gamesandpuzzles viewpoint
Toy World talked to Adrian Whyles, general manager at University Games, about the company’s offering in Games and Puzzles.
How do you feel the Games and Puzzles market is faring so far in 2012? There is still an important place for board games; we have a healthy order book, and sales have been encouraging in this quieter time of year. We’re not big into puzzles, but licences are driving those sales.
Which retail channels are performing particularly well for University Games (The Majors? Indies? Online?)? Online has become part of ‘the Majors’! We have quite a nice spread across most sectors. The trade has been generally very supportive.
How can retailers maximise on the category in the run-up to Christmas? It’s the old story of making sure they have stock. We all know the market is tough, and suppliers as well as retailers will be cautious. Unfortunately, with the lead times, it means potential out of stocks if there’s no joint commitment. There will be the inevitable promotional craziness, too.
Are there any significant new trends emerging this year? I’m not sure there is too much that is significant… apart from ‘Pointless’, of course.
What impact has the growth of apps and social gaming had on the board games category? The category seems to be holding steady, so I’m not sure there is much effect. Of course, there have been attempts to combine apps and board games, and the theory is great, but I’m not sure it works in practice.
How important is it for you to have a ‘hit’ game such as Pointless in your portfolio? For us, it is important University Games becomes a recognised name, and a successful licence to help us on our way is most welcome.
Is it getting harder for smaller games companies to compete with the market leaders? We don’t have the marketing budgets on a comparable level, so I’m sure we lose out in some instances, but we have proven our games sell. Look at recent NPD data and retailers are taking note and supporting us. I can’t ask for more than that, although I do.
70 Toyworld
Toy World talks to Foye Pascoe, country manager at Hasbro UK and Ireland, about Hasbro’s lines in the Games and
Puzzle category.
How is Hasbro’s share of the Games and Puzzles category holding up? Hasbro UK had a very fast start to the year in gaming, and we still have a lot more to come. We have a wide variety of offerings in the gaming arena that will be launching this Autumn, including new products within our key brands like Monopoly, some fantastic partnerships such as our tie-up with Britney Spears and Twister Dance and focusing on our new boy-targeted Connect 4 range.
Are there any significant new themes emerging this year? There is a step change in gaming, bringing to the forefront not only the hottest licensed brands that consumers are interacting with in product development, but utilising themes within marketing relevant to today’s consumers such as celebrity partnerships. Social gaming continues to emerge as an important area within the overall gaming category, and Hasbro continues to develop a wide variety of gaming options for children and families. We are excited about our 2012 launches that are keeping with these trends, such as Twister Dance with the Britney Spears partnership, a new way to play Monopoly with Monopoly Millionaire and the new line of Zynga face-to-face games.
What impact has the growth of apps and social gaming had on the board games category? Apps and social gaming have provided a unique opportunity to bring the fans of digital game-play into physical games. Our strategic alliance with Zynga has enabled us to bring consumers an exciting face-to-face experience with games they love, such as Words with Friends. For the first time, players will be able to play Zynga games with family and friends online and face- to-face. Each Hasbro Zynga game includes both a physical and digital game value, making the offering at retail truly unique for the Gaming aisle.
As the market leader, what is Hasbro doing to drive sales in Q4? We will continue to drive our brands with powerful and innovative marketing programmes, that will support a wide range of product and brand offerings with our wide portfolio. Multi-channel marketing campaigns are becoming increasingly more relevant, particularly as digital gaming and the social- sphere have become more important to consumers.
Has the new segmentation of your games range been a success? Our new segmentation has just rolled out, so we expect to see the full results this coming Autumn/Winter. Retailers have been very positive about our catalogue and in-store executions of the segmentation so far. Segmenting gaming in a way that makes it easier to shop for the purchaser and more fun for the consumer will enhance the category. Gaming has so much to learn from toys, where fun environments are the norm. Why should gaming miss out?
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108