Strategic Brand Licensing: Building Brand Value through Enduring Partnerships

This book presents a roadmap for a brand licensing strategy to enable companies to leverage brand value and expand into other product categories or into different markets. Readers will understand both the risks and the benefits of partnerships, how to make the most of a brand's potential in the digital platform, and how to extend a product portfolio through established brands. Brand licensing can be of interest to many stakeholders, including large companies, entrepreneurs, retailers, agencies and even celebrities. This is also a relevant strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises that want to expand their business abroad, reconciling their limited size with their flexibility. Examples of long-standing partnerships are presented and analyzed, with detailed consideration of what has made them so successful.

Through the presentation of case studies in the sectors particularly interested in brand licensing, including the art, character, entertainment, fashion, jewelry, sports and toys sectors, this book aims to highlight opportunities, limits and challenges from both the licensor and licensee’s perspectives. In particular, these case studies represent an effective basis for comparing different experiences and brand licensing strategies, allowing readers to understand both best practices and pitfalls to avoid when building an effective and enduring licensing program. Chapter objectives, summaries, key learning points and discussion questions reinforce understanding and aid reflection.

Practical yet theoretically grounded, this book is particularly suitable for postgraduate, MBA and executive education students interested in strategic brand management, licensing strategy and brand expansion. This book can also serve as a valuable guide for professionals interested in expanding their brand portfolio.

This book provides effective tools to evaluate the strategic side of brand licensing and the selection of the appropriate company to be a licensee. Online resources include PowerPoint slides, a test bank of exam questions, a case list and discussion questions.

Maria Cristina Longo is Associate Professor of Business Economics and Management at the University of Catania, Italy. She was Canon Foundation in Europe 2021 Research Fellow.

Pete Canalichio is a top-tier consultant specializing in brand expansion and licensing, a TEDx speaker, an award-winning author, and a former US Navy pilot.