4 NEWS
Mattel: 2012 is THE year for Barbie and Batman
by Dominic Sacco
TOY GIANT Mattel thinks 2012 can be the one of the biggest years of the Bat – and the Barbie doll. The Barbie business is up 18 per cent year-to-date (source: NPD YTD Fashion Dolls standard category) and is enjoying its largest marketing campaign yet, with online reality TV-style show Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse. “Barbie is the big one this year,” Mattel’s SVP and general manger for UK and Northern Europe, Geoff Walker, told ToyNews. “It’s having a great run and we’re
excited by another growth year. Barbie is very relevant because every girl has this imagination of either being her or having her as a friend.” Barbie: The Princess and the Popstar
DVD will hit shelves in August in time for Christmas, the first Barbie musical in five years, accompanied by a doll line. For boys, Batman has a big summer focus. A line of toys hit
Doll range up 18 per cent YTD, while Batman toys “doing great”, says UK general manager New IPs on the way…
WALKER: “How you generate revenue outside of toys is key to our growth as a company...”
shelves in June ahead of new movie The Dark Knight Rises on July 19th. This follows the Imaginext Batcave which Mattel says was a ‘really big seller’ in 2011.
“I think Batman is going to have a surprising good year,” added Walker. “The Batman toys have just hit and they’re doing great out of the gate, so we’re very positive.
“We always expected the movie to do well, and the current reads are better than we would have hoped. “Not a lot of children will see the movie but they will know about it – the brand has a 98 per cent awareness with kids – so they’ll buy into it and we see what we’re doing.” But it’s not all about established IP. Mattel also wants to break new properties into the toy market. “One of the key strategies right now is introducing new IP,” explained Walker. “How you generate revenue outside of toys, between licensed products, content and all the other touchpoints, is key to our growth as a company. Monster High was one of the first ones and it’s been phenomenal. As we move forward we’ll have new properties coming out. Whether these get launched in new ways or with more traditional TV shows and movies, we’ll obviously be looking at it.” Mattel: 01628 500 000
Alyss brings Ministeck to UK Back to school for Triqo
A RANGE of puzzles which went down a storm in Germany is now making its way to the UK. Alyss Toys has picked up the
exclusive distribution rights for the Ministeck range in the UK and Ireland. Kids can create their own designs using the mini Pixel Puzzle pieces, which come complete with a board and hanger. “Alyss Toys is pleased to be
announced as the new distributors for Ministeck in the UK and Ireland,” Alyss Toys commercial manager Sandra Cambridge told ToyNews.
“Ministeck is an excellent product which spans the ages and has stayed popular since its initial launch in
JULY 2012
Germany. Alyss Toys is focusing on the Pixel Puzzle Original range, which varies in difficulty from very basic right up to advanced adult- targeted puzzles.
“The team is very
excited about Ministeck, especially our accounts manager, whose father bought her the puzzles as a child in the ‘70s from Germany.
“Ministeck continues to have a high profile in Germany, and we hope it will become just as popular in the UK.”
The puzzles can be taken apart and reused, or the masterpieces can be kept and hung with the accompanying hooks. Ministeck retails from £3.99 to £24.99. Alyss Toys: 01285 762039
SUPPLIER Ark DIY has its sights set on schools with new clickable building product Triqo. The company is targeting a selection of schools and teachers in Ireland. It plans to extend this trial to get Triqo in more schools from this September. “We have had a phenomenal response to the trial in Ireland, with kids really getting involved and uploading their constructions to the website,” said Ark DIY sales and marketing manager Marian Trench. “Triqo is ideal for schools as it suits boys and girls of all ages. It can be used indoors or outdoors, so they can build something in the classroom or something big outside. “It is also a fantastic way to improve hand-eye coordination and to teach younger kids their colours and shapes. We have huge expectations for Triqo as it is at a good price point for parents, it is
Triqo is being pitched as ideal for schools, and Ark DIY has “huge expectations”...
compact and easy to store. I think that it will work very well in schools and crèches.” Triqo pieces can be clicked together to build shapes. Booster Packs of ten pieces retail for £3.49, while the 100-piece Triqo Box Mix is £29.99. School boxes range from £59.99 to £99.99.
Ark DIY is also starting a loyalty program with a retailer in Ireland, where it can ‘find the Golden Triqo and receive a voucher for the shop’. Ark DIY: +353 (0)91 521 857
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