Wow! Stuff is a company that you should be hearing about a lot this fall. The company’s newest product My Keepon—an electronic robotic toy that began life as a therapeutic tool for autistic children—is launching this fall exclusively at Toys “R” Us. Read how the company is working with inventors globally, has launched a Demonstration Academy, and is embarking on a new website to reach its growing fan base.
Marvel Entertainment has recently embarked on a series of co-branding deals with Harley Davidson, The NBA, The Dallas Cowboys, NYC & Co., and others with additional deals expected to be announced shortly. Marvel’s goal with these initiatives is to move into new and diverse channels of distribution.
WME Licensing is in development to craft the Miss Universe Organization into The Miss Universe brand. WME says that The Miss Universe Pageant is a cross-platform, global promotional vehicle with a history that spans the better part of a century. Sponsors are highlighted before a worldwide audience via a live telecast on NBC, a simulcast on Telemundo, and a highly trafficked website, www.missuniverse.com. Now WME Licensing starts by targeting the apparel, jewelry, and health and beauty categories for a global audience. The Miss Universe Organization encompasses The Miss Universe, Miss Teen USA, and Miss USA pageants.
ERPLY (www.erply.com) is a tool for managing retail operations, which is hybrid cloud software. It can be used on both MACs and PCs. The company says it has all the benefits of web-based software without the downfalls of software—meaning ERPLY stays functional even when there is no internet connection.
Safari, Ltd., has spent the past 30 years servicing the specialty market and, despite global economic challenges, is faring well both in the U.S. and with international customers. Ramona Pariente, recently promoted to CEO, explains the company’s growth plans.
The Girl Scouts sell approximately 200 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies per year. It’s about time the group had a comprehensive licensing program targeting girls, parents, fans of the Girl Scout Cookies (and, let’s face it, who isn’t a cookie fan?), and the more than 50 million Girl Scouts alumnae—that’s a huge demographic. The Wildflower Group signed on a year ago to develop a licensing program for the Girl Scouts. Michael Carlisle, principal of The Wildflower Group, explains the plan.
At the end of last year, Muhammad Ali Enterprises selected GreenLight, a global media licensing, talent negotiation, and rights representation consultancy, to represent the iconic boxer. GreenLight will handle advertising and promotional opportunities for personality rights and trademarks, including Muhammad Ali’s name, image, likeness, signatures, and characterizations on an exclusive basis in Europe and Asia Pacific. David Reeder, vice-president of GreenLight, talks about the types of opportunities the company is seeking for Muhammad Ali.
Magic: The Gathering is integrating offline and online play through video games and in-store events. It has brought new fans into the game and re-ignited interest with past users. Paul Levy, brand manager, Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast, explains this integration through the release of Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 and Magic 2012 Core Set.
Since its debut in 2008, 50 million users worldwide have registered on MoshiMonsters.com. The massively multiplayer online (MMO) game for 6–12 year olds continues to add 100,000 new registered users per day. By the end of 2011, Mind Candy, the company behind Moshi Monsters, estimates that there will be 60 million registered users worldwide, with half of them in the U.S. Licensing programs in the UK and Australia have already proven successful for the brand. Eric Karp, head of licensing Americas at Mind Candy, explains how the company will bring a Moshi Monsters licensing program to the U.S. this summer.