face-to-face
Talking Teksta!
Character has quite a history in youth electronics, having successfully introduced both Robosapien and Roboraptor nine years ago, but it’s been a while since the company has launched anything new. Why now? Character has a successful history in launching youth electronic products. The key to success in this sector is offering a great toy at the right price and Teksta more than fits the bill. From the moment we saw it we knew we were looking a product that was truly innovative, delivered great play value and all at a realistic £59.99 retail price.
We remember Teksta from the late nineties, and it was hugely successful then, do you expect a similar reaction this time round? Yes we do. The new Teksta retains all the key features that made the original a major success, but in addition, brand new contemporary styling and the innovative use of new technology will take this version to a whole new level. All kids love puppies, and Teksta will be available in pink and blue styling to appeal to both boys and girls.
What makes Teksta so special? On every level it’s a great toy. Teksta is an eight- week-old, untrained puppy; the more you play and train Teksta, the more features you will discover. A remote control is no longer required; he has cutting edge, hand gesture technology that allows you to command Teksta to stop, sit and perform his spectacular back flip. He responds to your voice, physical gestures, lights, sounds and even an app on your smart device. Teksta will even fall asleep at night and will wake up happy to greet you in the morning, just like a real pup.
So what can we expect from the launch? Toy Fair was a great opener for our launch plans. The new Teksta garnered an excellent reaction both from the retailers and the media. We were also over the moon to gain recognition from the Gadget Show Live and Toy Fair Awards. But now is the time that we have to introduce him to the nation and we have some big plans in place. As soon as Teksta arrives in the UK in late
July, TV, print and online campaigns will begin. Our aim is that by the time the kids go back to school everyone will know, love and want Teksta. The heavyweight TV schedule starts with a new commercial all about ‘a day in the life of Teksta’ and his or her new owner. This is something that every child can relate to and they will relish training their own Teksta into becoming the cleverest puppy in the world, as well as a canine superhero that can even jump from the edge of space.”
Jump from space? Really?! Absolutely. To appeal to a child’s need for a hero, there’s going to be a globally publicised space jump. This is a great PR story and preparations are already underway. A special capsule is being created and he will literally parachute to earth from the edge of orbit! We believe a lot of global media attention will result from Teksta being the first robotic puppy in space. We will also have a full blown puppy media tour and to start awareness ahead of schedule, Teksta will be making an appearance on all four days of the Mums Show Live exhibition in May. With Teksta’s incredible space stunt and the
training he requires to reach his destiny, this is definitely a toy story to watch out for this Autumn.
Teksta, the robotic super-pup which was unveiled at London Toy Fair, is just two months from launch and represents a re-emergence for Character Options in the youth electronics sector. Toy World spoke to Character’s marketing director Jerry Healy about the impending launch.
Jerry Healy marketing director, Character
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