TOMY_Toy World_Vertical Ads_60x285mm_X4.pdf 1 05/12/2013
08:38 viewpoint Richard
grown up in an on-demand world.” The article points out that children today expect to
Gottlieb Global Toy Experts
A window in their pockets: kids in control
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
In March of this year, I published an interview with Elie Dekel, president of Saban Brands, in which he asked the questions: “How do we as providers play with children who walk around with a screen in their pocket? How do we connect with children who can access play and entertainment on demand? How does the storytelling industry deal with these children as they morph into 18-34 year olds who expect ever richer, deeper and broader brand extensions?” That insightful quote from Elie came to mind this
week when I read a fascinating article by Brian Stelter of The New York Times entitled “Same Time, Same Channel? TV Woos Kids Who Can’t Wait.” Here is the opening paragraph: “When Eric Nelson’s 6-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and 10-year-old son, Asa, discover that they cannot rewind or fast-forward a TV show, they are perplexed, and their father is too. It is hard to explain the limitations of live television to children who have
control their media and not be controlled by it. They expect to be able to watch what they want, when they want. The whole idea that one has to watch what the network wants you to watch, when they want you to watch it, is very…well…20th Century. Those who are feeding children’s expectations of on-demand watching are new media companies like Amazon and Netflix, which provide programming on streaming video. Disney, Nintendo, Wii U and others are getting in on the act as well. Even the networks are following suit by providing shows online before they appear on television. One of the interesting keys to why media on demand is so popular with children is that, according to the article, kids are “natural binge viewers”. They like to see the same show or character over and over. In fact, according to Amazon, 65% of the most-
replayed programmes on its streaming service, Prime Instant Video, are shows for children. Within the Amazon Kindle’s subscription service for children ages three years to eight called FreeTime Unlimited, nearly half of all video views are second-, third- or fourth-time views.” Whether you approve of binge viewing or not, it seems to me that streaming video is cementing itself as the keystone of transmedia storytelling. If getting children to become deeply engaged fans of your intellectual property is your goal then providing availability on an all-you-can-eat basis is a solid strategy.
David
Ripley Chief Operating Officer of Winning Moves
Keep calm and remain profitable
Number 1 Infant
Toy Brand 56 Toyworld
Another year over and a new one just begun…. The period of rest between peak annual trading and peak buy planning for toy retailers and suppliers has just passed – blink and you will have missed it. Many buyers and sellers will have boarded a plane to
the Far East on the 1st Jan, just hours into the New Year and a little more than 10 days after the busiest toy retail week in the UK. The treadmill of international trade shows, line
previews and factory visits will extend from now into late February. Culminating typically in March with retailers signing off their respective Christmas toy ranges and a while later kick-starting their PR
machines by declaring the top 5, 10, 12 or 20 toys for 2014 (or 2013 over-buys depending on how cynical you are). On balance, peak UK retail toy trading activity in Q4
was relatively calm, a few retailers undertook tactical response campaigns to neutralise competitor activity, but by and large the forecasted deep discounting on toys failed to materialise for any significant period of time. Retail end caps and promotional offers were also
refreshed more frequently and the re-emergence of the WIGIG offer (When It›s Gone It›s Gone) also made for a range of exciting retail promotions in the main season. The current Tesco non-food offer was built on the
back of WIGIG promotions in the mid ‘90s - remember the Levi promotions and ensuing legal fights? This time it was Asda who took the lead with their Black Friday event. It probably influenced a similar Tesco event, just weeks later. These promotional highlights aside, it is still
proving tough for the high street with the British Retail Consortium recently highlighting the continued structural shift in retail purchasing habits from the shops. November alone was 4.2% down on a year earlier with slower declines ‘Out of Town’ at -2.1% and Shopping Centres at minus 1% year on year. The 2013 full year online sales figures from NPD should make interesting reading.
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