As reported, among others by WWD, Anglo American bought the stake from the Oppenheimer family in DeBeers. Now Anglo American owns
85% of the diamond company.
As the Oppenheimer family owns shares in Anglo American, the family indirectly and partially still owns De Beers.
In recent years, DeBeers increased its consumer branding effort. It opened stores, went into a joint venture with LVMH and tried to become a luxury brand.
After licensing its TV business only recently, Philips now entered a Joint Venture for the category.
The JV partner is the Hong Kong based TPV Technology. The two partners split ownership 70% TPV and 30% Philips.
Philips committed US$ 185 Mill. in advertising and additional financing.
Fossil, Inc. announced a strategic partnership with Karl Lagerfeld to design, develop, and distribute a line of men’s and women’s timepieces under the Karl Lagerfeld label.
The first timepiece collection is scheduled to launch in spring 2013.
As genial as Karl Lagerfeld seems to be as a designer for Chanel and Fendi, besides perfume, not too many licensees were successful in the past.
Menswear licensee ultimately failed after many years of losses. Then is was picked up again. But, the website, www.Karl-Lagerfeld.de, is dead. And even on his own site, KarlLagerfeld.com, nothing.
WWD reported here, that representatives of more than 40 German and international luxury brands launched the Meisterkreis – German Forum for Luxury, which joins the European Union’s four existing luxury associations.
Among the founding members are A. Lange & Söhne, Comtesse, KaDeWe, Leica, Gaggenau and the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin. International members include luxury brands Estée Lauder, Chanel and Dior. Some of those like Leica and Dior are already members of other European Luxury Associations, for example in France.
LIMA published its annual numbers.
Corporate brand licensing accounted for $19.7 billion in retail sales in the U.S. in 2010. It generated $845 million in royalty income to brand owners.
That is less than 5%. We hope this puts an end to the often claimed royalty rates in the double digit percentage area.
Retail sales of licensed goods declined again from 2009, by 4%.
