NEWS ANALYSIS
Drumond Park expects ‘very good’ Christmas
Launch of LOGO Billionaire and its free gaming app will attract an even bigger audience, company says
By Billy Langsworthy
DRUMOND PARK is looking forward to a good
Christmas off the back of the release of LOGO Billionaire and the launch of the official app. “I’m pleased to say that 2013 is shaping up really well, with our trade sales objectives for this year’s new products running to plan, and exceeding our expectations,” Drumond Park marketing director Claire McCool explained to ToyNews.
“This is the crucial time
of year in terms of getting our catalogue distribution in place correctly. I am happy to say that given the level of support we are getting from the key buyers, for all the games on our roster, Christmas is looking very good.” The release of its free
LOGO Billionaire app is a move the firm hopes will engage it with a wider audience, and despite it being free and the first app for Drumond Park, the company has high hopes “It’s significant in that this is the one and only Official LOGO board game app, and the first app we have released. There is no doubt that it is going to fly,” added McCool. “We are not, however, looking to make money out of it at this point. It is being utilised solely to our and the trade’s benefit as an
‘Appen can change
fortunes of app toys’ Flair believes it can help app-based toys build on its current 0.5 per cent share of the total market
FLAIR IS CONFIDENT it has an answer to the industry’s concerns around app toys in Appen. From GP Tech, the
product uses a free app to allow children to write and colour on a tablet, using a silicone nib as a pen, joystick and learning aid. Flair believes it is the
This is our first ever app. There’s no doubt it’s going to fly Claire McCool, Drumond Park
important sales aid within our pre-Christmas publicity programme for all the LOGO games. “We are now able to appeal to a wide, multi- generational and spectrum of gamers. Both ‘traditional’ board game players who already love the LOGO concept, and also to an additional level of players who like to play electronically.” Following the release, Drumond Park is now considering giving the same treatment to its other properties. “We will, of course, be considering producing more apps for the most popular of both our existing titles as well as some of the family and adult titles in the pipeline for next year,” said McCool.
“All our gameplay is
created in-house, so we are able to ensure that the in- app experience reflects the most important and appealing game aspects.” Beyond Christmas, McCool is confident the firm can continue the momentum of this year. “We launch five or six
children’s, family and adult titles, ready for the Christmas market, each year, and will continue to do so for the 2014 season. “We have LOGO
Billionaire, Mask ‘n’ Ask, the Bubble Buster Kazoo Game, Wordsearch Junior and the New Catch Phrase TV Show game. Things are looking good for Drumond Park, certainly for the foreseeable future.” Drumond Park: 01473 322000
product to finally give app- based toys the same success that other tech products have experienced in recent years. “Lloyd Melnick, a US industry expert on gaming and related markets, suggests that until Skylanders broke the mould the trouble with new launches was that the items were toys first, with technology bolted on,” Flair marketing services director Lindsay Hardy told ToyNews. “The experience and
interaction between toy and screen wasn’t very good and consumers and retailers were disappointed by the results in 2012.
“As a consequence app
toys have made a lot of people in the toy industry very nervous. “And NPD figures in the UK to June 2013, show App Toys made up 0.5 per cent of the total market sales, which isn’t huge,” continued Hardy. But she believes the Appen’s early success is helping warm the industry to what remains a niche category. “It’s doing really well at
retail, and at the end of the day, good retail sales will calm the jitters. “With Appen, we believe that the physical and digital worlds are brought together in a very seamless and fun way,” continued Hardy. “Lots of parents use their tablets to keep children amused, and this has lots of gameplay for £14.99. We have exciting ranges in this area coming in late 2013 and early 2014 so watch this space.” Flair: 020 8643 0320
12 October
www.toynews–
online.biz
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