After acquiring the Martha Stewart brand from Sequential earlier this year, Marquee Brands has revealed details about its first licensing plans for the brand, which will target millennial consumers with cafes, restaurants and digital products and services such as smart home technology and online courses, Chief Operating Officer Cory Baker tells Licensing International.

Marquee bought the Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse brands from Sequential Brands Group in June for $175 million, and is focusing its attention on attracting younger consumers to Martha brand, says Baker. As part of the acquisition, Marquee retained most of the brand’s existing licensing agreements including the exclusive Martha Stewart home collection at Macy’s, says Baker.

Now Marquee is looking to expand as it seeks additional direct-to-consumer delivery services. Martha Stewart currently has a co-branded meal service with Marley Spoon that has continued through the transition. The company also hopes to build on the vacation cruise licensing agreement Martha Stewart struck with MSC Cruises earlier this year.

Additionally, Marquee has received “a lot of in-bound interest” in licensing the brand for smart home products from technology-based companies that are moving “to align with brands that bring authority and trust to the home,” says Baker.

“There is a lot of low-hanging fruit around the brand that Sequential didn’t undertake, and Martha Stewart is an extremely relevant figure today with millennial customers, who find her inspirational and aspirational,” says Baker. “I don’t think the prior owners capitalized on that and they tried to sell a lot of the same old product to the same old people instead of understanding there was a giant opportunity in the broadened demographic of people that saw the Martha brand as something they wanted to own.”

The Martha Stewart purchase was Marquee’s most recent since it closed a $462 million funding round in 2016 designed for acquisitions. Marquee also owns the Bruno Magli, Ben Sherman, BCBG Max Azria, Body Glove and Dakine brands.

Contact:

Marquee Brands, Cory Baker, Chief Operating Officer, 646-661-7780, cbaker@marqueebrands.com