Category: general

Karl Lagerfeld returns to the USA and Canada via a joint venture.

The partnered is G-III Apparel, which will control 49%, develop and manage the Karl Lagerfeld stores, and will be in charge of wholesale.

The relaunch of Karl Lagerfeld in the is planned for Spring 2016. In the 1990s German Steilmann Group held a license for Karl Lagerfeld menswear. It went bust and was later acquired by Miro Radici.

Karl Lagerfeld will continue to manage the existing licenses for eyewear, fragrances, cosmetics, watches, and jewelry.

Ferrero SpA agreed to buy the much smaller U.K. rival Thorntons PLC.

In the past the owner of brands like Kinder and Nutella has been quite shy about acquisitions.

The case of Michael Jordan vs Dominick’s Finer Foods has made news. The website trusttreetrademarks.com is just one example. But they are missing a few points.

Dominick’s used the brands to sell steaks. Altough there are three steak hoses using Michael Jordan. One is in NYC, in Connecticut, and in Chicago. Here are the websites www.michaeljordansteakhouse.com.

A quick online search for “Michael Jordan Steak” leads to among others wikipedia, where one can read:

The company has a line of USDA Prime Steaks, sauces, condiments, grillware and collectibles, under the Michael Jordan Steaks brand. The steaks can be ordered on their website and shipped directly to customers nationwide.

So, Dominick’s used the brand in a product category, where Michael Jordan is using / licensing it already. And that was not difficult to find.

Michael Jordan has profited from his brands quite substantially. And no proprietor of a valuable brand can afford to lose it, But this happens, if you do not defend it. If Michael Jordan had not filed suit, he was in danger of losing his brand, at least in that category.

Dominick’s could have asked for a license. It is not that difficult.

Im Juli diesen Jahres entschied sich P&G für einen Käufer seiner Prestige Sparte für Parfum und Bodycare. Das Engagement hatte seinen Anfang in der Übernahme der Wella AG, die zuvor die Ferd. Muehlens KG (4711, Sabatini, etc.) übernommen hatte. Über die Jahre sammelte P&G dann noch zahlreiche weitere Luxus-Lizenzen ein.

Dann wuchs die Erkenntnis bei P&G, wir können nur Massenmarkt. Und so wurden zunächst einzelne Marken wie 4711 verkauft, die nicht das Potenzial zum Milliarden-Umsatz hatten. Und nun kam die ganze Premium Sparte zum Verkauf.

Der Erwerber ist die Coty Inc., der Kaufpreis beträgt US$12,5 Milliarden.

Allerdings ist Coty bereits einer der führenden Lizenznehmer bei Parfum und Kosmetik. Zum sehr unfangreichen Lizenz- und Eigenmarken-Portfolio kommen nun auch noch Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Lacoste, bruno banani, Christina Aguilera, Escada, Gabriela Sabatini, James Bond 007, Mexx, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Max Factor und Covergirl.

Die Liste der Überschneidungen und Konkurrenzen dürfte ebenso lang sein. Auch wenn Coty strikt nach Luxus, Premium und Mass-Market trennt, zahlreiche Lizenznehmer dürften sich nun als 5. Rad am Wagen fühlen, oder als 10. Ob Lacoste im selben Stall stehen will wie Adidas? Mexx neben Esprit?

Einige der Markenlizenzen haben schon kleine Reisen hinter sich. Zum Beispiel von L’Oreal zu P&G zu Coty.

In July, P&G decided for a buyer of its Prestige Devision (fragrances and bodycare).The whole division got started, when P&G took over Wella AG, which itself had bought Muehlens KG (4711, Sabatini, etc.) before. And P&G added more luxury licenses over the years.

Then P&G acknowledged: we only can do mass market properly. And as a first step they sold off brands, without the potential to be 1 billion brands. Now the whole division was for sale.

The buyer is Coty Inc., the purchase price is US$12.5 Billion.

But Coty is one of the biggest licensees and brand owners in perfume and cosmetics itself. And it now adds to the portfolio brands like Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Lacoste, bruno banani, Christina Aguilera, Escada, Gabriela Sabatini, James Bond 007, Mexx, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Max Factor and Covergirl.

The list of overlapping and competing brands probably is equally long. Even as Coty markets by segments like luxury, premium, mass, more than a few licensors might feel like the 5th wheel now, or maybe the 10th. Does Lacoste want to be next to Adidas? Mexx besides Esprit?

Some licenses traveled a bit already. For example from L’Oreal to P&G to Coty. Another change might not be good or even possible there.