What interests me most about advertising is how a company builds a brand and grows that brand throughout the years. I am fascinated by the Coca-Cola’s, the Microsoft’s, the GE’s of the world. Brands that really sustain the test of time and the influence of technology. So reading about the 28th annual Licensing International Expo in Motor Trend got my wheels turning.
Licensing really is the only way to expand a brand in times like these where it is so challenging to market ideas to consumers. That revelation has certainly moved some of the least expected brands into the licensing business. For instance, Febreeze launched a line of home organizational closet accessories. Not the most unlikely connection, but a completely new arena to work in and expand the odor freshener’s brand to. The possibilities of how a brand translates into different markets are endless, really. Marketers with products that were once considered seasonal can suddenly be used year round. Breathing new life into what a company’s bottom line is.
What are some of the ways that licensing can shift the direction of a brand that no one is even exploring yet? I’m opening this topic up for discussion. What do you think?