Trends In Branding And Merchandising – 2017 – Topic 8

Experienced attorneys only

Trends in Branding and Merchandising

The music may still be the message, but a recognizable and known brand has become the key to popularity, and to many a musician’s livelihood. Not only does it help create a filter through which brand partnerships, sponsorship and endorsement opportunities can be measured against, but it creates an intellectual property that can be exploited in lots of new territories.  Merchandise may have once consisted primarily of CDs and t-shirts bought as keepsakes of a fan’s concert experience, but now a broader array of merchandise permits the fan to identify more closely with the artist.

With brand partnership and sponsorship becoming a $1.4 billion business in 2017 and music merch soaring to $3.1 billion in 2016, traditional models are being disrupted and the methods used for putting these deals together have taken on new complexity. From celebrities and media moguls to aspiring artists and bands, the issue is no longer whether to brand yourself but how. 

Join us for a panel discussion with experts in branding and merchandising who explored the many trends emerging in these fast-growing sectors. Some of the conversation revolved around: new branding and marketing strategies; the structuring of brand partnership and sponsorship deals; enhancements in artist-fan connectivity; the use of music to market other products; developments in trademark licensing and issues particular to celebrities. 

Speakers:

Andrew Hampp, VP-Brand Strategist, at MAC Presents (Moderator)

Jason Boyarski, Esq., Partner, Boyarski Fritz LLP

Natalia Nastaskin, Esq., Head of US Music Operations, United Talent Agency

Kim Youngberg, Esq., Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Screenvision Media