a more viable brand in licensing.

Sierra Mist and Mug Release Freezer Bars

The Joester Loria Group has secured PepsiCo’s first licensed food extension with the Sierra Mist and Mug brands. The deal, in partnership with Kisko, will bring branded freezer bar assortments to grocery, drug and mass accounts nationwide this Spring 2013.

The freezer bars will be available in the US and Canada in a variety of pack formats and sizes. The Sierra Mist freezer bars will come in Lemon-Lime, Cranberry Splash and Strawberry Kiwi Splash flavors and Mug will be offered in both Root Beer and Cream Soda flavors.

The Joester Loria Group is the exclusive licensing agency for PepsiCo North America.

“Counting with The Very Hungry Caterpillar” Ranked A Top Educational App

In today’s technology-driven world, apps have become and great source of entertainment and education for children and adults alike.  UK newspaperThe Guardian recently released their list of the 50 best apps for kids.  This compilation includes programs that are educational and entertaining while inspiring creativity and learning. The World of Eric Carle’s app “Counting with The Very Hungry Caterpillar” ranks  No. 8 on this highly-esteemed list.

“Counting with The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is an interactive math game that encourages learning the fundamentals of numbers and counting through Eric Carle’s iconic artwork.

For more information and additional app suggestions, read The Guardian’s full article on The 50 Best Children’s Apps for Smartphones and Tablets.

Retail Merchandiser Highlights Animal Planet’s Licensing Strategy

The July/August issue of Retail Merchandiser featured an article that took an in-depth look at the brand licensing strategy we’ve developed for our client Animal Planet over the past four years.

The article focuses on the expansion of the brand into pet categories, leveraging Animal Planet’s authority and brand equity in this market segment. The piece features several quotes from The Joester Loria Group’s president, Debra Joester, detailing the consumer research and evaluation of the pet product marketplace that preceded the development of Animal Planet branded pet products.

The first Animal Planet line of pet toys and beds debuted at Petsmart in May 2009. In the past 3 years, retailers that are not typically active in pet categories, including Macy’s, JC Penney, Kohl’s and Bed, Bath & Beyond have made significant commitments to Animal Planet pet product.

Additionally, the article details our commitment to reinforcing Animal Planet’s core brand values with products that offer superior quality and value.Merchsource is a long standing licensee offering a broad assortment of product including pet beds, blankets, houses, timed feeders and fountains, while Premium Pet Health, the most recent addition, has developed a line of high-quality, healthy, made in the USA Animal Planet dog that will be in market later in the year. Other key licensees include Fantasia, a company that is developing “good for pets” Animal Planet pet grooming products.

Retail Merchandiser also detailed how the sales of Animal Planet licensed products help raise funds for the network’s “Reach Out. Act. Respond” or ROAR initiative which helps protect animals and their habitat. Over $400,000 has been contributed over the past 2 years.

Finally, the article discusses our  plans for the introduction of Animal Planet’s new sub-brand, Pets 101. This new sub-brand will debut in fall 2012 and was developed to meet the demands of volume retailers.

A key factor in the success of Animal Planet’s licensing expansion has been our true partnership and collaboration with the Discovery Communications team.

Read the full Retail Merchandiser story.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Nominated for Best Preschool Licensed Property of the Year

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is being recognized in the category of Best Preschool Licensed Property of the Year at the 2012 UK Licensing Awards.

The World Of Eric Carle’s multi-category collection of licensed products is nominated because of its success within the market and its highly regarded product line. The program is an expansion of the brand’s core values, inspiring children to learn, create and grow,and includes products in toys, games, apparel, social expressions and home décor that feature the iconic imagery of Eric Carle’s beloved children’s books. Key licensees include Brecrest, Rainbow Designs, Paul Lamond Games, Fabric Flavours, Portmeirion, Character World, UK Greetings, Hallmark and Portico Designs. Retailers across every tier of distribution from high street, department stores and book stores to mass support World of Eric Carle product.

This nomination is an honor as finalists were reviewed and voted on by an extensive panel of experienced retailers and licensees. More than 1,300 retailers, licensees, licensees and industry suppliers will attend the awards on September 11, 2012.

We are looking forward to this wonderful event!

New Brand Licensing Partnerships for Pepsi, SoBe and Mountain Dew

The Joester Loria Group is thrilled to announce exciting new brand extensions for Pepsi, SoBe, and Mountain Dew.

Dynasty Apparel will expand the soft goods offerings of all three brands with new apparel collections. In addition, these collections will also incorporate new technologies such as augmented reality to showcase unique branded content including Pepsi Max’s “Uncle Drew” campaign, which became a viral sensation with over 13 million views on YouTube.

The Pepsi collection will feature artwork from the brand’s rich 100-year-old archives adapted to today’s trends.

For SoBe, the apparel will capture the vibe of sunny South Beach, the root of the brand, and its culture and aesthetic. The collection will include tees, tanks and fleece for Men, Young Men, Juniors and Ladies.

The Mountain Dew apparel will feature graphics that highlight that brand’s connections to music and sports and augmented reality technology to emphasize the brand’s ties to gaming and social communities.

The Joester Loria Group has also secured a deal with leading online retailer, Fanatics, for Mountain Dew. The new partnership will expand Mountain Dew’s soft good programs with exclusive offerings for Fanatics’ ecommerce platforms. The new apparel will be available through a dedicated Fanatics ecommerce site as well as through online partners such as with Amazon.com. The tees, tanks, dresses, fleece tops and bottoms will reflect both Mountain Dew’s edgy brand essence and new twists on vintage Hillbilly graphics.