2012 Licensing Trends

The June issue of Royaltie$ Magazine featured an article about the latest trends in the licensing business. Debra Joester, our president and CEO, is quoted in the article.

Some of the key trends highlighted in the article are:
*A focus on South America, Asia and “New Europe” as key territories for growth opportunities. China and Brazil in particular show great growth potential.
*A shift away from brick and mortar as a key distribution channel and a growing focus on online retail opportunities.
*The growing importance of retail exclusives to incentivize shoppers to purchase.
*New categories as brand licensing inspiration including apps, YouTube and young adult novels.
*The growing importance of “niche” licensing properties that are targeted at a very specific demographic that can turn into long-term sustainable brand licensing programs.

At The Joester Loria Group we have observed some of these trends firsthand. In particular, our client Annoying Orange, has proven that a YouTube series can be the basis for a successful brand licensing program.

Read the full “Trends in Licensing 2012” article on the Royaltie$ website.

Annoying Orange Wraps Up Toy Fair With More Media Attention

Toy Fair is always an important source of new trends and toys can be the centerpiece of many licensing programs. The 109th Annual American International Toy Fair ended February 16th with the most notable trend being online apps transforming into physical toys.

Annoying Orange is said to be a notable force in what Newsweek is calling “the year of the app.” We look forward to sharing more about this license soon.