As I explore in our “Key Global and Regional Trends Shaping Toys Licensing” global briefing, toys is one of largest industries for licensed products globally. Half of the top 10 most heavily licensed toys markets are in Asia Pacific, while the US is the world’s largest. As the Frozen franchise took the industry by storm, 2014 was a particularly good year in toys licensing. As the power of social media in creating successful properties becomes more pronounced and with the much-anticipated Star Wars movie in the pipeline for 2015, the stakes could not have been higher, presenting great opportunities as well as risks in both developed and emerging markets.
While, Frozen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The LEGO Movie made 2014 a very good year for licensing, the much-anticipated Star Wars as well as Avengers, Jurassic World and Minions movies could make 2015 even more robust.