Crazy for it
Every generation has them, they’re inescapable. Playground Crazes sweep the nation; and toy retailers reap the benefits. So what are the secrets behind this formidable category? Tom Roberts reports...
B
eyond the new subject matter being taught in the classroom, there’s always the burning question of what attracts attention at break-times; which collectables are hot
property, what is hot to swap? Industry commentators often note that nobody really knows why crazes come into existence; marketing, advertising and cross-media experience can create a buzz about something, but in the end it is the children who decide what craze comes next. To truly appreciate a playground craze
there is nothing better than personal experience. For me and my school friends, it was Pogs, endless amounts of Pogs. Break- times would be consumed with Pog battles, and the wins and losses were exhilarating. You lost a few, tried to win them back, lost some more, won some more. You swapped with friends, you handed them over to the bigger kids. It’s the essence of a craze: the need to have the things that everyone else has. For the retailers, it’s the need to make sure that kids spend pocket money on them regularly.
I spoke to a number of key players in this category, and asked them what they thought about Playground Crazes as a category and what makes it such an important one. Martin Grossman, managing director of H Grossman, said: “This category is nothing like it used to be 10-15 years ago when the retail prices of the craze items were around £1 to £1.50, and were mainly sold through newsagents and corner shops. Items like Yo Balls and Alien Eggs flew out of these places. Nowadays, craze items are around £4 and
“Kids determine the popularity of the product. You can advertise ‘til doomsday and not make them buy more.”
this reduces the volume and puts it into the realm of the major retailers. “Crazes exemplify collectability,
affordability, and something that captures the imagination and gives the kids something they want to collect or enables them to learn a new skill. Some have genuine play value that they can perfect and show off; like the yo-yo.” Ben Harper, UK Director of Magic Box, commented: “It’s performing very well, I think it’s pretty clear that this has been one of the outstanding categories in the toy industry over the last few years and this shows no sign of changing in the near future. Manufacturers from across the toy market are introducing new products and ranges all the time; this gives retailers a chance to create a really strong and interesting range and gives consumers a lot of choice. As specialists in this market, we must work
harder to really make our products stand out from the crowd. We believe that we are still able to do this via the strength and innovation of our brands, the exceptional value for money that we offer versus the market, and of course via very strong marketing and awareness campaigns.” According to Louise Ramplin,
entertainment marketing manager at Topps:
“Playground Crazes are incredibly popular for a wide range of reasons. Products retail at pocket-money prices, are hugely collectable and are aided by the popularity of the licences. Essentially, the swap and trade element of collectable products works incredibly well to boost popularity, alongside the fact that children use the products as playground currency.” Michelle Goodisson, marketing manager at
Vivid Imaginations, added: “This is a hot area for Vivid, home to Moshi Monsters. Over 21 million Moshlings are already in the hands of children all over the UK and Autumn/Winter 2012 sees the introduction of the much anticipated Series 4 Moshi Monsters Blind Bags to be released for Back to School with 24 all new characters.” The name of the game is how retailers can make the most out of this category; retailers need to know when crazes are in force. By noting what kids are asking for they can capitalise. I asked our experts how they thought retailers could use this category to its full potential. Domenico D’Altilia, sports marketing manager at Topps, said: “If a retailer is selling lots of Moshi Monsters magazines for example, they are likely to sell lots of Moshi Monsters trading cards as a result, and similarly, if they are seeing high
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