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New York City earns millions from merchandising. A city councilor wants Boston to do the same.
The City Council will discuss an order to consider a city-wide licensing program for Boston-branded merchandise.
Mugs with the city’s seal, Boston police hoodies, and skyline t-shirts could earn the City of Boston millions, one city councilor says.
District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan, who represents Fenway and Kenmore, wants the city to consider licensing Boston-branded merchandise, according to an order for Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
The order would bring together the Office of Tourism, Sports & Entertainment, and the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion to begin considering a city-wide merchandise licensing program.
Durkan wrote that a similar program in New York City earns more than $24 million annually, according to a report from 2010. The New York Citywide Merchandise Licensing Program uses logos from the NYPD, the FDNY, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, and other New York municipal offices for apparel and other merchandise.
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Durkan’s order didn’t specify what official Boston merchandise could look like, but said that “licensed merchandise featuring iconic Boston symbols, landmarks, and neighborhoods would foster a sense of pride among residents and visitors.”
The city would earn money from royalties or fees, Durkan wrote, when a licensed business creates and sells City of Boston-branded mementos. She said this sale would support small businesses and even local artists and designers.
“When people wear or use Boston-branded merchandise, it acts as free advertising, advancing interest in the city, its culture, attractions and thereby contributing to Boston’s brand visibility on a global scale,” she wrote.
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