An Executive Voices Blog by Robert Strand, Founder of Strand IP and Executive Director of the World Water Film Festival

The brand licensing industry thrives on its remarkable diversity. A single portfolio can span apparel, food and beverage, home goods, and toys—each with its own supply chain. That diversity is our strength, but for sustainability it presents a real challenge. How do we create a coherent sustainability identity across so many categories and partners?

I believe the answer begins with water.

Water is the universal thread connecting every product. Toys, food, and even packaging all have a water footprint. For example, A pair of jeans can consume 3,800 liters of water in its lifetime. This makes water stewardship a powerful alignment tool because, instead of crafting separate sustainability frameworks for each product, licensors can use water as a shared standard—a common language that creates a coherent narrative for the entire brand.

As a result, sustainability and water stewardship, in particular, is not a cost center. It is a value creator.

Consumer data proves this. Research from NYU Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business found that sales of products marketed as sustainable grew 2.7 times faster than those that were not. And a License Global survey revealed that one in three Americans checks a company’s sustainable practices before buying. With Millennials and Gen Z driving the market, the trend is only accelerating.

This requires more than just meeting regulations, however—it means taking responsibility for the full lifecycle of our licensed products. A critical, often underappreciated point is that licensors bear a reputational responsibility for the water practices of their licensees. As Forbes has noted, a visible licensed product that fails on sustainability can cause significant reputational damage.

The Coca-Cola Company has long set the gold standard in licensing sustainability governance, requiring licensees to document recycled materials, conducting rigorous audits, and terminating licenses for non-compliance. Water stewardship standards can and should be integrated into this same governance architecture, ensuring that every partner in the value chain is aligned with the brand’s core values.

A recent collaboration that illustrates the commercial power of water stewardship is the PUMA and Manchester City kit partnership. When PUMA unveiled the 2021/22 away kit, it was a multi-layered water stewardship statement. The design raised awareness of the global water crisis, while the production used an innovative Dope Dye manufacturing process to drastically reduce water consumption. PUMA has since scaled this innovation into its RE:FIBRE program, producing millions of replica jerseys from recycled textile waste.

The commercial outcome of this sustained commitment is striking. In July 2025, Manchester City and PUMA announced a 10-year contract extension reported to be worth over £1 billion—the largest kit deal in Premier League history. The partnership demonstrates that when executed with authenticity, water stewardship becomes a core driver of brand value, partner loyalty, and long-term commercial growth.

The licensing industry has already produced compelling proof that sustainability and commercial success reinforce each other—and water is increasingly at the center of those stories.

For example, the FILA and BBC Earth collaboration (managed by Alfilo Brands) brought eco-materials like low-carbon recycled yarn and recyclable nylon to a global sportswear audience. Additionally, the Nobody’s Child x Happy Place Digital Product Passport initiative allowed consumers to scan a QR code and access real-time data on CO₂ emissions, water usage, and ethical sourcing—redefining transparency in licensed fashion.

These examples point toward a practical framework every licensor can adopt. Water-specific provisions incorporated directly into licensing agreements—covering usage reduction targets, wastewater standards, and disclosure requirements—can be tiered by product category and phased in over time. Incentive structures that reward licensees for measurable water improvements, whether through preferential royalty terms or co-marketing support, transform stewardship from a compliance burden into a competitive advantage.

Water stewardship is not a peripheral concern—it is a strategic lens that brings coherence, accountability, and commercial purpose to our work. By treating water as a universal standard, licensors can build a sustainability architecture that is both principled and profitable.

Licensing professionals should also consider endorsing the UN CEO Water Mandate, a commitment platform already backed by over 600 companies, including many of our industry’s leading licensors and retail partners. It is also worth joining the Water.org Get Blue™ movement to put your brand’s reach directly in service of solving the global water crisis.

Robert Strand is a seasoned licensing executive and the founder of Strand IP, where he represents the Opry Entertainment Group and Anerji Jewelry in brand licensing. Robert is the Founder and Executive Director of the World Water Film Festival, a nonprofit platform advancing global water awareness through the power of storytelling, and is credentialed to participate at the 2026 UN Water Conference. He currently serves on the Sustainability Committee of Licensing International and is a former member of the Licensing International Board of Directors.