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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
