home | about us | subscribe | archives | contact info
1
 

 

Crocs In Shape for Football Season
Company Has Mammoth News for Tailgaters

With the football season right around the corner, retailers looking for a tried-and-true item in the casual footwear category need look no further than Crocs. The company carries its signature shoe in adult and kids sizes featuring the logos and colors of all 30 NFL teams—and is also introducing a new footwear line that should be of great interest to tailgaters, especially when there’s a nip in the air.

“Few sports have a following that is as large and brand loyal as the NFL,” says CEO Ron Snyder. “We are thrilled to partner with the NFL and to provide our customers with additional options in Crocs styles and a new way to support their favorite teams.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Flash of Inspiration
MLB Math Cards Connect Students with the Stars

In the good old days, what math teachers were unable to drill into the heads of their thick-skulled students, the backs of bubble gum cards often did. Indeed, there was a time when a nation of nine-year-olds could convert two-sevenths into 28.6% not because they were precocious savants, but because they knew that two hits in seven at-bats gave you a .286 batting average. Where have you gone, Manny Sanguillen?

Two generations after the fact, the American educational market is rediscovering the teaching and motivational virtues of sports—and the results are finally beginning to find their way onto retail shelves. Among the leaders in this trend is Sports Equation, maker of Major League Baseball Math Word Problem Cards.

Click here to read the entire story.


In Plain Sight
Eyeblack.com Ready to Attack the Retail Marketplace

Peter Beveridge, President/CEO of Eyeblack.com, knew he had something special on his hands from the moment he introduced his product more than three years ago—even if most in the licensed industry didn’t. A new twist on traditional eyeblack for athletes, Beveridge's product line was an immediate hit with the college players in his test market.
 
“I launched with some ACC football teams,” recalls Beveridge. “The players loved our eyeblack. The reaction from the industry wasn’t the same. I could see people’s eyes rolling back. That’s the irony. Our eyeblack has become a ubiquitous item in the licensed market. Now everyone gets it.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Fashion First
Mundi Westport Continues to Deliver Style to Licensed Marketplace

The tag line at Mundi Westport’s website says it all: “Temptation comes in many forms.” That’s particularly true when talking about the company’s Insignia collection of licensed collegiate fashion items.

“We’ve been in the business for a long time,” says Vice President Vince Donofrio. “We brought the ID holder to the marketplace. We are very flexible in meeting the needs of students. You name the school, and we have it.”

Click here to read the entire story.


School’s In for Leisure Footwear
R.G. Barry Putting Best Foot Forward

Consumers spend about $3 billion a year on collegiate licensed merchandise. R.G. Barry has grabbed a piece of that action where the rubber meets the road with My College Footwear, a collection of slippers and indoor/outdoor leisure footwear featuring the team colors and logos of the top schools in the NCAA.

“With the launch of My College Footwear our retailing partners have an unequalled opportunity to participate in a relatively untapped segment of the growing collegiate licensed goods market,” says Brand President Ami Sclar.

Click here to read the entire story.


Buckeyes By the Book
Norwood House Sports Series Targets Young Ohio State Fans

The numbers do not lie. Ohio State’s rich and glorious football tradition makes the cash register ring for countless retailers in the Buckeye state and beyond. Products developed for kids— from team-colored onesies to Buckeye school bags—make up an ever-increasing share of revenues for Ohio State. New to the Ohio State family of licensed products is Team Spirit: The Ohio State Buckeyes, a colorful, information-packed book aimed at young readers (as well as the young at heart). It will be available in time for the 2008 football season.

The publisher, Norwood House Press, is also a Major League Baseball licensee. At this winter’s Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show, Norwood House unveiled its line of 30 baseball paperbacks (one for each team). Many of those titles are now being sold in and around Major League ballparks.

Click here to read the entire story.


Three Cheers for Pomchies
Colorful Product Line Impacts Bottom Line for Wide Range of Retailers

It’s all about team colors. That’s the secret behind the success of Pomchies, the bright and beautiful pom-poms that hit the market about five years ago and have been retail gold ever since. The company’s customers range from school stores to stadiums, and include traditional sporting goods venues and grocery chains, where sales are particularly strong.

“Pomchies are a fun add-on item—good quality and inexpensive—that adds color to a store and really brightens up a retail space, ” says Heather Logan. “We have all the fashion colors, and every combination of school and team colors.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Jack’s Wild in Las Vegas
Industry Vet Jack Smith to Spearhead
Sports Licensing & Tailgating ‘Tour de Force’

To Buy, or Not to Buy? At your typical trade show, that is the question for independent and small chain retailers. On Wednesday, January 21 and Thursday, January 22, 2009, at the Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show in Las Vegas, the former Sports Authority CEO will lead select groups of buyers around the Show exhibit hall in a Sports Licensing & Tailgate Products “Tour de Force” that will answer that question along with myriad of others.

On his Tour de Force, Smith will analyze different markets and identify buying opportunities—acting as an educator, advocate and merchandising consultant on a fast-paced trip through the worlds of sports licensing and tailgating. Each group will be limited to just 25 buyers. The Tour de Force will consist of eight separate sessions and is offered at no charge to qualified registered buyers.

Click here to read the entire story.


Asked and Answered
Buyers Talk to Buyers in New Networking Program

“If you don’t see what you’re looking for...Ask!” Often said by retailers, this is the basis of a new program by the Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show. More than a dozen veteran retailers and distributors have been enlisted to answer questions posed by buyers who have not yet attended the show.

After an analysis of the sharp rise in attendance at the 2008 show, an “Ask Me” peer-to-peer forum was created. “A high percentage of new attendees came to Las Vegas on the recommendation of buyers who had been to the previous show,” explains Ann Keusch, Show Director. “We can market the Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show all we want, but in the end buyers attend because they have talked to other buyers, and they have good things to say.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Are You Ready for Some Football?
Bethel Hits Paydirt with New Football Handbag

A year ago, Bethel International was primed to launch a new line of collegiate licensed Megaphone handbags. At the time, the company had a couple of different collections, and business was growing steadily. Marketing Director J. Kim is happy to report that Bethel continues to increase its market share.

The latest from the fashion handbag manufacturer is an eye-catching football design. “Everyone who sees it is really excited about it,” says Kim. “We debuted it last quarter, and it’s already became our number-one product.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Sitting Pretty
GCI Outdoor Delves into Tailgate Market with Pico Arm Chair

Few companies know more about sitting than GCI Outdoor. Launched in 1996, GCI first made a name for itself with the Everywhere Chair, which was designed specifically for sloping terrains. Next came the Quik-E-Seat, another in GCI’s series of portable, easy-to-use chairs. Today, the company offers 11 different chair models.

Given GCI’s expertise, it should come as no surprise that the company is making a big push in the tailgate industry. “We look at the market as a lifestyle shift,” says GCI co-owner Jeff Polke. “We see a whole slew of products centered around eating, drinking and sitting.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Kitchen Aid
Highland Graphics Cooks Up a Winner with New 3-D Coasters

When Ron and Matt Wall launched Highland Graphics more than two decades ago, their goals were somewhat modest. The brother team started out with a set of decorative coasters. But it didn’t take long for the company to grow into a kitchen and home accessories staple.

“We now have more than 25 items in our product line,” says Dawn Rogers, National Sales Manager. “Our unique products include the AbsorbaStone line and the ArtWorks line. Innovation and high quality are our hallmarks.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Name of the Game in Sports Travel
Accessory Sports Debuts Bag Tags

When those ubiquitous black bags spill onto the luggage conveyor at the airport, who’s to say which bag is which? Accessory Sports hopes to have some say. The company debuted its Athletic Bag Tags at the Sports Licensing Show in Las Vegas, with help from NFL legend Leon Lett and NHL star Valeri Bure.

Athletic Bag Tags are made of authentic materials and come in the shape of equipment for more than a dozen sports. Already, Accessory Sports has made deals with Field of Dreams, First Serve, IMG Skating and the World Poker Tour Boot Camp.

Click here to read the entire story.


Party King Rolling Out New Models
Grill Maker Is the Wheel Deal in 2008

Dedicated tailgaters are familiar with Party King’s swing-out and portable grill systems. The company has been putting out innovative grilling systems since 2005 and, as far as they’re concerned, you haven’t really partied until you’ve partied with the King. In 2008, Party King is rolling out two new models—the PartyWagon and Tailgate Express.

The PartyWagon combines the company’s popular MVP propane grill with an all-terrain caddy that features pneumatic tires, a telescoping pull-tongue, and articulating front wheels. Basically, anywhere you can walk, you can grill. The PartyWagon comes with an SRP of $499.

Click here to read the entire story.


Make Yourself Comfortable
Wild Sales Sitting Pretty with its Debut of Home & Office Furniture

The last time Licensing Outlook checked in on Wild Sales, the licensed tailgating specialist and outdoor games manufacturer was in the midst of a makeover. Jack Queally had taken over as company president, and a new mandate of retailer satisfaction had been put into action. The results were almost immediate.

Tailgate Toss and Mini Tailgate Toss, flagship products for Wild Sales, developed into huge hits. The company introduced another popular game, Football Toss. Currently, Wild Sales is preparing for the release of a collapsible tailgate table.

Click here to read the entire story.


Making Their Mark
Are Spray Tats the Next Big Thing in Licensing?

Teams, stadiums and companies looking for a fresh idea in promotional items found an intriguing alternative at the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace this year. Spray Tat exhibited its full range of temporary spray-on tattoos—and learned that the licensed industry may be a great fit.

“Promotional and licensing could be huge,” says company owner Peter Martin. “Spray Tats appeal to consumers of all ages—from five-year-olds and up.”

Martin got into the business some five years ago, thanks to his daughter, a salon owner who worked with various types of airbrush techniques. With Spray Tat, he was able to introduce the art of tattooing at a very low cost and with considerably less fuss and mess.

Click here to read the entire story.


Sleep and Eat Free at The Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show
Drawings for Hotel Rooms and Meals Begin Now

Registration has begun for The 2009 Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show in Las Vegas. As always, Showproco is getting things off to a roaring start—with drawings, contests and incentives to sign up sooner rather than later.

The producer of the world’s biggest Sports Licensing and Tailgating events has announced that all buyers registering for the show between now and April 15th will be automatically entered in a drawing for Three Nights in a top Las Vegas hotel and food for up to five staff members for three days at the show. Discounted registration is just $10 at the Showproco.com web site.

Click here to read the entire story.


Room with a View
Sky Box Redefining Home Decoration with Photomurals

What sports fan wouldn’t want a year-round view of their favorite big-league ballpark right in the comfort of their own home? That’s the question Sky Box Sport Scenes is asking, and Wes Wilson likes the answer he’s hearing. “We’re finding that our consumer base reaches a huge cross-section,” he says. “From kids’ bedrooms to man caves and home entertainment rooms. Women make up a big part of our market. We also have a receptive audience in bars, restaurants and offices.”

Click here to read the entire story.


New Prescription for “Bleacher Bum”
Rear Gear Offering Bottom-Line Solution

Sooner or later, every sports parent has to face the cold, hard truth: those aluminum bleachers are murder on your butt! Whether your kid’s a star or a scrub, a two-hour stint in the stands typically borders on the unbearable. One innovative solution to this bottom-line dilemma is Rear Gear, which attracted a lot of attention this past January in Las Vegas.

Rear Gear, which bills itself as the Ultimate Sports Cushion, rolls into a self-contained pouch that can be worn around the waist or over the shoulder before and after games.

Click here to read the entire story.


Go Figure
Upper Deck Energizes the Collectibles Market with All-Star Vinyls

You never really know for sure where or how the next collectible craze is going to start. Take Upper Deck’s hot-selling All-Star Vinyls. The popularity of these licensed sports action figures was born from a trend that began with the work of underground artists in Hong Kong and Japan in the late 1990s. It wasn’t 2005 that Upper Deck saw the potential for similar pieces in the U.S.

“I came to the company to see what we could do differently with the toy segment,’ says Dave Sanders, Upper Deck’s Product Manager for Sports & Entertainment Figures. “At the time, we were in discussions with Nike, which was just about to kick off an ad campaign featuring LeBron James. The idea of All-Star Vinyls grew from there.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Getting Into the Spirit
Signature Designs Continues to Cash In on the Excitement of College Sports

Signature Designs Continues to Cash In on the Excitement of College Sports
As long as Signature Designs has been in business, owner Mary Hardin has been crystal clear about what her company does. “We don’t sell novelties,” she says. “We promote school spirit.”

Signature Designs first seized on this philosophy when it launched in 1985. The idea was to make licensed products that played on the passions of college sports fans. The company struck a chord with its Cheerdreamers, cheerleader uniforms for girls, and branched out to other markets, including baby wear, doormats and custom-designed rugs. “Every school has a rival,” notes Mary.

Click here to read the entire story.


Sitting Pretty
Baseline Licensing Group a Comfortable Option for Retailers and Consumers

At first blush, some retailers are hesitant to get into the licensed sports furniture market. Their concerns range from the floor space needed to show product to overwhelming price commitments. Not to worry, says Jay Shurling of Baseline Licensing Group. His company offers a wide range of home furnishings for adults and kids that make it easy for retailers to test the waters.

“Our products make sense to the sports fan,” explains Shurling. “Our retail partners benefit by bringing new traffic into their stores and generating big margins that aren’t possible with other items.”

Click here to read the entire story.


G-7 NFL Air Fresheners Score with Licensed Buyers
Buyers Smell a Winner in Las Vegas

Retailers sniffing around the Licensed Sports & Tailgate Show for money-making impulse items found what they were looking for in the G-7 Enterprises booth. The company makes ProFreshener NFL-licensed air fresheners. ProFresheners come in helmet shapes and an oval logo style, and are available in Forest Pine and Cotton Meadow fragrances.

Company president Tom Graham, a hard-hitting linebacker with the Broncos and Chargers during the 1970s, was at the show to meet and greet retailers. His son, Daniel, plays tight end for the Broncos, and was a part of two championship teams in New England.

Click here to read the entire story.


A Head for the Licensed Business
Promotional Partners Worldwide Building on Success of Classic Toy

The last time we checked in on Promotional Partners Worldwide—in October of 2006—the company was preparing for its industry debut at the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace. Dean Gorby is happy to report that PPW has made significant strides since then. Indeed, the company’s Sports Spuds—licensed Mr. Potato Head dolls—have performed beyond the expectations of many at retail.

“There were some in the industry that underestimated the appeal of Mr. Potato Head,” says Gorby. “But the classic brands have real power at retail.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Industry Votes for Return trip to Las Vegas
Dates Announced for 2009 Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" Never did a municipal tagline ring so true! Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show is staying put at the Sands Expo, scheduled for January 21–23, 2009. The decision to stay in Las Vegas was made after event producer Showproco asked attendees for feedback on a new time and location for its 2009 event. They responded with blinding speed and in overwhelming numbers—and chose to return to the city that hosted the first two shows.

More than 3,200 industry professionals responded to a pair of E-surveys sent out by the Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show after determining that its initial choice of Miami Beach would be unable to meet the expanding needs of the event. According to Show Director Ann Keusch of Showproco, a process the company thought might take a week or more was completed in just a few days. The response was swift and decisive.

Click here to read the entire story.


How Do You Like Your Eggs?
Little Griddle Selling the Sizzle

With the outdoor grilling boom in full swing, more and more chefs are asking the same question: What about breakfast? Try cooking bacon on traditional barbecue. As for pancakes, well, just don't go there. Enter Little Griddle’s Griddle-Q, a heavy duty stainless steel griddle that sits right on the grill and opens up all sorts of cooking options. Now everything from flapjacks to Philly cheese steaks to filet of flounder can be prepared in the great outdoors.

“Our griddles have the wow effect on anyone that sees them,” says Vicki Button. “We are a one-of-a-kind griddle.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Brisk Business Marks Final Day of Show
Buyers and Sellers Give Marketplace a Thumbs-Up

The third and final day of the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show put an exclamation point on a highly positive trade event. The range of products was excellent, the top companies and licensors were well-represented, and the mood in general was upbeat among both buyers and sellers.

Traffic was very good for “getaway” day, owing in part to a show promotion which doubled “License to Buy” discounts at certain booths for business written on Day Three. One buyer turned in more than $100,000 worth of “License to Buy” orders on Friday.

Click here to read the entire story.


Day Two Highlighted by New Products and New Information
Industry Secrets on Tap at High-Powered Tailgating Discussion

The momentum that built up on opening day of the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show continued on Day Two, as more buyers arrived in Las Vegas to shop the aisles at the Sands Expo. What they discovered were thousands of new products, most of which are making their industry debut here. They were also introduced to some new ideas and information.

Indeed, among the highlights of the second day was the two-part “Why They Buy” presentation. It began with a spirited consumer panel discussion, during which 10 rabid sports fans talked about what’s good (and what’s not) about the licensed products they purchase.

Click here to read the entire story.


Show Off to Solid Start
Industry Secrets on Tap at High-Powered Tailgating Discussion

The licensed sports and tailgating industries hit the ground running on Wednesday morning as the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show opened at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Several thousand retailers and buyers passed through the doors on Day One, with the three-day total expected to top 5,000.

“We had a very upbeat group here on Wednesday,” said Show Director Ann Keusch. “That is a reflection of the mood within the licensed industry, as well as the tailgating world.”

Click here to read the entire story.


Knowledge Is Power!
Industry Secrets on Tap at High-Powered Tailgating Discussion

If you’re looking to move into or merchandise better for the explosive tailgating marketplace, there are a couple of don’t-miss presentations Wednesday and Thursday at the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show in Las Vegas. “Tailgater Lifestyles” and “A Week in the Life of a Tailgater” will bring the target consumer of this category into sharp focus.

Tailgater Lifestyles: Hibachi & a Hatchback or a Million-Dollar RV? runs from 4:00 to 5:00 on Wednesday, January 16, the opening day of the show. It features John Largent and Jeff Dockeray (aka “Doc”) of the American Tailgaters Association.

Click here to read the entire story.


MLB Agrees to License Team Spirit Series
Groundbreaking Children’s Baseball Books Move to Retail Shelves

The critically acclaimed Team Spirit baseball book series will soon be available to retailers in paperback. The series includes 30 titles—each covering a major league team—and has been licensed by Major League Baseball for 2008. The series publisher, Norwood House Press, boasts a stellar reputation in the school and library market. With MLB as a partner, Norwood House now focuses its attention on sporting goods stores, mass-market retailers, stadium concessionaires, and corporate premium sales.

Click here to read the entire story.


Tailgaters Winning Space Race
Tailgate Cargo Box Providing Roomy Solution

To the dedicated tailgater, space is the most valuable commodity there is. Daniel Morris, a regular at Auburn football games, often found himself as part of a three-car caravan—one vehicle for people and two for food, supplies and equipment. There had to be a better way, he thought. A few weeks later Morris landed upon an idea, which ultimately led to the Tailgate Cargo Box, one of the industry’s most talked-about products.

The Tailgate Cargo Box is a multi-functional truck/SUV & RV accessory that holds a day’s tailgating supplies—plus a large food prep and dining table—on the outside of a vehicle. At the end of the day, everything packs back up neatly inside. It has been called a masterwork of engineering, but according to Morris its evolution was a three-year hit-and-miss process.

Click here to read the entire story.


Sports Retailers Look to Tinsel Town for Selling Solutions
Hollywood Producer to Explore Non-Traditional Marketing Strategies

One of the great things about selling licensed sports products is that the players, teams and schools whose merchandise you carry are, in fact, working for you. The more popular they are, the more product you sell. But with growing competition in the marketplace for the licensed sports dollar, a retailer must always look for new ways to stand out in a crowd.

That is the thrust of “Bring Hollywood Marketing Home,” a seminar featuring Andy Meyers, President of M3 Television, one of Hollywood’s fastest-growing non-traditional marketers. It scheduled for Wednesday, January 16th from 2:30 to 3:30 at the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show in Las Vegas.

Click here to read the entire story.


 

 


Click on the links below to view highlights from the January show.



Click here to read the Day Three Wrap-Up story.

about us | site map | privacy policy | contact info | ©2008 Licensing Outlook