Licensing plays pivotal role for Inspiration Works
world licensing
August is sometimes considered to be a relatively quiet time in terms of toy sales, but the launch of the Argos catalogue at the end of July affords toy companies a great opportunity to get an early read on how new lines are likely to perform. And if a company decides to help things along with aggressive promotional
activity, potentially it’s a ‘win-win’ for all concerned. One company that has “gone for it big time in August” – according to Managing Director David Martin – is Inspiration Works. “We have doubled our TV spend in August this year” David told Toy World. “We do have other forms of promotional activity planned, but 90% of our budget is spent on TV. We find this is the best way to accelerate the rate of sale of our products. Further TV campaigns will run in September and December, but the August burst is important to get the season off to a flying start.” The even better news for retailers is that the TV advertising compromises neither the value
of the products nor the retailers’ margins (Inspiration Works supplies the major accounts on an FOB basis, whilst The Sales Partnership handles all its domestic business). “The value of the product is paramount, “asserts Marketing Manager Tracey Devine, “We don’t put anything into the market which doesn’t represent excellent value for the consumer. Most of our lines fall into the £15-20 category, and we’re mindful that these key price points really drive volume sales for our customers.” Indeed, sales are so strong that Inspiration Works has established itself as the clear number three supplier of electronic learning items, behind global giants VTech and Leapfrog. “We’re sometimes perceived as operating ‘under the radar’” admits David, “but we believe we deserve recognition for what we’ve achieved. There’s room for everyone, and it’s important for us all to sell the category as a whole, so that retailers give it more shelf and catalogue space.” Licensing plays a pivotal role across the range, and Inspiration Works has developed a reputation for specialising in ‘local’ licences. Hence Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Peppa Pig, Postman Pat, Waybuloo, Ben and Holly and Tatty Teddy are all represented alongside global brands such as Disney Princess and Scooby Doo. Recognition for the company’s performance in the licensing sector came when Inspiration Works won the award for Best Written / Learning range at last year’s Licensing Awards, and the company is among the short-listed finalists in the category again this year. “This is quite an achievement when you consider the calibre of company we are competing with , “ says Tracey. “We have established great relationships with all the key licensing companies, “continues David “ and we’ll have several major announcements about new properties which we’ll be introducing into the range for 2012 over the coming weeks.” We’ll bring you more news on these developments in future editions of Toy World.
Meccano unveils Tintin movie vehicles
August 10, 2011 -- Meccano is using its 100 years of expertise and mastery of metal to create model replicas of three of the vehicles from the highly anticipated film, “The Adventures of Tintin,” which opens in the UK on 26 October 2011. The models are due for release in the UK, France and Benelux in October. In its
desire for precision and verisimilitude, Meccano has paid very close attention to the detail of the replica vehicles from the film, creating three beautiful models from its traditional metal nuts and bolts construction. The models include a Seaplane (320 pieces), a 4 x 4 vehicle (270 pieces), and the Unicorn sailing ship (630 pieces), all of which figure prominently in the film. The models are priced from £29.99-49.99 These replicas are particularly suitable for children from eight years but will equally appeal to older Tintin enthusiasts, and will
take pride of place in any display. The three construction sets will be manufactured by Meccano in Calais, France.
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