Family farmers have been at the heart of Welch’s for more than a century. Vineyards have been cultivated for generations to expertly grow Concord and Niagara grapes, which are used to provide families with the 100 percent grape juice and jelly for which Welch’s is known and trusted. Read more about Welch’s here and see the company’s products below.

Welch’s Oatmeal Bar Mix
Bake your own tasty treat of oatmeal bars topped with fruit spread. You’ll taste the goodness of Welch’s in every bite. Easy to make, Welch’s Oatmeal Bar mix is available in two flavors, Concord Grape and Strawberry.

Welch’s Frozen Avocados
Timely frozen so you never miss the ripe again. Our new Welch’s Avocados are sodium and cholesterol free, low in saturated fat and the only ones available frozen ripe. Not sliced, not diced, just perfectly hand cut chunks of avocad-oh!

Welch’s Red Twist
Bring a little twist to your daily routine with our new Welch’s Red Twist Fruit and Veggie Frozen Blend. A delicious mix of strawberries, grapes, raspberries, sour cherries and carrots join forces to help you eat more fruits and veggies!

Welch’s Orange Groove
Shake up your “smooth…ay!” with our new Welch’s Orange Groove Fruit and Veggie Frozen Blend. Pineapples, Mangos, Butternut Squash and Lemon come together to help you get into a healthy groove. Tastes so good, you’ll keep blending up another!
Welch’s Fruit Ciders
Welch’s Fruit Ciders have captured the goodness of the orchard. Apple-y tastes are paired with fresh fruit flavors for a tempting new take on cider. Available in four flavors, Cinnamon Apple, Grape Apple, Peach Apple and Strawberry Apple.

Welch’s Lemonade Freeze Pops
Summer refreshment with the wholesome taste of natural lemonade. These mouthwatering freezies add a new dimension of taste to the frozen snack category and are available in three delicious flavors, Natural Lemonade, Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Pink Watermelon Lemonade.

Welch’s Gelatin Mix
A fruity flavor in every spoonful, Welch’s gelatins are a tasty dessert your whole family will love. Available in three delicious flavors including Concord Grape, Strawberry Peach and Cranberry Grape, Welch’s gelatin is the perfect guilt-free treat.
Welch’s Fruit Rolls
Unroll the Fun™ with Welch’s® Fruit Rolls. Made with Real Fruit and 100% Vitamin C, you will want to try all three mouthwatering flavors, White Grape Strawberry, Berry and Tropical Punch.
See more New & Notable products here.
WWE’s toy licensing partnerships with Mattel, Playmates and others play a big role in the sports entertainment giant’s consumer product dominance. By Jim Harris
Somewhere in the world right now, John Cena and the Ultimate Warrior are having an epic match for the WWE Championship. Elsewhere, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin could be forming a partnership to take on the Wyatt Family.
These time-bending matchups will not happen on WWE’s flagship shows Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live. However, thanks to WWE’s relationships with toymakers such as Mattel, anything is possible in the hands and imaginations of its millions of fans.
Action figures bearing the likenesses of WWE Superstars have been a major part of the sports entertainment leader’s toy licensing strategy for more than 30 years. Mattel – the world’s largest toy maker in terms of revenue – has been the company’s action figure licensee since 2010.
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Mars Retail Group works closely with licensing partners to bring new M&M’S® offerings to consumers and retail customers everywhere. By Stephanie Crets
Mars Retail Group is taking the candy world by storm and bringing incredible offerings to its customers every day. From its delicious chocolate candy to fun, well-known characters, M&M’S® has something for everyone. For more than 75 years, the brand has brought colorful chocolate fun to M&M’S® fans around the world and Mars Retail Group is helping to further that ambition.
“Our goal within Retail Brand Activation has always been to bring some of the unique experiences of M&M’S® World and MY M&M’S® to life with our everyday retail partners,” says Director, Retail Brand Activation, John Capizzi. “It’s really about fine-tuning our overall offering to our customers.”
Mars Retail Group operates on the basis of three executions: licensing, Colorworks and mass customization. Licensing brings unique branded merchandise across all channels, including mass drug, grocery retail and digital. “It gives people a small sample of the wonderful products they can find in our M&M’S® World stores,” Capizzi notes.
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Welch’s continues to expand its licensing program to extend its brand portfolio into categories that promote fruit, health and taste. By Janice Hoppe-Spiers
Family farmers have been at the heart of Welch’s for more than a century. Vineyards have been cultivated for generations to expertly grow Concord and Niagara grapes, which are used to provide families with the 100 percent grape juice and jelly for which Welch’s is known and trusted.
“The interesting thing about Welch’s is that it can play in the health, flavor and fun categories,” Head of Global Licensing Glenn Hendricks says. “Baby boomers and millennial moms love our juice for both the taste and heart health benefits. They grew up with it and raised their children on it; there’s an affinity there. We are a trusted brand and consumers know the quality will be great.”
In 1869, Thomas Bramwell Welch was the first to pasteurize bottled fruit juice using Concord grapes, founding the company and the modern, unfermented juice version we drink today. After debuting at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Welch’s Grape Juice went on to become the national family favorite it remains today.
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With a new executive team leading licensing and retail, Sony Pictures aims to expand and capitalize on licensing opportunities from existing and new intellectual property. By Bianca Herron
At Sony Pictures, Consumer Products has become an area of renewed focus in the motion picture group. Last year, the Culver City, Calif.-based company tapped veteran marketing and licensing executive Jamie Stevens as executive vice president of worldwide consumer products and licensing. Today, Stevens oversees the motion picture group’s product and licensing opportunities for the studio’s IP, including such film franchises as Jumanji, Hotel Transylvania, The Smurfs and Ghostbusters.
According to Stevens, she believes that Sony Pictures’ focus on developing merchandisable films, especially in animation, will lead to long-term revenue potential for the studio.
“I now have a seat at the table when a decision is made about the types of film we make,” she says. “It’s an important step that addresses our growth in the global marketplace and sets us apart from other studios. I joined the company almost a year ago and I looked at this as an opportunity to refocus the Consumer Products group and bring in top talent that could help take our licensing business and our properties to the next level.”
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As Shoe Carnival prepares to open up more locations in various sized population centers, the company aims to remain successful by catering to its customers’ needs. By Bianca Herron
Shoe Carnival has become one of the nation’s largest family footwear retailers since it was founded in 1978, providing customers the convenience of shopping at more than 420 stores in 38 states and Puerto Rico. The Evansville, Ind.-based company’s mission is to provide name-brand merchandise at discount prices. However, the company is most well known for its carnival atmosphere offering customers a unique and fun shopping experience.
“Most notably, in our stores we have a position that is called the ‘mic guy,’” says Brad Gubser, vice president of store planning and development. “Both men and women hold this position, and on any given day the mic guy has a long list of various sales, or rotations as we call them, the store can offer up to cater to the customers in the store at that point in time. In this way we can adjust and cater to specific types of customers, and personalize their shopping experience.
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LCBO develops technology to enhance the customer experience and solidify its position as the premier destination for alcohol sales in Ontario. By Tim O’Connor
What’s a bar without alcohol? For the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), it’s a demonstration of social responsibility. The organization opened Bar Zero in November, a pop-up bar in Toronto specializing in 0 percent alcohol cocktails. “We try to show people having a good time and a safe time are one and the same,” says Keeley Rogers, LCBO senior communications consultant.
Bar Zero is just the latest in LCBO’s 90-year history of responsible stewardship of Ontario’s alcohol industry. The organization, which is one of the world’s largest buyers and retailers of alcohol, lessens its carbon footprint by transporting product on waterways such as the St. Lawrence Seaway, utilizes lighter-weight, recyclable glass bottles and chemically tests all of the products it sells.
Its responsibility extends to consumer education. LCBO works with organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and launched its own website, www.alwaystakingcare.ca, to promote moderate consumption and safe drinking practices.
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With a pet-first mentality, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition aims to consistently provide animals with high-quality foods.
By Bianca Herron
Ainsworth Pet Nutrition believes in families—whether they have two legs or four. The Meadville, Pa.-based company was founded more than 75 years ago by George Ainsworth Lang, with a commitment to providing dogs and cats with the safest, highest quality foods.
Since its start in 1933, the Meadville, Pa.-based company has always made affordability for its consumers, also known as “pet parents,” a key priority of Ainsworth. Lang launched the company after one of his dogs had a litter of puppies. It was during the Great Depression and he started making his own dog food to feed the pups. Little did Lang know it would turn into a thriving business.
Today, the company is proud to continue upholding that tradition with the launch of two new projects in 2017 from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®, Vice President of Marketing Steve Joyce says.
“We will be launching Peak™, a new dry dog food line that is meat first, grain free, contains 30 percent protein, and includes novel proteins like venison, duck and quail,” Joyce says. “We will also be launching a line of fun, tasty, meat-first treats that include Deli Cuts™, Savory Roasters™, Meatloaf Morsels™, Burger Bites and Pawsta™ formulas. Consumers can look for these new products at their local retailers, or online, starting in the first quarter of next year.”
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® is an Ainsworth owned and developed brand that was launched in collaboration with Rachael Ray in 2008. “In 2007, a colleague at an Ainsworth sister company was watching a late night TV talk show where Rachael was discussing just how much she loved her pit bull, Isaboo,” Joyce explains. “That colleague was able to track down Rachael’s husband and the rest, as they say, is history.”
The brand has since been responsible for much of the company’s growth in recent years, accounting for $300 million in consumption in 2015, according to Joyce. Adding that, Ainsworth’s collaboration with Rachael Ray is extremely important, not only because the partnership has helped the company offer wholesome, meat-first foods to dogs and cats everywhere, but also because consumers know the nutritious-minded celebrity chef is someone they can trust.
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