Brand News

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 153-year old global provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to license use of the Smith & Wesson brand and logo on a new line of large capacity safes to be launched in 2006.

The new Smith & Wesson line of large capacity safes will complement an existing line of small safes available through the Smith & Wesson website.

Licensed safe products featuring the Smith & Wesson name and logo will be available mid-year through licensee distribution channels and on the Smith & Wesson website.

WWD reports about Nicole Miller increasing the number of her licenses. Considering that every license, no matter how small or big, requires a minimum of attention, to us this rather sounds like handling a bag of fleas, then a profitable licensing portfolio.

“Now when Nicole Miller dresses her customers, she will do it from head to toe. The designer and president of the 23-year-old eponymous brand is rolling out footwear, handbags, belts and
jewelry for spring in a renewed accessories push that she and chief executive officer Bud Konheim anticipate will boost the $800 million the brand generates at retail by more than 25 percent.

The expansion into accessories will all be under license, increasing the brand’s partnerships with outside firms for accessories to seven from two. Nicole Miller has a deal for an assortment of sunglasses and a second for hosiery, both of which have been active for more than a decade.

Recent agreements include a license for luggage, one for women’s shoes, another for handbags and umbrellas and one for belts.

Last month, Nicole Miller rounded out the mix by entering into an agreement for a collection of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

Nicole Miller counts 24 licenses for its brand, including 11 for its home collection distributed exclusively at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and the brand has had licenses for accessories in the past.

“We’ve learned a lot,” said Konheim. “When you hear about us in the past in terms of licensing, we made some mistakes and we had to switch. We had to learn every lesson in a painful way.”

Was eine großartige Einrichtung:

“Die BMW-Group hat am Donnerstag ihre Marken-Akademie der Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt.
Die vor drei Jahren gegründete Brand-Academy des Unternehmens soll das Verständnis für die drei Marken BMW, Mini und Rolls-Royce bei Mitarbeitern, Handelspartnern und Agenturen fördern.
In eintägigen Seminaren lernen Teilnehmer dort Grundwissen zu Marken im allgemeinen und die Ausrichtung der drei Unternehmensmarken kennen.

“Für den langfristigen Erfolg ist es unabdingbar, dass Mitarbeiter und Partner die unterschiedlichen Identitäten der Marken verstehen und die Differenzierungsmerkmale zum Wettbewerb kennen”, so BMW-Marketing- und Vertriebsvorstand Michael Ganal.

In dem firmeneigenen Institut im Norden Münchens werden jährlich etwa 2.500 Teilnehmer geschult. Der Großteil sind BMW-Führungskräfte.

Die BMW-Brand-Academy betreibt außerdem Grundlagenforschung und ist interner Dienstleister für die Marketingabteilungen des Automobilkonzerns.”

Nicht nur wird jeder Mitarbeiter auf die Marke(n) eingeschworen, jährlich verlassen 2.500 Botschafter der Marke das Institut.

WWD berichtet, zwei Mode Marken steigen in die Hotelerie ein: Missoni und Byblos.

Missoni, mit seiner erfolgreichen Heimtex Kollektion, vergab eine weltweite Lizenz an eine Belgische Hotelgruppe.

Geplant sind 30 kleine bis mittlere Hotels bis zum Jahr 2010 unter dem Namen Hotel Missoni.

Die ersten drei sollen bis 2007 eröffnet werden, unter anderem in Dubai und Edinborough.
Weitere Standorte sollen London, Paris, Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, Mailand und Istanbul sein.
Für 2010 erwartet Vittorio Missoni, der Marketing Manager von Missoni Umsätze in Höhe von $350 million.

Gleichzeitig eröffnete der Inhaber von Byblos ein 5 Sterne Hotel in Verona.

Missoni und Byblos folgen damit Armani, Versace, Ferragamo und Bulgari in den Markt der Luxushotels.

WWD Reports, two more fashion brands have jumped into the hotel business: Missoni and Byblos.

Missoni, which has a successful home furnishings collection, has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with a Belgian hotel chain. The plan is to develop and operate 30 small- to medium-sized venues called Hotel Missoni by 2010.

The first three Hotel Missonis are slated to open in 2007 and are expected to include units on Palm Island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and in Edinburgh. Other target destinations include London, Paris, Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, Milan and Istanbul.

By 2010, Vittorio Missoni, the fashion house’s marketing manager, forecasts sales for the project to be more than $350 million.

“We were approached some time ago and jumped at the opportunity because the home collection, whose sales will exceed $23 million this year, is an important segment for the brand,” said Missoni. “We are protective of what our parents built and will never sacrifice the values of that business at the expense of short-term growth, but we found the right partners in Rezidor SAS.”

He added that hotels are a natural extension of Missoni’s core business and a perfect complement to its fashion, home collections and fragrances.

The interiors, naturally, will be decorated in colorful patterns similar to those that catapulted Missoni to fame. Rosita Missoni, co-founder of the colorful knits, with her husband, Tai Missoni,
designs Missoni Casa. Besides Rosita Missoni and Rezidor SAS, the design of the hotels will be developed with Studio Thun, the Milan-based design studio headed by Matteo Thun.

“Rosita is ecstatic about this project. She can’t wait to start designing more sheets and tabletops,” said Vittorio Missoni.

Meanwhile, Byblos owner Dino Facchini is going for the art of surprise with his new five-star Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà and Chenot spa, located on the hills surrounding Verona, Italy.

Missoni and Byblos enter the hotel industry following Armani, Versace, Ferragamo and Bulgari, all of whom have put their stamps on luxury hotels.