ToyFair2013
Mecanno Sue Barratt
The fantastic response we’ve had to our new licenses – Gears of War, Sonic the Hedgehog and Rabbids – in the second half of 2012 has been very welcome. It’s clear that both retailers and consumers have been reinvigorated by the high-quality licenses with which we have partnered, as well as the quality, authenticity, play value and creativity of the models themselves. The Construction category seems to be enjoying
resurgence in popularity, so interest in Meccano continues to be good. Our perennially popular core ranges, such as metal Multi Models – which is, as the name suggests a collection of components that build into anything from two to fifty different models - continue to perform really strongly as they are the embodiment of the brand, appealing to nostalgic purchasers, as well as enticing new, younger modelers to pick up Meccano. In October we held a new product launch event
for press and our licensing and retail partners to launch Gears of War, Sonic the Hedgehog and Rabbids at Namco Funscape, in the old County Hall building on the Southbank. It was a fantastic evening, despite the heavens opening. This was good old PR at its best, with the
opportunity to meet face-to-face with our target consumer and trade media in a venue that pressed all the right buttons with our target audience. The buzz we got – particularly the gaming and online media – was fantastic and we have made really strong relationships (and achieved great coverage!) with what for us was a totally new media segment. In a sense it actually made us feel vindicated in our choice of licenses and we’re looking forward to extending these ranges in 2013. Watch out for a completely new range that
we’ll be revealing at Toy Fair called Evolution. It’s a collection of highly detailed and technically advanced model vehicles that will really capture the imagination of modellers young and old. We’ll be running a high profile TV and press
advertising campaign, combined with in-store branded point of sale and media relations, all of which will underpin the launch of our newest range in the second half of 2013. Two words: the economy. The Chancellor’s
Autumn Statement points to an even more protracted period of austerity, which is really bad news for everyone. Given the battering the high street has received over the last four years, this really wasn’t what anyone wanted to hear. Rightly, consumers are expecting even more for their hard earned money, in terms of value and quality, and discounting is here to stay. As manufacturers we have to develop ranges with this in mind, whilst being acutely aware of rising costs of materials and labour. Quite simply, it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better!
128 Toyworld
Jumbo Gray Richmond
iPieces. Since our launch at Toy Fair, response from consumers at The Gadget Show Live, and support from retail, has been tremendous. We have won numerous awards so are delighted how this new innovative range has performed, and we are excited about further brand developments in 2013. Soccersuckers, a new football collectible, featuring players from the top clubs, we are really excited about launching. It will be showcased on our stand at London Toy Fair for the first time. Something Special is a new license for us, and one that has been highly anticipated by parents having been such a popular show for so long. I think it’s going to be massive. It will be interesting to see what licenses succeed in 2013. We are fortunate to have some very
strong licenses and are always looking for the next big thing. However it takes longer for licenses to establish themselves and that can be a challenging at retail as new properties may not be given the opportunity over evergreen titles that historically sell well. I don’t think we will ever see a Peppa Pig scenario again where it was given time to grow and build before becoming as huge as it is now. Licenses seem to need to prove themselves immediately or they don’t make it through to another year. It’s a real shame and also makes it even tougher than ever when choosing licenses to back.
Playmobil Jamie Dickinson
One of the big successes for Playmobil this year has been the Pirates range, particularly the Pirate Ship. There’s incredible attention to detail, firing weapons and lots of characters, so that children can have exciting adventures on stormy seas. Another outstanding product has been the Pool with Waterslide, which is our bestselling product of the year, having sold double what it did last year when it first launched. We’re seeing that children love recreating the holidays and as such, our holiday – and leisure – themed toys have been very popular with children. The new Police range is the one to look out for next year. Emergency services are always a strong theme and this new launch has lots of exciting new elements including a full fleet of vehicles, interrogation room, and even a helicopter, should prisoners escape. The new Western range, arriving in April is sure to be a lot of fun. There’s everything you need for an action-packed Wild West adventure, and builds on the 2012 Take Along Western City, which proved to be very popular with children. Alongside this, the Hotel range is set to do very well. It is an excellent addition to the Leisure and
Harbour ranges and takes it to the next level by providing the full holiday experience. We have high hopes for 2013. It is important to remain positive, as a lot of people will still be gloomy about finances, but 2012 is shaping up to be Playmobil’s best year ever in the UK so we will be looking to build on this in 2013.
LeapFrog Samantha Harris
2012 has been another great year for LeapFrog with so many highlights to choose from, but one thing that really stands out for me is the launch of LeapPad2 and LeapsterGS and the subsequent success of both devices. Now the UK’s Number one toy (UK NPD, YTD Week 47 2012), LeapPad2 has been one of our most successful (and fun) launches to date. LeapFrog has ended a successful year on a high, growing by 33% year on year and breaking into the top ten toy manufacturer list by value of goods sold for the first time. LeapFrog will be adding to its portfolio of award-winning educational toys by launching a range of brand new products across all three categories – multimedia, reading systems and infant toys – during Toy Fair 2013 including two new additions to the Touch Magic range. These pioneering products are set to be bigger and better than ever before.
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