news newsanalysis:
A big year ahead Simon Newbery, managing director of Orchard Toys, talks to Toy World editor Tom Roberts about how the company set up and its plans for 2014.
Can you give me a brief history of how Orchard Toys was set up, and how it came to be in its current incarnation. The company was founded by Keith Harvey in 1971, who realised there was a market for the resources he had been producing to support his wife Margaret in the running of her nursery. Keith gradually grew the business, but the emphasis remained on developing quality educational products for children. In 2004 Keith sold the company to his son-in-law Hugh Beevor, and in 2006 it was relocated to it current head office in Norfolk.
The company relocated to Norfolk in 2006 to a purpose-built factory and office complex. How has this affected the business to date? The move to Norfolk allowed us to assess where we were as a business and brand, and more importantly where we wanted to be in the following years. The purpose-built factory and the introduction of a number of new members of staff following the move allowed us to improve the processes and structures within the company to facilitate the growth that has followed. Without the move, the re- structure and the introduction of fresh ideas, this and future growth would not have been possible.
What are the company’s key product launches for 2014? We launch a minimum of 10 new Orchard Toys-branded products each year, which are developed in line with gaps in the market, our range and demands from consumers. 2014 is a big year for us in terms of our age two years plus range which we see as a key growth area in the sector; recently launched items into that range include New Baby Lotto and Farmyard Friends games. Further product launches will follow in April and August.
What sort of marketing support/retail support will these products receive? Throughout the year we maintain a steady flow of marketing to raise awareness of the brand and support our customers in selling new and existing lines. When we launch new lines, we support this with above-the-line consumer advertising in key parenting press, social media, email campaigns, PR, advertorials and consumer competitions. Our social media platforms are vital to us in giving us instant consumer feedback and reactions on the new lines, and, along with blogger reviews of our new lines from our brand ambassadors, are key to marketing the new lines. We also provide retailers with POS packs and specific collateral promoting the new lines to display in store.
What can we expect to see from the company in the future? We will continue to create new products that challenge and develop young minds, but equally important, we will remain true to our values of providing the best product and service possible at an affordable price. We are committed to serving all our customers to the highest possible standards, while building awareness of the Orchard Toys brand to drive consumers to those customers.
14 Toyworld
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University Games announces acquisition of Briarpatch
University Games will acquire the assets of Briarpatch of Essex, New Jersey. John Donofrio, co-founder of Briarpatch, will join University Games in a consulting role. The merger will increase University Games’ domestic revenue by approximately 20%. University Games will now have a larger selection of pre-school games and will be a one-stop shop for licensed literary games. Additionally, the Briarpatch licences will augment University Games’ Colorforms business. Plans are in place to make the transition as seamless as possible for retailers and consumers. University Games will begin to ship Briarpatch products in mid-March. The Briarpatch acquisition is the ninth for University Games since 1994.
Growth award for The Entertainer
The Entertainer received the Zolfo Cooper Growth Retailer of the Year award at the Oracle Retail Week Awards, after driving profits and expansion in the wake of the economic downturn. Despite the rapid expansion of the business, both domestic and overseas, managing director
Gary Grant says growth has not been “gung ho”, and that caution has been key to success. The family home is still used as collateral against business loans and that has kept him focused. He says: “I’ve had to put my heart and soul into the business. I’ve worked long hours but it’s no different from any other entrepreneur.” The Entertainer remains a family-run business and Gary Grant still leads from the front as managing director. His two eldest sons, Stuart and Duncan, have joined as buying director and multichannel director respectively. Gary has also committed to donating 10% of the retailer’s profits to charitable causes. Payments to charity reached £500,000 in 2012/13, up from £200,000 in the previous year.
K’Nex and Bloodhound at the Big Bang Fair
The Big Bang Fair at Birmingham’s NEC saw thousands of students taking part in the K’Nex Bloodhound Racing Challenge. The Racing Challenge marks the first in a series of partnered activities for K’Nex and the Bloodhound Project and provided powerful exposure for K’Nex. Hosted by world land speed record challengers, the Bloodhound team, the activity saw children use K’Nex to build their own super cars. Their creations were put to the test in races on the Bloodhound stand to compete for K’Nex prizes. The K’Nex team also carried out sampling at the event to enable children to continue building at home. Aiming to encourage young people to develop a passion for careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), the Big Bang Fair attracted around 60,000 attendees including students, teachers and parents. The 13.5-metre-long Bloodhound show car provided an eye- catching centre piece to the event. Alison Hubbard, K’Nex UK head of marketing, said: “The largest event of its kind in the UK, the
Big Bang Fair provided a great platform for us to showcase K’Nex to a huge audience of children who have a passion for exploring engineering and science. We were delighted to support the Bloodhound team in their Racing Challenge and there could not have been a better backdrop to inspire children to think about their ‘K’Nex big build’ than the incredible Bloodhound SSC show car.”
Rathbone Media and Pepagon merge
The merger will form RP2, a media and brand communications agency which will bring the media strategy, planning and buying of Rathbone Perception Media, into a combined offering with Pepagon’s brand, product and creative offering, working across both new and existing clients. RP2 will be based in Rathbone Perception Media’s offices in Chelmsford, as the Pepagon team moves in to the same building.
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