License Global's Top 150 Leading Licensors of 2016 2
The Top 150 Global Licensors, published annually by License! Global, provides retail sales data of licensed merchandise worldwide, key trends and specific brand insights across multiple industry sectors including entertainment, sports, fashion/apparel, corporate brands, art and non-profit.
August 19, 2020
To see the latest License Global Leading Licensors report visit our 2020 Top 150 Report page.
The Top 150 Global Licensors reported a total of $262.9 billion in retail sales of licensed products worldwide in 2015 versus $259.9 billion in 2014.
The Walt Disney Company, which is the perennial No. 1 global licensor, added a whopping $7.2 billion in retail sales in 2015. While Disney dominated headlines last year with the return of the iconic Star Wars franchise, the company reported $52.5 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise worldwide for its rich portfolio of franchise properties that also includes Marvel's Avengers, Frozen, Disney Princess and "Doc McStuffins." Over the past five years, Disney has added a total of $23.9 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise, demonstrating strong growth and demand for its consumer products.
Rival studio and licensor Warner Bros. Consumer Products, which ranks No. 5 with a reported $6 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2015, is not only experiencing the competitiveness of Disney in the marketplace, but also the challenge of the No. 6 licensor Hasbro, who has steadily grown its retail sales to $5.9 billion, up from $3.7 billion five years ago, with its robust lineup of new initiatives that will likely continue to keep the company growing and climbing in the rankings over the next several years. However, WBCP has its own list of new initiatives, as outlined by its new president, Pam Lifford, in the story that follows "Savvy, Seasoned and Supercharged."
The Top 10 Global Licensors reported an increase in retail sales of $137 billion in 2015 versus $131.4 billion in 2014. The Top 10 licensors now account for slightly more than 52 percent of overall retail sales. Meredith climbed to No. 2 with a reported $20.1 billion. The company's sales number includes the revenue of its licensed Better Homes and Gardens real estate agencies in addition to its extensive direct-to-retail licensing programs with Walmart and FTD.
Another key change in the Top 10 is for Mattel, which dropped to No. 27, reporting $2.3 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise.
An example of a global licensor that has achieved significant growth over the past few years is IP management company Sequential Brands Group. The company, which now has brands Martha Stewart and Jessica Simpson, reported $4 billion in retail sales in 2015 and is now ranked No. 14. This is a huge leap in recent years–in 2013, the licensor ranked No. 65 with retail sales of $750 million.
There are 12 new licensors that joined the report this year. The diverse group includes Margaritaville, a $1 billion lifestyle licensor; Moose Toys, known for the Shopkins collectible phenomenon; Moomin; Paramount; Boy Scouts of America; Genius Brands International; Snuggle; Sports Afield; Animaccord, which owns the preschool brand "Masha and the Bear;" Girl Scouts of the USA; 41 Entertainment; and technology company Telefunken.
An important factor to consider is that a total of 56 global licensors reported retail sales of $1 billion or more and represent $235 billion in retail sales–or 90 percent–of the total retail sales reported by the Top 150 licensors. While Margaritaville was added to the Billion Dollar Licensor Club, four licensors dropped out the Club including Discovery; Frigidaire, which is now included within Electrolux; Martha Stewart, which was acquired by Sequential Brands Group; and Technicolor, which dropped slightly to No. 59 with a reported $844 million in retail sales.
* All global licensors and/or licensing agents submitted retail sales figures, which are based on worldwide retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2015, unless otherwise noted. International sales figures were converted according to the most recent exchange rates at press time and in some cases may have had an affect versus last year's report. License! Global consults various industry sources, financial documents, annual reports, et al and relies on the fiduciary responsibility of each company for accuracy. All companies are public except as otherwise noted as Private or Non-Profit. This report is not intended to be a brand perception or popularity report, but a sales and trend report based on information submitted directly to License! Global by each licensor. The Top 150 Global Licensors report is copyrighted and cannot be used without the written permission of License! Global and UBM.
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1 THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
$52.5B (NYSE: DIS)
JOSH SILVERMAN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL LICENSING, DISNEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.818.544.0001; KIM ALBANO, VICE PRESIDENT, CUSTOMER CARE AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS, ESPN, +1.646.547.5117; VICTORIA CHEW, VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS, FRANCHISE AND SYNERGY, ABC, +1.818.460.5484
WWW.DISNEYCONSUMERPRODUCTS.COM; WWW.ESPN.COM; WWW.ABC.COM
As the world's largest licensor, The Walt Disney Company brings its stories and characters to life for families and fans of all ages through innovative products and experiences. In fiscal 2015, global retail sales of licensed product reached a new high of $52.5 billion. This number is inclusive of licensed products across Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Studio Entertainment, ABC Television and ESPN. In 2015, The Walt Disney Company introduced new characters and stories alongside inspired retellings of classic tales, which resulted in yet another stellar year for licensed products. Perhaps the most anticipated product launch and film debut of the year was Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which continues to redefine the scope and power of entertainment licensing. Hundreds of products launched on Sept. 4, 2015, with a global event dubbed Force Friday that drew more than 130,000 fans standing in line for midnight store openings. Despite launching later in the year, Star Wars was the number one toy brand of 2015 (NPD) and won property of the year at the Toy of the Year Awards. Disney Princess continues to be one of the world's most popular girls' brands, with new dolls, role play and branded and inspired apparel for children, juniors and adults–including a broad range of offerings across prom, Quinceanera and bridal. Disney's Frozen remains a worldwide phenomenon and once again topped retailer and industry toy lists in 2015, with new content from Frozen Fever and the TV Holiday campaign, Family: The best gift of all. Fans of Disney·Pixar had two films and lines of merchandise to enjoy, with the release of the Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. 2015 also marked the launch of Disney·Pixar's Cars Precision Series, a new line of high-end diecast cars and play sets from Mattel. Disney Junior continued to dominate the small screen with new shows like Miles from Tomorrowland and established series like Doc McStuffins. The broad product assortment featured items from band-aids and bedding to the 2016 Toy of the Year winner Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Checkup Center. Older kids had plenty of choices as well, as Disney launched two new tween properties in 2015: Disney Descendants and Star Darlings. Descendants ranked as the No. 1 cable TV movie of 2015 and the fastest-selling TV movie DVD last year. Merchandise programs launched in summer with robust sales across categories. Star Darlings launched with a book series from Disney Publishing Worldwide and expanded into a multiplatform lifestyle brand. Mickey and Minnie continue to inspire unique lifestyle and fashion collaborations. Both were featured in the Disney and Vans Young at Heart collection, which celebrated Disney's classic characters. Mickey was also included in a global capsule collection from Markus Lupfer; while Minnie's classic polka dots and bows were celebrated in product lines with Pandora jewelry and LC by Lauren Conrad. Marvel's cinematic universe expanded with Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, which were supported with robust product lines highlighting the Avengers franchise. Avengers and Spider-Man characters were also represented in new animated TV episodes, publishing, and digital launches, which inspired unique retail executions. Key ABC-licensed properties included Dancing With The Stars, Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Nashville, Castle, Scandal and The Chew. ABC saw great success in 2015 with flash sales featuring fashion and lifestyle products inspired by their shows, and expanded into new categories with The Chew cookware. ESPN's co-branded collegiate collection continues to grow with programs surrounding the upcoming football season. Other unique product offerings include t-shirts inspired by ESPN Films' 30 for 30 documentary series, an indoor and outdoor recreation collection and a newly launched X Games digital shop. Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media had many licensing and retail collaborations throughout the year, with standouts surrounding Disney's live action film Cinderella, Marvel and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In celebration of the release of Disney's live action film inspired by the classic fairy tale Cinderella, DCPI collaborated with nine luxury designer shoe brands to assemble an enchanting collection of shoes that reimagined Cinderella's iconic glass slipper. From renowned designers such as Jimmy Choo, Stuart Weitzman, Salvatore Ferragamo and more, the shoes were available in the U.S. exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue and at other retailers globally. DCPI collaborated with Target on a Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron multi-channel marketing campaign that engaged fans and built excitement for the product line. Marvel also launched its first subscription box program–Marvel Collector Corps–offering exclusive Marvel product, collectibles, apparel, accessories and more. In the fashion space, Marvel expanded its product offerings with new sportswear styles from brands like Mad Engine, Hybrid and C-Life, and launched a Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron collaboration with geek girl apparel brand, Her Universe, available at Hot Topic. Marvel also added to its healthy living portfolio of products with major Avengers and Spider-Man food launches. Star Wars resonated with a new generation of fans in 2015 through product category expansion and massive publicity milestones like Force Friday. Star Wars also expanded its influence with females with programs such as the critically acclaimed Star Wars by Her Universe fashion collection and a partnership with Bloomingdales that enlisted an illustrious group of fashion designers to create outfits inspired by characters from the new movie. The Walt Disney Company's licensing business will continue to be driven by hit films and television programs in 2016, as well as the company's stories and characters. The movie slate includes Walt Disney Studios' Jungle Book, Alice Through the Looking Glass and Pete's Dragon; Marvel's Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange; Disney·Pixar's Finding Dory; Disney's Moana; and Lucasfilm's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The Lion Guard premiered on Disney Junior in January, introducing kids to Kion, the son of Simba and Nala from The Lion King. Elena of Avalor, a new animated TV series set in a fairytale kingdom, will premiere this summer on Disney Channel. Licensed products will span from toys, role play, home decor and consumables items to apparel, beauty and high-end fashion designer collaborations.
2 MEREDITH
$20.1B (NYSE: MDP)
ELISE CONTARSY, VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND LICENSING, +1.515.284.3394
WWW.MEREDITH.COM
Meredith's top licensed property in 2015 was Better Homes and Gardens. Its top three licensing programs remain its real estate program with Realogy, its home and garden décor program with Walmart and its floral program with FTD–all under the Better Homes and Gardens brand. The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network grew to more than 10,000 agents and professionals across the U.S. and Canada in 2015. The direct-to-retail program with Walmart continues to enjoy year-over-year growth in garden and home decor sales, with particularly strong performance in the furniture, storage and organization categories, which were supported by robust Meredith social media, print and broadcast events that reached more than 900 million impressions through the year. BHG Flowers by FTD also enjoyed very strong Mother's Day and holiday sales driven by fresh new arrangements and a lifestyle marketing campaign that demonstrated how flowers fit in both holiday entertaining and everyday living settings. Meredith's strategy remains to grow existing licensing programs and develop new programs for brands beyond Better Homes and Gardens. Top opportunities for current licensing programs include international expansion of the Walmart relationship and developing a giftable food program with its FTD partner. Meredith also sees several areas in the country where additional brokers and agents can be added to the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network. Building on the solid, ongoing strength of its existing licensing programs, Meredith looks for growth in 2016 through the launch of new licensing programs under an expanded brand portfolio. It successfully created the first licensing program for women's athleisure apparel under Meredith's newest media brand, SHAPE, and will look to add adjacent licensing partners for that brand in the months to come. Meredith also will be in grocery stores with a line of healthy and delicious frozen foods under the EatingWell brand this fall through a partnership with Bellisio Foods. Meredith also launched Allrecipes cookware and food prep items, available to consumers this spring. These programs add several new lines of revenue to Meredith Brand Licensing.
3 PVH CORP.
$18B (NYSE: PVH)
KENNETH L. WYSE, PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS, HERITAGE BRANDS, +1.212.381.3628; JOHN VAN GLAHN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL LICENSING AND CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION, +1.212.292.9167; KARINA SPAR, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, TOMMY HILFIGER, +1.212.548.1397; DANA PERLMAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTOR RELATIONS, +1.212.381.3502
WWW.PVH.COM
PVH's portfolio of brands, which includes Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and its heritage brands business, generated over $18 billion in global retail sales in 2015. Calvin Klein posted robust results, with global retail sales exceeding $8 billion (approximately 57 percent of which was generated from licensing partners). Calvin Klein Underwear helped drive the business, and Calvin Klein Jeans made progress on its turnaround, particularly in Europe. By region, Calvin Klein North America posted healthy performance both at retail and wholesale in the owned businesses operated by PVH and through its licensing partners. Calvin Klein's international performance was strong, with the brand experiencing growth in most key markets and an improvement in the European business. Over the next few years, the Calvin Klein brand looks to achieve continued growth in global retail sales, with emerging markets such as China driving growth, along with the continued growth fueled by the improvement in its European operations. During 2015, Tommy Hilfiger remained one of the world's leading designer lifestyle brands, as demonstrated by its $6.5 billion in global retail sales, driven by its commitment to consumers, investments in the brand and the strength of its classic American cool style, featuring preppy with a twist designs. In North America, sales rose on a constant currency basis, although the significant decline in international tourism and spending due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against major foreign currencies was a notable headwind. Internationally, most regions experienced year-over-year sales growth. PVH expanded its joint venture with Gazal in February 2015 to include the licenses for Tommy Hilfiger in Australia and New Zealand in order to elevate the brand's presence in this region and it focused on growing our other joint ventures across Asia and India. Also, upon the close of the year, Tommy Hilfiger announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 55 percent stake in the Tommy Hilfiger China joint venture, which closed in April 2016. In Latin and Central/South America, Tommy Hilfiger continues to expand through its licensing partners and its joint venture in Brazil. PVH's heritage brands had a defining year in 2015 with $3.6 billion in global retail sales. PVH focused on product innovation, improved its alignment with wholesale customers and made enhancements to the supply chain. In 2015, Van Heusen continued to have a presence in India, Australia and South America, with continued expansion planned in Central America for 2016. In the U.S., Van Heusen launched men's watches with Accutime and expanded its men's tailored business with Peerless to include Van Heusen Flex Suits. IZOD continued to grow internationally with licensing partners in China, India and Latin America. Domestically, IZOD's licensed programs for denim, loungewear, hosiery, children's and bedding exceeded retail plans. The brand expanded through new licenses, including an agreement with Accutime for men's watches, Shalom for men's personal grooming products and G Mason Group for pet accessories, all of which were signed in 2015. The Arrow business in India continued to outperform expectation with 25 percent growth in 2015, partly driven by the addition of 25 new stores. Warner's and Olga, which are licensed with Vandale Industries, had a solid year and the brands are surpassing their plan for many categories in the U.S. and Canada.
4 ICONIX BRAND GROUP
$13B (NASDAQ: ICON)
JOHN HAUGH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, +1.212.730.0030
WWW.ICONIXBRAND.COM
Iconix Brand Group owns a diversified portfolio of more than 30 brands across women's fashion, men's fashion, home and entertainment that it licenses to best-in-class partners around the world. Globally, Iconix has more than 50 direct-to-retail licenses and more than 1,700 total licenses. Iconix actively supports its brands through its brand management and marketing expertise and has been enhancing its marketing efforts in social and digital media through global campaigns that leverage its current spokespeople. The company's largest segment, women's fashion, is supported by strong, long-standing direct-to-retail partnerships including DanskinNow at Walmart, Mossimo at Target and Candie's at Kohl's. The company's entertainment segment, which has been an area of growth for Iconix, includes the character brands Peanuts and Strawberry Shortcake. In 2015, Peanuts was Iconix's largest brand in terms of licensing revenue. The strength of Peanuts was driven by the launch of the Peanuts movie, which was supported by 25 national promotional and marketing partnerships including programs with McDonald's, Nestle Crunch, All Laundry detergent, Met Life and Hallmark; eight halo collaborations with fashion, lifestyle and sports brands including The Gap, Pottery Barn Teen and Lesportsac; and multiple national retail partnerships with retailers including Target and Toy's 'R' Us. The movie introduced the Peanuts characters to a new generation of consumers and Iconix expects to see a continued lift from the movie in 2016 reflecting the increased brand exposure. International expansion has also been a key focus for Iconix, and in 2015, and on a constant currency basis, the company's international business grew 8 percent. Iconix's international platform includes global brands Umbro, Lee Cooper and Peanuts, growing businesses in China and Latin America, as well as international joint ventures in Canada, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe. Going forward, Iconix plans to drive growth through the continued investment in its brands, by supporting its large core licensing partnerships, and through the expansion of its global footprint.
5 WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS
$6B (NYSE: TWX)
PAM LIFFORD, PRESIDENT, +1.818.954.7980
WWW.WARNERBROS.COM
The DC Comics universe (including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Justice League) led the charge with support for the feature film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, from Warner Bros. Pictures, which hit theaters March 25, 2016. Warner Bros. Consumer Products, DC Entertainment and Mattel joined forces to launch the DC Super Hero Girls franchise, an exciting new universe of super heroic storytelling that plays out across multiple entertainment content platforms. Featuring a completely new artistic style and aesthetic, this initiative includes digital content and TV specials, toys, apparel, publishing and more, providing opportunities for kids to play, watch, read, and be inspired to discover their full super power potential. WBCP's top licensed properties also include Harry Potter; perennial animated favorites Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry; The Wizard of Oz; and a fan-driven TV portfolio which includes television series The Big Bang Theory and Supernatural, as well as DC Comics TV programming such as The Flash, Arrow, Gotham, Supergirl and more. For Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, WBCP teamed up with a slate of global licensees for a broad, multi-category licensing and merchandising program to support the film. Master toy licensee Mattel created a vast toy line including action figures, vehicles, play sets and collectible figures. Also supporting Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are global licensees such as The LEGO Group, Rubie's Costume Co., Spin Master, Under Armour, New Era and many more. WBCP, in partnership with DC Entertainment and Mattel, unveiled the DC Super Hero Girls licensing program, anchored by global master toy licensee Mattel, and a toy line featuring industry firsts: the first-ever 6-inch action figure designed for girls; the first 12-inch collection of action dolls featuring strong, athletic bodies that stand on their own in heroic poses; and the first-ever action role-play toys for girls. For Batman Unlimited, Animal Instincts and the sequel Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, debuted in 2015. Adding to the new Batman Unlimited content, Warner Bros. also debuted 22 stand-alone, two-minute shorts featuring additional story elements, along with companion apps designed for young fans to extend and customize their experience in a new interactive way. Rubie's Costumes supported the new original content with a line of inspired-by dress-up and costumes, and toymaker Thinkway introduced new Batman Unlimited-themed role-play accessories. DC Super Friends content, inspired by the Fisher-Price Imaginext toy line, also introduced a series of shorts. New play set environments from the product line were featured in the shorts, such as The Joker Laff Factory as well as the all-new Batcave, all featuring the interactive Imaginext Power Pad that enables kids to activate key features in the toy. Publishing partner Random House Children's Books continued to extend storytelling by publishing new titles as well. Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the Gang were brought to life in LEGO form for the first time ever, with five building sets and in never-before-seen animated content, featuring the zaniness of the classic characters in true LEGO form. Fans were also treated to a 22-minute LEGO special, featuring Scooby-Doo. Classic animation properties such as Looney Tunes continued to drive new trends with hot new partnerships, such as the return of the collaboration, Hare Jordan, and high-end fashion collections including haute couture apparel and accessories with Moschino, by designer Jeremy Scott; and Tom and Jerry with Puma. WBCP is heading into 2016 with a line-up of global licensees on board to support content and a vault of properties. Headlining the line-up is the DC Super Hero Girls franchise, the immersive world that encourages girls to play, watch, read and be inspired to discover their own super-heroic potential. DC Super Hero Girls is supported with a global licensing and merchandising program, led by master toy partner Mattel. The most iconic DC Comics female Super Hero, Wonder Woman takes charge, following her first big screen appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with her self-titled solo feature film debut, premiering in June 2017, directed by Patty Jenkins. Wonder Woman will be fully supported by WBCP, with global partners offering fans a powerful licensing and merchandising program. WBCP will continue to roll out an array of licensed merchandise supporting Warner Bros. Pictures' return to J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Inspired by the Hogwarts textbook of the same name, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the first in a series of films and will hit theaters on Nov. 18, 2016, marking the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling. And Kong becomes King as WBCP supports Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' Kong: Skull Island, a new take on the King of the Apes, coming in March 2017. WBCP will also continue to highlight its current and classic programs, like Warner Bros. Television's hit series The Big Bang Theory, Supernatural, as well as hits from the DC Comics TV portfolio including The Flash, Arrow, Gotham, Supergirl and many more, with continued cross-category support at retail. Also, WBCP's animation offerings include Justice League Action, Teen Titans Go!, Wabbit–A Looney Tunes Production and many more from WBA, supported by top-tier licensees. Additionally, rounding out the Studio's portfolio, WBCP continues to expand in the themed entertainment space with Harry Potter, DC Comics, Looney Tunes and more.
6 HASBRO
$5.9B (NASDAQ: HAS)
SIMON WATERS, GENERAL MANAGER, HABSRO STUDIOS, AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ENTERTAINMENT AND LICENSING, HASBRO, +1.401.431.8697
WWW.HASBRO.COM
Hasbro's performance in 2015 reflected the strength of its global teams and the power of its brand blueprint. The My Little Pony brand drives over $1.2 billion in retail sales with a presence in 71 countries and across all major consumer products and promotional categories. Its animated series, currently in its sixth season and airing in 197 territories, has helped to expand the brand into every major consumer product category worldwide. The Transformers brand reaches generations of fans across the globe with a robust entertainment offering, including full-length features and an animated series airing in 197 territories. Strong licensee relationships extend Transformers products into every major consumer products category worldwide with total franchise retail value delivering over $10 billion since 2004. The Littlest Pet Shop brand continues to build a strong following by expanding distribution and growing global audiences of its animated television series, produced by Hasbro Studios and distributed in over 160 countries. Rounding out Hasbro's seven franchises are the successful Monopoly, Play-Doh, Nerf and Magic: The Gathering brands, which offer licensed consumer products in a variety of categories. Monopoly has a strategic focus on promotions, digital gaming and fashion capsules; Play-Doh is expanding into arts and crafts and creative play categories; Nerf has a strong foothold in pets and is expanding into sports and sports action categories; and Magic: The Gathering is expanding into key publishing and digital mediums. Hasbro's performance in 2015 reflects the strength of its integrated retail relationships in over 1 million doors around the world. Hasbro is one of few licensors with imbedded selling teams resulting in significant retail successes across all categories. The Transformers and My Little Pony brands offer branded products to connect with fans of all ages across various retail channels. This includes high-end specialty stores like Louisa Villaroma, High Street channels and mass channels like Walmart and Target. Hasbro's value channel presence is strong, with offerings like its Play-Doh art and activity program from licensee Leap Year. Licensees like USAopoly focus on specialty retailers like Game Stop with Games Affinity products, including Monopoly Game of Thrones. Hasbro had a strong 2015 presence in the grocery channel, including the Albertsons/Shaws Monopoly Collect-and-Win program in the U.S. and the French grocer Intermarché custom reward program. Hasbro's Monopoly brand continued its 23-year relationship with McDonald's last year with a promotional campaign that reached nine countries and 8,500 restaurants. Hasbro also generates toy and game sales through its relationships with The Walt Disney Company, Sesame Workshop, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Brand Development and their properties. Hasbro Consumer Products is continuously innovating and expanding its beloved brands with new product and experiential offerings. Over the past year, Hasbro has exploded onto the music scene, announcing its relationship with Sony Music and releasing several albums, including the My Little Pony holiday and rock infused Transformers Roll Out albums. In 2016, S2BN Entertainment and Hasbro announced that the new live-action show Transformers Live will tour worldwide over the next five years. The show debuts in 2017 in a custom-built 4,500-capacity venue in China. Hasbro continues to drive its fashion collaborations and in early 2016, designer Maria Escote's collection at Madrid Fashion Week featured My Little Pony, which complements great designer collaborations in 2015 including Philip Plein, Au Jour Le Jour, Degen and Fyodor Golan. Hasbro's upcoming entertainment offering is robust, including the My Little Pony movie in 2017, which will be distributed by Lionsgate; three consecutive Transformers features starting in 2017; and an expanded relationship with Paramount for a Hasbro Universe which includes characters from the G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Visonaries, M.A.S.K. and ROM brands. Season two of Transformers Robots in Disguise launched in 2016 on Cartoon Network and the brand is teaming up with Machinima on Transformers: Combiner Wars, a series that will be distributed digitally this summer. In addition, season four of Transformers Rescue Bots will air this spring. This fall, Hasbro Studios is teaming with Universal, Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes for the film, Ouija 2. For the first time, Hasbro Studios is creating original programming for Netflix with its 26 episode Stretch Armstrong animated series, debuting in 2017. In spring 2016, match-3 mobile game My Little Pony: Puzzle Party, produced by BackFlip Studios, will be available. In addition, real-time combat strategy mobile game Transformers: Earth Wars, also produced by Backflip Studios, will be available for fans in summer 2016.
7 SANRIO, INC.
$5.9B (OTC US: SNROF) (SANRIO, INC., IS A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF SANRIO CO., LTD.)
KEN YAMAMOTO, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER; JILL KOCH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING; LAURA TAKARAGAWA, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, +1.310.896.3262
WWW.SANRIO.COM
In 2015, Sanrio focused on expanding programs and categories for flagship lifestyle brand, Hello Kitty; celebrated the 40th anniversaries of heritage brands My Melody and Little Twin Stars; and introduced a new character, Gudetama (the lazy egg), highlighting the brand's uniquely quirky and kawaii appeal. Catering to a broad consumer fan base, Sanrio's key licensing initiatives in 2015 included the expansion of categories to diversify the merchandise mix of lifestyle products. Sanrio partnered with a range of brands in a number of categories from apparel to accessories to food and beauty. Collaborations that debuted in 2015 included Kikkoman, simplehuman, Softlips and HLZ BLZ. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Little Twin Stars, Sanrio teamed up with Care Bears for a fashion collection with JapanLA Clothing Company. Sanrio continued partnerships with MLB and teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants to host popular, sold-out Hello Kitty stadium events. Sanrio also hosted their first NBA promotion with the Los Angeles Clippers. EVA Air debuted their new Sanrio plane with routes from Taipei to Houston. Digital was another area of focus in 2015. Sanrio developed multiple apps targeting both the younger demographic as well as teens and young adults. Sanrio worked with key retailers at different tiers of distribution to build special programs for Hello Kitty and key emerging characters. In 2016, Sanrio's focus will be to diversify their portfolio of characters and continue to connect with fans through unique design, content, partnerships and experiences. Sanrio partnered with Hyper Hippo Games to develop a suite of lifestyle apps themed to the new hello sanrio brand that celebrates Sanrio's core foundation of social communication. Launching this summer, the digital initiative marks the first time Sanrio will launch a new brand with digital content and will provide fans an immersive social experience to engage with each other as well as Sanrio's family of characters. Multi-character programs will be key for 2016 and will be incorporated into a broad range of categories including apparel, accessories, role-play, toys, credit cards, gift and digital. With on-going focus on collaborations, Sanrio launched collections with OPI, Trumpette, Johnny Cupcakes and Zuca, with more collaborations to debut in 2016. Sanrio introduced the Hello Kitty Shop, their first theme park store at Universal Studios Florida, and will continue expansion of the Hello Kitty Cafe experience. Celebrating its 45th anniversary, Mr. Men Little Miss will introduce new retails programs and promotions in 2016 and eature film is in development in partnership with Fox Animation.
8 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
$5.5B (E) (PRIVATE)
NOAH GARDEN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS, +1.212.485.3177
WWW.MLB.COM
9 NICKELODEON
$5.5B (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA)
PAM KAUFMAN, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER AND PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.212.846.8000
WWW.NICK.COM
2016 is poised to be another big year for Nickelodeon, especially for the franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With the sequel to the Paramount theatrical release debuting in theaters June 3, the appetite for Turtles' product continues to grow across categories spanning toys, apparel, home, publishing and sporting goods. Toy partners Playmates and MEGA Bloks introduced toys inspired by the movie and TMNT x Melo, a new apparel line for boys designed in tandem with NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, is set to debut this month in all Macy's stores across the U.S. Nickelodeon's preschool portfolio continues to drive consumer excitement as its new series, Shimmer and Shine, joins Paw Patrol and Blaze and the Monster Machines, two of the leading preschool shows on TV. Consumer products for Shimmer and Shine are set to debut this summer and will include apparel, accessories, costumes, dress up, arts and crafts, home goods, party, publishing and more from partners including Party City, Spirit Halloween, Just Play, Alex Brands, Franco, Random House and more, alongside a new line of toys from Fisher-Price. As the No. 1 preschool license in 2015, Paw Patrol continues to be on a roll as partners including Power Wheels, Baby Boom, Zak Designs and more develop products in new categories. Nickelodeon's other hit preschool show, Blaze and the Monster Machines, was a top licensed preschool property to enter the market in 2015 as products from Fisher-Price, Jay Franco, Baby Boom, GDC, University Games and more came to market last year. The line will expand even further in 2016. Nickelodeon Retail's most successful retail programs in 2015 included Paw Patrol Winter Rescue campaign at Target and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles holiday campaign at Toys 'R' Us. April also kicked off major retail programs and activations around the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows movie, including a 3 Star Program at Walmart.
10 COLLEGIATE LICENSING COMPANY
$4.65B (PRIVATE) (AN IMG COMPANY)
JIM CONNELLY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, IMG COLLEGE/LICENSING; CORY MOSS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, +1.770.956.0520
WWW.CLC.COM
Top selling college brands in 2015 included Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, and Auburn, as well as the NCAA, the Tournament of Roses, the College Football Playoff and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Walmart remained the largest retailer of collegiate licensed product in the U.S., with other top retailers, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Fanatics, Kohl's, Follett and Barnes & Noble. Key licensing programs from 2015 include the launch of a new exclusive trading card program with Panini, as well as strong collegiate licensed merchandise from Yeti coolers and a refresh of the College Collection by VS PINK in the women's category. Tailgate games such as corn hole continued to show tremendous growth, as did licensees that provide tailgate supplies such as chairs and tents. Women's and infant/youth will continue to be categories of focus for growing sales and product assortments for colleges and universities. From the marketing perspective, there will be an increased focus on connecting to the consumer through digital initiatives like shoppable graphics and geo-targeting. CLC will also continue to build on its successful national retail marketing platforms, which include College Colors Day, Holiday Cheer and Rock Your Colors. College Colors Day marketing efforts from 2015 leveraged digital marketing and celebrity engagement to garner more than 92 million consumer impressions for collegiate brands.
11 NBCUNIVERSAL
$4.5B (NASDAQ: CMCSA)
MANUEL TORRES, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, WORLDWIDE CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.818.777.5238
WWW.NBCUNI.COM
NBCUniversal Brand Development drives expansion of the company's intellectual property across the corporation. With a focus on kids and family, the business unit has oversight of a dedicated Universal kids and family TV productions business, digital products and gaming, NBCUniversal consumer products and franchise management. A key component to this division includes evolving titles into multi-year sustainable brands with multiple consumer touch points, including television, digital, video games, consumer products and live events, among others. Following its 2015 release, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's Minions is the second highest grossing animated film of all time worldwide, with more than $1.2 billion at the global box office. NBCUniversal Brand Development expanded its consumer products program to include best-in-class licensing partners such as master toy licensee Thinkway Toys along with Hasbro, MEGA Bloks, Crayola and EA. The franchise's global retail sales now top $3.5 billion. NBCUniversal expanded its global Minions cross-category licensing program, executing 100-plus retail programs, including a first-of-its-kind branded box takeover with Amazon. Gameloft's Despicable Me: Minion Rush was the fifth most downloaded game app of all time, according to NBCUniversal, topping 655 million downloads; while EA's Minions Paradise launched as the No. 1 game in 85 countries. Pantone created Minion Yellow, marking the first time the company named a color after an animated character. The Minions went upscale when the Bello Yellow Collection, a limited edition capsule collection, debuted at Selfridges in London and Colette in Paris. A first-of-its-kind Vogue mockumentary elevated the Minions to Minionistas with participation from fashion icons like Suzy Menkes, Alber Elbaz and Dolce & Gabbana. In 2015, Jurassic World, the next installment in the Jurassic Park series, debuted in theaters around the world becoming the fourth highest grossing film of all time with $1.67 billion worldwide. NBCUniversal Brand Development established a cross-category licensing program highlighted by partnerships with toy companies such as master toy licensee Hasbro, The LEGO Group and Spin Master, reigniting the multi-billion dollar consumer products franchise for a new generation. During the film window, Hasbro developed the No. 1 action figure line ranked by NPD. Hasbro's first-ever role play item was named one of the Best Toys for Preschoolers by Parents magazine. Other successes include LEGO's development of the first-ever construction set for the brand with every SKU ranking in their global top 10; the LEGO Jurassic World videogame was the No. 1 kids console game of 2015; Ludia's mobile game reached 30 million downloads, with more than 1 million daily users; and Universal secured retail programs with 40-plus retailers worldwide. The retail campaign included an exclusive program for Target that gave the retailer exclusive access to use the Indominus Rex for in-store signing. Target also sponsored Universal's Jurassic World Mobile Movie Maker app to generate buzz around the retailer's exclusive Hasbro color-morphing Indominus Rex toy. In 2016, NBCUniversal will debut a cross-category licensing program for The Secret Life of Pets, the fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration between Illumination and Universal Pictures, due in theaters July 8. The line features global master toy partner Spin Master as well as a collection from PetSmart, the exclusive retailer of pet products featuring characters from the film. NBCUniversal will focus on three key franchises in 2017. First, the team who brought audiences Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2, as well as Minions, returns to continue the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters and the Minions in Despicable Me 3 (June 30, 2017). Also on the 2017 slate is the much-anticipated eighth chapter in the Fast & Furious saga. Vin Diesel leads the returning cast in one of the most enduring motion picture serials of all time, which releases on April 14, 2017. And, on Aug. 4, 2017, Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson headline the returning cast of Pitch Perfect 3, the follow up to summer 2015's film. Then, in June 2018, executive producer Steven Spielberg and stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return for Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment's Jurassic World Sequel, a follow up to one of the biggest blockbusters in cinematic history. On the television side, NBCUniversal will continue to focus on developing consumer product programs for Curious George and for the The Biggest Loser franchise, NBC and Esquire Network's American Ninja Warrior and for new opportunities from kids' network Sprout.
12 RAINBOW
$4.3B (PRIVATE)
IGINIO STRAFFI, FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; JOANNE LEE, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, +39.07.1750.67500
WWW.RBW.IT
Established brands Winx Club and Mia and me were Rainbow's top properties throughout 2015. The company also launched new brands Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends and Regal Academy, which received strong feedback from both licensees and broadcasters. Winx Club, the global property that has been on-air for more than a decade that maintains a steady stream of new content, retains its position as one of the top girls properties in the world with a presence in 130-plus countries. Season 7 launched in 2015 and has been a success for Rainbow. Mia and me is an award-winning series that is an original and innovative hybrid of live action and CGI animation that combines fantasy, adventure and comedy. Regal Academy is a comedic animation that gives a brand-new twist on traditional fairy tales. The show follows the fortunes of the grandchildren of famous fairy tale characters as they attend their new school–the Regal Academy. Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends is Rainbow's first full live action production and features two central themes of fashion and music. It follows the adventures of two young girls, an ordinary American girl named Maggie and an Italian princess called Bianca, as they attend the Milan Fashion Academy. The launch of Winx season 7 was well received by fans and the property's licensees capitalized on this with merchandising linked to the new series. The Winx fashion doll also performed well worldwide, and global publishing deals were signed. The company renewed its main partnerships in all major Winx countries, underlining the property's status as an evergreen brand. The Regal Academy launch had a good response and Giochi Preziosi signed on as the European master toy partner. Rainbow also started to plan the brand's 2016-2017 licensing program, finalizing some multi-territorial deals, including back-to-school and publishing deals in the major European markets. In 2015, the company opened its first Rainbow store on Amazon.com that features all of the company's properties, and established its first e-commerce presence in Russia on OZON.ru with Winx Club merchandise. The TV launch of Rainbow's new properties, Regal Academy and Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends, presents a global licensing opportunity in 2016. These new brands add to established series Winx Club and Mia and me, which also continue to grow and are supported by a strong marketing plan. A new Mia and me live show will debut in Italy beginning in Q4, and a Winx Club live show will premiere for Russian audiences. Although Rainbow has a global marketing plan, the company also focuses on country-specific initiatives in each territory that take into account local needs, culture and customs. The overriding aim in any territory is to supply 360-degree marketing, which includes PR and media promotions, events and co-marketing, edutainment projects and retail activities.
13 IBML (INTERNATIONAL BRAND MANAGEMENT & LICENSING)
$4B (PRIVATE)
PETER WOOD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, U.K., EMEA AND ASIA PACIFIC, +44.845.1299.288; NEIL MORTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AMERICAS, +1.212.239.0990; ADRIAN DAVIE, LICENSING MANAGER, ASIA PACIFIC, +44.845.164.727
WWW.IBML.CO.UK
Key properties include Dunlop, Everlast, Sondico, Slazenger, Lonsdale, Kangol, USA Pro, Campri, Karrimor, Golddigga, No Fear, Donnay, Voodoo Dolls, Carlton, Title, Antigua and LA Gear.
14 SEQUENTIAL BRANDS GROUP
$4B (NASDAQ: SQBG)
YEHUDA SHMIDMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, +1.646.564.2577
WWW.SEQUENTIALBRANDSGROUP.COM
Sequential Brands Group is one of the fastest growing brand management companies in the world, with a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Martha Stewart and Jessica Simpson. 2015 was a transformational year for Sequential, as it doubled its scale to $4 billion in global retail sales from more than 150 licensees. Sequential currently operates four consumer brand verticals–Fashion, anchored by Jessica Simpson, William Rast and Joe's Jeans; Home, anchored by Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse; Lifestyle anchored by REVO and Heelys; and Active, anchored by AND1 and Avia. In the past year, Sequential launched a number of new brand initiatives, including a global partnership with U2 lead singer Bono for its brand REVO to help prevent unnecessary blindness, and a series of events around the 10th anniversary of the Jessica Simpson brand. Looking ahead, Sequential, just four years in the marketplace, says it has its sights on continued growth for the near term and long term. In 2016, the company is focused on growth with its core retail partners, which includes Macy's, Walmart, Amazon, QVC and Home Depot. It is also looking to grow its business internationally and online. In addition, Sequential is continuing to evaluate new brand acquisitions in each of its four brand verticals.
15 WESTINGHOUSE
$3.9B (STO: ELUXB)
ALLAN FELDMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LMCA, +1.212.265.7474
WWW.WESTINGHOUSE.COM
Managed by LMCA since 2001, the licensing program is focused on key consumer, commercial and B2B categories which include LCD TVs, laptop computers, light bulbs, consumer security and B2B lighting, electrical and wiring devices, electric power generation including nuclear, solar and wind renewable energy, landscape lighting, kitchen and personal care appliances, air purification, water conditioning and purification, central heating and air-conditioning, intercoms and electrical and computer and audio accessories. Program growth comes largely from geographic and new category expansions and market share gains.
16 GENERAL MOTORS
$3.5B (NYSE: GM)
STEPHEN MCGUIRE, MANAGER, BRAND LICENSING, +1.313.300.0991; GENE REAMER, MANAGER, INFRINGEMENT AND LICENSING OPERATIONS, +1.313.667.8545
WWW.GM.COM
From electric and mini-cars to heavy-duty full-size trucks, monocabs and convertibles, General Motors' brands offer a comprehensive range of vehicles in more than 120 countries around the world. GM's roster of brands include both current and heritage brands with assets spanning over 100 years such as Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Pontiac, Saturn, Oldsmobile and Hummer. Key news in 2015 for the GM licensing program included the continued success surrounding the seventh generation Corvette Stingray and Z06 coupe and convertible, as well as the all-new 2016 Camaro.
17 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
$3.5B (E) (PRIVATE)
CHRIS HALPIN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND LICENSING, +1.212.450.2758
WWW.NFL.COM
While the sports league will continue its international presence with games in London and Mexico, the biggest news is its change in leadership. Longtime licensing executive Leo Kane, senior vice president, consumer products, retired last month after 23 years with the NFL. He will remain in a consulting role over the next two years. During his tenure, the NFL's licensing business has increased dramatically.
18 DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
$3.3B (NASDAQ: DWA)
TIM ERICKSON, GLOBAL HEAD OF LICENSING; JONATHAN BAKER, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.818.695.3393
WWW.DREAMWORKSANIMATION.COM
In 2015, highlighted properties included the hit film HOME, which released worldwide in March. On the television side, Dinotrux along with DreamWorks Dragons, led the way. DreamWorks Classics continued to engage fans with initiatives around Felix, Noddy, Lassie and Waldo. Franchise favorites Shrek and Madagascar were also celebrated at retail worldwide. DreamWorks Animation worked with retail partners across all tiers in 2015. Highlighting the roster for 2016 is Trolls–the upcoming feature film is poised to be DreamWorks Animation's biggest and most expansive consumer products effort to-date. DreamWorks Animation will also continue to support its ground breaking slate with support at retail for Dinotrux, as well as two highly anticipated upcoming series, Voltron and Trollhunters. DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon franchise also continues to breathe fire with the hit television series Dragons: Race to the Edge. DreamWorks Classics will also be highlighted, led by global favorite Noddy. In the digital space, AwesomenessTV, the multi-platform media company, continues to captivate an enormous audience with short and long form content, led by an ever-expanding roster of incredible talent.
19 NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
$3.2B (E) (PRIVATE)
SAL LAROCCA, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS; ROBERT W. MILLMAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +1.212.407.8000
WWW.NBA.COM
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues–the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. The league continues to expand its presence in China both with games and various promotional initiatives. NBA Global Games China 2015 featured two pre-season games in Shenzhen and Shanghai.
20 ELECTROLUX
$3.1B (STO: ELUX-B.ST)
CIARAN COYLE, GLOBAL VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL MARKETING, +46.87.38.60.00
WWW.ELECTROLUXGROUP.COM
The Electrolux Group is one of the world's leading appliance makers, producing more than 55 million products per year and selling into 150 countries globally. It has over 50 brands in the portfolio that offer brand extensions in numerous categories, ranging from solar power to consumer electronics. These licensing programs provide the consumer with an opportunity to enjoy Electrolux brands across additional product ranges and geographies. Electrolux's top licensed property continues to be the German brand AEG. This brand is licensed for products ranging from commercial energy to connected devices. Other top licensed brands worldwide include Electrolux, Frigidaire, Zanussi, Eureka, Arthur Martin and White-Westinghouse. Electrolux's business continues to flourish in its mature markets, but it has experienced tremendous success in new markets in 2015, including India and the Middle East. In 2016, Electrolux global brand licensing will continue to focus on working with partners that understand how to translate strong brand equity into desirable–and sustainable–consumer products.
21 AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP
$3B (PRIVATE)
JAMIE SALTER, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; NICK WOODHOUSE, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER; KEVIN CLARKE, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER; JAY DUBINER, GENERAL COUNSEL, +1.212.760.2410
WWW.ABG-NYC.COM
Top licensed properties in 2015 include celebrity and entertainment brands such as Marilyn Monroe, Mini Marilyn, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jackson (managed brand) and Bobby Jones (managed brand); fashion brands such as Juicy Couture, Jones New York, Judith Leiber, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hickey Freeman, Adrienne Vittadini, Frederick's of Hollywood, Taryn Rose and Misook; and sports brands including Spyder, Prince, Airwalk, Tapout, Tretorn, Vision Street Wear and Hind. Top retail partners in 2015 were Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Dillard's, Nordstrom, Harrod's, Lane Crawford, Sogo, Selfridges, El Palacio, Liverpool, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Kohl's, Modell's, Big 5, Academy, TJ Maxx, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, Winners, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Payless, Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, Under Armour, Decathalon Sports, Sports Direct and Big W. In 2016, ABG is focused on global licensing and marketing initiatives to drive domestic and international awareness of its portfolio and expand its customer base. New brand launches this year include Juicy Couture Black Label, Jones New York, Tapout and Tretorn. ABG will also continue to announce new brand acquisitions and strategic partnerships with premium global properties.
22 PENTLAND BRANDS
$3B (PRIVATE)
ANDY RUBIN, CHAIRMAN, BRAND MANAGEMENT DIVISION, +44.020.8346.2600
WWW.PENTLAND.COM
Sports, outdoor and fashion brands include Speedo, Lacoste, Berghaus, Brasher, KangaROOS, Ellesse, Boxfresh, Mitre, ProStar, Red or Dead and Gio Goi. The company is also a global licensee for Lacoste Chaussures and Ted Baker footwear, the U.K. licensee for Kickers and is majority owner of JD Sports Fashion Limited, which operates more than 800 sports, fashion and outdoor stores across Europe.
23 PROCTER & GAMBLE
$3B (E) (NYSE: PG)
GAYLE JONES, MANAGER, TRADEMARK LICENSING AND COMMERCIAL INNOVATION, GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +1.513.626.7666
WWW.PG.COM
The key brands that drive licensing for Procter & Gamble include Tide, Febreze, Mr. Clean, Vicks and Braun.
24 FERRARI
$2.6B (PRIVATE)
STEFANO SAPORETTI, HEAD OF LICENSING; FRANCESCA VERNIA, LICENSING COORDINATOR, +39.053.694.9200
WWW.FERRARISTORE.COM
With theme parks in Abu Dhabi and Spain, Ferrari recently signed an agreement with China's Beijing Automotive and Eternaland Property Co. to design, construct and operate the park, which is scheduled to open in 2017. The company continues to reinforce its lifestyle approach with various luxury partners and new retail stores worldwide.
25 KATHY IRELAND WORDLWIDE
$2.5B (E) (PRIVATE)
ROCCO INGEMI, VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND MANAGEMENT AND RETAIL; CLAUDE ERGAS, INTERNATIONAL MARKETING AND BRANDING CONSULTANT, +1.310.557.2700 EXT. 165
WWW.KATHYIRELAND.COM
According to Forbes, kathy ireland Worldwide's estimated retail sales top $2.5 B annually. kiWW continues to experience growth, offering designs in handbags and accessories, legwear, intimate apparel and sleepwear. Recent launches include Diamonds by kathy Ireland, an exclusive diamond and fine jewelry collection; NuGene International, an anti-aging skincare for men and women; furniture; flooring; area rugs; jewelry boxes and armoires; indoor and outdoor lighting; home accessories; window treatments; home office; top of bed products such as sheets, mattress covers and pillows; and hand-painted fine porcelain. kiWW has also launched TV programming with the series Worldwide Business with kathy ireland and Modern Living with kathy ireland. Both shows air around the world. kiWW continues its strategic alliance with American Family Insurance, Nebraska Furniture Mart and National Business Furniture. In 2016, kiWW is expanding into several new categories such as fine china and flatware, crystal, storage solutions, stationery, towels, sheets, pet products, quick-to-assemble furniture, garden, food, publishing and children's educational toys. kathy ireland Designs, ACafé by Chef Andre and Jardin by Nicholas Walker offer garden accessories, home furnishings and accessories with A&B Home Fashions, lighting and area rugs. Other categories include kathy ireland Weddings, wedding events and planning, real estate, vacation events, wedding program licenses, music and film licenses, publishing and greeting cards. kiWW entered into a multi-year licensing renewal with Pacific Coast Lighting for all indoor/outdoor lighting needs and accessories. kiWW and PPI International entered into a multi-year licensing renewal for women's intimate apparel and sleepwear. A wholly owned kiWW subsidiary manages licensing and entertainment for Janet Jackson, including her New York Times No. 1 best-selling book True You, which includes 30 recipes for healthy living developed by Chef Andre of ACafé. Key retail partners of kiWW continue to be more than 65,000 independent retail doors in 50 countries. Fine retailers include Macy's, J.C. Penney, Kohl's and Bed Bath & Beyond.com. kathy ireland Office can be found at retailers across the country including National Business furniture and Staples. Kathy Ireland philanthropic work supports many non-profits including the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation, Feed the Children, Providence Educational Foundation, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, The Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Defense League and 9-1-1 for Kids. In 2016, kiWW will also be expanding its show space at June's Licensing Expo.
26 RALPH LAUREN
$2.5B (E) (NYSE: RL)
STEFAN LARSSON, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, +1.212.813.7868
WWW.GLOBAL.RALPHLAUREN.COM
For more than 48 years, the company has expanded its portfolio of brands and premium lifestyle products in four categories–apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. Brands include Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Double RL, RLX, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren, American Living, Chaps and Club Monaco.
27 MATTEL
$2.3B (NASDAQ: MAT)
TANYA MANN, VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.310.252.2000; MICHELLE CHIDONI, SENIOR DIRECTOR, GLOBAL BRAND COMMUNICATIONS, +1.310.252.3921
WWW.CORPORATE.MATTEL.COM
The Mattel family of companies is one of the worldwide leaders in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. Mattel's consumer products organization expands the company's portfolio of brands into new categories and experiences in more than 200 territories and 40 languages. Programs are developed to expand its core franchises of Barbie, one of the most popular fashion dolls ever produced, Hot Wheels, Monster High, American Girl, Thomas & Friends and Fisher-Price brands. Additionally, there are consumer product programs supporting a wide variety of toy and games brands such as Magic 8 Ball, Rock em Sock em Robots, Uno and Scrabble. With its worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel's companies employ nearly 30,000 people in 40 countries and territories and sell products in more than 150 nations.
28 CATERPILLAR
$2.23B (NYSE: CAT)
KENNY BEAUPRE, RETAIL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +1.309.675.8665
WWW.CAT.COM
Many of Caterpillar's long-term partnerships continue to supply great products in the lifestyle, children's and telecommunication categories. It has opened 14 new Cat monobrand retail stores throughout South and Central America, the Middle East and China. These stores continue to connect the lifestyle consumer segment to Caterpillar's brand. Key initiatives in 2016 include launches of Cat toolboxes, long-handled tools, striking tools, wheelbarrows and industrial fans.
29 THE POKÉMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL
$2.1B (PRIVATE)
MONIKA SALAZAR, DIRECTOR, LICENSING, AMERICAS, +1.425.229.6000
WWW.POKEMON.COM
Pokémon features a wide array of offerings from video games and accessories to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, animation and wide variety of licensed lifestyle products, making it one of the most diverse and beloved entertainment franchises in the world. With more than 21.5 billion Pokémon TCG cards shipped globally and more than 800 episodes currently in its animation library, Pokémon is a long-standing market leader and enjoyed an incredibly strong year at retail in 2015. Four new Pokémon TCG expansions were launched, surpassing record sales from the previous year, along with various incremental Pokémon TCG products including collectable tins and box sets. Additionally, the Pokémon Trading Card Game is currently available on PC as well as on Apple devices via the free Pokémon TCG online app. A full-length feature film, Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, aired on Cartoon Network and other broadcast partners across the globe in 2015, as well as the Pokémon animation series, Pokémon: XY: Kalos Quest, which debuted on Cartoon Network. Pokémon animation is also available via the free Pokémon TV app for Apple and Android devices, as well as on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. In addition, Pokémon animation is currently on Netflix, Hulu, iTunes and Amazon. Throughout the year, The Pokémon Company International partners with national retailers to distribute Pokémon characters to fans who own the video games. In 2015, Pokémon character distributions were held at different times at GameStop locations in the US, EB Games in Canada, and other retail partners across Europe. The Pokémon Company International also supported several key retailers with exclusive licensed items and various other cross-promotions that helped drive retail traffic throughout the year, including special promotions at Toys 'R' Us, Target and other retailers. In June, a limited edition Pokémon fashion and accessories boutique was featured at JapanLA in Los Angeles, Calif, showcasing fun and fashionable product from various licensing partners. Pokémon is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a yearlong celebration of the past, present, and future of the iconic brand. Pokémon was first introduced in Japan in 1996, with the video games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green for the Game Boy system. The Pokémon 20th anniversary kicked off with the brand's first ever Pokémon Super Bowl ad during Super Bowl 50, which was viewed by more than 110 million people during the game and watched more than 26 million times on YouTube. The spot encourages fans to Train On. Four Mythical Pokémon video game character distribution events will take place at participating GameStop locations throughout 2016, with one being distributed quarterly. TOMY International, Pokémon's master toy licensee, has also created special Mythical Pokémon figures and plush to celebrate 20 years of Pokémon. Pokémon TCG fans can celebrate 20 years of Pokémon with the Pokémon TCG: Generations expansion. Highly anticipated Pokémon video games launch in 2016, including the fast-action fighting game for the Wii U, Pokkén Tournament, which launched in March. Also, the seventh generation of Pokémon video games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, will launch in time for holiday season for the Nintendo 3DS family systems.
30 CARTOON NETWORK ENTERPRISES/TURNER CN ENTERPRISES
$2B (NYSE: TWX)
PETE YODER, VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, NORTH AMERICA; LISA WEGER, VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, LATIN AMERICA; MELISSA TINKER, VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, ASIA PACIFIC; JOHANNE BROADFIELD, VICE PRESIDENT, EMEA, +1.212.275.6535
WWW.CARTOONNETWORK.COM
During what was a historic year which, for the first time in its history, saw Cartoon Network end the year as television's No. 1 ad-supported network with kids, ages 6-11, the network's portfolio of animated brands continued to deliver another strong year at retail through its licensing business. Further establishing itself as the leading choice for this generation of kids, Cartoon Network's signature comedy series Adventure Time and Steven Universe continued to engage and inspire their legions of fans and expand on their consumer products programs. On the Adult Swim side of the business, the network's animated series Rick and Morty further established itself during its second season on the network, as well as through an expanding licensing program that introduced a series of new partners across apparel, toys, publishing and more. Further rounding out the licensing program are current and classic hits across both the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim libraries including The Amazing World of Gumball, Regular Show, Clarence, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory, Robot Chicken and more. Cartoon Network and its brands have long been and will continue to be widely placed at retail across all key retailers and all tiers of distribution around the world. With strong retail support throughout 2015, key brands were able to enjoy success thanks to a mix of yearlong retail and marketing programs. Numerous feature shops, direct to retail programs, end caps, circular support, and dedicated email blasts and sweepstakes throughout holiday 2015 and other key buying seasons helped to generate strong sales and awareness among the group's portfolio of brands and product lines. Cartoon Network is poised for tremendous growth and success in 2016 and beyond. The licensing group comes to market with its strongest, most diversified portfolio yet, anchored by this year's global launch of the re-imagined franchise, The Powerpuff Girls. The original girl superheroes will make their debut this spring, and the brand has already secured a roster of more than 100 licensees worldwide comedy franchises Adventure Time and Steven Universe continue to tap into their fan bases that span kids, teens and young adults, and Adult Swim's original series Rick and Morty looks to transition its incredible popularity and momentum from the television screen to a fan-targeted consumer products program in 2016. Looking ahead to 2017, Cartoon Network's global team is gearing up for the re-launch of Ben 10, as well as the expansion of the network's original comedy series We Bare Bears into consumer products.
31 CHEROKEE GLOBAL BRANDS
$2B (NASDAQ: CHKE)
HENRY STUPP, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; HOWARD SIEGEL, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER; MARK NAWROCKI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL LICENSING; RANDI SPIEKER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +1.818.908.9868
WWW.CHEROKEEGROUP.COM
Key properties available for license include the namesake Cherokee brand, Tony Hawk, Hawk Signature, Everyday California, Liz Lange, Sideout, Carole Little, ale by Alessandra, Point Cove and newly acquired Flip Flop Shops; a leading franchise retail chain. The Cherokee brand is an American family lifestyle brand offering classic casual comfort at great value. Founded in 1973, Cherokee offers an assortment of men's, women's and children's apparel, accessories, footwear and home products. The brand is licensed in more than 50 countries and sold in over 5,000 locations. The Tony Hawk and Hawk Signature brands, born in California and named after its founder Tony Hawk, is globally recognized as a premier board culture lifestyle brand, combining style and performance. Product categories include apparel, accessories, footwear and home décor. The Everyday California brand embodies all aspects of the active California lifestyle. Product categories include men's and women's apparel, footwear and accessories. Liz Lange is a maternity brand of fashionable, affordable and flattering styles. The Sideout brand represents a California beach volleyball heritage. Carole Little is a brand known for its colorful signature prints for women. The newly developed Point Cove takes inspiration from the spirit of California and features apparel, accessories and footwear. Flip Flop Shops is the authentic retail chain exclusively devoted to the hottest brands & latest styles of flip flops, casual footwear and accessories. Retail partners for the Cherokee brand include Target stores in the U.S.; Commercial Mexicana in Mexico; Tottus, a division of Falabella in Chile, Peru and Columbia; Argos in the U.K. and Ireland; Nishimatsuya throughout Japan; RT Mart throughout China; Big C in Thailand; Megamart and Unlimited stores a division of Arvind in India; Pick 'N Pay in South Africa and certain North African countries; Max Store a division of The Landmark Group, throughout the Middle East, Sears Canada and Shufersal in Israel. For Tony Hawk, retail partners include Kohl's department stores in the U.S. and Walmart Canada. For Liz Lange, partners include Target stores in the U.S., Mom & Me in India and Sears Canada. The key retail partner for Carole Little is the Marmax Group. In 2016, Cherokee Global Brands will forge new strategic partnerships for the Cherokee brand. The company will also continue to grow and expand its portfolio of lifestyle brands through the development of new international territories, collaborating with retail partners on shop-in-shop presentations to enhance the consumer experience, growing e-commerce in conjunction with retail partners and expanding the overall capabilities of Cherokee Global Brands' proprietary 360-degree platform.
32 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
$2B (NYSE: F)
GLOBAL ICONS, LICENSING AGENT, +1.310.820.5300
WWW.FORD.COM; WWW.GLOBALICONS.COM
33 WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL
$2B (E) (NYSE: WTW)
JIM CHAMBERS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, +1.212.589-2700
WWW.WEIGHTWATCHERS.COM
Weight Watchers is one of the world's leading commercial providers of weight management services, operating through a network of company-owned and franchise operations. The company offers a wide range of products, publications and programs though its website and major retailers.
34 BBC WORLDWIDE
$1.9B (PRIVATE)
CARLA PEYTON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSED CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.212.705.9300
WWW.BBCAMERICA.COM
BBC Worldwide has continued to grow its major brands–Doctor Who, Sherlock, Top Gear, BBC Earth, Dancing with the Stars and CBeebies–across the globe. Starting with the U.S. and Canada, BBC Home Entertainment titles continued to perform solidly at retail, with strong placement at major retailers including Costco, Best Buy, Walmart and Target. Its theatrical release schedule included Queen & Country, We Come as Friends, Last Night at the Proms 2015 and finally the Doctor Who Christmas special theatrical event. Doctor Who was once again the No. 1 licensed television brand in specialty U.S. with retailers including Hot Topic hitting more than $115 million in sales. The brand will be a focal point for growth, adding new product categories and growing consumer products at new and existing retail stores such as Hot Topic, Hastings, Transworld/FYE and more. Sherlock's North America licensing program continues to thrive with a range of apparel, collectible figures, gifts and accessories, as well. BBC Worldwide is also having continued success with its live events business. 2014/15 was a busy year with the Doctor Who Festival spanning the U.K. and Australia, and Frozen Planet in Concert in Germany. The Doctor Who Experience continues to welcome visitors in Cardiff as well as a Deadly 60 branded area at Longleat Safari Park. Top Gear continues to have a strong brand presence with the long standing global partnership with Forza 6 as well as the Top Gear track experience in the U.K. The ratings of local formats continue to flourish ahead of the highly anticipated new line up of the original Top Gear, due to air in the U.K. and U.S. in May. BBC Worldwide has sold the Strictly Come Dancing format license to more than 50 countries, and every week of 2015 a local version was in production around the world. This year, CBeebies Land will celebrate its third year and continues to do well at its U.K. home in Alton Towers. BBC Worldwide live events staged theater and arena tours, concerts, large-scale exhibitions and even themed cruises on Holland America Line in the U.S., titled Dancing with the Stars: At Sea. Growth over the next year will be driven by the extension of existing licensing properties both in the U.K. and internationally. BBC Worldwide expects to grow revenue with licensing programs around Doctor Who, Top Gear and preschool brands such as Go Jetters, Hey Duggee and Sarah and Duck.
35 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONSUMER PRODUCTS
$1.9B (NASDAQ: FOXA)
JEFFREY GODSICK, PRESIDENT, +1.310.369.1000
WWW.FOXCONSUMERPRODUCTS.COM
In 2015, Fox Consumer Products continued to thrive with a portfolio of top licensed properties in the television and film sector. Its TV portfolio includes The Simpsons, which is airing somewhere, every minute of the day. The Simpsons is seen in an unprecedented 180 countries worldwide, with The Simpsons merchandise available in each. Empire returned this season as the No. 1 series on broadcast television among viewers 18 to 49, averaging 21.2 million viewers. Other series include Bob's Burgers, American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy and Family Guy. On the film side, major properties for FCP include The Alien film franchise; Ice Age, which is the No. 1 international animated franchise of all-time; Alvin & the Chipmunks; and the films of Marilyn Monroe. At retail, FCP launched Empire as a brand lifestyle with key collaborations with Saks, MCM and fashion designer Hood By Air. The Simpsons continued to take center stage across the globe–FCP partnered with Eland, a top apparel retail player in Korea with 4,700 stores, to create a casual apparel line; a cool streetwear program with Neff Headwear resulted in programs at Tilly's, PacSun and Zumiez; The Simpsons slot machine from WMS was launched at G2e; and The Simpsons were also showcased in high-profile promotions with Apple and Google's YouTube. Various programs surrounded FCP's film properties–Ice Age debuted the X5 promotion in hundreds of supermarket chains across Russia; it achieved continued success with the Alien Isolation video game; there was a 25th anniversary celebration of Home Alone that included NECA dolls; the Sandlot expanded into Target; and Cartier licensed scenes from The Seven Year Itch and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for advertising campaign. FCP's location-based entertainment division oversees arena shows, 4D attractions and touring exhibitions; construction is underway for first 20th Century Fox World theme park in Genting, Malaysia; The Simpsons land and AVP Maze opened at Universal Hollywood; Alvin Live (S2BN) toured North America; and a highly-successful run of Ice Age–No Time For Nuts 4D ran at Madame Tussaud Shanghai (iWerks). Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include for the EMPIRE lifestyle brand as it evolves from high-end to accessible with the launch of Defend Paris, which will be complimented by a new Cover Girl campaign that will feature the stars of the series. Initiatives around FCP's animated properties Bob's Burgers, Family Guy and The Simpsons remain a focus, as well. A Bob's Burger promotion with Hot Topic and Bob's Burger LIVE returns to the stage; while the first standalone store for The Simpsons is scheduled to open in Beijing, with more China stores following. Additionally FX Fearless, launched at FYE, will expand to more retailers. With the next film in Ice Age franchise releasing in July, FCP launched an unprecedented 10,000 store direct-to-retail promotion with LIDL across Europe and Ice Age Live (Stage Entertainment) will tour North America. This summer, Independence Day: Resurgence blasts into theaters and is accompanied by licensees Cepia and Titan, as well as a program in 4,000 Meters/Bonwe stores in China. Reebok, Titan and NECA are onboard for initiative around Alien franchise–the film Alien: Covenant releases in 2017. FCP ran SuperBowl 50 ads that featured Independence Day (Bud Light) and The Seven Year Itch (Snickers). Marilyn also took center stage in Australia with a major exhibit at Bendigo Art Gallery. Coming soon is the film War for the Planet of the Apes and latest chapter to the No. 1 movie of all time, Avatar–an Avatar exhibition by GES will open soon in Asia.
36 NFL PLAYERS INC.
$1.55B (PRIVATE)
STEVE SCEBELO, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +1.202.572.7472
WWW.NFLPLAYERS.COM
Through its group licensing program, the NFLPA provides its licensees with rights to create player identified products featuring more than 2,000 active NFL players across three categories: apparel, digital and hardlines. The retail sales figure is based on total overall sales of all licensed products from online and traditional retail outlets, as reported by more than 80 NFLPA licensees. Licensed products include mobile, digital and console video games, trading cards, men's, women's and youth jerseys and t-shirts, player murals, figurines, matted and framed photos, bobbleheads, drinkware, plush and collectibles, among others. In addition to traditional licensed products available at retail, emerging growth in social commerce and direct-to-consumer sales of made-to-order products has contributed to more than $10 million in sales. With over 2,000 current NFL players in the NFLPA group licensing program, licensees have diverse player personalities and attributes to incorporate into their product lines and marketing campaigns. Licensees leverage their player rights to create products with local, national and international appeal. NFLPA licensees report individual player sales on a quarterly basis. Based on licensed product sales, the Top 25 players for the 2015 season were Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Dez Bryant, Peyton Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., J.J. Watt, Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Colin Kaepernick, Richard Sherman, Tony Romo, Marshawn Lynch, Marcus Mariota, Andrew Luck, Clay Matthews, Luke Kuechly, Drew Brees, Antonio Brown, Cam Newton, Jimmy Graham, demarco Murray, Jordy Nelson, Calvin Johnson and Teddy Bridgewater. Top retail partners in 2015 were Academy Sports, Best Buy, Champs, Dick's Sporting Goods, Fanatics, J.C. Penney, Kohl's, LIDS, Modell's and Target. The mission of NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, is to connect businesses to the world's most powerful unifier, sports, via NFL players. NFL Players Inc. Grants group licensing rights for over 2,000 current NFL players. With unparalleled player knowledge and direct access to the athletes, NFL Players Inc. Creates customized business solutions for partners, including guidance on the creation of licensed products featuring players' likenesses, names, numbers and signatures, and integrating players into marketing and advertising campaigns. The retail power of the players is driven by their unique personalities, community influence and ability to connect with loyal fan bases. Heading into 2016, NFL Players Inc. Is focused on a number of personality-driven licensing initiatives, including connecting players more deeply into their local markets by emphasizing the depth of rosters for partners of all sizes to feature NFL players in their marketing efforts. Custom, made-to-order product will be a focal point of growth in all categories. Additionally, NFL Players Inc. Will focus on building NFL player product lines in the emerging areas of technology, collegiate co-brand licensing and international markets.
37 BLUESTAR ALLIANCE
$1.5B (PRIVATE)
JOSEPH GABBAY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, +1.212.290.1370
WWW.BLUESTARALLIANCE.COM
This brand management company, founded in 2006, includes such properties as Michael Bastian, English Laundry, Kensie, Harve Bernard, Larry Levine, Catherine Malandrino, Limited Too and Nanette Lepore.
38 GIOCHI PREZIOSI GROUP
$1.5B (E)
GRAZIANO DELMAESTRO, LICENSING DIRECTOR, +39.01.96.47.51
WWW.GIOCHIPREZIOSI.COM
Key properties include Gormiti, Puppy in My Pocket and Dinofroz.
39 THE HERSHEY COMPANY
$1.5B (NYSE: HSY)
ERNIE SAVO, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL LICENSING, +1.717.508.3112
WWW.THEHERSHEYCOMPANY.COM
The Hershey Company is a global confectionery company known for its chocolate, sweets, mints and snacks. The company has more than 80 brands around the world that drive more than $10 billion in annual revenues, including such brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers and Breath Savers. Its leading food and non-food licensing program extends Hershey's mission of bringing sweet moments of Hershey happiness to the world every day and generates $1.5 billion at retail. In 2015, the Hershey's iconic brand portfolio showed continued strength in a wide range of product categories and retail channels. Licensed products are available in 600,000-plus retail doors worldwide, with continued rapid extension programs in Asia. In Japan, 54 Hershey's ice creams are sold each minute, while in Korea, 100 million units of Hershey's chocolate milk are consumed every year. Hershey's Soymilk was named Malaysia's 2016/17 Product of the Year and will be available in Oceania from this year onward. Taiwan will also follow with a specialized food and beverage extension program being planned for 2017. In addition to ice cream, beverages, cakes, cereal and baking, the North American food business continues to expand in new product categories. Consumers can now find Hershey's refrigerated puddings, Hershey's and Reese's frozen desserts, Hershey's and Reese's in-store bakery cakes, cookies and muffins, as well as Jolly Rancher frozen beverages. In the American non-food segment, Hershey's continues to introduce products that celebrate and complement its core and licensed food and beverage offerings, including a fresh tabletop collection by Fitz & Floyd, small kitchen Electrics by Focus Products Group, fun impulse products from Evriholder and s'mores grilling accessories by Blue Rhino. The Hershey health and beauty accessories program with GBG Beauty also continues to be the No. 1 confectionery license in-market with exciting new launches planned for 2016, including a platform inspired by Hershey's Kisses chocolates.
40 PLAYBOY ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL
$1.5B (PRIVATE)
SCOTT KILLIAN, CHIEF BRAND OFFICER AND E-COMMERCE GENERAL MANAGER, +1.310.424.1800
WWW.PLAYBOYENTERPRISES.COM
Playboy expanded its $500 million consumer products business in mainland China with a new 10 year partnership that expanded product distribution to 3,500 retail outlets. The partnership also gives the brand access to a new generation of Chinese consumers. Playboy Fragrances, powered by Coty, remains the No. 2 best-selling male and female fragrance brand in Europe, according to Playboy. 2015 was also a year of several global fashion collaborations, from Burton snowboards, Fleur Du Mal luxury lingerie and Supreme streetwear, to apparel collaborations with Dolce & Gabbana, Philipp Plein, Hysteric Glamour, goodworth&Co. And Schott. Playboy launched playboyshop.com a new e-commerce store featuring specially designed apparel, barware, accessories and one-of-a-kind handmade items. Playboy's gaming division added Fan Duel to its roster of partners, launched electronic blackjack tables with Scientific Games, and revealed a Pitbull/Playboy themed gaming franchise. Playboy's location-based entertainment business also thrived, with takeover events at Ibiza's Blue Marlin beach club and Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay, and the opening of Bar Fifty Three, a new Playboy bar in Los Angeles in partnership with the Lore Group. Other noteworthy product launches include a Blackheart Rum Playboy edition through Heaven Hill Distillery and Blitzway art toys. Between the re-launch of Playboy.com, which resulted in a 400 percent increase in traffic, and the re-designed non-nude Playboy magazine, which is on track to double newsstands sales, Playboy is reaching a bigger audience now than ever in its 62-year history. For the first time in 25 years Detroit auto manufacturers are advertising with the brand and Playboy is presenting a slate of new digital programming at this year's industry newfronts in New York. This evolution of the brand's media business sets the stage for a re-introduction of consumer products as Playboy emerges as a powerful mainstream lifestyle brand in North America.
41 STANLEY BLACK & DECKER
$1.5B (NYSE: SWK)
JOHN CUNNINGHAM, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +1.410.716.7467
WWW.STANLEYBLACKANDDECKER.COM
Black+Decker has been a preeminent brand in the home and consumer DIY sector for more than 100 years. The brand has 98 percent brand awareness and market share leadership in most categories. Black+Decker is a trusted, innovative brand that strives to make consumers' lives easier. Some licensed categories include small domestic appliances, gardening tools, 12-volt automotive products, safety gear, how-to books, cookware, bakeware and food prep. Stanley has been around for more than 170 years and is preferred with professionals and serious diyers. It is the leading global manufacturer of tools, hardware and security solutions for consumer, professional and industrial use, and enjoys 98 percent of brand awareness. Some current licensed categories include welding equipment, storage solutions, wet/dry vacs, 12-volt automotive products, work lights, work gloves, industrial fans and heaters and jobsite mobile accessories. Dewalt is a 90-year-old brand known for quality, innovation and jobsite durability, and is the market leader for professional power tools and equipment. Licensed products include wireless alarm systems, professional trade reference books, worksite storage, pressure washers, jobsite safety equipment, footwear, generators and air compressors. Present in more than 90,000 doors worldwide, licensed products from Stanley Black & Decker's portfolio of brands can be found in almost every channel of trade including home centers, hardware retailers, industrial and commercial channels, mass, mid-tier and home specialty. Its existing retail partners are expected to continue to be strong, strategic partners of licensed products across all brands in 2016. Black+Decker will look to grow particularly in categories targeting the homeowner with the expansion of global small domestic appliance lines, compact appliance partners and additional licensees in the cleaning space. The Dewalt brand target categories utilized by Dewalt's existing professional user base, inclusive of concrete, metal working and dry wall. Stanley in particular, as well as the other brands, will be focused particularly around global expansion. Additional initiatives will be focused around the expansion of both Black+Decker and Dewalt's battery systems, which are currently being utilized across a number of licensed products to offer a more expansive range of products within each platform.
42 PGA TOUR
$1.42B (PRIVATE)
LANCE STOVER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND NEW VENTURES; MATT IOFREDO, SENIOR DIRECTOR, LICENSING AND NEW VENTURES, +1.904.273.3269
WWW.PGATOUR.COM
PGA Tour continues to grow its brand portfolio and has positioned it as a top-of-mind golf and affinity lifestyle brand. Highlights from the PGA Tour in 2015 included the formation of a partnership in the tee time marketplace, release of an updated EA Sports video game to reflect the new generation of young talent on Tour and expansion of its licensed merchandise portfolio with new licensees in key categories and territories. One of the biggest focuses at PGA Tour is to grow the game and help broaden golf's reach. To help with this initiative, PGA Tour formed a new partnership in 2015 with ezlinks Golf to create teeoff.com by PGA Tour, an online tee time website that connects millions of golfers with tee times worldwide. Another highlight in 2015 included longtime licensee, EA Sports, and the release of a new edition of the game, which named four-time Major champion and top-ranked golfer in the world Rory mcilroy as the cover athlete and namesake of its golf franchise, EA Sports Rory mcilroy PGA Tour. In the branded fashion arena, PGA Tour launched its first fragrance with partner Tru Fragrance, named PGA Tour Passport. The scent debuted at The Players Championship 2015, and is sold at green grass golf shops and retailers across the country. Additionally, the Tour entered a new licensing relationship with New Venture Active Limited to produce a PGA Tour technical and lifestyle apparel line in the U.K. and Europe. PGA Tour looks forward to continued growth of its brand and licensed products globally with its newly appointed partner CAA Sports/Fermata Partners as the Tour's new exclusive trademark licensing representative beginning in 2016.
43 SUNKIST GROWERS
$1.4B (PRIVATE) (AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE)
MARK MADDEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL LICENSING, +1.818.379.7262
WWW.SUNKIST.COM
Sunkist Global Licensing has more than 50 licensees operating and marketing the Sunkist brand in over 85 countries. Eighty percent of Sunkist's business is in beverages, primarily juice, juice drinks and soda. More than 730 different licensed products carry the Sunkist brand globally.
44 BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB
$1.35B (PRIVATE)
S. HADDAD, PARTNER, +1.646.266.3024
The name Beverly Hills suggests luxury, elegance and comfort. The game of polo, known as the sport of kings, reinforces these aspirational characteristics with the added dimensions of both the challenge of competitive sport as well as individual physical strength. The company's focus is on international expansion with a new lifestyle shop concept. The company's performance as a consumer brand has been recognized by the international retail community in several major venues with its nomination as International Emerging Market Retailer of the Year for 2015 as well as New International Lifestyle Retailer.
45 NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
$1.3B (PRIVATE)
DAVE MCCARTHY, VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS LICENSING, +1.212.789.2166
WWW.NHL.COM
The National Hockey League consists of 30 member clubs, each reflecting the league's international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. Every year the NHL entertains more than 250 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio, more than 10 million fans on its social platforms and more than 300 million fans online at NHL.com
46 SESAME WORKSHOP
$1.3B (NON-PROFIT)
SCOTT CHAMBERS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH AMERICA MEDIA AND LICENSING, +1.212.875.6782
WWW.SESAMEWORKSHOP.ORG
Sesame Workshop partnered with apparel licensees PUMA, Mishka, Uniqlo, Bathing Ape, Pancoat and Peter Alexander to create new lines of Sesame Street clothing and accessories for the young and the young-at-heart. Sesame Place celebrated its 35th birthday by hosting a party all season long featuring fun and festive birthday decorations and a fantastic new Neighborhood Birthday Party Parade. Sesame Street: Let's Cook! Cookbook, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Press, was covered on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show and Rachael Ray. The book is now in its fourth printing. Sesame Street was a strategic partner for Google Play's launch of its Kids & Family platform. The brand was one of four selected featured at Google's NYC launch event summer 2015. In other digital news, Elmo Loves You won the Appy Award for 2015 Best Book App. Sesame Street's Heads Up! With Sesame Street App launched on The Ellen Degeneres Show in October 2015. Sesame Workshop ended 2015 with a bang. Amazon included Playskool Sesame Street Play All Day Elmo on its Holiday Toy List. Sesame Street launched on HBO with the boldest changes to date, including 30-minute episodes, new preschool-relevant themes, new show open and closing songs, and an updated set. Viewers can also expect to see spinoffs and new ips. Sesame Street will continue to air on local PBS stations, and on the PBS KIDS video app. Sesamstraat, the Dutch co-production, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Activities include an exhibition at the Kijkduin, where children can sit down in Tommie's race car and parents learn about the history of Sesame Street, a new touring theater show Bonte Avond in Sesamstraat and a Sesamstraat tulip at the Keukenhof. Sesame Workshop has partnered with Avocados From Mexico to help educate families about the importance of maintaining a well-balanced diet. Chef Pati Jinich of Pati's Mexican Table on PBS meets Sesame Street's Elmo, Cookie Monster and Rosita to share health benefits and fun facts about the avocado. The fun continues with Playskool's Love2Learn Elmo. With his silly laughs and his creative play, Elmo models a true love for learning. With its accompanying app, the toy delivers a customized play experience for children. Early reviews from Toy Fair promises to make this a hot holiday toy in 2016.
47 WWE
$1.26B (NYSE: WWE)
CASEY COLLINS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.203.352.8600
WWW.WWE.COM
In 2015, WWE partnered with Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, Hot Topic and FYE for multiple cross-category retail promotions. In 2015, TRU and WWE partnered to create a unique marketing program to feature Mattel WWE Action Figures. The program included a retail front of store fixture and four-way feature, live event sponsorship and a social media campaign. In 2015, Walmart also did a wrestlemania Vudu cross-category program, which featured an exclusive collection of wrestlemania action figures by Mattel. Last year, both Hot Topic and FYE did promotions around one of our top PPV events, summerslam. Both of these cross-category promotions featured in-store signage and significant social media activity. In 2016, WWE will be expanding its toy program offerings with key global partnerships with Jakks Pacific and Playmates. These new partnerships will complement WWE's master toy partnership with Mattel. WWE also has growth plans in the mobile gaming space. The mobile game WWE Champions allows players to collect more than 100 different Superstars and Legends that they can enter in the ring for intense 3D action, powered by fast and engaging puzzle play. The game will launch worldwide on Android and ios devices in late 2016. On March 24, 2016, WWE Superstars will visit Family Guy's town of Quahog in Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff mobile game. Also, in 2016 WWE, with partner 2K, will release another video game, WWE 2K17.
48 THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
$1B (E) (NYSE: KO)
KATE DWYER, GROUP DIRECTOR WORLDWIDE LICENSING, +1.404.676.2121
WWW.COCA-COLA.COM
The Coca-Cola Company is revamping many aspects of its marketing as part of its one brand strategy, including a new packaging design that will feature the iconic red trademark disc logo across all its individual brands. It is being rolled out in Mexico this month and then globally hitting the U.S. in 2017.
49 ENTERTAINMENT ONE
$1B (OTC: ENTMF)
ANDREW CARLEY, HEAD OF GLOBAL LICENSING; HANNAH MUNGO, HEAD OF U.K. LICENSING; AMI DIECKMAN, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING; REBECCA HARVEY, HEAD OF MARKETING; JAYNE BEVITT, HEAD OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT; JOAN GRASSO, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, NORTH AMERICA; CANDY HO, SENIOR TERRITORY MANAGER, ASIA; CON GOUTZOULUS, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIA; TRISH PADOUIN, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIA; NINA LEUNG, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LIFESTYLE, +44.02.03.691.8600
WWW.ENTERTAINMENTONE.COM
Top licensed properties in 2015 included Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom and SO SO Happy. In 2015, Entertainment One achieved its goal of making Peppa Pig one of the top performing preschool properties around the world and the brand generated over $1 billion in worldwide retail sales that year alone. With more than 700 licensees supplying Peppa products globally, eone significantly strengthened its global footprint by reaching into new territories and achieving deeper penetration in existing markets. By the end of the year, the licensor had built a strong retail presence for the brand in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, Greece, the U.S., Russia and throughout Asia. Eone increased revenue in the U.K. by expanding categories, widening retail channels and launching successful spin off and seasonal lines. Licensing accelerated in the U.S., with a 275 percent sales increase and 25 new licensees. Peppa also entered new markets in 2015. In June 2015, the series launched on China's CCTV and on demand platforms. Eone's U.K. theatrical release of The Golden Boots in February 2015 took $3.3 million at the box office in 16 days. A Peppa theme park attraction opened at Leolandia in Italy, and the stage show played to major cities in sixteen countries. All major retailers in key territories stocked Peppa Pig merchandise in 2015, as well. The strategic expansion of Peppa Pig in China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. will be a key focus in 2016. In established markets across Western Europe and South America, eone will expand product lines and retail channels through best-in-class partnerships. Eone continues to drive the global licensing program for Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. The show is finding new audiences around the world as it launches on-air in new markets and establishing fanbases in the U.S., Russia, Italy and Spain. Joining eone's preschool stable is PJ Masks. Launching to exceptionally strong ratings in the U.S. in 2015, broadcast rolls out globally this year on Disney Junior. Just Play is master global toy partner and a full licensing program will launch in the U.S. in fall 2016, followed by other territories in 2017. Eone's lifestyle division will be launching teen design brand SO SO Happy into the U.K. and South America in 2016 and building momentum for men's lifestyle brand Death Row Records–the iconic music label celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016. The licensor also represents two highly anticipated movies for 2016–Steven Spielberg's adaptation of The BFG and the Ricky Gervais comedy, David Brent: Life on the Road.
50 FCA US
$1B (NASDAQ: FCAU)
ROHENA DUA, GLOBAL LICENSING OPERATIONS, FCA US; KIM RAY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL COUNSEL, THE LICENSING COMPANY +1.248.712.6430
WWW.FCANORTHAMERICA.COM; WWW.TLC.INTERNATIONAL
Top licensed properties 2015 include in Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge/SRT, Ram and Fiat. The Jeep brand is currently placed in more than 4,000 retail locations in China, South East Asia, Korea, Australia, South Africa, Panama, Europe and Venezuela. In addition, the boutique Jeep Spirit t-shirt program with Lucky Brand expanded in 2015 to include placement of a popular style in Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and Macy's in the U.S. In the Dodge brand program, 2015 ushered in a line of garage cabinets and garage flooring, both of which were the featured prizes in the Brand's Garage Fit for a Dodge contest. Growth of the Jeep brand apparel and lifestyle program in the U.S., Brazil, India and the Middle East is planned for 2016/2017. Growth of the J is for Jeep Brand program in the U.S. will continue in 2016 as well. The continued popularity of the Dodge brand will be captured in the man cave categories in 2016. In addition, the Dodge Brothers campaign from the brand has transcended the 100th anniversary celebration and will continue to be celebrated in the licensing program, with an eye toward moving into the barware/glassware categories, home accessories and games in 2016. The growth of the Ram trucks brand with new models like the Ram Rebel and the Power Wagon has allowed the brand to hone its extension program for 2016, with planned expansion in the western lifestyle categories including apparel, footwear, accessories and leather bags; and also a strategy to enter the barbecue and related accessory category. The Chrysler brand has just launched the all-new Pacifica minivan, and with a strong presence in the market, new licensing categories that focus on the family are being explored for 2016 such as family travel essentials and organizational solutions for the busy mom. After its official launch of its North American program, the Fiat brand will expand its presence in the apparel category and will seek new licensees in fashion accessories, stationery/calendars, tabletop/textiles and coffee-related products.
51 JARDEN CORPORATION
$1B (E) (NYSE: JAH)
CARLOS COROALLES, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, JARDEN CONSUMER SOLUTIONS; ROBERT MARCOVITCH, JARDEN OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS, +1.561.912.4511; JEFF LOTMAN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL ICONS, +1.310.873.3560
WWW.JARDEN.COM
52 MARGARITAVILLE ENTERPRISES
$1B (E) (PRIVATE)
DAN LEONARD, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, +1.407.224.3213
WWW.MARGARITAVILLE.COM
This lifestyle brand inspired by Jimmy Buffet has expanded into various new categories including gaming with recently announced partner THQ. The company's merchandise empire now includes packaged foods, spirits and beer, blenders, apparel, footwear, outdoor furniture, pool supplies, audio, plus restaurants, hotels and themed resorts, casinos and cruises.
53 NASCAR
$1B (PRIVATE)
BLAKE DAVIDSON, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.704.348.9613
WWW.NASCAR.COM
The New Era partnership is a great example of NASCAR aligning itself with world-class brands to bring quality products and better value to its fans. They made an even bigger splash in 2015, highlighted by its production of the 2015 Official Daytona 500 Champion hat, and a variety of other integrations in the sport including the creation of the New Era hat store in the Trackside Superstore that offers fans more than 10,000 hats. Lionel Racing expanded its NASCAR rights in 2015 to reach mass retailers with a re-invigorated line of NASCAR Authentics die-casts available in stores including Target, Walmart, Toys 'R' Us and more. Lionel's products can be found at the NASCAR.com Superstore and Trackside Superstore. In addition, because of the Trackside Superstore's new kid friendly shopping environment, 1:64-scale die-casts saw huge growth trackside in 2015. Fan favorite, NASCAR Classics embodies the heritage of NASCAR. More than 50 skus have been designed and are currently available for sale. The boutique-level brand is a callback to an era of unbreakable drivers, fast cars and scores that were settled on dusty ovals and hot asphalt. NASCAR Classics is guts, glory and go-for-broke attitude where nothing stands between a driver and his trophy. NASCAR introduced an all-new, innovative trackside retail model mid-2015, strengthening its commitment to making the at-track shopping experience best-in-class. The Trackside Superstore was developed with fans in mind, creating a 60,000-square-foot courtyard-style store allowing customers to interact with merchandise prior to purchase. Unlike anything before, this model provides more personal, organized and convenient shopping for fans. In only a few months, YOY sales increased by 20 percent, average transactions grew by 75 percent and maximum wait time was reduced to less than four minutes. The season finale alone experienced a 100 percent YOY sales increase. The Trackside Superstore truly elevated the customer experience. In addition, Sears and Kmart launched an exclusive NASCAR collection in more than 600 stores for holiday 2015, highlighted by styling from GIII and Delta. New this year, and exclusive to the NASCAR Trackside Superstore, is the customization area where fans have the opportunity to add a personal spin to their merchandise, enhancing the fan experience and bringing them to a new level of loyalty. In addition, Lucky Brand has teamed up with NASCAR to create vintage-inspired t-shirts and headwear. The NASCAR-licensed Lucky Brand tees evoke a feeling of authentic, all-American spirit, true to both Lucky Brand and NASCAR's heritage. The initial line of signature men's retro graphic tees is a nod to NASCAR's roots and the era that established them as the No. 1 form of motorsports in the U.S. The collection will expand throughout the year and is available in all Lucky Brand stores, as well as online. The Lucky Brand and NASCAR collaboration is a great example of two world-class brands working together to bring quality, value and a diversified offering to consumers and fans. Also new in 2016 is a partnership with Panini, the world's largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, now the officially-licensed trading card of NASCAR.
54 PERRY ELLIS INTERNATIONAL
$1B (NASDAQ: PERY)
STANLEY SILVERSTEIN, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL LICENSING, +1.212.536.5424
WWW.PERRYELLIS.COM
Key licensed properties are Perry Ellis, Original Penguin and Laundry by Shelli Segal. Licensing partners include top market leaders in their respective product categories. PEI services all retail channels. A licensing initiative that will drive growth in 2016 and beyond is international growth.
55 PIERRE CARDIN
$1B (E) (PRIVATE)
PIERRE CARDIN, FOUNDER, +33.1.40.06.00.68
WWW.PIERRECARDIN.COM
56 U.S. POLO ASSN.
$1B (PRIVATE)
JIM SCULLY, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, +1.859.219.2113
WWW.USPOLOASSN.COM
Key licensed categories for the company include men's, women's and children's apparel, accessories, luggage, watches and shoes. In addition to wholesale licensing, the company is also setting up retail license franchisees and is currently operating 450 retail stores worldwide.
57 DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES
$950M (PRIVATE)
SUSAN BRANDT, PRESIDENT, +1.858.459.9744
WWW.SEUSSVILLE.COM
Key categories are books, entertainment, apparel, costumes, bedding and décor, stationery and office supplies and collectibles. Top licensed properties in 2015 include The Cat in the Hat, Oh, the Places You'll Go!, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, What Pet Should I Get?, Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Fox in Socks, Horton Hears a Who!, Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include with Target, Walmart and Amazon for the Hats Off to Reading and Grinchmas programs; Barnes & Noble for the Hats Off to Reading, Seuss Spectacular, Horton Dare to Care and Grinchmas programs; and BAM for the Hats Off to Reading, Horton Dare to Care and Grinchmas programs. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 are the What Pet Should I Get? Book anniversary, New Learning Library Book release, Hats Off To Reading program, Oh, the Places You'll Go! Graduation program, the Horton Dare to Care anti-bullying program and the Grinchmas: Grow Your Heart 3 Sizes campaign.
58 SABAN BRANDS
$870M (PRIVATE)
MARCY GEORGE, VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.310.557.5230
WWW.SABANBRANDS.COM
Saban Brands' top licensed properties included Power Rangers, Popples, Mambo, Piping Hot and Paul Frank. Saban's Power Rangers debuted its 22nd season, Power Rangers Dino Charge, in February 2015. The new season first premiered on Nickelodeon in the U.S., followed by a global rollout throughout 2015. To coincide with the season, Bandai America, global master toy licensee, created an all-new dinosaur themed toy line. In November 2015, Saban Brands launched Popples, a Netflix original series for kids. Based on the 1980's toy line and television series, Saban Brands has re-imagined the Popples characters for a whole new generation of kids. In January 2015, Saban Brands announced the acquisition of Mambo. First hitting the scene over 30 years ago, Mambo has grown into a highly influential Australian fashion and lifestyle brand with a passionate and dedicated fan base. Additionally, Saban Brands announced the acquisition of iconic Australian surf, fashion and lifestyle brand, Piping Hot, in March 2015. And finally, Saban Brands took the Paul Frank brand back to its roots with the launch of a kids' fashion collection, Paul Frank Industries, which is taking an unexpected approach to bringing quality apparel, footwear and lifestyle products to the marketplace. Saban Brands and Bandai debuted the Power Rangers Dino Charge toy line in 2015. The company also partnered with Fisher-Price for a new line of Imaginext preschool products inspired by the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Additionally, Power Rangers Halloween costumes were available at local Spirit Halloween stores and online at spirithalloween.com throughout North America. Popples plush debuted in 2015 in partnership with global master toy licensee Spin Master. Available on Walmart.com and in Walmart stores, the plush line launched with two feature talking plush and five basic transforming plush. In addition to a full range of men's, women's and children's apparel at Big W in Australia, Mambo launched two new fashion collaborations with local Australian artists and designers Emma Mulholland and Anya Brock, both of which were sold exclusively at Myer stores nationwide and Myer.com. Piping Hot continued its exclusive retail partnership with Target Australia and featured products in more than 20 categories, including surf, swimwear, footwear, beach accessories and more. For Paul Frank, Saban Brands announced expansion in China through a strategic, long-term licensing agreement with Grand Union International Trading Co. During New York Fashion Week, the brand debuted a new spring/summer 2016 collection with a runway show. This marked the launch of the re-envisioned Paul Frank Industries, transforming the brand into a proper children's fashion brand with a fresh and unique point of view. The new Power Rangers Dino Super Charge toy line will drive growth throughout 2016. The company has also partnered with Boom! Studios to create a new series of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic books. And in addition to the television series product line, Saban Brands, Bandai and other partners will unveil products for the Power Rangers feature film in partnership with Lionsgate. Popples is expanding its consumer products program with Spin Master, debuting new plush, small dolls, collectible figures and play sets. Additional products will include girls' pajamas from Komar, girls' bedding, bath and beach goods from Jay Franco, and girls' room décor from Idea Nuova. Saban Brands leads on consumer products for the music-based reality series, La Banda, as well as the winning band, CNCO, from La Banda season one. Licensing partners currently include Jerry Leigh and Just Toys, with CNCO product launching throughout 2016. Paul Frank is returning to its roots with the launch of Paul Frank Industries by taking an elevated new approach and reinterpreting the Julius character from a fashion-centric perspective. Saban Brands also announced the appointment of artist and designer Paul Frank as Director of Creative Development for the company. Across all of Saban Brands' lifestyle brands, including Paul Frank, Macbeth, Mambo and Piping Hot, the company has plans for global expansion as well as new celebrity and influencer collaborations.
59 TECHNICOLOR
$844M (PAR: TCH.PA)
MANUELE WAHL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT; MARIE-JOSEE CANTIN JOHNSON, VICE PRESIDENT; CLAIRE VILLENEUVE, VICE PRESIDENT, +1.323.817.6600
WWW.TECHNICOLOR.COM
Top licensed properties in 2015 include RCA, Thomson, Proscan, Victor and HMV (limited), Nipper & Chipper, nordmende, Saba and Ferguson. Key retail partners worldwide include Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, K-Mart, Sears, Sam's Club, Carrefour, Media Markt, Darty, Jumbo, Staples and officedepot. Beside its traditional brand licensing across all properties and categories, the programs provide support to the licensees via technology, design services, partnerships and alliances. The RCA and Thomson properties, among others, have seen continued expansion internationally with license agreements in North America, Latin America, BRIC and EMEA countries. The RCA brand launched its Made for Moments brand campaign at CES 2016 capitalizing on its strong American brand legacy and affordable innovation. The licensed categories under the RCA brand include televisions, tablets, smartphones, appliances, laptop computers, home telephones and VOIP for both the retail and B2B markets. Thomson, a 120-year-old brand, has partnered with selected licensees in a large spectrum of CE categories including televisions, audio/video products and accessories, phones (GSM, DECT and smartphones), tablets, IT products, home automation, set-top-boxes, home appliances, green energies and lighting. In 2015, growth initiatives included expanded product categories such as LED lighting, more tablet and smartphone models in more territories, 4K televisions, new generations of tablets and laptop computers and innovative appliances through expansion of product placement across retail accounts and the introduction of new products through effective marketing strategies and product innovation. The brands are also expanding efforts to penetrate the Indian and Chinese market.
60 FOCUS BRANDS
$794M (PRIVATE)
SARA HAYS, DIRECTOR, LICENSING AND NEW CPG, +1.404.255.3250
WWW.FOCUSBRANDS.COM
Focus Brands is a franchisor and operator of more than 4,000 ice cream shops, bakeries, restaurants and cafes in the U.S., the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 60 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky's, Moe's Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne's and mcalister's Deli, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Top partnerships include Rich Products, General Mills, Keurig Green Mountain, whitewave Foods, Wise Foods, Taco Bell and Sonic. Focus Brands is committed to its vision of being the world's best developer of unique limited-service food brands through franchising, licensing and foodservice operations.
61 TELEVISA CONSUMER PRODUCTS
$780M (NYSE: TV)
MARY CARMEN ROTTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.786.265.2500
WWW.TELEVISA.COM
Key properties include El Chavo and Patito Feo, Club America and Hablando Sola (Talking to Myself).
62 LEGO GROUP
$700M (E) (PRIVATE)
WWW.LEGO.COM
Key properties include LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Frozen, LEGO Classic, LEGO City, LEGO Duplo, LEGO Legends of Chima, LEGO Disney Princess, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes, LEGO Junior, The LEGO Movie, Mixels, Ninjago and more.
63 MOOMIN
$678M (PRIVATE)
GUSTAV MELIN, GLOBAL LICENSING DIRECTOR, BULLS LICENSING; ROLEFF KRÅKSTRÖM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MOOMIN CHARACTERS, +358.92311.3200
WWW.MOOMIN.COM
The Moomin brand has experienced steady growth over the past 11 years. In the Nordic countries alone, the brand has grown by 485 percent since 2004. More than 160 new licensing agreements were signed in 2015. The growth in sales was driven by a strong domestic market in the Nordic region, but also by development and demand in Asia. Moomin is one of the three largest brands in Japan and in China, Moomin was recently nominated as one of the country's most influential international brands. In 2015, Moomin Characters and Bulls Licensing focused their brand communication efforts on the Moomin 70 event, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the release of the first-ever Moomin book published in English, The Moomins and the Great Flood. Moomin now has over 600 licensees around the world.
64 ENDEMOL SHINE GROUP
$610M (E) (PRIVATE)
TAMAYA PETTEWAY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND AND LICENSING PARTNERSHIPS; KELLY C. HILL, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING PARTNERSHIPS, +1.323.790.8285.
WWW.ENDEMOL.COM
The Endemol Shine Group last month formed a new licensing division. Key properties include masterchef, masterchef Junior and The Biggest Loser.
65 FREMANTLEMEDIA
$600M (E) (FREMANTLEMEDIA IS PART OF RTL GROUP, WHICH IS IN TURN 75.1 PERCENT OWNED BY BERTELSMANN)
RICK GLANKLER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, FREMANTLEMEDIA KIDS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT; ANDREA BRENT, VICE PRESIDENT, LICESNING AND LIVE EVENTS, FREMANTLEMEDIA NORTH AMERICA; TRACY GRIFFITHS, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS, EMEA AND AUSTRALIA, FREMANTLE KIDS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT; HENRY OR, VICE PRESIDENT, ASIA, FREMANTLE KIDS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT, +44.207.691.6000
WWW.FREMANTLEMEDIA.COM
fremantlemedia Kids & Family is a worldwide leader in family entertainment and one of a dynamic independent producer, licensor and distributor of engaging and ground breaking content in the sector. Kids properties include Danger Mouse, Classic Danger Mouse, Kate & Mim-Mim, and Tree Fu Tom. Other properties include American Gods, Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game and Baywatch.
66 DR PEPPER SNAPPLE GROUP
$569M (NASDAQ: DPS)
MEGAN MAY, BRAND LICENSING MANAGER, +1.972.673.7000
WWW.DRPEPPERSNAPPLEGROUP.COM
Properties in the Dr Pepper Snapple Group include Mott's, Snapple, Dr Pepper, 7UP, Crush, A&W Root Beer, Yoo-hoo, Schweppes, Mr & Mrs T, Clamato and Hawaiian Punch. The focus will continue to expand these diverse, flavor-based trademarks into complementary food categories with both current and new partners.
67 DFB-WIRTSCHAFTSDIENSTE
$560M (PRIVATE) (A SUBSIDIARY OF THE GERMAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION)
HOLGER MARK, HEAD OF MERCHANDISING AND LICENSING, +69.67.88.475
The German national team is the premium brand of the German Football Association (DFB).
68 POLAROID
$550M (E) (PRIVATE)
SCOTT W. HARDY, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PLR IP HOLDINGS, +1.952.641.1020
WWW.POLAROID.COM
The company's range of products includes instant and digital still cameras, high-definition and mountable sports video cameras, tablets and flat-screen tvs, plus such new products as 3D printers and drones introduced at CES.
69 HGTV HOME
$525M (NYSE: SNI)
RON FEINBAUM, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND HOME PROMOTIONS, SCRIPPS NETWORKS, +1.865.560.4804
WWW.HGTVHOME.COM
HGTV's consumer products brand, HGTV HOME, more than doubled in volume from 2014 to 2015, achieving $525 million in retail sales. HGTV, America's home and garden television network, has sustained a leadership position in the marketplace and is a benchmark for success in home licensing programs. In 2015, the program included 10 lines: HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams paint, wallpaper and accessories, HGTV HOME Furniture Collection, HGTV HOME Design Studio only at Bassett, HGTV HOME Baby Furniture at buybuy BABY stores, HGTV HOME Outdoor Living with HSN, HGTV HOME Plant Collection, HGTV HOME Flooring by Shaw, HGTV HOME Solar Lighting at Costco and HGTV HOME Decorative Fabric and HGTV HOME Decorative Trim. The HGTV HOME program is larger than ever and 2015 marked a year of impressive organic growth for the brand. Partners continued to launch new products, introduce trendy designs and expand distribution. The HGTV HOME line was sold in more than 8,500 doors across North America in 2015. This retail presence was driven by Sherwin-Williams, Lowe's, Bassett Furniture, buybuy BABY, Jo-Ann Stores and others. HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams initially launched exclusively at 3,000 Sherwin-Williams stores in 2011, then at Lowe's in spring 2015. Combining HGTV's design expertise with Sherwin-Williams' quality paints enables homeowners to achieve a professional designer look. Strong merchandising redefined expectations for paint at retail. Multi-platform marketing support highlighted new paint formulations and exclusive color palettes. Existing product was upgraded at Sherwin-Williams and Lowe's and a new premium line was implemented at Lowe's. Sixteen designer-inspired color collections and 1,100 shades are available. The launch at Lowe's brought the program to additional 1,700 doors, marking the first time Sherwin-Williams has extended its brand outside of its proprietary retail stores in over 40 years. HGTV HOME Design Studio gained increased visibility as Bassett opened additional U.S. locations, store formats and more custom upholstery pieces. Additionally, the HGTV HOME Outdoor Living program continued to be a strategic retail partner. HSN reaches 95 million viewers via on-air, online and mobile. The HGTV HOME program is undergoing continued expansion in 2016 and beyond with plans to grow and enhance product assortments and increase distribution. With a strategic vision in mind, HGTV will continue to focus multi-platform support on existing partners and identify new ways to help them to grow their businesses. The integrated marketing plan will leverage on-air promotional support via TV spots, product integration into HGTV and DIY shows and participation in HGTV sweepstakes (e.g., Dream Home, Smart Home); digital support via website and social media integration with licensed products featured on HGTV.com; dedicated HGTV HOME Instagram and Facebook pages with a target of doubling their followers year-over-year; and print via brand mentions and cross-partner ad placements in HGTV Magazine.
70 A+E NETWORKS
$515M (PRIVATE)
KATE WINN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, A+E NETWORKS CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.212.210.1400
WWW.AENETWORKS.COM
A+E Networks includes the flagship brands of HISTORY, Lifetime, A&E and its lifestyle network FYI. The broad-reaching portfolio provides a unique opportunity to target both men and women who have a passion for storytelling on and beyond the screen. Key properties include American Pickers, Ancient Aliens, Sons of Liberty, Texas Rising and Vikings.
71 DHX MEDIA
$500M (TSE: DHX.A, DHX.B)
TOM ROWE, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, DHX BRANDS, +44.0.20.8563.6400
WWW.DHXMEDIA.COM
Referred to as the industry's best kept secret, in less than two years DHX Brands has established a reputation for being one of the most pragmatic, forward-thinking and creative licensors in the industry, winning numerous accolades along the way. Right out of the gate, it has injected momentum into its core properties including well-loved, globally recognized brands In the Night Garden and Teletubbies. The DHX Brands approach is exemplified by the speed in which Teletubbies has developed, from a new strategy through to a green-lit production with numerous best-in-class licensees on board. As the series is rolled out with global broadcasters, the consumer product campaign is in full swing in more than 50 key categories. In 2015, In the Night Garden continued its upward trajectory, becoming one of the fastest-selling preschool brands in the U.K. As the fourth biggest preschool toy license, according to NPD, it has proven success outside its domestic market, notably in China, where it's growing. The In the Night Garden U.K. live stage show has now been running for six years. DHX also launched the awaited Teletubbies in the U.K. and the U.S., and signed deals across key international territories, underscoring its position as one of the most recognizable properties worldwide. The U.K. toy range has been hugely successful at retail from the outset. DHX also launched the new Twirlywoos series, with cbeebies ordering a further 25 episodes of the show. DHX attracted a host of licensees across categories including master toy partner Golden Bear, whose line was one of the best selling in 2015, despite only launching mid-way through the year. Books have also proved popular, with the pocket library becoming a top five for 2015 only few months in the market. DHX Brands recently expanded, underpinning its global growth–Kaisa Nieminen was appointed senior brand manager, Dave Tovey as business development manager and Danielle Tanton is now in the new role of live events and attractions manager, global, following demand in this area. With some of the best-loved preschool IP on its roster, DHX is revving up for an even bigger and better 2016. Teletubbies is a key pillar of DHX's original content program and the response from broadcasters and licensees has been tremendous. The series has scored high ratings in the U.K., and with best-in-class global broadcasters confirmed and the global consumer products program rolling out at retail soon, 2016 is going to be a fantastic year. Production of a second season (60 episodes) of the new Teletubbies was just announced. In the Night Garden continues to go from strength to strength, and the company will be looking to consolidate its success and focus on global expansion, taking the property beyond the core territories of the U.K., Australia and China. DHX also announced the launch of a dedicated In the Night Garden baby product range, to hit retail in spring 2017. The award-winning property will enjoy its 10th anniversary next year. New Twirlywoos demonstrated similar momentum as DHX quickly built a significant licensing program for this innovative series from Anne Wood, which is proving to be a success. A rich pipeline of exciting content from DHX Studios will deliver future brands to the portfolio.
72 IRONMAN
$500M (PRIVATE)
BILL POTTS, VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL LICENSING AND PARTNER SERVICES, +1.813.868.5906; BILL MCCLINTON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, GLOBAL ICONS, +1.310.820.5300
WWW.IRONMAN.COM; WWW.IRONKIDS.COM; WWW.IRONGIRL.COM; WWW.GLOBALICONS.COM
The iconic IRONMAN triathlon, one of the largest participation sports platforms in the world, has five unique brands–IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and ironkids.
73 STUDIO 100 GROUP
$500M (PRIVATE)
CHRISTOPHE DREVET, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +32.38.77.60.35
WWW.STUDIO100.COM
Maya the Bee continues to retain more than 300 licensees globally. In 2015, the global launch of its first CGI animation movie premiered in multiple countries, and the TV series now broadcasts in 172 countries. Maya the Bee also attracted more than 500,000 visitors in July/August 2015 to the brand-themed indoor activities situated at the indoor park in the Plopsaland theme park in Belgium. The first CGI TV series of evergreen brand Heidi launched internationally in 2015 and has already been sold to 138 countries and boasts the position of top broadcaster ratings. On France's TF1 network, Heidi is the No. 1 TV show in its slot, attracting 41 million viewers since premiering. In Latin America, Heidi is first place across all kid's content among Disney Channel's cable viewers. Studio 100's flagship music group, K3, continues to be a ground breaking phenomenon, holding the longest number one slot in Belgian music charts. The brand holds a 76 percent market share, and is a huge consumer product success in Belgium having sold more than 2.6 million products to-date. The Australian icon, Blinky Bill released its movie in September 2015 and showed good results in Australia (more than 305,059 viewers). Most notable for Studio 100's consumer products division in 2015 was the global premiere of the first Maya the Bee movie that reached over 1 million fans in France. Also in France in April 2015, a national Maya competition was set up with Geant Casino, which delivered a Unilever network multi-brand offer across 155 hypermarkets and 330 grocery stores. This was followed in August by a yearlong co-operation with Lidl in Belgium across 300 stores, which carried Maya packaging specifically produced for fresh foods including fruit and vegetables. In 2016, Maya the Bee will celebrate a landmark 40th anniversary with events throughout the year to recognize this achievement, in addition to the development of a second CGI movie and international premieres of a further TV series. In Slovakia the Lidl brand is rolling out a sponsorship program of Maya playgrounds where a store is operational; 1.5 million Slovaks have already voted for one in their community. In Summer 2016, experiencing Heidi's life will be possible thanks to an Heidiland Tourism program in Germany or a Heidi 4-star hotel in Austria. The Latin American region is proving to be particularly popular for the brand and a raft of new licensees will be confirmed throughout the first half of 2016, in addition to a live show opening in Argentina this spring. Adding to the success it has with licensed theme park attractions, a Heidi mountain village has been developed at the Studio 100 owned Plopsaland venue in Belgium. All the theme park licensed attractions drive brand awareness and prompt product purchase on-site. The new K3 band is ready to conquer new fans in 2016 with their Benelux Tour (more than 80 shows and 350 000 tickets sold already); and from Flying Bark Productions Blinky Bill is a brand-new series is under production.
74 WELCH FOODS
$460M (PRIVATE)
GLENN HENDRICKS, HEAD OF GLOBAL LICENSING, WELCH FOODS, +1.978.371.3708
WWW.WELCHS.COM
Welch's, a trusted American icon and a worldwide leader in grape and fruit-based products, has extended their brand through a variety of products including fruit snacks, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, frozen fruit smoothie kits, juice freezer bars, frozen slushies, licorice, jelly beans, candy canes, sparkling juice cocktails, dried fruit, freeze dried fruit, trail mixes, in-home beverage concentrates and foodservice. Top in 2015 were fruit snacks, fruit and yogurt snacks, trail mix and frozen fruit. Promotion in Motion, the maker of the No. 1 fruit snack in the U.S., introduced a new look to Welch's fruit and yogurt snacks, sold nationally and innovating and leading the category and Robison Fresh introduced stone fruits and additional berries. Frankford Candy launched a holiday program of candy canes. Healthy Food Brands launched dried fruit and PB&J trail mix to a national audience with great success. In 2015, distribution of Welch's licensing program grew nationally with top retailers in the U.S. and Canada including Walmart, Costco, Stop & Shop, A&P, Albertsons, Shop Rite, Meijer, Associated Grocers, Kroger, Walgreens, Winn Dixie, Costco, bjs, Jewel-Osco, Aldi, Loblaws, Sobey's and thousands more. Top licensing initiatives that will drive growth for Welch's licensing program in 2016 will be premium trail mix, yogurt and frozen novelties. The continued category expansion of Promotion in Motion's fruit snacks extensions and growth of Nature's Touch frozen fruit, release of in-home beverage concentrates from Soda Stream and release of sparkling juice beverages from Arizona Beverages, in-store bakery items from CSM, as well as several new initiatives in the food service sector solidifying further expansion of the Welch's brand and customer interaction.
75 ART BRAND STUDIOS
$425M (PRIVATE)
KRISTEN BARTHELMAN, DIRECTOR, LICENSING, +1.408.201.5273
WWW.ARTBRANDSTUDIOS.COM
Art Brand Studios publishes the work of Marjolein Bastin, Thomas Kinkade and Thomas Kinkade Studios, with distribution of the art and related collectibles through a global network of corporate and independently owned galleries, direct response television, theme parks, cruise ships and specialty retailers. The company's primary products are canvas and paper reproductions that feature peaceful and inspiring themes. Thomas Kinkade's well-known images depict gardens, cottages, estates, cityscapes, plein air, holiday scenery, and commemorative American landmarks. Thomas Kinkade Studio continues in the path that Thomas Kinkade himself started and developed. Thomas Kinkade Studio Artists paint in the true Thomas Kinkade style with great attention to detail and an overwhelming appreciation of the way a picture can tell a great story. Marjolein Bastin is a welcome addition to Art Brand Studio's family of artists. Her work is currently enjoyed the world over. Drawing inspiration from nature, her artwork portrays large and small miracles found in the natural world. Through her art and words, Marjolein Bastin offers collectors a simple reminder to pause and enjoy nature and allow it to be a source of serenity, energy and healing. Art Brand Studios licensed products can be found in a variety of more than 16,000 retail locations such as mass, grocery, drug, book, toy, specialty, craft, gift and stationery stores in the U.S. Art Brand Studios' expansion plans include partnerships with artist talent while leveraging its roster of licensees and network of art galleries. Art Brand Studios is interested in expanding its licensing portfolio of home décor, gift, seasonal, collectible, garden and accessory products for new artists, as well as the Marjolein Bastin and Thomas Kinkade brands. These brands have recognition in the U.S. and further opportunities internationally will drive growth.
76 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
$420M (PRIVATE)
MARIBETH TOWERS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.212.450.1200
WWW.MLSSOCCER.COM
Key properties include Major League Soccer Clubs and its players, United States Soccer Federation (men's and women's U.S. National Teams) and Federation of Mexican Futbol. Key licensing initiatives include expanded lifestyle and performance product assortments targeting Gen-Y consumers, expanded offering for women's and kid's accessory categories and name, number and new authentic on-field kits.
77 TELEFUNKEN LICENSES
$418M (PRIVATE)
CHRISTIAN MAYER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, +49.69.600.2000
WWW.TELEFUNKEN.COM
Founded in 1903, Telefunken has been synonymous with the art of German engineering in consumer electronics, telecommunication, domestic appliances and innovative products in various industries. The invention of many landmark products such as PAL color television, the first TV camera and numerous others are attributed to the brand. Based on its excellent brand image and high brand awareness in most markets around the world (60-90 percent in most European markets), Telefunken initiated a global licensing program in 2008 which now comprises more than 30 licensees across four continents. Key licensed product categories include TV, audio, video, smartphones, tablets, security, and small and major domestic appliances, among others. Telefunken's licensing partnership with the Turkey-based Vestel Group, one of the largest TV manufacturers globally, has resulted in more than 5 percent market share in the TV segment in key European markets such as Germany and Italy. Partners include almost all leading consumer electronics retailers in Europe as well as in many other markets of the world (Media Markt, Saturn, Metro Cash&Carry, real, Conrad, Euronics, Expert, Carrefour, Auchan, Coop Italia and others). In addition to expanding its licensing program in its home market Europe in 2016, Telefunken is pursuing growth in Latin America, the Middle East and in Asia, as well as in new product categories such as smartphones. In line with the company's global expansion plans, Telefunken has teamed up with licensing agency LMCA to represent the brand in the U.S. and China.
78 ITV STUDIOS GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT
$400M (LSS: UK:ITV)
STEVE GREEN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, KIDS' CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION; TRUDI HAYWARD, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF GLOBAL MERCHANDISING, +44.20.7491.1441
WWW.ITVSTUDIOS.COM
ITV Studios Global Entertainment owns Thunderbirds Classic, The Gerry Anderston Supermarionation portfolio and the children's action adventure property Thunderbirds are Go!. In addition, ITVS GE represents third-party brands including Playmobil, Super 4, Cut the Rope, Oddbods, Poldark and Village People. In 2015, ITVS GE made significant investment across their whole brand portfolio, building licensing programs and raising the property profile of its properties both on TV and at retail in the U.K. and internationally. ITVS GE has successfully balanced the expectations of the brand's fan base while also appealing to a new generation of fans. ITVS GE has assembled a strong line up of licensing deals across key categories and 2015 saw the launch of many territories. In 2016, ITV GE will be appointing even more international agents once TV broadcasters are signed in more international territories.
79 ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT
$390M (PRIVATE)
ALEX LAMBEEK, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, +358.207.888.300
WWW.ROVIO.COM
In 2015, Rovio's classic Angry Birds range continued its fly. In addition of the classic range, sub-brands such as products for Angry Birds Go for boys and Angry Birds Stella for girls continued to delight the fans. Rovio continued to sustain Angry Birds across multiple platforms both physical and digital. It also geared up for its big movie year in 2016. In 2015, on the digital side, the new game Angry Birds 2 gained over 85 millions downloads. In addition, Rovio's own video channel, toonstv, which has previously been visible from the games, also got its own standalone application. Toonstv hosts both original Angry Birds content as well as third party animation. In 2015, toonstv had on average 132 million monthly views. In the more traditional retail space, Rovio continued its licensing program with its existing partners in apparel, food and beverage products, toys and publishing. The Angry Birds Movie is being released in May 2016. Partners have already joined the movie hype and include LEGO, Pez, Spin Master, H&M and many others, both locally and globally. Rovio is also launching a new game along with the movie, and this brings interesting digital opportunities to more traditional consumer products partners. In 2016, Rovio is presenting birdcodes, which are markers that can be placed on products that unlock new content and even give access to power-ups in the games. Digital offerings will be widespread across licensees and retailers. In addition to licensing programs, there will be multiple promotions taking place surrounding the movie launch.
80 HEARST BRAND DEVELOPMENT
$350M (PRIVATE)
GLEN ELLEN BROWN, VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR, BRAND DEVELOPMENT, +1.212.492.1301
WWW.HEARST.COM
2015 marked another successful year for Hearst in home, fashion, gifting, spirits, automotive and experiential legacy brand extensions. The Metropolitan Home Collection continues to provide an array of elegant, enduring and affordable furnishings at national and regional furniture retailers and soft home designs at Bed Bath & Beyond. Esquire is growing in concert with the brand's reach and recognition among men and uber Millennials, strengthening its current fashion footprint with the Esquire Shirt & Tie Collection at Men's Wearhouse and expanding into other distribution channels with sportswear, grooming, jewelry and the potential for tailored clothing and formalwear. This achievement is toasted with the Esquire & Jefferson's Manhattan, a barrel finished cocktail. Other new and noteworthy programs include the Seventeen 360° Student Travel Fashion Experience, a two-week NYC tour that will show teens what it's really like to produce a magazine and work in the fashion industry, as well as The Edit by Seventeen, an innovative fashion collection that's fully supported through a digital pop-up e-commerce shop and social media and influencer campaign. 2016 will see even more brand extensions such as Country Living Cruises, Popular Mechanics pre-certification college courses at UCLA and a collaboration between Harper's BAZAAR and Erté. Hearst Brand Development is also actively exploring a full category expansion under the Marie Claire and Town & Country brands for the first time.
81 ENERGIZER BRANDS
$347M (NYSE: ENR)
KATHY SPENCER, MANAGER, ENERGIZER HOLDINGS GLOBAL LICENSING; LINDA MORGENSTERN, VICE PRESIDENT, BEANSTALK, +1.305.668.7000
WWW.ENERGIZER.COM; WWW.BEANSTALK.COM
The Energizer Brands global licensing program realized exceptional growth in 2015. By leveraging the positioning and marketing presence of the Energizer and Eveready properties, the licensing program was strategically expanded to include innovative consumer products that complemented the company's core line. The licensing program includes consumer electronic accessories; electronics; photographic and gaming accessories; LED, solar and specialty lighting; generators; inverters; automotive accessories; power products and portable chargers. In addition, there is also Energizer Bunny costumes and plush. The Energizer and Eveready licensing program made impact at retail in EMEA, LATAM, Asia and Australia/New Zealand in numerous categories, including a DTR relationship with B&M stores in the U.K., where an Eveready product is sold every four seconds. Energizer and Eveready's lines of licensed products are featured in thousands of retail doors across 70 channels such as Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco, Best Buy, Game Stop, Home Depot, Lowe's, Kroger, Amazon, as well as Carrefour, Tesco and ASDA. Key licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 and beyond include further global expansion of licensed product through current and new partners in supplementary and newly approved categories. The launch of new branded product lines will help Energizer to grow market share and increase brand awareness in both domestic and international markets.
82 TOMMY BAHAMA
$342M (NYSE: OXM)
DOUG WOOD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; CHRISANN FURCIATO, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING; ROB GOLDBERG, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, +1.206.622.8688
WWW.TOMMYBAHAMA.COM
Tommy Bahama's top licensed properties in 2015 were Lexington Home Brands (outdoor and residential furniture) and Five Star Fragrances (launch of St. Kitt's fragrance for men and women). Top licensing programs during 2015 include home, with top retailers such as Baers, Louis Shank, Norris Home Furnishings and Furniture Land South, just to name a few. Apparel and accessory categories include Belk, Dillard's, Macy's and Nordstrom. In 2016, Tommy Bahama will continue to focus on the growth of our home business with the launch of two new furniture groups–Twin Palms (residential furnishings) in April and Delmar (outdoor furniture) in July. Tommy Bahama also launched Lunada Bay Tiles this spring, and will be launching a women's handbag collection for the holiday season.
83 MARS RETAIL GROUP
$340M (PRIVATE)
JOHN CAPIZZI, DIRECTOR, RETAIL BRAND ACVTIVATION, +1.215.913.2277
WWW.MMS.COM
Mars Retail Group's key properties are iconic brands from Mars, Incorporated, including: M&M's characters, M&M's brand candies, Snickers bar, Starburst brand and Skittles brand. Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include candyrific (novelty and candy dispensers), ERE (master licensee), Mad Engine (apparel), Markwins (Bonne Bell Lip Smacker), Trends (calendars) and Star Candle (candles). Mars Retail Group specializes in bringing colorful chocolate fun to life in new and different ways, allowing customers and consumers to experience the thrill and excitement of its trademark M&M's World locations, now available in everyday retail stores. MRG can create themed displays that align with seasons, holidays, special events and sports. Key initiatives include implementing a Mars One Voice strategy that creates themed displays with candy and merchandise that can be customized and executed in many forms at various price points. The company's continued interest in exploring international opportunities and strategically adding categories to grow the current assortment bring the One Voice strategy alive at retail locations throughout the U.S. including mass, grocery, drug and club stores, as well as independent locations throughout the world.
84 MICHELIN LIFESTYLE
$330M (PRIVATE)
CHRISTIAN DELHAYE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, +44.1.782.402000
WWW.MICHELIN.COM
Michelin's licensing business is managed by its U.K.-based division, Michelin Lifestyle. In 2015, Michelin licensed products fell in to two broad categories–automotive accessories (tools and accessories, cleaning and care, interior accessories, exterior accessories, winter motoring, safety and breakdown, tire care and garage equipment) and footwear (technical soles and branded shoes and boots). Licensed properties include Michelin and the tire man, Bibendum, also known as the Michelin Man. In 2016, Michelin licensed products are sold in more than 90 counties, through more than 56,000 points-of-sale by a network of over 50 licensees. In 2016, growth will come from three areas; expansion of the automotive accessories business in Europe and Asia, licensing of the BF Goodrich brand in North America and collaborations with footwear brands in the technical soles category. 2016 will also see launches of Michelin licensed products in the urban mobility category. Furthermore, in 2016 Michelin will seek new licensees to work with on gifts, personal accessories and collectibles based on the heritage of the company and the brands.
85 THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
$325M (NASDAQ: GT)
NANCY RAY, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL LICENSED PRODUCTS, +1.330.796.7972
WWW.GOODYEAR.COM
Goodyear continues global expansion of its brand in the primary categories of automotive products, garage products, footwear and fashion. The key licensing properties were Goodyear (and winged foot design), Goodyear (vintage), Goodyear Racing and the iconic Goodyear Blimp. Top licensed properties in 2015 include wiper blades and car mats, which continue to lead as licensed properties followed by strong growth in footwear. Goodyear products can be found on major online shopping sites globally as well as in department stores, club stores and mass merchants. In 2016, Goodyear is adding new categories, yet to be disclosed.
86 41 ENTERTAINMENT
$320M (PRIVATE)
ANNA KISLEVITZ, DIRECTOR, LICENSING, +1.203.717.1122
WWW.41E.TV
Top licensed properties in 2015 include Classic Pac-Man, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, Kong–King of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan and Jane, Classic Tarzan and Super Monsters. Top retail partners and licensing programs/promotions in 2015 include Walmart, kmart, Target, Kohl's, Hot Topic, Spencer Gifts, Forever 21, Zulily, Calendar Club, Party City, a pesico promotion, a Budweiser commercial and a mcdonald's promotion. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include Coach fashion, MGA Toys and more.
87 C3 ENTERTAINMENT
$300M (PRIVATE)
ANI KHACHOIAN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, MERCHANDISING AND DISTRIBUTION, +1.818.956.1337
WWW.C3ENTERTAINMENT.COM
Top licensed properties in 2015 include The Three Stooges, The Three Stooges movie, The Three Little Stooges movie, Motor Marc Lacourciere, celebrity chef Jason Santos, The Magic of Michael Grandinetti, The Winter Dance Party, The Big Bopper and Katz About Towne. Key Retailers are thousands of doors at all retail levels and include mass, mid-tier and specialty throughout North America and globally. Key retail partners include Walmart, Walmart.com, Target, Target.com, Johnson Smith Catalogs, Amazon, Hobby Lobby Stores, Hastings Books & records, Fred Meyer, F.Y.E., Sam's Club, Kmart, Transworld Entertainment, 80's Tees.com, Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Stores, Calendars.com and Diamond Comic Distributors. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include more direct-to-retail programs like C3 has with Rocket Fizz and Calendars.com. It will also expand its home goods licenses for The Three Stooges brand and gain additional placements for The Three Stooges arcade games. C3 will also add retail placement for the all-new Hey Moe! Hey Dad! DVD package detailing the history of The Three Stooges with a special Memorabilia Packet. The Three Little Stooges movie (with Larry, Moe and Curly as 12-year-old boys) is scheduled to begin filming this summer and creates a brand extension with new licensing opportunities. New Three Stooges mobile games have hit market in Q1, with additional games releasing throughout the year. Entertainment initiatives for other C3 represented brands will create additional licensing opportunities for current and future licensees. These initiatives include a biopic for The Winter Dance Party based on the legendary 1959 rock-n-roll tour by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, a series of television specials for The Magic of Michael Grandinetti and a cooking TV series for celebrity chef Jason Santos. C3 will also expand home entertainment placement at retail for its 1,000-plus library of titles of family films, television series and documentaries. The titles also have extensive digital distribution globally including through Amazon and Hulu.
88 CBS CONSUMER PRODUCTS
$300M (NYSE: CBS)
LIZ KALODNER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, +1.212.974.7795
WWW.CBSCONSUMERPRODUCTS.COM
CBS Consumer Products manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles including I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch and Cheers, in addition to Showtime and CBS Films. Top licensed properties in 2015 include Star Trek, Penny Dreadful and The Twilight Zone. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 is Star Trek's 50th anniversary, which will include an art program, expanded fan events and more.
89 TOEI ANIMATION ENTERPRISES
$300M (E) (PRIVATE)
HIROYUKI KINOSHITA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, +81.3.5261.7619
WWW.TOEI-ANIMATION.COM
Key properties include Dragonball, One Piece, Pretty Cure, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Digimon and Toriko.
90 BRIGGS & STRATTON
$285M (NYSE: BGG)
JOHN MERRICK, PRESIDENT, LEMUR LICENSING, +1.770.794.1111
WWW.BRIGGSANDSTRATTON.COM
Top licensed properties are Briggs & Stratton, Snapper and Murray. Key categories are outdoor power equipment, air compressors, tools and accessories, fuel cans, oil, batteries and premium ethanol-free gas. Top retailers are Walmart, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Tractor Supply Company, Sears, Costco, Meijer, Advance Auto Parts, autozone and independent dealers. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include the launch of Briggs & Stratton air compressors, tools and accessories and the expanded distribution of Briggs & Stratton oil and premium ethanol-free gasoline.
91 NISSAN MOTOR COMPANY
$280M (TYO: JP7201)
GLEN KONKLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EQUITY MANAGEMENT, +1.858.558.2500
The Nissan licensing program continued to grow in 2015 founded on its rich history of producing innovative, inspiring and exciting vehicles. The Nissan program experienced growth across key categories, and new licenses were developed in automotive accessories, software, bank cards, partworks and replicas, including a Nissan GT-R ride-on. Moving forward, EMI will continue to leverage the powerful brand equity of both new and classic Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, including the newly designed Nissan 2017 GT-R and NISMO motorsport vehicles, the Infiniti Q series and classic Datsun heritage vehicles, across categories such as automotive accessories, diecast, radio-control, ride-ons, software, consumer electronics, apparel and brand extensions.
92 SONY PICTURES CONSUMER PRODUCTS
$280M (NYSE: SNE)
MARK CAPLAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.310.244.6189
WWW.SONYPICTURES.COM
Sony Pictures Consumer Products manages licensing for Ghostbusters globally in all categories. Over the last year, Sony has seen a 35 percent increase in sales. The Smurfs brand is also big part of the company's global efforts and is a 365-day business. With more than 100 licensees around the world, Ghostbusters has evolved and expanded to include global mass-market retailers. Domestic and international distribution is in more than 15,000 doors across key retailers and each of their respective e-commerce sites including specialty (Toys 'R' Us, Best Buy, Hot Topic and Spencer's Gifts), e-tailers (Amazon, Generator and cafepress) and mass-market (Target and Walmart). In 2016, the new Ghostbusters movie (and classic) will continue to drive growth globally for Sony with strong retail partnerships with Walmart, Target and TRU. There are more than 100 global best-of-breed licensees covering all categories of merchandise for Ghostbusters and include Mattel as master toy licensee, LEGO, Activision, Hybrid Apparel, Rubie's Costume Co., IDW, Harper Collins, Anovos, Funko, Underground Toys, Diamond Select, Cryptozoic, Simon & Shuster, Tor, Playmobil, Factory Entertainment, Gemmy, Concept One, FAB Starpoint, Campfire Marshmallows and many more.
93 VOLKSWAGEN
$280M (NASDAQ: VLKAY) (VOW3.DE)
MARKUS MÄHR, GENERAL LICENSING MANAGER, VOLKSWAGEN ACCESSORIES; SIMON GRESSWELL, VICE PRESIDENT, EUROPE AND INTERNATIONAL, IMG WORLDWIDE LICENSING
Top licensed properties include Classic Beetle, The Beetle, Camper Van/T1 Bus, Golf, Golf GTI, as well as Touareg, Jetta, Amarok and Polo R WRC. The company continues to explore lifestyle categories such as apparel, accessories, luggage, watches, eyewear, furniture, camping and outdoor, consumer electronics and location-based themes.
94 HI-TEC SPORTS
$263M (PRIVATE)
CHRIS MOLE, GROUP LICENSING DIRECTOR, +31.20.711.84.00
WWW.HI-TEC.COM
Hi-Tec continues to be the company's top licensed property followed by Magnum, Interceptor and 50 Peaks. In 2015, Hi-Tec also signed the first licenses for the 'I-Shield' brand for use on footwear care products such as water repellent and anti-odor sprays, providing new opportunities to expand the company's retail coverage into supermarkets and drugstores. Hi-Tec's top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 were food and petrol retailer loyalty programs in Western Europe; Interceptor-branded footwear at Walmart; Hi-Tec apparel, equipment and accessories across Eastern Europe; Hi-Tec Footwear at Canadian Tire in Canada; and Hi-Tec wearables in one of the U.K.'s largest outdoor retailers, GO Outdoors. Hi-Tec also continued to see growth in its long-term non-footwear licensees in Latin America and Asia Pacific. Growth in 2016 will be driven from the expansion of Hi-Tec Loyalty programs worldwide, a new Hi-Tec Hosiery license in North America, Hi-Tec Outdoor electronics in Western Europe and I-Shield footwear care products in North America and Western Europe. The company will also continue to forecast growth in the Interceptor brand in North American on footwear at mass retail and in the Hi-Tec brand with our long-term non-footwear licensees in Latin America and Asia Pacific.
95 TEN: THE ENTHUSIAST NETWORK
$260M (PRIVATE) (FORMERLY SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA)
TYLER SHULZE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ENTERPRISES, +1.310.531.9900
WWW.ENTHUSIASTNETWORK.COM
TEN's portfolio includes automotive brands Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Lowrider, Super Street, Four Wheeler, Automobile and Roadkill; sports brands like Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Powder, Bike, SUP, Transworld, Slam and Baseball America; as well as fast-growing outdoor brands Recoil and offgrid. TEN has more than 50 publications, 60 websites, 50 events, one of the world's largest automotive VOD channels and one of the world's largest action/outdoor sports media platforms.
96 M4E
$254M (ETR: MU4)
HANS ULRICH STOEF, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; BERND CONRAD, HEAD OF LICENSING, +49.8102.99453.0
WWW.M4E.DE
For m4e, its series Mia and me continued into 2016 with season two premiering in 80-plus territories, extending its television success. More than 160 licensees support the global licensing program. With Mattel as global toy partner, Mia and me is now established as an international top girl's franchise. October 2015 marked the launch of m4e's new production Wissper, which premiered on Milkshake! In the U.K. Aimed at preschool children, the series follows the adventures of a little girl with a very special talent–she is able to communicate with animals. This allows her to understand their problems and help them. Wissper is about to air in more than 30 countries in 2016 such as Germany (ZDF), the Netherlands (Telekids), the U.S. (Nick Jr.) And in Latin America (Discovery Kids). For licensing, m4e engaged early adopters Bastei Media, which will develop and distribute the publishing range, video games and apps, and is also co-producer. The German company Simba Dickie Group also joined at an early stage of production as master toy partner for EMEA, adding its toy expertise. Over the next years, m4e will be developing more own content, across different genres and attracting various target groups. Mia and me was pushed very much by Mattel, the international master toy partner. Mattel reached high visibility for the brand at key retailers such as Toys 'R' Us and Müller. In addition to ongoing relationships with key retail partners such as Rossmann, Müller, mytoys, or Carrefour, various retail programs are planned for 2016 and beyond. On international terms, the Mia and me licensing program was further extended into key markets such as the U.K. and the U.S. in 2015. There will be more content for Mia and me by the end of 2016. Season four is already in development, as is a feature film. Wissper has launched in many key territories in 2016. The program was already sold to key markets such as Germany, the U.S. and latam. The licensing program is currently developed in many markets, led by master toy partner Simba Dickie Group. Season two of Tip the Mouse will be developed in 2016. Besides several animation series, m4e is producing a live action TV series Me, Mum & Mystery. In early 2016, m4e teamed up with Planeta Junior, joining forces in a strategic partnership for co-production, distribution and licensing. As part of this alliance, several rights from Planeta Junior's ips and some of m4e's new developments will be co-produced. Planeta Junior will be focusing on France and Southern Europe, and m4e on Central and Northern Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Eastern Europe will be handled jointly. M4e and Planeta Junior are combining their teams to build a strong international network. This venture will offer a broad distribution and presence via offices in eight European countries. An expansion into other major territories is planned.
97 CARTE BLANCHE GROUP
$250M (PRIVATE)
SARAH QUIGLEY, HEAD OF U.K. LICENSING, +44.0.1243.792600
WWW.CBG.COM.UK
Carte Blanche is best known for Tatty Teddy, the signature character of the Me to You brand. Tatty Teddy ranks consistently among the top traditional plush brands in the U.K.
98 CHURCH & DWIGHT
$250M (NYSE: CHD)
TAMMY TALERICO-PAYNE, DIRECTOR, LICENSING, +1.609.806.1495
WWW.CHURCHDWIGHT.COM
The Church & Dwight licensing program focuses on the Arm & Hammer, oxiclean and Kaboom brands in a variety of categories at retailers across every class of trade. The program spans 16 product categories, including pet care accessories, vacuum bags and accessories, waste bags, diaper disposal and baby care, air care and many more. These categories include more than 500 skus and can be found in more than 13,000 retail doors. Arm & Hammer, a 170-year old brand trusted for generations, focuses on solving real consumer problems in personal, home, air, pet and fabric care products. Arm & Hammer is also found in more aisles than any other brand. The Arm & Hammer licensing program featured products from licensees including Electrolux, Hefty, Munchkin, Petmate and Protect Plus–delighting millions of Arm & Hammer consumers with odor eliminating solutions to household problems. Key highlights included the continued success of the LIMA award winning Hefty Ultimate with Arm & Hammer premium waste bag. Hefty Ultimate was cross-merchandised and co-promoted with Arm & Hammer laundry at a variety of retailers. Petmate's cat and dog waste management products found success as the complete in-home pet solution, including a joint endcap at Target with core products. Arm & Hammer boasts several more innovative and market-leading licensees including Electrolux for vacuum bags and filters, Munchkin for diapering accessories, Dutch Boy with Arm & Hammer for Refresh Paint, London Luxury for bedding and more. Kaboom found continued success at Home Depot with moisture removal products. Church & Dwight's brands were featured in key retailers across all channels of distribution including Walmart, Target, Kmart.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Babies R Us, Home Depot, Lowe's, petsmart, Delhaize, Menard's, Wakefern and many more. In 2016, Arm & Hammer, oxiclean and Kaboom will continue to grow licensed products into new categories across major retailers. The partnership with Reynolds/Hefty brand will expand while the brand will launch a line of laundry and soft storage products with leading licensee Ginsey. Protect Plus will launch Arm & Hammer refrigerator shelf liners while Petmate will extend into feeding and watering, as well as new product innovations in cat waste management. New Arm & Hammer licensee, Hopkins, will launch a line of automotive air fresheners at mass and automotive specialty retailers. Oxiclean licensee Casabella will debut a new carpet cleaning stain removal tool at major retailers.
99 GENERAL MILLS
$250M (NYSE: GIS)
JESSICA KURTH, GENERAL MILLS OUTBOUND
LICENSING LEAD, +1.763.293.3944; CINDY BIRDSONG, BRAND LICENSING TEAM, +1.678.324.3270
WWW.GENERALMILLS.COM
For nearly 150 years, General Mills has been nourishing lives. Its brands are known around the world for quality, starting with Gold Medal flour, which was launched in 1880 and, to this day, remains a top selling branded flour in the U.S. The company is one of the largest food companies in the world, marketing in more than 100 countries on six continents. General Mills brands are with you at the family dinner table, on a nature trail, or at a special celebration, and licensing plays a big role in connecting with consumers and supporting the brand message. Key licensed brands include Betty Crocker, Fiber One, Cheerios, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Progresso, Nature Valley, Trix, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Wheaties. Other valuable properties in the portfolio include Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp, Golden Grahams, Kix, Totino's, Hamburger Helper, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gold Medal, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, Larabar, Bugles, Wanchai Ferry, Bisquick, Toaster Strudel and Chex Mix. Growth has come from Betty Crocker decorating and housewares products and Fiber One fresh bread. General Mills is looking to expand in both food and non-food categories in North America. Food licensing opportunities exist in fresh, frozen and refrigerated categories. Non-food opportunities exist across a number of categories with a focus on apparel and accessories, home and kitchen, seasonal celebrations and gifting, beauty, collectibles, toys and crafting.
100 JOHN DEERE
$250M (E) (NYSE: DE)
DALE PASCHKE, GLOBAL MANAGER, BRAND LICENSING, +1.919.804.2725
WWW.JOHNDEERE.COM
101 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS
$250M (E) (PRIVATE)
ANDY REIF, HEAD OF LICENSING, +1.202.857.7374
WWW.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM
Top successes included the Toms and National Geographic Big Cats collection, a line of footwear, sunglasses and a backpack inspired by National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative. The collection was launched as part of Toms' Animal Initiative, which aims to drive awareness and funding for global animal protection, and was featured in Toms' fall catalogue and dedicated websites for Toms and National Geographic. National Geographic also served as a content launch partner for Mattel's View-Master virtual reality viewer, the toy company's new take on its classic toy. The National Geographic Wildlife Experience pack was sold alongside the View-Master, and allowed users to explore the African savannah, the Amazon rainforest and the Australian Outback. Animal Jam, a collaborative effort of National Geographic and wildworks, increased its user base to more than 50 million registered users worldwide in 2015 and launched a mobile version in August. It has received one million downloads and was the number one downloaded ipad game for kids 9-11 in 35 countries, and the No. 1 top grossing ipad game for kids 9-11 in 54 countries. The game's reach will expand from online to offline with the launch of toys, accessories and apparel at retailers in 2016. During 2015, National Geographic continued to have a brand presence online and at petsmart's retail locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico for its Specialty Pet line of branded products. In addition to petsmart, National Geographic's partnership with Toms was a top program during 2015. Other major programs include the National Geographic Visa card with First Bankcard; National Geographic branded apparel with Craghoppers online and at select retailers and Jaipur's new line of National Geographic inspired rugs and textiles. In the digital space, National Geographic partnered with minimega for Bonza National Geographic, and with yeti CGI on National Geographic Puzzle Explorer. In the toy category, National Geographic continued its line of science kits with Thames & Kosmos and 4D cityscape puzzles, which found retail space at Toys 'R' Us, Walmart and Barnes & Noble. National Geographic also expanded its toy category with National Geographic Big Cat Week branded Matchbox cars with Mattel and a new line of National Geographic science kits in fall 2015 with Discover with Dr. Cool. Brain Games: The Game also broke out as one of its top properties for holiday, occupying retail space at Target, Toys 'R' Us and Barnes & Noble. As part of its incorporation into National Geographic Partners, National Geographic's new joint venture with 21st Century Fox, National Geographic's Brand Licensing group will continue to maximize growth opportunities in its four key categories: travel and exploration, toys and gaming, home and gift and retail and services, but will also look to leverage its National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild-focused properties at retail. A key focus for the division will be to expand its roster of licensees outside of North America, capitalizing on its relationships with more than 80 publishing partners and 171 channel affiliates.
102 TGI FRIDAYS
$250M (PRIVATE)
FRANCES ALVAREZ, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND MANAGEMENT, +1.305.447.6594
WWW.TGIFRIDAYS.COM
For well over a decade, TGI Fridays, America's most iconic bar and grill, has successfully leveraged its positioning and strong brand awareness among casual dining restaurants into a wide array of licensed food and beverage products sold in the grocery, mass market, convenience, drug and club channels. Fridays pioneered the concept of extending a restaurant brand into grocery and has generated over $1 billion in retail sales since the inception of the program. It is one of the most successful restaurant brands licensed to date. Fridays licensed products can be found in nearly every grocery and mass market retail chain in the U.S. Retail sales in 2015 totaled over $250 million, and the program generated nearly 2 billion consumer brand impressions. In addition to Kraft Heinz's widely successful line of frozen snacks, the brand has been extended into frozen desserts, refrigerated meats, salty snacks, dips, BBQ sauces/marinades and alcoholic beverages, all centered around popular menu items. Beanstalk will continue to focus on strategically expanding the Fridays brand into complementary beverages, refrigerated and frozen foods with current and new licensing partners both, domestically and internationally.
103 THE ERIC CARLE STUDIO
$220M (PRIVATE)
DEBRA JOESTER, PRESIDENT; POLINA REY, VICE PRESIDENT; JACKIE DEMAIO, LICENSING DIRECTOR, THE JOESTER LORIA GROUP, +1.212.683.5150
WWW.JOESTERLORIAGROUP.COM
The World of Eric Carle is based on the author's publishing franchise consisting of 70 titles, which have sold more than 175 million copies worldwide. The centerpiece of the program, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the iconic art and characters from other popular titles including Brown Bear, The Very Busy Spider, Little Seed, Papa Get Me the Moon and The Grouchy Ladybug are brought off the pages with products and promotions. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the top-selling children's books of all time. The global consumer products program has experienced exceptional year over year growth, with 135-plus licensees in apparel, toys, games, home, apps and publishing that are in more than 35,000 doors in better retail channels in 15-plus countries. 2015 was a year of exceptional global licensing success for the property. Highlights included the launch global distribution of Very Hungry Caterpillar apps, which topped itunes charts in Japan, Germany, Australia, the U.K. and US; the launch of infant apparel and sleepwear in over 600 Gymboree stores; the introduction of 9 cereal and 6 juice box SKU's at Whole Foods; the launch of the WEC Amazon brand page featuring over 200 licensed product with advertising support reaching over 11 million moms; and the Produce for Kids healthy recipe campaign in TOPS Market and Publix stores. In international markets, Eric Carle partnered with U.K. charity Action for Children for the second annual Giant Wiggle campaign in 940 children centers and nurseries reaching 54,000 children and raising over $120,000; partnered for a collaboration with Hello Kitty in Puroland and all Sanrio stores in Japan; established multi-category sections including apparel and toys in Toys 'R' Us Japan; launched an infant program at Big W Australia and continued to build the Very Hungry Caterpillar live show around the world. Dynamic multi-platform marketing supports the consumer products program worldwide, with social media and blogger campaigns engaging moms, as well as traditional PR and media. 2016 will once again include dedicated retail promotions, promotional partnerships and in-store events. New categories/product includes health and beauty accessories, bedding, new apps and much more. Other priorities for the brand include a new buy buy Baby brand page supported by advertising, ongoing marketing and promotion on Amazon, a calendar of Zulily-branded flash sales, new product at Kohl's and Babies 'R' Us, dedicated sections at Design Store Graniph and Toys 'R' Us in Japan and expanded product ranges at Big W in Australia. 2016 promotional retail partnerships are off to a strong start with the ongoing Whole Foods promotion across 9 skus of its 365 Everyday Value cereal and six flavors of juices through 2017. The World of Eric Carle live show will continue its NYC residency in 2016, expand to key U.S. markets and begin its U.K. tour in London. Preparations are underway for the 50th anniversary of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, which is kicking off in fall 2016.
104 GIRL SCOUTS OF THE USA
$220M (PRIVATE)
MICHAEL CARLISLE, PRINCIPAL, THE WILDFLOWER GROUP, +1.212.924.2322
WWW.GIRLSCOUTS.ORG
Girl Scouts of the USA's top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include Walmart, Target, Albertson's, Kroger and Safeway. 2017 will be an exciting year for Girl Scouts of the USA as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scout Cookie Sale. As the largest girl-run business in the world, the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. Launched in 2014, Digital Cookie adds a 21st century layer to the program which reinforces those skills while teaching exciting new e-commerce skills like online money management and the use of digital dashboards. The Girl Scout Cookie program will continue to play a major role in GSUSA's licensing activity, with new assets to be introduced to licensees in the next year. GSUSA also continues to find tremendous success in the licensed food and beverage category. Beyond food, GSUSA will build out other licensed product categories, and rounding out the toy category, will be initiatives for products that promote the fun, unique activities and experiences that are available through Girl Scouting, such as outdoor activities as well as STEM. The licensing program will also seek to reconnect with more than 50 million GSUSA alumnae through gift products and other keepsake, nostalgic items.
105 JANE SEYMOUR DESIGNS
$220M (PRIVATE)
MARK MATHENY, +1.310.990.6959
Top licensed properties in 2015 included Open Hearts by Jane Seymour, Jane Seymour Designs & Jane Seymour Home. Top retail partners and licensing programs include Signet, one of the largest specialty jewelry retailers with over 3,500 locations in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. For the Open Hearts by Jane Seymour jewelry collection, it is sold in the following stores KAY Jewelers, Zales Jewelers, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, H. Samuel (the U.K.) and Peoples Jewellers (Canada). Other retailers for Jane Seymour products include AICO Furniture, Prestige Art (wall decor), JS Botanicals, stylecraft (portable lighting), Victoria Classics (fashion bedding, window coverings and soft bath), MBI (handbags) and Guthy-Renker (skin care). Seymour's licensing business has increased 50 percent, when compared to 2014. Growth into additional categories is expected in 2016 in fragrance, fashion, social expression and additional home products; while growth for existing lines of business is expected, both in the U.S. and Canada, as well as internationally.
106 SMILEY COMPANY
$210M (PRIVATE)
MARGARITA VECCHIO, INTERNATIONAL LICENSING MANAGER, +44.020.7378.8231
WWW.SMILEY.COM
Smiley Company's turnover grew by 5 percent in 2015, with growth split between its two brands. Smileyworld, creators of the world's first graphical Smileys, capitalized on the emojicon trend and saw major growth with turnover at retail exceeding $140 million. The company had successes in apparel, with 3.2 million units were sold in the calendar year, and in FMCG, with more than 10 major licensees signed to the brand's Taste Happiness concept, bringing distribution to some of the world's leading supermarket chains. Smiley Company also had success in the back-to-school and gifts categories, gaining significant retail exposure throughout Europe through major licensees including Nici, Herlitz and Lannoo. Publishing highlights in 2015 included licensee Dragon d'Or's parent company Grund signing a global distribution deal off the back of selling 500,000 books in France, and the addition of book deals in Italy, the Netherlands and Australia. Evergreen hero brand Smiley enjoyed a year of fashion collaborations with brands including Moschino, Fendi and Anya Hindmarch. The brand's cult celebrity following continued to grow, with Katy Perry being outfitted in Smiley on her world tour, Nicki Minaj using designs in her Feeling Myself music video and the use of apparel by actor Robert Downey Jr. Top licensed properties in 2015 include smileyworld, which was launched by Nicolas Loufrani who saw the steep rise of people using emoticons in text and emails in 1997. To capitalize on this trend, he created the world's first animated Smileys and launched the brand smileyworld. Today, smileyworld provides a unique and innovative platform for self-expression, with billions of emoticons sent daily, millions of products sold annually and a turnover in excess of $140 million across 13 product categories with global distribution and some of the best licensees in the world. Research shows that 70 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds associate the Smiley logo and name with happiness, which has given momentum to the growth of smileyworld in the food category. In addition to the happiness factor, the brand's success is also due to the fact that Smiley icons and the Smiley name increase a product's impact at retail. A 2015 research study found that mothers agree that smileyworld increases on-shelf stand out, improves positive perception and increases purchase intent. Also, as one of the few characters that lend itself naturally to creating shaped products, smileyworld is the perfect brand to bring happiness to food products. Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include H&M, which distributed a Smiley collection in 61 countries and across 3,700 stores in 2015 and had year-on-year sales grow 17 percent over 2014. The Smiley Happy Collection at Etam sold in more than 3,500 stores and led to incremental sales of 10 percent between 2014-2015. One of the Middle East's largest fashion retailers, Splash, which has more than 200 stores across 13 countries, recorded sales of Smiley branded products increase by 114 percent between 2014-2015. Since 2010, Splash has sold 6.2 million units of Smiley products. In the publishing category, Les Livres du Dragon d'Or has sold more than 500,000 smileyworld books in France, increasing their sales by 400 percent and growing their catalog to 37 titles. In 2015, new licensee Giraudi sold out their initial test of smileyworld frozen range at Carrefour in just days. The success of this promotion led to the distribution being picked up by an additional 800 stores across France. Nici grew their business with Smiley by 3 times from 2014 and saw a growth in sales of 165 percent, with dozens of new products introduced during the course of the year. With no indication the happiness trend is slowing down, the success of recent smileyworld food launches and a range of new smileyworld products set to be released–FMCG represents genuine growth for Smiley in 2016. By adopting a new approach to marketing direct-to-retail partnerships, launching with French retailer Orchestra and leveraging Smileys unique heritage to create bespoke content such as create your own Smileys, augmented reality and promoted social media posts that align to retailers products. A major development for Smiley in 2016 will be the launch of its new digital keyboard app for iphone and Android phones, which will bring to life a variety of icon styles and access to Smileys exclusive directory of icons. Smiley Company will also launch a viral marketing campaign with one simple message for 2016: to spread happiness. It will also launch a campaign to highlight the goodness in the world with one sign and to hand out, pass on happiness materials and remind everyone to #besmiley. The Be Smiley activation team will visit events such as SXSW, Coachella and Burning Man 2016 and the campuses of Berkeley, Oregon State, UCLA, University of Texas, UCSC, University of Michigan, Florida State, NYU, San Francisco State and Arizona State Universities.
107 ANIMACCORD
$200M (PRIVATE)
VLADIMIR GORBULYA, VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF LICENSING; DMITRY LOVEIKO, MANAGING DIRECTOR, +1.305.913.1327
WWW.MASHABEAR.COM
2015 became a key year for the Masha and the Bear property as this was the first time ever that the Russian brand successfully launched licensed products in various categories in the EMEA. Simba Dickie achieved more than €20 million in sales in Europe (2.6 million toys sold), Walcor sold 1.1 million confectionery goods in Italy, Clementoni sold 670,000 games and puzzles in Iberia, Egmont sold more than 1 million books and magazines throughout the E.U., Panini sold more than 1.8 million sticker packs in six months in Italy and La Gazette dello Sport sold 704,000 magazines. Warner Bros Italy called the Masha and the Bear Christmas screening their best event ever. Danone reported 13 percent sales growth over the previous year. Ferrero sold over 37 million Kinder Milk Slice co-branded with Masha in four months in Russia. The property is represented across EMEA in the party goods category, along with stationery, back-to-school, apparel and more. On the philanthropy side, a promotional philanthropic campaign that featured Masha at Burger King collected money for babies in need. A Masha and the Bear competition driven by Simba Dickie and The Entertainer attracted more than 2,500 participants in the U.K. Hamleys in Moscow made Masha a the flagship character of a number of events, including the stores' openings. Kauhoff reported a successful promotional campaign in Germany. In mid-2015, the brand partnered with Televisa, Spin Master, Crayola, Hachette, Ravensburger, Accademia and other worldwide companies and opened up new licensing opportunities and ventures for 2016 across EMEA, Latin America and the U.S. A Spin Master Masha toy line will debut exclusively at Toys 'R' Us this fall.
108 AT&T
$200M (NYSE: T)
EILEEN KUCZKUDA, DIRECTOR, AT&T TRADEMARK LICENSING, +1.908.234.3911
WWW.ATT.COM
Leveraging AT&T's premier positioning and marketing presence, AT&T licensed products strategically complement the brand with more than 200 skus. The product lineup includes corded and cordless telephones, business telephony products, answering machines, telephone accessories, mobile accessories, Bluetooth products, consumer electronic products and more. AT&T licensed corded and cordless phones in 2015 that are sold in more than 16,000 retail stores and can be found in almost every major retailer. The top retailers that carry the AT&T-branded phones include Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, Staples and Sam's Club. In the business channel, the top trade partners include Jenne Distributors, Teledynamics, United Stationers, Ingram Micro and S.P. Richards. AT&T's strategy is to maintain or grow market share in each of its licensed product categories, as well as to expand brand awareness across new territories globally. The licensing program maintains strong partnerships with a wide array of retailers and distributors to maximize sales in the channel served, while simultaneously ensuring the continued development of new products to enhance the program.
109 FOOD NETWORK
$200M (NYSE: SNI)
MICHAEL SMITH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, COOKING CHANNEL, +1.212.401.5358
WWW.FOODNETWORK.COM
The network's long-standing partnership with Kohl's, which offers more than 1,200 Food Network-branded housewares products, continues to be a strong initiative. Food Network's magazine, book publishing and festival events continue to expand.
110 SPORTS AFIELD
$178M (PRIVATE)
LUDO J. WURFBAIN, +1.714.373.4910
WWW.SPORTSAFIELDTROPHYPROPERTIES.COM; WWW.SPORTSAFIELD.COM
Sports Afield was founded in Denver, Colorado, in 1887 by Claude King as a magazine for rural, outdoor living and hunting and fishing. After WWII, it was bought by Hearst Publications, and since the early 2000s, it has been owned by a private investor group. The Sports Afield brand has been licensed since before WWII and today is licensed worldwide in the following categories security safes, outdoor recreational real estate, Russian language edition of Sports Afield magazine, World of Sports Afield television show, Sports Afield log homes, Sports Afield home decorations, Sports Afield clothing, Sports Afield back packs, Sports Afield crystal dehumidifiers, Sports Afield books, and other outdoor related products. Top licensed properties in 2015 include outdoor recreational real-estate, security safes, World of Sports Afield television show, Sports Afield clothing. Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include Costco, Amazon, Dunham and independent real estate agents. Further growth for the Sports Afield brand in 2016 will come from extensive further expansion of the real estate marketing entity Sports Afield Trophy Properties; the launch of an extensive camping gear line; light and heavy duty sleeping bags, lightweight tents, medium tents and full size tents, head lamps, flashlights, hiking poles, camping lanterns, camping furniture, ultra-light camping cookware, first aid kits, metal water bottles and wilderness survival kits; in addition a new line of outdoor knives. Also to be launched are folded knives, fixed blade knives and multi-tools. 2016 will also see the Sports Afield lightweight camping bbqs that are powered by traditional charcoal or gas and a new line of upscale canvas and leather backpacks will be initiated for the casual and business traveler. Further clothing categories will debut including jackets, pants, t-shirts, traditional button shirts and outer shirts. Furthermore in 2016, Sports Afield will launch a line of high-end security safes with double steel walls and an inner layer of polyalloy cement which gives extended protection against fires and power tools. These safes are connectable to the electricity grid, have remote warning devices, and can store secure data via a USB interface without opening the safe.
111 WEIL LIFESTYLE
$175M (PRIVATE)
CALLIE BONINE, DIRECTOR, BRAND LICENSING, +1.480.703.2643; ROSS MISHER, BRAND CENTRAL, +1.310.268.1231
WWW.DRWEIL.COM
Dr. Weil is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. The mission of Weil Lifestyle is to provide consumers with a range of best-in-class products and services that enhance health and well-being and help them live a lifestyle guided by the philosophy of integrative medicine. Dr.Weil donates all after-tax profits from royalties from sales of Weil Lifestyle licensed products directly to the Weil Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing integrative medicine through training, research, the education of the public and policy reform.
112 PARAMOUNT PICTURES
$172M (NYSE: VIA)
LEEANNE STABLES, PRESIDENT,
WORLDWIDE MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS AND LICENSING, +1.323.956.5677
WWW.PARAMOUNT.COM
Top licensed properties in 2015 included The Godfather, Mission Impossible, Top Gun, Mean Girls, Grease, Anchorman, Gladiator, Clueless, Up In Smoke and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 included Dylan's for a Mean Girls confectionery program, Target for a Little Prince infant/nursery program, Pocket Gems for a Mean Girls episode game, Kohl's for a Mean Girls Chin Up athleticwear collaboration, Wet Seal for a Clueless cut and sew collection, Icing for a Clueless accessories program, Walmart for Up in Smoke tees from licensee ODM and Zumiez for an Up in Smoke Primitive skate collaboration. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 for Paramount include expanding catalog properties into lifestyle categories such as health and beauty and food and beverage. Examples of this include a Breakfast at Tiffany's nail polish collection, a Zoolander vodka collaboration with Ciroc and a The Godfather vodka and Italian food and beverage range. Paramount is also developing consumer product programs to support its upcoming releases such as a Baywatch summer seasonal program and a Ghost in the Shell program that includes apparel, accessories and collectibles.
113 KAWASAKI
$165M (TYO: JP7012)
GLEN KONKLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EQUITY MANAGEMENT INC., +1.858.558.2500
WWW.KAWASAKI.COM
The diverse Kawasaki product lineup includes their high-performance Ninja sportbikes, classic Vulcan cruisers, high-flying KX motocross bikes, rugged Brute Force and KFX atvs, powerful Mule/Teryx side-by-sides and the Jet Ski watercraft. All of these powersports machines, along with the iconic Kawasaki brand, form the foundation for the company's core positioning of Let the Good Times Roll. The Kawasaki licensing program reflects the spirit of the brand by creating products that reflect the power, performance, style, innovation and the unbridled fun that is Kawasaki. In 2016, Kawasaki is celebrating its 50th year in the U.S., which will create opportunities for licensees to develop collectible merchandise across categories. In addition to replicas, software and toys, there will be focus in 2016 on brand extension opportunities as well lifestyle categories such as eyewear, watches, travel goods, apparel and accessories across the Kawasaki brands of Ninja, KX, Mule, Teryx, Vulcan, Brute Force and Jet Ski. These new opportunities, along with the existing licenses, will continue to successfully reinforce the affinity Kawasaki enthusiasts have for the brands while also attracting new consumers.
114 SMITHSONIAN ENTERPRISES
$165M (NON-PROFIT)
BRIGID FERRARO, VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER AND EDUCATION PRODUCTS, +1.202.633.6080
WWW.SI.EDU
Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world's largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine global research facilities. Approximately 28 million people from around the world visited the Smithsonian in 2014, with more than 175 million visits to the Smithsonian websites. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at 138 million. Smithsonian draws inspiration from its world-renowned collections, groundbreaking research, and first-class educational expertise in support of creating dynamic, fun and meaningful learning experiences through its products with proceeds supporting its stated educational mission for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Smithsonian's 2015 top retail and licensing programs included the launch of a new eco product line with master toy licensee NSI for science kits, and the expansion of its fine jewelry program based on the National Gems and Minerals collection to select stores nationwide. Partner The Great Courses continued to build its educational course roster and won a Silver Telly for Experiencing America: A Smithsonian Tour through American History. The birth of Smithsonian's National Zoo's baby panda was celebrated with the release of special edition baby panda Bao Bao collectible coin proofs with licensee govmint. Apparel licensees The Mountain and C-Life also continued to release eye-catching designs for both children and adults. New programs included the launch of the partnership with Penguin Young Readers–including 20 new titles–to enhance Smithsonian's ever-strong licensed publishing program, and two national promotions with partner Warby Parker for limited edition men and women's eyewear and with Frigo Cheese Heads brand featuring the National Museum of American History. Smithsonian will launch a new occasional furniture line at retail in spring 2016 along with additional home products throughout the year. Master toy licensee, NSI, will be introducing new and exciting Smithsonian branded science and activity kits that embrace the uncompromising quality, enduring value and ultimate authenticity of the Smithsonian Name. The upcoming launch of Spark!Lab Smithsonian Inventive creativity kits with licensee Faber-Castell is a new product release based on Smithsonian's own Spark!Lab invention learning labs located at its National Museum of American History and other museums across the US. Expanding the relationship with The Great Courses will continue to be a key focus in 2016 as well as launching products with publishing licensees Silver Dolphin and PIL. Other product launches include Playmind for puzzles, playsets and plastic figures, Karmin International for mosaic puzzles, themed classroom décor and posters with CSS Industries Eureka brand, and with Mattel for View-Master.
115 BROMELIA PRODUÇÕES
$160M (PRIVATE)
JULIANO PRADO; MARCOS LUPORINI, +55.19.3241.5135
WWW.GALINHAPINTADINHA.COM.BR
Galinha Pintadinha is a Brazilian preschool brand, with 90-plus licensees, more than 2 million dvds sold and 20 million app downloads in Brazil alone. It is considered a first character for Brazilian newborns. It was created as a video short on youtube for pitching purposes that was never removed. After six months, the video silently and surprisingly reached 500,000 views. And while it was not intended to be viral, Galinha Pintadinha became a member of the family in virtually every Brazilian household. Today, with more than 3 billion views on its Brazilian youtube channel, a milestone achieved by few, Gallina Pintadita has recently reached over a billion views on its Spanish youtube equivalent, and the English youtube channel is going on the same path. The videos are also available on Netflix in the U.S., Latin America and Canada. To expand its tremendous success, Gallina Pintadita, as it is commonly known in Spanish, has joined forces with four licensing agencies–Televisa (Mexico), CPLG (Spain), Character Mix (Argentina/Colombia) and P&L Global (Peru/Chile), covering all countries in South America, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Europe. The international program had its debut in Las Vegas, Nev., at the 2014 Licensing Expo and a strong participation at the 2015 show. Redibra, the licensing agency for Bromelia Produções, continues to work the brand in Hispanic territories. Galinha Pintadinha has a current musical play in Brazilian theaters. The musical has also been adapted to Spanish and was produced in Peru in 2015 and will be produced in Argentina and Mexico along 2016. Its goal in 2016 and beyond is to continue conquering other countries by adapting the video clips to new languages (Italian, French, German, Mandarin and Japanese) and launch a preschool series, Galinha Pintadinha Mini (Lottie Dottie Mini in U.S.), in three languages–Portuguese, Spanish and English.
116 CONDÉ NAST
$150M (PRIVATE)
CATHY HOFFMAN GLOSSER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING, +1.212.308.2100
Condé Nast is a premier media company renowned for producing content for some of the world's most influential audiences. Attracting 115 million consumers across its print, digital and video brands, the company's portfolio includes Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Brides, Self, GQ, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, Details, Allure, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Wired, W, Golf Digest, Golf World, Teen Vogue, Ars Technica, Style.com, Gourmet and House & Garden. Condé Nast has exclusive licensing partnerships with best-in-class manufacturers and retailers. Over the past 20 years, Condé Nast has increased its profits, tripling its topline growth and exponentially expanding its content distribution. During the same period, the company earned several editorial, design, digital, advertising, video and business awards including being recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the digital video business and was one of linkedin's Top 25 Most In-Demand Employers. The company has recently relocated to its new global headquarters at 1 World Trade Center in New York City, where it plays a role in the resurgence of Lower Manhattan.
117 KISS
$150M (PRIVATE)
DELL FURANO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; LISA STREFF, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, licensing SALES, EPIC RIGHTS, +1.310.289.8220
The KISS Freedom to Rock summer tour will kick off on July 7 in Boise, Idaho, hitting more than three cities nationwide. The rock band continues to drive merchandise sales and develop new products and categories.
118 RODALE
$150M (PRIVATE)
KEVIN LABONGE, +1.202.573.0348
WWW.RODALEBRANDS.COM
Top licensed properties in 2015 were Men's Health, Prevention, Women's Health, Runner's World and Bicycling. Top retail partners in 2015 were CVS, Walmart, Kmart, Barnes and Noble, Argos, Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Rewe, DM, AS Watson and Amazon. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include expanding in food, nutrition, fitness, small kitchen electronics, home goods and apparel; and expanding in the Asian and Latin American markets.
119 SKECHERS
$150M (NYSE: SKX)
STEVEN MANDEL, VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL BRAND LICENSING, +1.310.406.0115
WWW.SKECHERS.COM
Top licensed brands in 2015 consisted of Skechers, Skechers Sport, Skechers Kids, Skechers Performance Division and Twinkle Toes by Skechers. Its licensing program continued its strong growth momentum through sales of licensed apparel, watches, socks, bags and backpacks, eyewear and a variety of fashion accessories. Skechers sold its licensed collections to consumers in hundreds of Skechers stores worldwide, along with a growing network of retail channels which included mid-tier retailers/department stores; regional store chains; specialty stores such as toy retailers, sporting goods stores, footwear retailers and kids' stores; off-price retailers; Internet retailers; and military exchange stores. Skechers will continue to offer a segmented, tiered licensing program that consists of top-tier technical performance products, casual athletic sport products, and products with the sparkle, color, lights, glitter and bling of Twinkle Toes. This will include continuing to grow its licensed apparel programs for adults and kids; bags, backpacks, headwear and eyewear for all; watches for adults; fitness, running, yoga and workplace safety accessories for adults; and fashion accessories and do-it-yourself crafting for girls. Skechers will also continue to pursue additional growth opportunities within as-yet-unlicensed product categories. Finally, it still sees excellent opportunities overseas, and the continued development of targeted programs with many of the top retailers around the world.
120 WOLFGANG PUCK WORLDWIDE
$148M (PRIVATE)
JOSEPH C. ESSA, PRESIDENT, +1.310.432.1541
WWW.WOLFGANGPUCK.COM
Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck opened his first restaurant, Spago, on Hollywood's Sunset Strip in 1982. Building on Spago's phenomenal success, he has become one of the most influential chefs in North America with an empire that includes a growing number of fine dining restaurants, catering venues and casual restaurants. Complementing Puck's fine dining restaurants, catering venues and casual restaurants are his licensed restaurant properties, Wolfgang Puck Express, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, The Kitchen Counter by Wolfgang Puck and wpizza, which are located primarily at airports, grocery stores and various retail locations, as well as at major entertainment venues such as Universal Studios, Los Angeles, Calif. Wolfgang Puck also sells many licensed consumer products through various distribution channels. These include Wolfgang Puck Organic Soup, in partnership with Campbell's Soup Company; Wolfgang Puck whole and ground coffee bags, pods and K-cups for hotels, offices and retail distribution, as well as Internet sales, in partnership with WP Coffee Company; Wolfgang Puck Signature Wines, in partnership with California's Delicato Family Vineyards; branded housewares and appliances as seen on Home Shopping Network, in partnership with WP Productions and Appliances, for which Wolfgang Puck commits over 100 hours annually of personal on-air time; and seven cookbooks.
121 AARDMAN ANIMATIONS
$140M (PRIVATE)
ROB GOODCHILD, HEAD OF LICENSING, +44.011.7984.8485
WWW.AARDMAN.COM
Aardman's top licensed properties are Shaun the Sheep, Wallace & Gromit, Morph and Aardman's Shaun the Sheep The Movie. The brand continues to expand its portfolio of live events, attractions and art exhibitions. The studio is also celebrating its 40th anniversary with plans for special events, exhibitions and commemorative merchandise ranges to mark the occasion.
122 ACTIVISION PUBLISHING
$140M (NASDAQ: ATVI)
ASHLEY MAIDY, HEAD OF GLOBAL LICENSING AND PARTNERSHIPS, +1.310.255.2058
WWW.SKYLANDERS.COM
The Skylanders brand is supported by a world-class licensing program that brings the magic of Skylanders to life. Global partners develop retail executions and new product extensions across key categories such as publishing, apparel, back-to-school, game accessories, costumes, color and activity, bedding and party goods. The franchise has generated more than $3 billion in retail sales with more than 250 million toys sold worldwide. The Call of Duty franchise continues to drive pop culture with more than $15 billion in total sales, including in-game content. The Call of Duty phenomenon drives sales of brand-enhancing merchandise such as apparel, collectible construction sets, mobile and electronic accessories, strategy guides and backpacks and messenger bags. Call of Duty: Black Ops III had the biggest entertainment opening weekend of 2015. The Destiny licensing strategy is focused on partnering with industry leaders and category experts that can reflect the game's rich universe from Bungie. The program includes apparel and accessories, publishing including art book and poster books, strategy guides, posters and figurines. With the launch of Destiny: The Taken King, the fan base now exceeds 25 million registered users who have logged nearly 3 billion hours playing the game. The Skylanders licensing program, supported by a roster of global partners, captures the brand's fun with best-in-class products and retail executions. Relationships with Crayola, General Mills and others continue to underscore the property's popularity and drive the merchandising program's growth. Fans at Toys 'R' Us enjoyed Skylanders Day with gameplay and exclusive offers. The Call of Duty licensing is focused on brand enhancing merchandise and partnerships for the blockbuster franchise. The Call of Duty: Black Ops III launch was supported by a tailored lifestyle merchandising program with partners like Dark Horse Comics, dxracer Chairs, Astro Gaming headsets, Mega Brands/Mattel and kontrolfreek. For Destiny, Bungie, the IP holder, in collaboration with Activision, expanded the adventure for fans with partners such as megabrands/Mattel, bioworld, Insight Editions, GB Eye, kontrolfreek, Trends, World of 3A and Insert Coin. In addition to retail support in North America, Activision secured international retail presence not only with accounts who are strong supporters of its games including Asda, Tesco, Game U.K., Big W, EB Games, Media Markt, Carrefour and Micromania, but also in non-traditional gaming outlets such as Smyths, WH Smith, The Entertainer, C&A, H&M, Chaussea and Kiabi. Activision's Licensing & Partnerships business, established in 2012, has created broad consumer touchpoints across key categories outside of the video game aisle and traditional video game channels, which will expand to new platforms in 2016. This includes, the Call of Duty World League–a worldwide esports league operated by Activision–which will bring competitive Call of Duty to new audiences and long-time fans alike. The program will be added to Activision's merchandising strategy in an effort to further excite our Call of Duty consumers. Activision also plans to expand future programs to include initiatives to support the upcoming Skylanders television series, as well other linear media content from Activision Blizzard Studios, creating impactful touchpoints for fans and driving significant benefits for its partners. Lastly, the newly-launched Activision Blizzard Media Networks celebrates players and their unique skills and will be focused on creating all-new ways to deliver best-in-class fan experiences across games, platforms and geographies.
123 LA-Z-BOY
$140M (NYSE: LZB)
GLEN KONKLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EQUITY MANAGEMENT, +1.858.558.2500
WWW.LA-Z-BOY.COM
Over the course of its rich history, the La-Z-Boy brand has established itself not only as a leading furniture brand in the U.S., but as a brand that is increasingly recognized globally. A track record of innovation and style combined with an unwavering commitment to comfort and quality has been foundational to La-Z-Boy. The La-Z-Boy licensing program reinforces these cornerstone elements through high quality products that deliver against the La-Z-Boy brand proposition and allow consumers to Live Life Comfortably. The Office Seating program offers a broad range of comfortable and stylish residential and small business office chairs. The business experienced significant growth in 2015 through expanded product offerings and added distribution across office specialty and club stores. The Outdoor Casual Furniture program extends La-Z-Boy comfort outdoors through attractive seating and dining collections. In its 10th year, the business remains strong with distribution in department and club stores and recently launched offerings for home shopping TV. The La-Z-Boy Spa program offers consumers the ultimate relaxation and comfort experience. The business continues to expand by building distribution through independent dealers across North America. In 2016, EMI will continue to pursue new opportunities to build and extend the La-Z-Boy brand.
124 ROTO-ROOTER
$140M (NYSE: CHE)
HAL WORSHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LMCA, +1.212.265.7474
WWW.ROTOROOTER.COM
The program, begun by LMCA in 2000, has evolved cautiously. Focused as an extension to Roto-Rooters' nationwide plumbing service, the primary licenses are for retail lines of chemical drain cleaners and plungers that are positioned as precursors to a service call. Distribution encompasses supermarket, mass merchant and hardware channels and synergies between licensor and licensees have continued to grow.
125 EASTMAN KODAK
$138M (NYSE: KODK)
STEVE PARSONS, DIRECTOR, BRAND LICENSING, +1.508.359.1091
WWW.KODAK.COM
The Kodak licensing program continues to grow. It has a breadth of licensed products spanning diverse categories such as digital cameras and action cams, video monitors, mobile phones, televisions, ink jet printers, paper, ink and toner cartridges, LED lighting, storage media, headphones and earbuds, binoculars, camera accessories, batteries, chargers and flashlights. Its licensees have a broad set of retail partners that include Walmart, Best Buy, Frys, Price Rite, Dixons, ASDA, kmart and Amazon, as well as many regional chains and local specialty shops throughout the world. Kodak is actively expanding our licensing program into new categories and geographies.
126 BEAM SUNTORY
$135M (PRIVATE)
JEFF CHRISTENSEN, PRESIDENT, THR3E LICENSING, +1.630.809.1101
WWW.BEAMSUNTORY.COM
Owned by Suntory Holdings Limited, Beam Suntory has a dynamic portfolio with expertise in whisky, led by Bourbon and Japanese Whisky, and global strength across many key categories including tequila, vodka, cognac, rum and cordials. Top licensed properties in 2015 include Jim Beam Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Canadian Club Whisky, Knob Creek Bourbon, Cruzan Rum, Courvoisier Cognac and Hornitos Tequila. THR3E Licensing, the brand's licensing agent, is building the Beam Suntory portfolio of brands into retail relationships and licensed products that enhance the consumption occasion for premium distilled spirits. Capitalizing on the growth and popularity of bourbon, new culinary partners were developed or expanded for Jim Beam in ready-to-eat proteins, ready-to-cook proteins, sandwiches, salty snacks, confections and food gift sets. THR3E will leverage Beam Suntory's distilled spirits innovation platform as the catalyst for developing new culinary and brand experiences in 2016.
127 JCB
$135M (PRIVATE)
SAM JOHNSON, GENERAL MANAGER, WORLDWIDE LICENSING, +44.0.18.89.593499
WWW.JCB.COM
The JCB Licensing program covers four master categories kids, DIY and trade, footwear, workwear and merchandise. The licensing program, managed in house in the U.K., is now in its 20th year. Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include The Kingfisher Group rolled out next generation JCB tools and power tool accessories across its U.K. and Polish stores, with a trade tools roadshow at multiple Tradepoint venues. New TV advertising for JCB batteries aired in the U.K. in October 2015, bolstering JCB's fourth largest U.K. battery brand position. Kids clothing growth continued with ongoing success in George (Asda) and Tesco. 2016 will see further tools, security and workwear growth across Europe, extension into Indian retail sector, new category development in both the kids and non-kids sectors and continuing leverage of the JCB brand's 70th anniversary.
128 KATHY DAVIS STUDIOS
$135M (E) (PRIVATE)
SARAH VAN AKEN, VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, +1.215.444.9544 EXT. 106
WWW.KATHYDAVIS.COM
Kathy Davis Studios began 25 years ago with a greeting card range based on the artist's paintings and hand-written messages and has since evolved to include social expressions, gifts, fashion, homewares, stationery, books and more.
129 LAMBORGHINI
$135M (E) (LAMBORGHINI IS A DIVISION OF AUDI AG)
ELISA MIGNINI, MANAGER OF LICENSING, +39.051.9597980
WWW.LAMBORGHINI.COM
The luxury automaker continues to expand its inspirational lifestyle brand into various categories including kids, women's, and accessories. The company also introduced a new car, Lamborghini Centenario, with a futuristic design that celebrates the centenary of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's birth.
130 REYNOLDS CONSUMER PRODUCTS (HEFTY)
$135M (PRIVATE)
GLEN KONKLE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EQUITY MANAGEMENT, +1.858.558.2500
WWW.HEFTY.COM
Foundational to the success of the Hefty licensing program is the brand's powerful equity of strength, durability, quality and convenient solutions. The Hefty program continued its upward trajectory in 2015 through the continued growth of existing licensed businesses and the introduction of new products. Hefty wastebaskets maintained its significant market share in mass and home improvement channels while the sales of Hefty home storage solutions grew significantly through new product offerings and expanded distribution. The Hefty permanent food storage container business expanded as well with new premium offerings and new distribution points in grocery and mass. The Hefty program will see growth in 2016 from the continued expansion of its existing licenses along with the targeted development of new categories inside and outside the home.
131 GOLD'S GYM
$132M (PRIVATE)
BRIAN GUM, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND BRAND STRATEGY, +1.214.574.4653
WWW.GOLDSGYM.COM
Gold's Gym-branded fitness equipment and accessories have great representation at mass retailers like Walmart and Sporting Goods retailers such as Dick's Sporting Goods. In 2015, Brand Sense Partners, Gold's Gym's brand licensing agency, embarked on rolling out a platform of lifestyle-oriented products that address consumer needs. New licensees were brought on in a number of key categories including athleisure, hosiery, headwear, flip-flops/slides, hydration bottles, food/snack containers, nutrition bars and publishing. These licensees will be key drivers of growth in 2016 as they gain placement at retail. In addition, Gold's Gym will continue to build out its platform of lifestyle-oriented products in 2016 by adding new licensees in several core areas–consumables (e.g., sports nutrition, healthy meals, snacks and beverages), activewear, footwear and consumer electronics. Finally, international growth continues to fuel Gold's Gym's expansion with over 700 gyms worldwide across 23 countries and presents the perfect opportunity for licensees who have international distribution.
132 4K MEDIA
$120M (A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT)
JENNIFER COLEMAN, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING AND MARKETING; KRISTEN GRAY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS, BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, +1.212.590.2120
WWW.YUGIOH.COM
4K Media is the brand management company that oversees the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise outside of Asia as well as Rebecca Bonbon in North America and Europe. In addition to brand management, the company is also responsible for the production and distribution of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Television series internationally.
133 SNUGGLE (THE SUN PRODUCTS CORPORATION)
$120M (PRIVATE)
ALAN KRAVETZ, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, LMCA, +1.646.781.3167
WWW.SNUGGLE.COM
Sun licenses its Snuggle fabric softener brand on products that fit with its brand imagery seamlessly. Managed by LMCA since 2012, this licensing program includes home textiles, bedding, pillows, mattresses and mattress toppers as well as air freshener. The program is focused on key consumer categories. Program growth comes largely from new category expansions and market share gains.
134 MELITTA
$110M (PRIVATE)
PHILIP RAIA, LMCA, +1.212.265.7474
WWW.MELITTA.COM
LMCA's focus on this program has been oriented to the coffee experience and related products. Melitta's licensed line of consumer coffee makers has received industry recognition for being innovative (including the first in-pod technology) and stylish. The licensed products have continued to enjoy both distribution and share gains throughout North America. As the brand continues to innovate, it seeks licensees that are committed to quality coffee products that capture the European essence of Melitta.
135 PERFETTI VAN MELLE GROUP
$100.9M (PRIVATE)
+34.93.773.92.00
WWW.PVMLICENSING.COM
Perfetti van Melle has experienced significant growth of its licensing programs over the past year and has exciting plans for 2016. The company is working with Beanstalk, a global brand extension agency, for food and beverage extensions for Airheads in the U.S. and Mentos and Chupa Chups in Europe. Additionally, leading agencies specializing in lifestyle products represent Chupa Chups, Airheads, Mentos and Frisk across the globe for agreements that include apparel, cosmetics and accessories. For the first time in its history, Chupa Chups is taking its exciting flavor profile to the frozen novelty sector with Unilever, the first strategic partner to launch a Chupa Chups ice cream in Europe. Chupa Chups Calippo Shots, in flavors cherry banana and cola lemon, are set to launch at out-of-home distribution channels across Western Europe in spring 2016 and will leverage the brand's unique popularity with fans across the globe. Additionally, Beanstalk will focus on expanding the Chupa Chups flavor profile into additional food and beverage categories. Beanstalk also helped launch an assortment of Airheads ice cream in in the U.S. in Q1 2015 by facilitating a partnership with Koldwave Foods. Airheads fans will be able to experience their favorite candy in new water-based frozen novelty products that capture all the flavors of Airheads available in all food, drug and mass distribution channels. Through a partnership with Jel Sert, Airheads will launch ice pops in Q4 2016 and is in the process of developing a new, unique product concept with innovative textures. For over fifteen years, Chupa Chups has been licensing its iconic logo and amazing artwork to an array of lifestyle collections across Europe and Asia. In Q3 2014, the brand partnered with H&M for a limited edition fashion collection for kids and teens worldwide. Additionally, a highly successful product line has been home air fresheners inspired by the authentic fruit flavors of the brand. With its proven track record as an art-based lifestyle brand, and after a successful lifestyle product launch in IT'Sugar stores across the U.S., Chupa Chups presents a great opportunity for further brand extensions in the U.S. Lisa Marks Associates have already signed on the first licensees for cosmetics and accessories to hit the shelves this summer. In 2016, Airheads is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the launch of new frozen beverages across the U.S. Through collaborations with a leading convenience store and a leading fast food chain, as well as promotional events, Airheads will enjoy increased visibility. These initiatives will strengthen the opportunity to potentially expand the Airheads flavor and texture profile into baking and beverage products. The fun and color of Airheads can also be found in lifestyle products featuring vibrant designs, which will be placed this summer in a dedicated space in all IT'Sugar stores. One year after entering the licensing arena, Perfetti's global mint brand, Mentos, is lending its fresh aroma to several personal care and air care agreements across the globe and is getting geared up for exciting collaborations in 2016 to be announced shortly.
136 ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV
$100M (NYSE: BUD)
TRACY NEIER, LICENSING MANAGER, +1.314.577.4259
WWW.ANHEUSER-BUSCH.COM
Key properties include beer brands Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime-A-Rita, Stella Artois, Natural Light, Rolling Rock, Michelob ULTRA and Busch. Anheuser-Busch inbev's robust consumer product portfolio ranges across fashion apparel and accessories, gift and novelty items, drinkware and food products. The ABI brands are supported by more than 45 licensing partners in over 10 core markets. The programs have a reach of 160,000-plus retail doors across all channels and enjoy placement year round at retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Kohl's, Target, Meijer and Bed, Bath & Beyond, with programs occurring frequently at specialty retailers including Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom's. The breadth of distribution and depth of product has continually grown within all major channels, including mass, specialty, high-end, mid-tier, e-commerce and grocery. Over the course of 2015, ABI expanded its licensing program to assist in its humanitarian efforts of providing clean water to women in developing nations by utilizing distinct, limited edition chalices (drinkware) to signify and highlight campaign awareness. ABI also worked on growing its fashion footprint and developed an apparel collaboration with Chubbies Shorts via a social media outreach and sweepstakes offering. 2015 also saw the signing of 10 new partners for ABI in multiple areas of the store, spanning apparel and accessories, wall art/décor, electronic accessories, food gift sets, refrigeration and outdoor grilling/accessories. Major manufacturers in each space have successfully partnered with ABI to begin development on state-of-the-art items across numerous innovative categories. ABI leveraged 2015 as a growth year to develop its brand impact and footprint with a multi-faceted licensing approach. In 2016, the program will continue its systemic approach to growth by developing its newly acquired partners in their respective categories. From a global aspect, the program will also shift from a top-down approach to a local market-driven approach by focusing on localized international beer brands. The global ABI program has also enjoyed pockets of recent success in the U.K., Germany and Brazilian markets, while focusing on developing Italy and Australia as a next tier for success.
137 MOOSE TOYS
$100M (PRIVATE)
DIANNE BELLCHAMBERS, HEAD OF LICENSING, +61.03.9579.7377.
WWW.MOOSETOYS.COM
Moose Toys' Shopkins brand experienced significant growth in 2015 and retail sales are projected to double in 2016. Moose Toys has sold more than 207 million Shopkins characters worldwide. According to the company, Shopkins was No. 1 in the small doll category, No.2 in the super doll category and the No. 1 item across all toys during certain periods over the year. A one-of-a-kind Gemma Stone Shopkins character made from carefully crafted glass sold for $21,500 in a charity auction. Shopkins was a finalist for 2016 Property of the Year by the Toy Industry Foundation, and the Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck was the winner of the 2016 Girl Toy of the Year.
138 NELVANA/CORUS ENTERTAINMENT
$100M (TSX: CJR.B)
ANDREW KERR, CO-HEAD, NELVANA ENTERPRISES; ANTOINE ERLIGMANN, CO-HEAD, NELVANA ENTERPRISES +1.416.479.7000
WWW.NELVANA.COM
Nelvana is one of the world's leading international producers and distributors of children's content. With a robust portfolio spanning preschool to boys' action, Nelvana's library features more than 4,000 half-hour animated episodes which air in over 160 countries. As a key force in developing popular global brands such as Beyblade, Babar, and Franklin, Nelvana has expertise in optimizing commercial opportunities by offering short- and long-form animated content development and production, broadcast sales and distribution, merchandise licensing, digital media, art asset development, brand assurance, PR and brand marketing. In 2015, Nelvana continued to bring brands to life with the launch of Little Charmers. A co-production between Nelvana and Spin Master, Little Charmers debuted in January 2015 in the U.S. and Canada and quickly became a chart topping series for girls, ages 2-5. The brand will continue to charm its audiences throughout 2016 with its expansion into the international markets starting this fall. Last year, Nelvana announced their new partnership with Cepia to re-launch the multi-billion dollar brand zhuzhu Pets, and in fall 2016, a brand-new animated television series, Polly and the zhuzhu Pets will debut in North America. Additionally, Nelvana Enterprises will oversee the global merchandising of the brand.
139 PEPSICO NORTH AMERICA
$100M (E) (NYSE: PEP)
JOANNE LORIA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, THE JOESTER LORIA GROUP, +1.212.683.5150
WWW.PEPSI.COM
Key licensed brands for Pepsi North America include Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Aquafina.
140 U.S. ARMY
$94M (PRIVATE)
PAUL JENSEN, DIRECTOR, ARMY TRADEMARK LICENSING PROGRAM, +1.703.325.5868
www.goarmy.com; www.defense.gov/trademarks
The U.S. Army licensing program leverages the brand values of pride, performance and personal development to build positive brand awareness and create multiple touch points for Americans to show support for the U.S. Army. In 2015, the program consisted of 280-plus licensees across categories including gift and novelty, personal accessories, consumer electronics, headwear, footwear, collectibles, cutlery, fragrance, toys, digital and interactive platforms, tailgating and cake decoration. The three largest categories in the program were apparel, gift/novelty items and sporting goods. U.S. Army licensed products are found at every channel of trade in the U.S., including mass merchandisers, mid-tier retailers, off-price channels, travel centers, sporting goods stores, toy stores, craft stores, grocery stores, dollar stores, and tourist/museum centers. The program has gained success online with licensees Cafepress.com, Zazzle.com and Amazon.com, among others. Several key initiatives drove growth for the U.S. Army program in 2015. Gift and novelty became a leading category and Army's apparel program, ranging from loungewear to infant and toddler, was a huge success in 2015. Products continued to be found on the wall at Walmart, while a new range of loungewear/sleepwear was introduced in channels like Kohl's Off Aisle, TJ Maxx and Ross Stores. The U.S. Army strengthened its co-brand initiatives with new licensees including Jansport (apparel and accessories) and Bridgestone Golf (performance golf balls and golf accessories). Other notable program highlights included new category penetration into 3D printing and cake decoration, allowing the U.S. Army to diversify its product offering to consumers. The U.S. Army launched a new hologram program in 2015, which helps fight infringement at retail and educates consumers on purchasing officially licensed products. For 2016, the U.S. Army program will focus on growing the existing licensees' businesses organically while working with various retailers to implement U.S. Army/patriotic themed in-store promotions surrounding various holidays such as Veteran's Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Flag Day and Father's Day. It is recruiting additional licensees for co-brand opportunities in various new categories is also a focus for the program in 2016.
141 V&A ENTERPRISES
$91M (E) (PRIVATE)
LAUREN SIZELAND, DIRECTOR, LICENSING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, +44.20.7942.2981
WWW.VANDALICENSING.COM
The V&A is one of the world's leading museums of art and design. The Decorative, the Glamorous, the British and the Exotic are the four key aesthetics in its collections that resonate with consumers offering a unique framework with which to develop and promote the treasures through merchandise ranges.
142 AGFAPHOTO
$90M (PRIVATE)
RAY UHLIR, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LMCA, +1.212.265.7474
This German-based photography brand has extended into camera accessories, memory, optics, film cameras, batteries, tablet computers, smartphones and others. Distribution extends from Europe to Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America, with plans for further expansion.
143 MGA ENTERTAINMENT
$85M (PRIVATE)
JULIE BOYLAN, VICE PRESIDENT, LICENSING +1.818.894.2525
WWW.MGAE.COM
Key franchises include Little Tikes, Lalaloopsy, Bratz and Project Mc2. Top retail partners in 2015 were Walmart, Target, Toys 'R' Us and Asda. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include promotional programs at major retailers and limited edition product ranges through direct-to-retail programs.
144 BLACK FLAG
$75M (NYSE: SPB)
ALAN KRAVETZ, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, LMCA, +1.212.265.7474
LMCA has extended Black Flag into high-tech bug zappers and, as a co-brand, into landscape lighting and into caulks and sealants, each of which also incorporate Black Flag technology. Distribution is focused largely on North American mass merchant and hardware channels.
145 MACK TRUCK
$75M (OTCPK: VOLVY)
ALAN KRAVETZ, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, LMCA, +1.646.781.3167
WWW.MACKTRUCKS.COM
The company is pursuing domestic and global initiatives in consumer, commercial and B2B categories.
146 AMERICAN GREETINGS ENTERTAINMENT
$74M (PRIVATE)
JANICE ROSS, HEAD OF GLOBAL LICENSING, +1.818.426.8608
WWW.AGPBRANDS.COM
For more than three decades, the Care Bears brand has provided engaging, character-driven, fun-meets-fantasy storytelling with wholesome themes. Owned by American Greetings Entertainment, the intellectual property, entertainment and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation, Care Bears first appeared on greeting cards in 1982, and has since become a strong evergreen brand loved by kids, parents and grandparents alike. Care Bears entertainment is distributed to 450 million-plus households and 50 languages worldwide. The Netflix original series Care Bears & Cousins launched in November 2015. With more than 180 licensees worldwide, Care Bears licensed goods can be found in nearly every product category under the rainbow including home entertainment, toys, publishing, digital, apparel and accessories, domestics, pet products and more. Due to its longevity in the marketplace, the brand also currently spans several demographics, including preschool, tween, teen and young adults. At the core of the brand is a line of toys from Just Play. The line includes many styles of plush–some that sing, dance or glow–that are brightly colored, huggable and collectible. A 2015 blind bag program continually sold out in major retailers nationwide, selling up to 17,000 units per week and amassing more than 15.5 million youtube views of Care Bears blind bag openings. In addition, the Walmart 2015 Easter-themed Care Bears plush sold out. Care Bears are also staying relevant with today's tech savvy audience launching new apps in 2015 with partners Ubisoft, Plumzi, Budge Studios, Ruckus, playdate Digital and more. The nine current apps in market have more than 20 million downloads collectively. The Create and Share app with partner Budge Studios ranked in the Top 10 Games for Kids (ipad) in more than 30 countries. 2016 will also see eight more app releases with partners including playdate Digital Night & Day Studios and more. In addition to supporting licensing programs with 180 licensees worldwide, American Greetings Entertainment has placed an emphasis on co-brands and collaborations globally. A collaboration with Build-A-Bear Workshops in 20 countries extends an existing plush program with a unique in-store experience and personalization while apparel collaborations. Boy Meets Girl and Sanrio partnerships connect Care Bears to a trendy, fashion-forward audience. American Greeting Entertainment will soon be sharing additional co-branding collaborations product programs for 2017 in advance of Care Bears' 35th anniversary.
147 MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
$65.1M (PRIVATE)
SANDRA HEBERT, DIRECTOR, LICESNING, MILB; ELIOT RUNYON, DIRECTOR, LICENSING, THE MINOR LEAGUES, MLB PROPERTIES, +1.727.822.6937
WWW.MILB.COM
The Minor League Baseball licensing program oversees licensing efforts for 160 Minor League Baseball teams in the U.S. and Canada. Some of the top selling properties in 2015 included (in no particular order) are the Durham Bulls, El Paso Chihuahuas, Nashville Sounds, Oklahoma City Dodgers and Toledo Mud Hens. Baseball caps and apparel are milb's top retail properties. The top-selling licensees include 47 Brand, Bimm Ridder Sportswear, Gear For Sports, Majestic Athletic, New Era Cap Company, Nike and OC Sports Headwear. Major League Baseball Properties serves as the licensing agent of Minor League Baseball, giving clout and name recognition to the milb brand and its teams' brands and logos. Top retail partners and licensing programs during 2015 include milb.com and milbstore.com–The milb online store platform hosted 143 live sites in 2015, which included both team and league sites. Fans can shop the online store for apparel, caps, collectibles, novelties, milb logo products and publications and more. Top retail programs include the Little League institutional program, in which Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball Properties offer youth leagues the opportunity to brand their local teams with milb names and logos. OC Sports produces the headwear, while Majestic Athletic produces jerseys, uniforms and shirts. This additional exposure among youth groups and parents brings further recognition to Minor League Baseball and its logos. There was also a Star Wars and Marvel Comics co-branding program at retail. Minor League Baseball, in conjunction with Lucasfilm and Major League Baseball Properties, created a co-branded team/Star Wars retail program with New Era Cap Co. (caps), Gear for Sports (t-shirts) and Wincraft (novelty items). This program is available for the upcoming season, with a number of milb teams holding Star Wars Nights, usually on May 4. Milb and MLBP also created a team/Marvel Comics retail program with Majestic Athletic for apparel. These programs will continue into the 2016 season. Licensing initiatives that will drive growth in 2016 include the milb retail promotion in which Teams receive a rolling slatwall four-way pinwheel merchandise display fixture. The kiosk can be used in the team store or rolled anywhere in the stadium, optimizing both merchandise presence throughout the ballpark and allowing for a consistent repositioning of retail displays. Other programs include the Stars & Stripes on-field and retail cap program that will see Minor League Baseball teams wearing and selling custom-made Stars & Stripes headwear produced by New Era Cap Co. During Fourth of July weekend. Some clubs will auction off the game-worn caps with proceeds going to a charitable cause/organization of their choice. One hundred twenty-eight milb teams are participating (up from 120 in 2015), with royalties going to Welcome Back Veterans. In 2016, there are also new markets and team re-brandings. A new milb team in Columbia, South Carolina, revealed its identity as the Columbia Fireflies. A glowing yellow-green firefly on the night sky is the centerpiece of their brand. The New Britain Rock Cats relocated to Hartford, Connecticut, and are now known as the Hartford Yard Goats. A fiercely friendly goat holding a chewed bat in its mouth is featured on the primary and cap logos, while a goat-horned H and a script YG are featured on its blue and green-themed alternate caps.
148 JELLY BELLY CANDY COMPANY
$65M (PRIVATE)
VU MYERS BABCOCK, LICENSING MANAGER, +1.707.428.2800
WWW.JELLYBELLY.COM
With over 14 billion Jelly Belly jelly beans enjoyed across the globe every year, Jelly Belly Candy Company manufactures one of the world's most famous and loved jelly beans. Its strategic, 10-plus year licensing program brings to life the unique bean shape, along with the fun, flavor, scents and colors of the brand. Numerous product categories include fashion accessories and apparel, candles and home fragrances, kitchen appliances and accessories, bath and body products and uniquely flavored and scented food/beverage products. Important initiatives in 2015 for the Jelly Belly licensing program included the launch of Jelly Belly scented pillows nationwide in the U.S., as well as a re-launch of scented health and beauty aid products across mass and specialty accounts. 2015 saw two new licensees launch in the U.K–a frozen ice-lollies partner, along with a cupcake range, both of which launched in to two of the U.K.'s leading supermarkets. With nearly 40 best-in-class partners in 49 territories globally, Jelly Belly's licensed products are available in more than 40,000 retail doors across all channels including food, drug, mass, convenience and specialty. Top retail partners include Target, Walmart, Rite-Aid, Kroger, Safeway, Fred Meyer, Ahold, Costco, Kohl's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Meijers and Michael's in the U.S.; and Costco, HBA, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Primark, ASDA, Halfords, Boots and ASOS internationally. 2015 was an incredibly strong development year for the Jelly Belly licensing program with a total of 12 new partners launching across North America, Asia and the U.K. The Jelly Belly licensing program continues to expand its food and beverage, fragrance, home and gift, electronic and automotive accessory presence through quality partnerships and geographic expansion. Top licensing initiatives in 2016 and beyond will include sparkling beverages and ice cream programs, alongside fashion accessories and further developed tech and car accessories internationally. The U.S. will see the continuation of multi-faceted fragrance offerings and health and beauty products, while focusing on expanding its food and beverage space with frozen dessert innovation and high-profile in-store-bakery products.
149 GENIUS BRANDS INTERNATIONAL
$50.9M (OCQB: GNUS)
STONE NEWMAN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, +1.310.273.4222
WWW.GNUSBRANDS.COM
Genius Brands International's top licensed properties for 2015 include Baby Genius, which was re-launched last year with fresh characterizations, new entertainment content and more than 40 new products available on Amazon.com; the adventure comedy series Thomas Edison's Secret Lab, available on Netflix, public broadcast stations and GBI's Kid Genius channel on Comcast's Xfinity on Demand reaching 21 million households; the animated movie Stan Lee's Mighty 7, which is the first project from Stan Lee Comics, a joint venture with Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment, and features an all-star voice cast led by Lee; and Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club, created with and starring investor Buffett himself. Additionally, GBI's wholly owned subsidiary A Squared Entertainment, a brand management and licensing company that represents third-party properties across a broad range of categories in territories around the world, represented From Frank, a humor greeting card and product line; and Celessence Technologies, a microencapsulation company. GBI prides itself on its broad and diverse range of licensing and retail partners, each of which add a unique dimension to the overall licensing efforts of the company and its brands. Among the most significant brand retail partnerships are the Baby Genius partnership with Amazon and the A Squared subsidiary division that has developed retail partnerships for Celessence with Stride Rite and which introduced an innovative solution to combat malodor in children's shoes; developed its partnership with Build-A-Bear Workshop, adding yet another innovative dimension to personalizing plush toys with scent for Valentine's Day; and a co-branded partnership with candy brand Jelly Belly that introduced scented pillows that were available at Costco during Easter. Genius Brands has also developed relationships for Celessence with big box retailers such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Toys 'R' Us and autozone. Growth in 2016 will be driven by Llama Llama, based on the children's book series; and spacepop, an original new music and fashion-driven brand for tween girls developed by GBI featuring original music produced by Ron Fair, Han Lee's original character designs and stories from Steve Banks. Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama book series has sold more than 9.4 million units, has been translated into eight languages and earned the No. 1 spot on the New York Times best-sellers list. Ncircle Entertainment is launching GBI's Llama Llama animated series on DVD to coincide with licensed product launches including toys from Kids Preferred, along with games, apparel, accessories, bedding and healthy snacks and meals. Producing 100-plus animated music videos for spacepop, GBI is distributing content digitally to align with tweens mobile-driven world. Global master publisher, Imprint, part of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, will launch Not Your Average Princesses, a novel with graphic novel inserts in July 2016, in addition to products from Jaya Apparel, H.E.R. Accessories, Bare Tree Media emoticons, Canal Toys craft and activity kits and a line of bedding and room décor from Franco Manufacturing.
150 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$49M (PRIVATE) (NON-PROFIT)
GREG WINTERS, MANAGER, LICENSING PROGRAMS, +1.800.323.0732
WWW.LICENSINGBSA.ORG
The Boy Scouts of America offers different licensed properties, both values and lifestyle driven, each with a different demographic focus. One of the key licensed properties for retail in 2015 was Pinewood Derby. This property targets youth and skill building. The Boy Scouts of America has achieved tremendous success in growing the Pinewood Derby program at major craft, hobby, book, and hardware retailers. In 2015, the BSA launched a co-branded Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and 2015 Ford Mustang GT Pinewood Derby kits with Revell. Among the newest properties launched is Be Prepared, which is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. The target audience for Be Prepared licensed products encompasses every age group and product categories where readiness and preparedness are important considerations. In the outdoor sporting goods category, licensed products such as Medline Industries (Curad) Be Prepared first aid kits, Bug Band Be Prepared insect repellent and Polar Bottle Be Prepared water bottles have all been introduced online and through regional specialty and sporting goods retailers. The Boy Scouts of America has more than 50 million living alumni in the U.S. Its goal is to create or develop new licensed products to reconnect with alumni and those with an affinity for the Boy Scouts of America in relevant ways through their daily activities. Continued expansion of the Be Prepared and Pinewood Derby brands will be at the core of expansion initiatives in the near-term. Long term, the Boy Scouts of America will look to expand into other licensed product categories with emphasis on skill building, outdoor play and other active lifestyle opportunities that may fit well with the mission of the organization.
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