The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) continues its webinar series on Wednesday, May 2, with “Making Strategic Sense of Social Media,” a discussion on social media strategies. The session will focus on utilizing LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other platforms to best effect for companies and brands.

Natalie Cupps, vice president of digital marketing and sales of LACED, will lead the webinar, discussing how to make all parts of digital marketing mesh into a reasonable and cost-effective plan of action. She also will provide valuable insight into the primary issues business leaders need to consider when developing an effective digital strategy for their properties and products.

The session will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. EST. It is free for for all members and $99 per site for non-members. To register or to learn more about LIMA, click here.

Big Idea Entertainment plans to expand digital programming for its VeggieTales brand this year. The company has partnered with mobile kid-play experts Playful Own and marketing company GorillaSpot to create more apps for fans.

VeggieTales is the first property to launch with Playful Owl’s Step-by-Story, a mobile app that promotes reading readiness through word, picture, and sound association. Step-By-Story, available for andriod, iPhone, and iPad, lets children create their own animated short story by offering 500 different story combinations.  VeggieTales has already launched VeggieTales: The Goofy Gift and VeggieTales: Larry’s Missing Music, and will release six more titles throughout the year.

VeggieTales e-cards will also be available to fans later this year. ReelCards, powered by GorillaSpot, will create a Facebook application that allows fans to send personalized video cards using short clips from popular VeggieTales titles. GorillaSpot hopes to make this a mobile app for andriods and iPhones by this summer.

Merchandise specialist AT New Media, licensing agent on behalf of Team 17 for Worms merchandise, has announced that a new Worms game, Worms Revolution, is set for release this September on PC and consoles.

Worms Revolution will feature the 2-D Worms gameplay in a sumptuous 3-D environment, and will launch new features such as four different classes of Worm and dynamic water and physical objects that are designed to boost the gamplay experience.

The Worms licensing program currently features IGS (GameOn) for collectible plush and plush key rings, Gaya for Squeezies, Fashion UK for apparel, Bioworld for apparel and accessories, and GB Posters, while new lines set for launch this year include collectible resin figures and dioramas, as well as bags, mugs, and other accessories.

RRKidz has partnered with publishers Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Holiday House, Charlesbridge Publishing, and others to launch the first Reading Rainbow app this spring. The Reading Rainbow app will feature an assortment of titles, curated by actor LeVar Burton, and the app library will feature lightly enhanced digital books for children, including both fiction and non-fiction titles. The Reading Rainbow app will be available for iPad and select Android devices.

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has announced the launch of  LIMANET, an opportunity network that gives licensing professionals real-time access to the people, companies, industries, and information they need to ensure the greatest return on investment for their business.

LIMA’s customizable new tool for the worldwide licensing community lets subscribers post information about products and services that they want to sell, buy, or find, and connects them directly with one another. The site requires users to register, but LIMANET is offered as a free service.

LIMANET will give subscribers the ability to receive customized alerts; create and manage their LIMANET account; post videos, shows, video games, and more to their homepage; and showcase intellectual properties, products, designs, artwork, and other materials on their homepage.

LIMANET will be available to everyone in the licensing community beginning July 1 with LIMA members having access to certain features. Subscribers and LIMA members’ affiliation will be identified with a LIMA logo on their LIMANET homepage.

Hasbro, Inc. will turn one of its timeless brands into a multimedia entertainment property this year with the release of Universal Pictures’ epic action-adventure Battleship. Hasbro will augment the experience of the film with an action-packed line of Battleship-themed toys—both in the gaming realm, where the Battleship brand originated, and in a brand new line of KRE-O building sets—as well as an expansive line of licensed goods, several of which debuted at Toy Fair.

Battleship-themed products include:

• Classic Battleship Movie Edition Game
• Deluxe Battleship Movie Edition
• Battleship: Hidden Threat Card Game
• Kre-O Battleship building sets
• Battleship video game from Activision Publishing, Inc.
• Updated version of the Battleship application from Electronic Arts for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
• T-shirts, hoodies, and shorts from Rocawear
• The Battleship Crew Series, Hasbro’s “behind-the-scenes” apparel and accessories collection inspired by the gear worn by the filmmakers and crew, features exclusive fashions from New Era and Red Monkey Designs

In addition, Hasbro is working with licensees around the globe to bring to market an amazing array of lifestyle products in key categories that will resonate with consumers worldwide. Products will range from T-shirts and caps to costumes, backpacks, and publishing from licensees including Disguise and Random House.

Classic Media signed new consumer products partners for Where’s Waldo? in the U.S. The new Where’s Waldo? program will hit retail timed to Waldo’s 25th anniversary, which commences this fall.

These new licensees join existing Where’s Waldo? partners, including Candlewick Press (publishing), Ludia (Apple mobile games), Gameloft (mobile games excluding Apple platforms), and Elope (costumes). Many of these licensees showed Where’s Waldo products at Toy Fair.

Techno Source, a division of LF Products and part of Li & Fung Limited, will be developing innovative Where’s Waldo? board games, puzzles, card games, and novelty items, including the original Where’s Waldo? search-and-find glitter wands.

Concept One Accessories will develop a diverse line of Where’s Waldo? fashion accessories for a wide variety of consumers. They will launch Where’s Waldo? bags, headwear, belts, wallets, and slippers that appeal to juniors, young men, and tweens.

Jem Sportswear and Awake will develop a line of fashion forward Where’s Waldo? fashion tops across all their divisions, including men, juniors, boys, and girls.

Alexander Doll Company, Inc. will commemorate Where’s Waldo’s 25th anniversary with a line of limited-edition dolls. The company will develop a collectible version of Where’s Waldo? soft dolls, vinyl dolls, and dolls with coordinating Where’s Waldo? accessories.

Virtual Greats will launch Where’s Waldo? virtual items online to reach a growing global virtual goods market. They can be purchased as virtual gifts/collectibles, or as elements used to enhance/accessorize user avatars and/or digital worlds.

Skinit, Inc. launched Where’s Waldo? electronic skins in November. The covers, referred to as “skins,” can be applied to a broad range of devices, including smartphones, laptops, MP3 players, gaming consoles, and everything in between.

Warner Bros. Consumer and ScrollMotion introduced DC Super Friends’ first-ever interactive storybook app, DC Super Friends: Race to Save Christmas, for iPad, available exclusively on the App store.

This interactive reader app features tap-able surprises, puzzles, digital coloring pages, sticker activities, and hidden DC Super Friends points that users can collect to receive an in-app reward, an exclusive email-able holiday postcard. The app also includes professional narration, sound effects, word highlighting, and record-your-own audio.

ScrollMotion Kids’ stickers feature enables kids to create their own superhero scenes by placing digital DC Super Friends stickers atop animated backgrounds. Children can use multi-touch to grow, shrink, and spin the characters, and can also save and share their creations. Additionally, users can personalize their app by taking a photo with the DC Super Friends or importing a picture from Photos.

DC Super Friends: Race to Save Christmas is made available through ScrollMotion Kids’ platform. Children acquire knowledge best through discovery and play, and ScrollMotion Kids apps provide hands-on interactivity to promote learning through technology.

To celebrate the launch, a 99 cents promotional sale of DC Super Friends: Race to Save Christmas app will take place November 29 through December 4 on the App store. iPad users can now download at http://j.mp/DCSFXMAS.

Skechers Signs Licensing Agreement for Skechers-Branded Youth Electronics

Skechers USA, Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with Sakar International to produce youth electronics and accessories featuring Skechers branding and Skechers Kids’ animated characters. The line is scheduled to launch in the Q1 2012 at retailers across the United States.

Under the agreement, Sakar will design, produce and distribute a wide range of Skechers-branded electronics and accessories, including MP3 players, molded earbuds, speakers, digital cameras, cases, skins, and USB flash drives inspired by Skechers Kids’ footwear styles. Products will be designed for boys and girls from elementary through high school with artwork from Skechers’ Zevo-3 animated television series, the Twinkle Toes by Skechers collection, as well as additional Skechers Kids’ characters and Skechers branding.

SwaddleDesigns Introduces New Angry Birds Baby Products

SwaddleDesigns and Rovio have signed a definitive agreement granting SwaddleDesigns licensing and merchandising rights for Angry Birds. SwaddleDesigns’ Angry Birds Baby products are now available for pre-order at SwaddleDesigns.com and shipping worldwide.

SwaddleDesigns is introducing products featuring Angry Birds including the Ultimate Receiving Blanket, Marquisette Swaddling Blanket, zzZipMe Sack wearable blanket, Baby Lovie security blankie, and Baby Burpies. Products will begin shipping by October 10.

—The TLB Team

CNNMoney.com’s Parija Kavilanz wrote a story on Angry Birds back to school items, calling it the hot new trend. And: of course it is! The introduction of Angry Birds licensed merchandise dovetails perfectly with back to school. (Angry Birds back to school merchandise is available to preorder.) According to the story, sales of Angry Birds-related goods have risen 500 percent in the past five months.

As we’ve written before, while back-to-school spending will likely ebb this year, licensed products are the natural exception. Licensing is a stable industry because it has the tendency to break the curve when consumers are pinching their pennies. The entire children’s television industry is built upon this foundation, and its dominance is unquestioned as a supplier of licensed product. Angry Birds, which we covered extensively in our spring issue, has fought its way into a fairly prestigious club. It’s a brand for people of all ages, the Super Mario Bros. of its time.

Will it have the staying power of Super Mario Bros.? Only time will tell. It’s one thing to reach the mountaintop, but it’s another thing to stay there. Survival is tough, and no one survives by accident. Angry Birds netted $42 million in March on the strength of the game’s performance—do they have a Super Mario Bros. 2 up their sleeve? We’re not talking about Angry Birds Rio. We’re talking about a game that builds upon the gameplay and themes of the original to create something entirely new and exciting.

This back-to-school season figures to be Angry Birds’ moment, and the property is still exploding. Last week, TCC signed a deal to undertake worldwide retail loyalty promotions for the property in supermarkets, hypermarkets, drug stores, health and beauty chains, and more.

New Street Fighter Animated Film Set for September Release

A new Street Fighter animated film, Street Fighter: The New Challengers, will be released September 6, Pacific Entertainment Corp. announced.

The film will be released as a standalone DVD or offered in a special collector bundle package that includes Capcom’s Street Fighter IV PC Game.

—Bryan Joiner