Paperworld/SHOPA (School, Home and Office Products Association)

IMC recently attended the combined show in Las Vegas. While walking the aisles we noticed the following:

• Crayola’s worldwide licensing program continues to grow, appropriately reinforcing its role as the world’s one great art/creativity brand.
  

• One cute new product (in a show that should have included more): computer keyboard stickers (licensed brands include Disney and Happy Bunny) from Sandylion Sticker Designs allow people (and not just kids) to personalize an area where we all spend too much time.

• Other novel items included post-it-like paper on a roll (allowing you to customize the size of your sticky message) and stretchy Scotch-tape for special taping needs.

• Gift books from Ronnie Seller Productions, Helen Exley and Pomegranate Publishing stood out in a category that has gotten consumers to spend a lot more than the average card price for similar gifting occasions. It looks like its time for more licensing and branded products in this category.

• When calendar and poster licensees feature the same “usual suspects” year after year, we wonder if a company could gain an edge with a little more creativity in identifying and selecting licensed properties: What about licensing great non-profit brands? What about licensing meaningful brands other than Coke?