Latest news with #brandlicensing
GSM Arena
17 hours ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
Nokia may be looking to license its brand to a new smartphone maker
Nokia and HMD Global started to part ways last year, which included de-listing Nokia-branded phones from and replacing most with corresponding HMD-branded models. But the Nokia brand may live on in the phone world if the Finnish company finds another partner. On the Nokia sub-reddit, a Nokia Community Manager posted that the company is open to collaborating with a 'large scale mobile manufacturer'. Of course, the words of a social media account manager don't carry much weight and Reddit isn't the best place to find a smartphone ODM. Nokia had licensed its brand in several different segments – Streamview made TVs, RichGo made headphones (and other smartphone accessories), OFF Global made laptops. As you can probably tell from the use of past tense, those branding deals have also come to an end. HMD is not doing so well and recently announced that it will scale back its US operations. Nokia itself had to fend off rumors of trouble – last year, reports came out that Samsung was looking at acquiring Nokia's network business. The Finns were quick to deny those rumors, however, and we haven't heard anything about it since. Nokia will publish its Q2 2025 results on Thursday. In Q1, it reported an operating profit of €156 million on net sales of €4.39 billion. Which company would you like to see pick up the Nokia brand for phones – one of the established players or another startup like HMD? Source | Via (in Romanian)
Malay Mail
30-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
World-famous cute pet ‘Capybara PIMOO' arrives in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The globally viral international IP, Capybara PIMOO, has officially landed in Malaysia, marking its entry with the launch of multi-industry brand licensing and collaboration initiatives. According to Melise, the representative of Capybara PIMOO in Malaysia and director of Up Tree Marketing Sdn Bhd, the character's appeal goes far beyond its charming appearance. 'At its core, Capybara PIMOO isn't just about being cute. Its true purpose is to bring a sense of lightness and emotional resonance to a society overwhelmed by fast-paced living and constant pressure,' Melise shared. She further explained that in various business and family contexts — whether it's brand-consumer communication, parent-child interactions, or even the ambiance of office environments — there is a growing demand for emotional connection and relief. 'Capybara PIMOO serves as a timely new medium for emotional expression and human connection, helping bridge relationships in today's world.' The brand's arrival in Malaysia signifies more than a merchandising opportunity — it aims to cultivate meaningful connections across industries, spaces, and everyday experiences. 'Today's consumers aren't just buying functional products — they're seeking a sense of warmth, a feeling of 'I feel seen' beyond the product itself. Capybara PIMOO is that character who helps brands express their sincerity and makes consumers want to pause, connect, and feel understood.' Melise emphasised that Capybara PIMOO is not just an intellectual property — it serves as a vessel of emotional warmth in today's society. Beyond blending seamlessly with Malaysia's rich multicultural landscape, the brand actively supports initiatives in parent-child education, emotional wellness, and joyful learning. The Capybara PIMOO Malaysia team is now open to licensing and co-branding collaborations, inviting brands and organisations across the following key industry sectors to join hands in creating meaningful experiences: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG): Beverages, food, and daily essentials Trendy merchandise / electronics Retail experience spaces / pop-up exhibitions / mall activations Educational institutions / parent-child services Beauty and lifestyle home products Tourism / hospitality / service industries Finance / transportation / government agencies Case studies as follow: Capybara PIMOO x Grand Spring Festival Gala Season Capybara PIMOO x Naiter Capybara PIMOO x Haier Capybara PIMOO x Dxracer Capybara PIMOO x Wow Colour Capybara PIMOO x Tea Master Melise and her team warmly welcome all local businesses and brands eager to leverage the international IP Capybara PIMOO to showcase Malaysian brand culture on a larger stage. Together, through co-branding collaborations, they aim to amplify the power of a brand that is cute, healing, and heartfelt, helping it reach further and resonate more widely. For those interested in partnering with Capybara PIMOO for brand collaborations, please visit the official Malaysia website to learn more:
Forbes
22-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Owner Of Reebok, Brooks Brothers, Dockers Expects Brisk Growth, Hiring In Asia
Authentic Brands Group Chairman and CEO Jamie Salter traveled to Shanghai to open the company's ... More Asia-Pacific regional headquarters earlier this month. Canadian businessman Jamie Salter first arrived in China in the 1980s in the early part of the country's reform era. 'They were just building the highways. I would stop and go to McDonald's and get a bunch of burgers' because there were so few restaurants with Western-style food, Salter recalled in an interview in Shanghai last week with Forbes China, the Chinese-language edition of Forbes. Since then, factories along the roadways have been replaced by condos and apartments, and 'you have every name-brand restaurant and all these fancy hotels,' he said. Salter's career, which started in the sporting goods business, has taken off, too. The New York-based brand licensing business he founded in 2010 and chairs, Authentic Brands Group, has expanded into what it calls 'a multifaceted lifestyle, sports, entertainment and digital platform' for world-renowned names, such as Reebok, Shaquille O'Neal, Brooks Brothers and others. Authentic's portfolio generates more than $32 billion in global annual retail sales, according to company figures. Shareholders in the privately held business include CVC, Brookfield, GIC, Temasek and General Atlantic. Salter, 62, was back in Shanghai earlier this month to announce that the city had become Authentic's new headquarters for an Asia-Pacific region that he expects will be a big source of new revenue in the coming years. 'I always said that I truly believe that the Asia-Pacific -- and specifically China -- will be the biggest consumer market in the world. And I still believe that to this day,' Salter said. The region currently accounts for nearly 15% of Authentic's business yet 'should be almost as big as the United States, (which) represents roughly 60% of our total turnover,' he said. 'So the upside in the Asia-Pacific is probably 5x of what we are doing today over the next three to five years.' Optimism about the Asia-Pacific's economic outlook is underscored by recent International Monetary Fund forecasts. Growth for the Asia region is projected to be 3.9% in 2025, double its prediction of an 1.8% gain in U.S. GDP this year. Salter picked Shanghai as its regional hub because 'we think it's sort of the capital of where all the business is going be done,' comparable in clout to the role of New York. 'To me, Shanghai's New York City. That's the way I think about it. I've been coming here for a long time. I used to spend a lot of time in Hong Kong. I actually went to Shanghai every year. I just got busier, and there were more people to see. I found myself not running back to Hong Kong to do the business. I was doing all the business in Shanghai.' Salter is particularly upbeat about China in part because of improvements in the quality of goods made in the country. 'What I'm really excited about is (that) the product continues to just get better and better. It's far superior, actually, to the product that is sold in America today' and similar to Europe, he said. Looking ahead, Authentic's overall approach to business in Asian markets won't differ much from elsewhere. 'Think global, act local -- that's really important,' Salter said. Japan, South Korea, China and the Philippines are 'all very different as far as the cultures go,' including their social media influencers, he observed. Success requires 'making sure that we understand those cultures and invest in each region, in order to make sure we're making the right product for the consumer and to make sure that we have the right marketing behind that.' 'And that means that you need people,' Salter noted. In the U.S., Authentic has an 'asset light' business model with 400 employees. In the Asia-Pacific, however, it currently has only 60, 'so you're going to see the headcount go up dramatically in Asia-Pacific compared to other markets. We'll be adding a lot of people over here.' Levi Strauss last month announced plans to sell Dockers to Authentic Brands Group in a deal worth up ... More to $391 million. 'We believe that Dockers is a very underutilized brand,' Authentic Chairman and CEO Jamie Salter told Forbes China. (Photo by) Salter expressed optimism about the future of the Dockers brand recently purchased by Authentic from Levi Strauss for $311 million. With about 44% of Dockers' business coming from the U.S., the larger share of revenue is already from international customers, he said. Levi's, best-known from its denim business, didn't want to introduce denim pants to the Dockers brand; Authentic believes it can grow that segment globally. 'We believe that Dockers is a very underutilized brand,' he said. Salter also was upbeat about the Asia-Pacific potential of Sports Illustrated, a media Authentic purchased from Meredith Corp. for $110 million in 2019. Sports Illustrated has since expanded beyond media through SI Tickets, a fan-first ticketing platform, and SI Resorts, marketed as destination for active lifestyles and sports enthusiasts. 'There are markets that we truly believe it will expand quite well -- Japan, because it's got a very big sports franchise business out there, Korea and of course, China,' he said. Forbes China licensee Yingli Investment is an affiliate of Advanced Regent, the Greater China licensee of Sports Illustrated. Advanced Regent launched the brand in China last year.
Fast Company
22-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
This misspelled $600 Trump watch is perfectly on-brand
Brand licensing deals can be an easy way to make a quick buck, but it's not without risks. A man who splurged for one of President Donald Trump's officially licensed watches learned that lesson the hard way after the timepiece arrived with an unfortunate typo. The $640 limited-edition 'Inauguration First Lady' watch the Rhode Island man bought read 'Rump' instead of 'Trump' across its pink face. 'We expected that it would have the integrity of the president of the United States,' Tim Petit, who bought the watch for his wife, told the local news station WJAR. He said it made his wife cry. Perhaps expecting integrity from a product that trades on the name and likeness of the first felon president in U.S. history, a man whose second term in office has become a historic tangle of conflicts of interest, is asking for too much. But it's also a pitfall that all brands face when they outsource their products. Licensing your brand can increase brand recognition and profits without cost risks, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, but without specific, enforced licensing requirements, you risk losing out on quality control. Not that the Trump brand is particularly airtight. Trump has long made money from licensing deals, with resulting products such as Trump: The Game, Trump Water, and Trump Steaks. In between terms, Trump cashed in on new product releases like Trump Sneakers and 'God Bless the USA' Bibles, all using LLCs that licensed his name and likeness to manufacture and market Trump-themed kitsch to his political supporters. Trump Watches aren't sold directly by Trump, his business, or an aligned political entity, but by TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC, a manufacturer with a business address at a nondescript Wyoming building, which is also home to a daycare center. With Trump back in office, Trump Watches and other licensed storefronts represent something unprecedented: a president personally profiting off of merch sales, a category that until now has been relegated to campaign fundraising. And in a shocking but not surprising twist for the president who's made domestic manufacturing central to his political agenda, the watches make no claim to be made in the United States (GQ actually sourced them to China). Luckily for the Rhode Island couple with the misspelled watch, the story has a happy ending. Though Trump Watches has a strict policy of no refunds or exchanges and states on its website that 'images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product,' the company made an exception for the 'Rump' watch, though only after the media got involved. Petit said he didn't hear back from the company until after WJAR reached out for comment, and then he got a call from Trump Watches offering to replace the watch and gift him an $800 coupon. Sometimes all it takes is a free press.
