The Taipei City Government should not charge local businesses licensing fees for using the city mascot, Bravo the Bear, in their advertising, a Taipei city councilor said yesterday.
The bear is an asset that belongs to all Taipei residents, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) said, adding that it would raise the mascot’s profile if all businesses could use the mascot free of charge — at least until it has gained popularity and firms make a profit from campaigns including the bear.
Hsu cited Kumamon, the mascot that represents Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture as an example.
Photo: Tsai Ya-hua, Taipei Times
The prefecture licensed the image rights of Kumamon to private companies free of charge, she said, adding that it the mascot is to be seen everywhere in Japan.
Municipal funds allocated for the brand management of Bravo the Bear are NT$8.5 million (US$ 287,931) annually and cover the costs of event participation, management of the mascot’s Facebook page, licensing, and the establishment and operations of the Bravo Office, a mascot brand store, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said.
The store, located at Taipei City Hall, opened on Aug. 19 and features products, pictures and stories related to the mascot brand.
Department Director-General Hung Mei-yun (洪梅雲) yesterday said that the mascot in 2018 generated NT$1.67 million in licensing fees.
As its revenue dropped to about NT$400,000 last year, the department outsourced its licensing affairs to improve the mascot’s marketing, Hung said.
More and better promotional activities and products are coordinated by an external company, Hung added.
In response to Hsu mentioning Kumamon, Hung said that the Japanese prefecture had marketed the mascot for several years before it rose to prominence.
This year’s operations have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the Bravo Office has performed well, earning nearly NT$100,000 in revenue on its opening day, she said.
The department expects the office to generate an annual income of NT$1 million, she said, adding that the ultimate goal is making Bravo the Bear a self-sufficient business within the city government.
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
RSS