EP 70 - How to Grow Your Fashion Brand with Licensing
May 09, 2022Do you want to grow your fashion brand with licensing?
Licensing is a great tool to expand your product line and generate additional revenue without having to do all the work yourself. You can use licensing as a tool for growth to tap into new fashion product markets and distribution channels for your brand.
If you’re interested in learning more about how licensing works, make sure to listen to this week's podcast episode with my guest, Amanda Ciolette from License Global and Informa Markets! She explains everything you need to know about how licensing can help grow your fashion brand. In addition, she will tell us what brands should look out for before saying yes to a licensing deal.
In the episode about Fashion Licensing, you will learn:
- What should new and seasoned fashion brand owners consider when implementing a licensing deal strategy?
- What challenges Fashion Brands should anticipate before agreeing to License their brand.
- How does licensing your fashion brand support growth?
- How can a brand explore which licensing strategy could be the right fit?
Click the player above to listen NOW or listen on the go on SPOTIFY HERE
What exactly is brand licensing?
Brand license definitions are agreements that give companies permission to make a product from the original proprietor. A business arrangement in which one company gives another company permission to manufacture its product for a specified payment
Benefits of Brand Licensing
As a fashion brand owner, licensing provides the following benefits:
- Create new sources of revenue (without expenses or drain on company resources)
- Increase brand awareness, reinforce brand positioning and brand messaging
- Enhance brand image, increased goodwill, and long term value of the brand
- Increase brand strength and create long term competitive advantages
- Broaden retail presence / cross-promotional opportunities
- Increased touchpoints with existing customers and attract new consumers
- Increased exposure and sales of the company’s core products
- Efficiently enter new markets without typical barriers to entry
- Expand product offerings utilizing licensees’ expertise, resources, and efforts
- Protect and strengthen trademark ownership and new trademark categories
- Provides consumers genuine alternatives for illegal/unauthorized products
What are some examples of licensing?
Here are a few examples of Fashion Brand licensing that you might be familiar with.
Disney
You’ll find Mickey Mouse, Marvel, and Star Wars characters on merchandise all over the world—not just in official Disney stores. Third-party brands get a license to use Disney characters on their clothes, home decor, and mugs.
Gucci
Gucci licenses its flagship brand for just a few items, like eyewear and perfume allowing it to keep an edge that is widely recognized in fashion as key to its success. Gucci accounts for 60% of the Gucci Group's revenues. Mrs.
Calvin Klein
90 percent of the $160 million a year in sales at Calvin Klein Inc. comes from licensing. I had no idea that CK does not make their own underwear, jeans, and perfume. The only merchandise they make themselves is their line of women's.
How does apparel licensing work?
A licensing contract typically consists of interaction with both the owner and the licensee. License relates to permission to use a trademark or style to produce, sell or promote a certain category of goods.
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Learn more about a Copyright.
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. Learn more about a Trademark.
A service mark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods. The term "trademark" is often used to refer to both trademarks and service marks.
What is the difference between a Licensee and vs Licensor?
Licensee
The person to whom a license is given.
Licensor
A party that grants a license to another.
What are the different types of licensing agreements?
- Intellectual Property
- brand licensing
- brand image
- Fashion industry
- brand licensing
- licensing partnerships
- trademark licensing
How can fashion brand owners benefit from this tool to grow their brand?
- fashion industry distribution channels
- brand extensions
- major retailers
- retail channels
- brand building
- beauty products
About Our Guest - Amanda Cioletti
Amanda Ciolette is the Vice President, Content and Strategy for the Licensing Group and Informa Markets.
She has more than a decade’s worth of publishing experience. License Global magazine is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry – and Event Director for the world’s largest and most influential annual tradeshows and conferences dedicated to licensing and brand extension, Licensing Expo, and Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit.
Amanda Cioletti is the Vice President, Content and Strategy for the Licensing Group at Informa Markets. She has more than a decade’s worth of publishing experience. License Global magazine is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry as well as the Event Director for the world’s largest and most influential annual trade shows - Licensing Expo and Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode
- License Global magazine is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry and Event Director for the world’s largest and most influential annual tradeshows and conferences dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Licensing Expo and Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit. Learn More
- Licensing Expo and Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit Trade show check here for upcoming dates to attend a show- Learn More
- License Global - Educational videos all about how to license your brand
- https://www.licenseglobal.com/licensing-101
- https://www.licenseglobal.com/what-licensing/what-licensing
- Informa Markets connects buyers and sellers and supports the flow of business and trade in over a dozen specialist markets. Our platforms help businesses meet, discover products, trade, and grow through major exhibitions, virtual events, online marketplaces, specialist content, and data services. Learn More
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