Glad to see at least a couple of the smaller guys on this list.  Does make me giggle though that the Tabeo (by TRU) is on the TRU hot holiday toy list.

http://www.licensemag.com/license-global/tru-releases-holiday-toy-list

The Internet has helped to allow parents instead of Target or Wal-Mart make the decision on what types of toys they want their kids to play with.  This is a fantastic opportunity for those small companies making more traditional high quality toys with traditional play patterns.  I hope this means that we’ll continue to see an emergence of smaller, higher quality, creative toy companies producing goods outside of China.  From a parent/consumer perspective, choice is key – we can take back the power!

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/15/toys-retro-eco-educational?goback=.gde_3308260_member_274298341#!

The latest social media darling is called “Line.”  According to the company, they have 2.5B people on line and are now launching into the U.S.

I’ve downloaded and set up a profile on both my iPhone and desktop, but sadly it found only one user out of my almost 6K contacts to add.  In trolling around, it appears that I might be a few years outside of their target demo.

Could this be the younger/hipper FB of the future?  So far, they pull in a hefty $25M in gaming revenue each month, so my humble opinion is that this is one to watch.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/208640/is-line-the-next-big-social-network-your-pundit-i.html#axzz2eQc4uYAg

I think this gives publishers a little more power, however, most likely it will be long before Apple has an easy-peasy technological backdoor work-around that let’s them do what they were doing before.  And coming from a consumer perspective, that’s why we love them.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-06/apples-price-fixing-penalties-dont-go-beyond-e-books?et_mid=635997&rid=240991801

Coming out of Licensing Show this June 2013, got me thinking about the future of licensing.  Now more than ever, I feel that only the strong will survive.

Change was in the air this year, not only for me and my many friends and former colleagues delving into the entrepreneurial landscape and starting new businesses (from licensing and consulting agencies, to toy companies), but for bigger guys like Dreamworks, and even more recently WWE, who have made purchases, staff changes, and are gearing up for a brighter future in the kids business.

And you can never tell exactly what is going to hit it big in licensing.  Companies like Rovio (Angry Birds) and Outfit7 (Talking Tom, etc.), once up & comers, are now considered key players in the business.  And evergreen brands like Saban’s Power Rangers (with a little love and affection) are on the rise once again.

But the biggest take away from this years show was that unlike the last few years, hope was in the air.  Let’s hope it’s here to stay…

This case is frightening for consumers, retailers and entrepreneurs alike.  The quote below says it all.  Click on it to read more from the Wall Street Journal.

Fearless brand representation. A boutique agency specializing in licensing, business development, promotions, entertainment marketing and digital engagement (social media).