Company reveals 285 per cent growth year to date for its Explorer software, but says there’s more still to come… by Lewis Tyler
WITH EXPLORER software sales tripling over the year to date, LeapFrog UK MD Chris Spalding has told ToyNews that he wants to boost the offering even further in 2012. The electronic learning specialist is set to announce its next big hardware launch shortly and wants a big software range to match. Spalding said: “My aspirations are that it will make last year look like an average one – and last year LeapFrog was up 50 per cent over the year before.”
The claim comes after LeapFrog revealed 285 per cent growth in YTD sales of its Explorer software. Spalding continued: “Our software sales have gone up considerably. Part of that is because of the gameplay our tablets and new gaming systems allow for. In the UK App Centre we’ve got 100 plus titles now, and by this Christmas we’ll have over 200.” LeapFrog’s App Centre aims to provide its customers with an easy- to-use, curated experience focused on quality.
By growing the online shop the company is able to offer its customers a broader range thanks to the faster turnaround associated with digital products.
“Because we have the App Centre
it’s much easier than the old ways of having to get a licence, get it produced, packaged, boxed and put on a boat for six weeks.”
Spalding added that the company had been “pleasantly surprised” by the amount of time children were spending on both the LeapPad and Explorer systems. “The upside of that is that they are buying more software,” he said.
Software can be purchased digitally via credit or debit card, or by purchasing an App Centre download card in-store.
SPALDING: “There are 100+ titles now in the UK App Centre”
“We could have easily had 400 or 500 plus products in the app store, but we’re very picky,” said Spalding. “We are limiting the amount of apps to make sure we maintain our brand ethics with the quality of products.”
LeapFrog will continue to add premium licences to its portfolio this year, with recent additions including Sesame Street and Chuggington.
Spalding said a major upside to the App Card is that it lets children chose the software they want. And although he remained tight- lipped on the forthcoming product launch, he did reveal that the current software catalogue would be compatible. LeapFrog: 01895 202840
Toy business to miss out on Zingy? EDF Energy says it has ‘no immediate plans’ to turn the viral mascot into a toy line, despite huge demand...
THE CHARACTER has become an internet star, but it’s looking unlikely that Zingy, the mascot from the EDF Energy ads, will be giving toy retailers a boost any time soon. Zingy’s dancing performances in
the ‘Feel Better’ campaign have attracted millions of hits on YouTube and it has been the subject of numerous Facebook fan pages, Twitter tributes and online petitions calling for the character to be spun into a range of retail products. And although it has been built
from My Keepon technology, EDF says it has no plans for a Zingy toy yet. “We’re really pleased with the response to Zingy,” said Nick Foley,
JUNE 2012
would be for its own customers first, adding that EDF was currently focused on using Zingy to further engage with the public in more commercials and competitions. Speaking of the toy again, he said:
“It’s early days, it was only launched in April so it’s too early for that kind of discussion.”
One thing is clear though: Zingy is EDF has said it is looking at various ways to use Zingy, but toys aren’t yet on the agenda...
senior marketing manager. “We know there’s a lot of interest in a toy out there, but at this stage there aren’t any plans to do anything like that.”
But he added: “We are looking at various ways of using the character, so that could change.” Foley said that if the company did make a toy, it
excelling in its current role, with EDF reporting a “very positive response” to its new tariff thanks to the toy character. “The idea behind the character was to do something different and really connect with people,” Foley concluded.