Michael Jackson Brand to Expand Globally

Michael Jackson's estate continues to grow. The estate has just partnered with ABG who also represents Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Prince. Details of the new partnership are spelled out in Michael Jackson Estate Partners With ABG To Expand The Brand Of The King Of Pop. ABG intends to extend Michael Jackson's brand across key markets around the world.

Nokia Pursues Brand Licensing Strategy

The article Nokia Focuses on Brand-Licensing Rather than Smartphone Business discusses how Nokia intends to take advantage of its brand-name and current patents by pursuing brand licensing as a business strategy. An example of this approach is the Nokia N1 Android table that is produced by Taiwan-based Foxconn. Kodak and Polaroid are two other companies with a similar business strategy.

'Star Wars' to Shine at Christmas

The newest Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will be released Dec. 18th. Disney acquired Star Wars maker Lucasfilm in 2012 for over $4 billion. Preparations for the movie's release are detailed in New ‘Star Wars’ merchandise will spark ‘major bonanza’ for collectors. Disney and its merchandise partners may well dominate the holiday market with Star Wars products.

Celebrities Hit Paydirt by Becoming a Brand

Celebrities have discovered that becoming a brand can lead to a higher income than from any other source. Some who have succeeded in this venture are revealed in Stars repackage themselves as brands. Oprah Winfrey is an obvious example with her multibillion-dollar media empire. Others cited with great success include: Martha Stewart, Tyra Banks, Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton, Donald Trump, David Beckham. and Tiger Woods.

DC Super Hero Girls to Tackle Baddies

This week, DC Entertainment announced a new consumer products line call DC Super Hero Girls. DC Entertainment is partnering with Mattel, Random House, and Lego to create product for girls ages 6-12. Details of the new initiative are reported in The Significance and Possibilities of the ‘DC Super Hero Girls’ Line. The article's author, Janelle Asselin, believes "This is a big deal not just in terms of comics, but in terms of licensed products for kids".

Black Widow Makes Her Mark

Several licensed products celebrate the female superhero Black Widow from the Avengers movie. A list is contained in 13 Badass Pieces Of ‘Avengers’ Swag That Give Black Widow Her Due. The author of the article, Victoria McNally, reports that in the past female superheros have been almost entirely ignored. She regards these new products as a step in the right direction.

Dinosaurs Help Hasbro Sales

As reported in Fossil Fuel: Hasbro Gets Sales Boost From ‘Jurassic World’ , the fourth Jurassic World movie is expected to lead to a surge in sales of Hasbro Inc's licensed toys. Last quarter, sales at Hasbro's boy division increased 10 percent partly due to movie merchandise. A second dinosaur movie, The Good Dinosaur, could also produce substantial toy sales. Hasbro had an overall sales gain of 5 percent to $713.5 million in the first quarter.