If you've ever bought a blanket, stadium seat, coffee mug,
or T-shirt displaying WVU's "Flying WV" logo, you've
contributed to a scholarship for a worthy WVU student. This is
how the licensing fees paid by developers of products displaying
the University's name or any of its trademarks are used.
WVU grants licenses for use of its name and trademarks to over
300 vendors each year. Nearly half of those vendors manufacture
"soft goods"- T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, and such.
Sales of soft goods account for over 75% of royalty revenues
received through WVU's trademark licensing program.
Other WVU trademark licenses cover a wide array of products,
from picnic baskets to paper products, figurines to furniture,
and lots of cool stuff in between. The challenge to the University
is to allow-and encourage -the development of as many licensed
products as possible, without allowing products onto the market
that are inappropriate or that may diminish WVU's identity as
a respected higher education institution.
"The refinement of the product line has been an interesting
process," says Rob Cleveland, a 1991 College of Law graduate
who is director of trademark licensing at WVU. "We have
had to dig in our heels and resist the hard-sell tactics of some
vendors on such items as toilet seats, mace, and condoms-and
we've worked past our reluctance to license food products like
popcorn and chocolates. We feel that we have a line of licensed
products now that represents WVU quite well."
Just because an item is licensed doesn't necessarily mean that
it will make it to retail shelves. Many manufacturers of interesting
licensed products lack sales representation in West Virginia.
Consequently, retailers may not even be aware of a product that
could sell very well for them.
Adding to the problem of bringing a licensed product to market
is the practice of many retailers to make purchasing decisions
based on the previous year's sales history. "If they had
a down year with collegiate merchandise, they may be reluctant
to reinvest in WVU or the collegiate market," Cleveland
says.
The result is that they run the risk of missing out on "niche
markets" that can be created by an interesting new product
or "hot markets" created by, say, a very successful
football season. And if retailers don't sell the products, WVU
doesn't receive royalties.
"This forces us to expand our role," Cleveland explains.
"As licensors, our traditional role has been in stewardship:
protecting the trademarks. Because we want to generate as much
revenue as we can for scholarships, we've become marketers and
sales reps to an extent. It's been an education."
Marsha Malone, BS '88, works with Cleveland as WVU's trademark
licensing coordinator. She has painstakingly developed a directory
of nearly 3,000 retailers in six states whose residents are potential
purchasers of WVU licensed products: West Virginia, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Each year, Malone sends a mass mailing to these retailers, providing
them with the current licensee , a buyer's guide, and demographics
on students, alumni, and season ticket holders for WVU sports.
"We also send information from that retailer to our
licensees, so that everyone has current information on each other,"
says Malone. "Our aim is to impress on them the significance
of the WVU market and to get more licensed products on store
shelves and into the hands of consumers."
If you have questions or concerns regarding trademark licensing
at West Virginia University please contact Rob Cleveland or Marsha
Malone at (304) 293-8026, fax (304) 293-7563, e-mail mmalone2@wvu.edu.
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| For the diehard sports fan, how about
a replica of Mountaineer Field? It's made by Ridgewood Marketing
and is sold at WVU Bookstores, phone (304) 293-7464. The ultimate possession for a Mountaineer football fan: an authentic WVU football helmet made by Schutt Sports, phone 1-800-426-9784. Too real, perhaps? It's also available in miniature. |
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For the holidays, perhaps a Mountaineer
tree ornament. (We think it looks a little like Don Nehlen).
The vendor is Berco Products, phone (941) 927-3024. Or, a Mountaineer Santa figurine made by Collegiate Collectibles, phone (334) 749-1436. Prefer a squeezable Santa? Try the plush Mountaineer Santa made by Stuffins and sold by Morgan- town Sport Center, phone 1-800-988-4442. |
| Other fun items: Rest easy on this WVU pillow made by Biederlack, available at WVU Bookstores, (304) 293-7464. Everybody needs a friend sometimes. The WVU Mountaineer bean bag is made by Collegiate Critters and is sold at Morgantown Sport Center, phone 1-800-988-4442. |
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