From Michael Stone, The Power of Licensing: Harnessing Brand Equity

New York, NY, November 14, 2018 | There are many new paths for delivering a brand message to consumers, engaging and connecting with them, and motivating them to make a purchase.  Brand owners are experimenting, and often struggling, to determine the best paths for their particular brand.  Brand messaging today is a stew of consumer experiences and reaching consumers where, when and how they shop has created a “shopping battlefield”.

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The Power of Licensing #8: Billions of Dollars in Toy Sales Seeking a Home

November 12, 2018 | By: Michael Stone, Co-founder and Chairman, Beanstalk

FAO Schwarz is re-opening in mid-November.  It sure is interesting observing the toy category these days. Toy sales are robust (although slightly down from last year), an iconic retailer liquidated, retail brands are rising from the dead, new retail formats are being tested, online and offline sales are blurring, and there’s disruption everywhere in the category. It’s been a while since I had so much fun with toys!  

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Cannabis: A Budding Industry

Oct. 3, 2018 | As taboos are falling by the wayside, many companies are looking to incorporate cannabis into their business plan. But it’s not business as usual. The cannabis industry is quickly becoming a legitimate business. In 2017, it made nearly $9 billion in sales, according to Tom Adams, managing director, BDS Analytics, which tracks the budding sector. To put it into perspective, sales are equivalent to the entire snack bar industry.

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A Proust Questionnaire for Personality Brands: Farrah Fawcett

New York, NY, Oct. 11, 2018 | By: Martin Cribbs - Most celebrities aren’t brands.  Legendary icons are. This month we’re focusing on Farrah Fawcett and spoke to Alana Stewart, an actress, model, and the President and CEO for our client, the Farrah Fawcett Foundation.  Ms. Stewart was one of Farrah’s closest friends and answered this month’s questionnaire.

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Beanstalk to Represent the CRAFTSMAN Brand Following Acquisition by Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.

 New York, NY, Sept. 21, 2018 – Following the acquisition of the CRAFTSMAN brand by Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK), Beanstalk, a global brand extension licensing agency, has been selected to represent CRAFTSMAN for licensed consumer products. Beanstalk will serve as CRAFTSMAN’s exclusive licensing agency and will represent the brand globally.

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Beanstalk Client TGI Fridays to Launch a Range of Ready-To-Drink Cocktails

London, UK, September 14, 2018 - The first original American bar and grill brand, TGI Fridays™ has partnered with Manchester Drinks, a UK-based manufacturer, to launch a range of TGI Fridays™-branded ready-to-drink cocktails. Beanstalk, TGI Fridays’™ brand extension licensing agency, brokered the agreement. 

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The Power of Licensing #7: Kith x Coca-Cola 2018 -- Coca-Cola Continue its Long Legacy of Lifestyle Positioning

August 27, 2018 | By: Michael Stone, Co-founder and Chairman, Beanstalk

Kith and The Coca-Cola Company unveiled their third collection of apparel and accessories online on August 18th at 11 a.m. And there’s a lot of buzz about it. There are over 60 styles and all four seasons are offered. Michael Stone reviews this new Kith collection.

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The Power of Licensing #6: Amazon Looks Back To The Future With A Retail Catalog

July 31, 2018 | By: Michael Stone, Co-founder and Chairman, Beanstalk

William Faulkner famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” We think that we are living in a unique age of retail change and, surely, we are witnessing great and accelerating change in how, where and when we buy goods. But sometimes, a strategy that we thought was old and tired, actually becomes new again.

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