Vol. 28, No. 3 May/June 2012
Vol. 28, No. 3
Licensing Show 2012
May/June 2012
ASTRA’s Marketplace
page 92
page S14
A
ccording to The NPD Group, licensed toys sales represent about one quarter of total toy sales each year, but licensing’s impact varies by toy category. Action figures and accessories are most reliant on licensing, and the performance of the category ebbs and flows with the release slate and state of licensed properties. Conversely, arts and crafts is the least reliant upon licenses, with only 10 percent of sales coming from licensed toys.
page 10
page 19
Chatting with the Industry
page S6
Science Toys
page S62
table of contents Published by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.®
May/June 2012
Volume 28, Number 3 www.toybook.com
Page 16
Departments Publisher’s Viewpoint Page 8
Features
P UBLISHER Jonathan Samet jsamet@adventurepub.com
TV and Toys: The Best Marriage Ever
E DITOR IN C HIEF Jackie Breyer jbreyer@toybook.com
Page 90
Stat Shot
A SSOCIATE E DITOR Melissa Tinklepaugh mtinklepaugh@licensingbook.com
The European Toy Market Large, but Fragmented
Page 10
TIA Perspectives
Page 112
Page 12
International Toy Industry Snapshots
Industry Update
E DITORIAL A SSISTANT Leah Rocketto lrocketto@adventurepub.com
Page 114
Page 14
Moms’ Shopping Trends Page 16
A SSISTANT E DITOR Sierra McCleary-Harris smcclearyharris@toybook.com
The Consumer Speaks: Data Is Not a Plaything
E DITORIAL I NTERN Ali Mierzejewski
Page 118
C ONTRIBUTING E DITORS Elizabeth Reid, Meagan Walker
Raising the Bar Page 116
A DVERTISING D IRECTOR Diana Veach dveach@adventurepub.com
Licensing Show 2012
Flashback: May/June 1992 Page 122
P RODUCTION D IRECTOR Anthony K. Guardiola aguardiola@adventurepub.com
Page 92
C ONTROLLER /O FFICE M ANAGER Robert Forde rforde@adventurepub.com
Specialty Toys & Gifts: Page 19 Five Truths of Managing Retail Employees Page S71
New Pag e S2 s
Page S2
ASTRA Marketplace
Science Kits Explore New Boundaries Page S62
Chatting with the Industry Editor ’s Pag Page S6 e
Page S14
Med ia C Page enter S70
ce ts i h g v i r s Se ’s InS4 A r R e T AS Page omPage S69 t s Cu
U.S. Corporate Headquarters Laurie Schacht, President laurieschacht@aol.com
Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® 307 Seventh Ave., #1601 New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510 Fax: (212) 575-4521
Member, International Toy Magazine Association
Publisher’s
Viewpoint
The Changing Face of Retail Jonathan Samet publisher
T
arget recently decided to stop selling Amazon’s Kindle e-readers. In addition, earlier this year, Target executives sent a letter to vendors that stated: “What we aren’t willing to do is let online-only retailers use our brick-andmortar stores as a showroom for their products and undercut our prices.” What this represents is the ongoing battle in the “changing face of retail.” Brick-and-mortar retailers continue to battle online-only retailers for consumer traffic, and then, ultimately, for the final purchase. Onlineonly retailers are often able to undercut prices as they do not have the added overhead costs in terms of store rents and salaries. In addition, brick-andmortar retailers are required to carry certain levels of inventory, while online retailers often utilize independent retailers to handle fulfillment, minimizing their inventory exposure. In this changing retail environment, how can brick-and-mortar continue to succeed in driving consumer traffic, and, ultimately, make the sale? The battle I reference above is between two retail giants, but the same issues exist for independent specialty retailers. As many of us convene at the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, held this year from June 10-12 in Baltimore,
8 • THE TOY BOOK
this is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed and quickly adapted to. The issue of “how to drive consumers to your retail stores” has always been a topic of discussion, but now the question is: “Once you drive them to the water, how do you make them drink your water?” For years, there have been websites that offer price shopping comparisons, which did not allow for immediate action while in a physical store. But with the ever-growing library of apps, consumers with a smartphone or tablet can now use a brick-and-mortar store as a showroom. They can simply scan the barcode of an item while they are in a store and find where it may be selling cheaper. This is the issue that Target addresses in the letter cited above, but it affects every retailer and manufacturer. Statistics state that as many as one out of two people now carry a smartphone, and based on Samsung’s and Apple’s reports of shipping more than 80 million smartphones in Q1, this trend is not slowing down. So what do you plan to do to address and adapt to the issues above? Please do not think this is “just a trend” or that it will go away. If you are attending the
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, a good place to start might be by attending ASTRA’s seminars and talking to other retailers. The beauty of what differs between the example above of Target and Amazon being competing retailers, and independent retailers, is that independent retailers doing business in different markets should not perceive each other as competitors, but should be willing to share information on how to succeed in the ever-changing retail marketplace. So, as you prepare for the ASTRA show, as well as every day of your life moving forward, address and adapt. ■
MAY/JUNE 2012
S TAT S HOT
Internet Now Prevalently Used for Shopping , Shopped Online in the Past 12 Months, by Category (percent of U.S. respondents ages 18+) In response to the question: When was the last time you shopped (i.e. researched or browsed) online for each product type listed here? (Select one for each product type).
Source: The NPD Group/E-Commerce Market Overview
Licensing’s Impact Varies by Toy Category
“Licensed toy sales represent about one quarter of total toy sales each year, but how licensing impacts different kinds of toys is really interesting. Here, you can see that action figures and accessories is the supercategory that is most reliant on licensing, and the performance of the supercategory ebbs and flows with the release slate and state of licensed properties. Conversely, arts and crafts is the supercategory least reliant upon licenses, with only 10 percent of sales coming from licensed toys.” —Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group
Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service
10 • THE TOY BOOK
MAY/JUNE 2012
Toy Industry Association Perspectives
The Toy Industry Takes Messages to Politicians by Kristin Morency, Toy Industry Association
W
ith the 2012 election year well underway, “emotional
legislative, regulatory, and commercial arenas in Washington,
issues” related to children are being spotlighted by po-
throughout the states, and internationally, as well as among re-
litical candidates, many of whom are not tuned into the
tailers. A number of jurisdictions have implemented or are con-
toy industry’s hard work to regularly maintain and update safety
sidering Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements
standards that have been in place for decades. The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is doing its part to help pre-
(which require manufacturers to accept returned products at the end of their useful life); minimum recycled content and/or recy-
vent a constant influx of overlapping and duplicative bills.
clability levels or limits on specific packaging materials; “life-cycle
Through regular outreach, state and federal policymakers are
thinking,” a specific mandate in the California “Green Chemistry”
being educated about the toy industry’s unwavering commitment
legislation; and voluntary “green labeling” programs. In general,
to children’s safety and are often becoming allies in efforts to as-
TIA and its members inform legislators that narrow requirements
sure the well-being of these young consumers.
that are not risk-based are design restrictive, costly, and provide
TIA-hosted events, such as the annual California Toy Day in
no quantifiable benefits, and requirements that are not aligned (or
Sacramento (April) and the Washington, D.C. Fly-In (May), provide
are redundant) between various markets or various retailers cre-
toy industry stakeholders with an exclusive opportunity to engage
ate unnecessary costs and hinder trade.
directly with influential policymakers at the state and federal lev-
• INTERNATIONAL TRADE is re-emerging as a key focus area for
els. These visits are vital components of efforts to help reverse any
the toy industry. As global regulatory and legislative threats in-
negative perceptions about the industry that legislators or regula-
crease, so does TIA’s advocacy efforts relating to tariff and trade
tors might bring to the table. They also engage the toy industry in
matters. The association monitors and influences global issues
conversations about how best to meet emerging needs before new
such as global Intellectual Property Rights protection (IPR), piracy
or revised language is suggested that could overlap or duplicate
and counterfeiting, import restrictions, international supply chain
existing stringent measures to keep kids safe.
and border security, and Chinese currency, among many more.
“It is crucially important for members of the toy industry to
• MARKETING
TO
CHILDREN is another fast-rising focus for TIA,
make the time to engage in compelling, face-to-face conversations
particularly in the realm of online privacy, online behavioral ad-
with powerful lawmakers,” says TIA President Carter Keithley.
vertising, and mobile marketing.
“These connections ensure that when new guidelines, regulations,
TIA members must abide by Children’s Online Privacy Protec-
or laws are developed, toy industry stakeholders will be invited to
tion Act (COPPA) rules on all facets of advertising and tracking,
take part in the conversation.” The following are a few highlights from the discussions that took place at this spring’s Fly-In events: • TOXIC CHEMICALS are always at the forefront of public policy
and the association encourages its members to follow the best practices of the self-regulatory bodies concerning behavioral advertising and demographic tracking. TIA communicates to lawmakers the potential negative impact of marketing-related issues
forums. Chemical regulation policy debates over the past decade
on the toy industry due to the increasingly blurred line between
have focused on reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act
online and offline play.
(TSCA), and each year, 10 to 15 states debate broad chemical re-
Toy executives that would like to inform lawmakers of our in-
form packages that would give a state agency authority to regulate
dustry’s commitment to stout safety requirements are invited to
“toxic chemicals” in children’s/consumer products.
participate in TIA’s Fly-In events. For more information, visit
At its Fly-In events, TIA underscored that unique state-specific
events.toyassociation.org. For up-to-date information about the
or overly burdensome federal chemical regulatory programs result
constantly evolving toy safety standards and requirements, such
in complex and costly compliance procedures that do not signifi-
as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and the
cantly increase the safety of toys or children’s products.
recently amended ASTM F963-11 standard on Toy Safety, visit
• ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY issues continue to surface in
12 • THE TOY BOOK
safety.toyassociation.org.
■
MAY/JUNE 2012
Industry Update FanTOYstic Fact
This year marks the 25th anniversary
of Where’s Waldo?, the international icon know for his striped shirt and hiding skills. Created by British illustrator Martin Hanford, the series, originally titled Where’s Wally?, was first published in England in 1987. The books were soon distributed and localized in many countries. To date, more than 58 million books have been sold worldwide, and
DISNEY LAUNCHES WHERE’S MY WATER? MERCHANDISE LINE Disney Mobile and Disney Consumer Products (DCP) have announced the first line of merchandise based on Disney’s mobile game, Where’s My Water? Partners include Hasbro, Jakks Pacific/CDI, and Toys “R” Us. The first wave of Where’s My Water? products will be available at mass retailers nationwide this month. The line features plush and novelty toys, consumer electronics accessories, and apparel and accessories. Jakks and CDI will release plush and figurine versions of Swampy, Allie, and Cranky. The second wave of products, coming this fall, will include a face-to-face game, consumer electronics, stationery, home accessories, and Halloween costumes. Later this year, Swampy will make his online debut in a 12-episode Web series called Where’s My Water?: the Adventures of Swampy. Swampy Plush
the property is licensed in more than 130 countries. In 2009, a re-creation took place in Chicago. A group of locals dressed as Wally, Wanda, Wizard Whitebeard, Odlaw, and Woof; hid throughout downtown Chicago; and invited people to find them. To celebrate 25 years of success, Where’s Waldo? will be launched into the
SAKAR PARTNERS WITH HIT FOR THOMAS & FRIENDS Hit Entertainment and Sakar International have entered into a license agreement that will bring the Thomas & Friends franchise into the consumer electronics space in North America. The license authorizes Sakar to develop, manufacture, and market a collection of branded merchandise ranging from clock radios, walkie talkies, text messengers, and boom boxes to digital cameras, flashlights, and video game and computer accessories. The agreement covers the U.S. and Canada. The first products in the collection will be released early next year.
app world, with releases from Gameloft for Android and Ludia for Apple.
Get the latest toy industry news delivered straight to your inbox each week for free! Subscribe to The Toy Book’s Toy Report. Just send an email request to subscribe@adventurepub.com, and add that address to your address book to ensure delivery. For up-to-the-minute news, follow The Toy Book on Twitter: twitter.com/ToyBook, and “like” The Toy Book on Facebook: facebook.com/TheToyBook. Visit our blog at www.toybook.com.
14 • THE TOY BOOK
RUBIE’S HAS COSTUMES FOR SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN Rubie’s Costume Company, Inc. has partnered with Universal Partnerships & Licensing to produce licensed costumes and accessories for Snow White and the Huntsman, in theaters June 1. In this exclusive costume collection, each character comes to life with a distinctive ensemble reminiscent of the role portrayed on the big screen. From the queen’s dress with molded skull trim to Snow White’s armor and gauntlets, each costume incorporates unique elements that are specific to the film. The costume collection also includes the Huntsman, with coordinating accessories such as swords, shields, hatchets, and daggers. The Snow White and the Huntsman costume collection will be available for Halloween of this year.
AWKWARDFAMILYPHOTOS.COM PARTNERS WITH ALL THINGS EQUAL Game company All Things Equal debuted a puzzle collection and picture frame kit based on the website AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com at the recent National Stationery Show, held in New York City last month. The Awkward Family Photos puzzles feature an awkward 999-piece count and form a collage of the website’s most popular images. The puzzles are made from 100-percent recycled paperboard and include a bonus mini-game pack. Four titles are available.
MAY/JUNE 2012
Moms’ Shopping Trends: Credit: Totsy and BSM Media
T
otsy (www.totsy.com), the private sale site dedicated to delivering deals on must-haves for parents, babies, and kids, released its second annual Moms’ Shopping Trends Report, an independently conducted nationally representative survey unveiling how motherhood shapes women’s purchasing decisions. BSM Media surveyed 1,978 moms from March 16–March 30. Two surveys were provided. The first survey included questions regarding the impact of the recovering economy, the emotions behind moms’ purchases, buying for kids, and sale site purchasing statistics. The second survey included questions regarding how categories like beauty, home and furnishings, education and development, media and marketing, travel, and shopping when expecting play into spending. Generations surveyed include Generation Y: 18-25 years old; Generation XY Cusp: 26-35 years old; Generation X: 36-45 years old; and Baby Boomers: 46-55+ years old. The statistics below are a samBreakdown by generation of moms who made more ple of the survey’s results. than half of their toy/game purchases through private sales sites
12%
Online shopping
Which online sales sites do moms use?
21 percent of moms 11 percent of moms
16 • THE TOY BOOK
3%
When asked what tactics they’ve learned to make travel more convenient, 91 percent of moms polled said they purchased products designed for traveling with kids; 20 percent buy items online for shipment to the destination. What are moms’ favorite travel helpers?
How often do moms travel away from home for more than two days with their kids? 58 percent of moms
5%
en er at i m on o Y G m en s Cu era sp tio m nX om Y G s en er at i m on om X Ba by s Bo o m me om r s
46% Totsy
75% Groupon
8%
G
Travel
41% Zulily
Percentages of moms
75 percent of moms sometimes purchase items from online sales sites. Approximately 14 percent always—and 10 percent never—purchase from online sales sites. The majority of moms polled bought up to 30 percent of their total children’s purchases from online sales sites last year.
Once or twice per year
Three to four times per year More than four times per year
Computers and electronics
45%
Favorite toys or video games
25%
Travel products
12%
Books
12%
Favorite foods
11% Percentage of moms
MAY/JUNE 2012
2012 Report Takeaways Economy: Even though the economic downturn occurred four years ago, 79 percent of moms adopted new shopping techniques that they will continue to use. Only 5 percent said this recessionary period did not impact their shopping habits and never will.
8% 12%
What skills do moms covet most for their kids?
57% 42%
Baby Boomer moms seemed to think that analytical and problem-solving skills were more important for their children than their younger counterparts.
41%
Percentage of moms
17.4% 11.8%
At hl Sk etic ill s
M ul ed tilin uc gu at al io n
in te ra So ct cia io l ns
Baby Boomer moms Gen XY Cusp moms
Gen X moms Gen Y moms
How much of their discretionary income would moms be willing to devote to their child’s education if they knew the products would be effective?
65 percent of moms said they spent within the range of 1-30 percent.
21-30% 21 percent of moms voted 21-30 percent
More than 50% 100%
3%
Percentage of income they spend
MAY/JUNE 2012
8%
89 percent of moms said ages newborn to 5 were the most important years to foster a child’s development, with ages 3 to 5 being ranked the highest priority with 56 percent of the vote.
How much of their discretionary income do they actually spend on child education?
6-10%
17%
When is it most important to learn?
23%
co R m ead pr in eh g en an si d on
Percentage of moms who ranked skill as highest priority
Education
17.9%
Which moms value analytical and problem-solving skills more?
19 percent of moms voted more than 50 percent
5 percent of moms said they would spend it all One bag represents 10 percent of discretionary income
THE TOY BOOK • 17
MAY/JUNE 2012
T HE D EFINITIVE I NFORMATION S OURCE
FOR THE
T OY
AND
G IFT M ERCHANT
I
Specialty Makes a Splash n this issue of The Toy Book, we expand our focus on the specialty toy industry and, in particular, the new lineup of toys and kids’ products being exhibited at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy. We shine a spotlight on specialty products across all toy categories, with a goal of highlighting the new items you should consider carrying in your store this fall. Check out our coverage of the show, beginning on page S14. My favorite part of this issue is our annual Chatting with the Industry Q&A. If you are an ASTRA Marketplace attendee, you realize the value of chatting with other members of the industry to find out what’s selling, and to pick up some marketing and merchandising tips. In this year’s Q&A, we talk with specialty retailers and manufacturers about how retailers are driving customers to their stores, and how they are engaging them once they’ve stepped inside. We also discuss marketing and the importance of social
media, online retailing, and trends that will affect the specialty toy business in the year ahead. Turn to page S6 to check it out. We also give special attention to the science category in this issue. When I was a kid, I had a chemistry set with lots of mysterious chemicals to experiment with. It was very technical, and while I Jackie Breyer, enjoyed playing chemist, it was a far cry from the editor in chief options available to kids today. Science toys and kits have come a long way over the years, with options available for kids of all ages to have fun while learning. Turn to page S62 for a look at trends in the science category, and then check out the latest products that will have kids clamoring for science toys. ●
ON THE COVER: THIS BAT CAPE IS PART OF THE BABY COLLECTION FROM CREATIVE EDUCATION OF CANADA’S GREAT PRETENDERS DRESSUP COSTUME LINE. VISIT WWW.CREATIVE-EDU.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.
NEWS BRENTWOOD LICENSING
TO
REPRESENT BUCKLEYBOO
Brentwood Licensing, LLC has been hired by the BuckleyBoo Company to represent the company’s award-winning developmental toys and buckle concept for licensing and custom designs. BuckleyBoo offers children 18 months to 4 years old a developmental toy using different buckles as an engaging learning tool. The concept of the buckles can be expanded to other toys, books, backpacks, and more. BuckleyBoo will be available for licensing for the first time at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
BEAU JAMES, DIRECTOR
OF
COROLLE, STEPS DOWN
Specialty doll manufacturer Corolle announces the departure of Beau James, director of Corolle North America, effective June 4. James joined Corolle in 1996. Mathilde Dezalys will replace James as the managing director. James will continue his position as president of The Beau James Group and To Market, To Market. “Serving as Director of Corolle North America for the past 16 years has been an honor and a privilege,” says James. “It is time for me to step aside and for Corolle’s new managing director, Mathilde Dezalys, to assemble her own team of professionals that will take the company to a new level, inspired by her remarkable passion and vision. I look forward to watching with pride as the company I have truly considered as family continues to grow and prosper.”
50 FIFTY PARTNERS
FOR
CHUCKLE BUDDIES
50 Fifty HK, known for the original Chuckle Buddies electronic rollover plush and unique novelty toys and gag gifts, has transferred U.S. domestic distribution from Jumpin Banana to Daron World Wide Trading, Inc. of Fairfield, N.J. Daron, a leader in collectible and toy replica airplanes, has a strong presence in the toy, hobby, and gift channels. The lines naturally complement each other, allowing greater offerings to the specialty and independent retailers. Jumpin Banana, the former U.S. distributor, has closed its doors.
S2
MAY/JUNE 2012
ASTRA’S INSIGHTS
I
Prepare for the Fourth Quarter Holiday Planning Checklist by Kathleen McHugh, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA)
t may be June, but for many specialty toy retailers, the fourth quarter begins when they walk into Marketplace & Academy, the annual convention and trade show of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA). Not only is Marketplace & Academy an opportunity to learn cutting edge retail strategies from speakers and network with fellow store owners, it is also a source for new specialty products that can make your store a destination at holiday time. So it’s a great time to shape the “vision” that will result in profits at year end. The earlier you plan, the more you can integrate your buying, promotion, and publicity efforts into a profitable package that effectively markets your store in the fourth quarter. Here is a quick checklist for planning you can do now that will pay off later this year: • Find products that differentiate your store. For a strong holiday season, you need products that give moms, dads, grandparents, and other toy buyers a reason to walk into your store. You know the competition—big box mass marketers and aggressive Internet price slashers—so you need to find some appealing new products that neither will have this year. ASTRA attracts old manufacturers that offer robust show-only discounts and new exhibitors who display “never-been-seen” products. • Learn from the best in the business. ASTRA provides a full educational program, and participating in these sessions is a great way to recharge your retailing tool box with new sales strategies. • Get ideas from your peers. The creativity of ASTRA retailers is legendary. As an ASTRA member, you have multiple opportunities to share ideas with your fellow retailers, whether it’s at Marketplace & Academy, through ASTRA’s online discussion groups, or by calling another member. • Build your store’s media list. Media coverage of your store is priceless, especially around the holidays when consumers pay more attention to toy news stories. To get this coverage, you need an up-to-date media contact list. You probably know about the local media, but you may be surprised at how your customers receive information. The Internet, particularly mommy blogs, has become a go-to source for parenting information, in-
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
S4
cluding advice on where to shop. Ask your customers what channels they watch on TV; what radio stations they listen to; what newspapers, magazines, and blogs they read; and where they go to find toy ideas for their children. Once you see the trends, you can find the names and contact information for these outlets on the Internet. • Use Neighborhood Toy Store Day and Best Toys for Kids as holiday sales tools. Neighborhood Toy Store Day, held on the second Saturday in November, promotes the advantages of shopping at an independent, locally owned specialty toy store. The idea is to inform consumers, both nationally and in local ASTRA markets, about the specialty difference. ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids program works hand-in-hand with Neighborhood Toy Store Day by providing a newsworthy announcement on that day that will interest mommy bloggers and local reporters who cover family and community issues. ASTRA supports both programs with a national media campaign, press release templates for retailers, point-of-purchase signage, and a professionally designed four-color Best Toys for Kids flyer (with optional store imprint) suitable for direct mail, newspaper inserts, co-op mailings, and other marketing outreach. Since the event coincides with the holiday season, it’s the ideal time to get your name out there. • Feature a charity tie-in. There are many ways that support of a local charity can be a win-win for you and the nonprofit. It gives you a story to tell in your local media, it can encourage sales in your store (for example, a promotion that gives a percentage of sales to the charity), and the nonprofit organization can encourage families it serves to support your store. Good choices for charity partners include preschools, child care centers, and other organizations that have the same target audience that you do: parents with young children. There’s something special about specialty. It’s in the quality of the toys, the expertise of specialty toy retailers, and the service that specialty toy stores provide. One big key to successful retailing is to make sure your target audience knows this and is motivated by the difference. Now is the time to get your strategy, products, and message together, and ASTRA is here to help. For more information, visit www.astratoy.org. ●
MAY/JUNE 2012
Chatting with the Industry Specialty Toys & Gifts spoke with specialty manufacturers and retailers to get their take on marketing, merchandising, and distribution strategies; industry trends; and how they keep their customers happy. Jonny Girson owner, The Learning Tree
Prairie Village, Kan.
Tim Holliday owner, Children’s World Sarasota, Fla.
Tim Kimber owner and president, PlaSmart, Inc.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Who is your target consumer, and how do you engage them in your store? Towles: Those who are thoughtful about the things they buy. They put effort into what they pick out, and seek unique and special items. We engage them with knowledge (both about product and child development). We want to let them know the provenance of what we carry. The more info we have, the better they feel.
Holliday: Our target consumers are mothers and grandparents. We engage them in our store by following a sales process that is proven to work. This process starts with a greeting; continues on with dialogue about them, their family, and so on to help us get to know them and their needs; and then it goes to product information and demos, which we are big believers in. We also do specific in-store play days and other events to draw people into the store, so people do not feel like they have to come in just to buy something. We also have a U.S. Post Office inside our store, which we operate. We engage the customers from the post office while they are in line, by playing games with them, demoing product, and providing information about our store. The hope, of course, is to convert these postal customers into toy customers. And with free gift wrapping and instore shipping, we make it about as convenient as it gets to take care of gift shopping, especially for those from out of the area.
S6
How do you differentiate your store to attract and keep customers? Girson: Our targeted consumer and customer are possibly two different individuals. The consumer is anyone, though primarily children, who plays with toys. The customer is anyone who will buy a toy for “the consumer.” I would say our typical customer falls into two main categories: adults ages 25-49 buying for their kids, nieces, nephews, and kids’ friends. The second, but growing, market is the grandparent: adults ages 50-75. We engage both groups by having an incredible staff who relate well with our customers. They’ve been hired to develop a relationship with the customers. We educate our customers with friendly staff and many open demos where we can explain the features and benefits of what we sell. What do you see as the major trends affecting your business in the year ahead? Kimber: The major trend that we witnessed last year was the shift of business from specialty retailers and mass merchants to online shopping. We expect that this will continue into the coming year, as we have seen just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of online platforms. Customers enjoy shopping online; it allows them to compare prices easily, find their desired item quickly, and have their purchases shipped right to their door. However, the novelty of toy stores re-
MAY/JUNE 2012
mains; they are places where children, parents, and grandparents want to go to discover and enjoy toys. Online retailers offer convenience, but visiting a toy store is a fun thing to do, and offers a unique experience that is difficult to recreate online. Retailers should not be daunted by the emergence of online shops; rather, they should exploit the trends exposed by the online world, and use them to harness the qualities and benefits that make them unique.
Nathanson: I think a big trend this year will be toys and games that offer a variety of ways to play, as well as different levels of play, allowing children to grow along with products. This is paramount to us and is reflected in all our current and upcoming games. We also expect and hope to see more of the “less is more” philosophy that we practice when it comes to packaging.
Rywolt: Building distribution: we are attracting new customers in a broad range of retail categories, mostly stores looking to meet the impulse needs of new or casual players. Even better still, our existing customers are getting on board with our new “Yo to Pro” program, carrying a deeper selection of Yomega items to meet the needs of the people coming to their stores. They are finding they can sell three or four models to the same customer if they have yo-yos for increasing skill levels on hand. “Hot Pockets”: There are specific communities around the U.S. that are jump-starting interest in active play and skill toys. Whole towns are nurturing fun alternatives to sedentary play. Suburbs around Atlanta, New York/New Jersey, Michigan, and northern California seem to have embraced yo-yos and skill toys; it’s really been fun to watch. Quality, not quantity: It sounds cliché, but we’re seeing that even in tougher economic times, people want good value over just “cheap.” They are more than willing to spend
MAY/JUNE 2012
a bit more to get a high-quality, high-performance yo-yo at a fair price. They realize that a $3 yo-yo is not a good deal at any price if you are looking for a good play experience or to increase your skills. If anything, the party favor and low-priced yo-yos out there only perpetuate an old stereotype of the category. When a retailer says “my customers won’t pay $10 for a yo-yo” and then only sells $3 pieces, they are limiting that customer, the category, and their own sales potential.
Quercia: End consumers are going back to the basics of wooden toys to help educate and develop their children’s minds at an affordable price. This is a trend that Hape is definitely benefitting from because we provide all of it in every aspect. To stay competitive in the industry, you have to be able to also provide something unique that sets your company apart. Hape’s product and development team is based in Europe, America, and Asia. The combination gives us an edge by providing quality toys with different perspectives.
Towles: Stiffer competition from Internet flash sites and big box stores. Devaluing of some core brands due to price slashing via Amazon. Growth of importance of “buy local” campaigns.
Rena Nathanson CEO, Bananagrams, Inc.
David Quercia vice president, Hape Int’l, Inc.
Todd Rywolt president, Yomega Corp.
Girson: The Internet, the fact that it’s an election year, and the economy.
Holliday: I believe that old-fashioned, knowledgeable service is something that more and more people are looking for. The Internet will never go away, but there is a lot of rumbling about shopping local, supporting your neighborhood businesses, shopping small, and so on. Of course, we promote all of those things too, as they are what we are all about. Big businesses, whether the big box or the big Internet company, may get a lot of the news and
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Claudia Towles owner, aMuse Toys Baltimore, Md.
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Chatting with the Industry such, but at the end of the day, it’s the small businesses that really contribute to the bottom line of the communities they serve. Our business has been fortunate enough to have survived a lot of different economic climates, as we have been around since 1964. God willing, we will continue to change where we have to, but still provide the type of service that we are known for, and be a part of our community for many years to come. What are you doing to drive consumers to your store, not only during the holidays, but throughout the year? Holliday: In addition to the free play days that we do every other week, and our in-store post office, we are involved in a number of things that give us visibility in the community. We have employees who are involved with Boy Scouts, which gives us good publicity. We have adopted a local park, which the employees keep clean. We work with a local Christian radio station, where we answer phones during their pledge drive. We also work with Goodwill, where we set up display tables at their events, and I am an ambassador for them, which is good for them and us. With Easter Seals, we sponsored the DesignSense international design competition for the design of a toy or aid for those with sensory disabilities. This event was new this year, and we all agreed that it was so good, and has such good potential, that it is now going to be an annual event. In addition to these things, we publish an information-based newsletter via email, and we do a lot of things on our Facebook page. Both of these are used to keep engaged with customers when they are not in the store.
Girson: We’ve been a member of The Good Toy Group since its inception. We send out four catalogs a year to an ever-growing mailing list. We also try to send out about two emails a month and use Facebook and Twitter as often as we can.
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We have in-store events and participate in or sponsor many school activities and events. We have been a sponsor of our local PBS TV station for more than 10 years—advice I received from a fellow ASTRA retailer many years ago. We donate toys and gift certificates to numerous local organizations whose main purpose is to improve the lives and development of children.
aMuse Toys
Towles: In-store events. We host local authors, such as Puck (123 Baltimore) and Ellen Lupton (D.I.Y Kids). We partner with key vendors (Haba, Tegu, Blue Orange Games) to create special events: family game nights (Game University), Tegu Mobility Truck (Tegu Block Party). We also work with local non-profits (Casey Cares, Baltimore Child Abuse Center, Waterfront Partnerships) in furthering community awareness of their mission by hosting fundraising events, which we heavily promote through social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, bloggers, etc.) and to the press. What marketing channels are most successful to you? How do you use them? Kimber: We have found trade shows to be very successful marketing tools, allowing us to show-
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case products to a wide, but targeted, audience of toy retailers. Trade shows are used as an opportunity to present new items, receive instant feedback, and be able to present each item hands-on. It is always invigorating to see positive reactions to both new releases and to our classic products. It has been our experience that email newsletters are also very effective marketing tools used to update our entire customer base of new arrivals, specials, and other product-related news.
Nathanson: We have been very fortunate that word of mouth has been, and continues to be, a very successful channel for us. One person plays one of our games with four or five others, and they all want the game after playing it. Additionally, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media tools are a great way for us to engage with our customers and for our fans to engage with one another. We want to hear what our audience thinks so we can factor that into our new products, as well as to improve upon our existing ones. And quite frankly, nothing makes us happier than to see all the photos of creative and witty Bananagrams crosswords that people send our way.
Quercia: Hape launched an aggressive marketing campaign for 2012 to re-brand and market our products. The market has taken notice, and we have received phenomenal feedback and are benefiting from the increase in sales. The trade shows have also been helpful. They’re a great tool to gauge how the economy is doing based on the attendees and the orders we receive. Hape will have attended more than 50 shows by the end of the year. It all comes down to the parents who buy the toys, the kids who want to play with them, and whether they are all talking highly of the product. That’s why Hape is very involved with mom bloggers and toy testing with kindergartens. Word of mouth is still very effective.
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Chatting with the Industry Rywolt: The most effective marketing element for us is the in-store experience. Yo-yos and skill toys are a highly demonstrable category, and stores with a good yo-yo or kendama player on staff will drive much stronger sales. Demonstration videos can help capture this, though not as well as hands-on experience. We created Yo to Pro countertop display units that explain the various levels of yo-yo as simply as possible, showing where each of our yo-yos fits on that scale. We also created simple icons for our packaging to explain the features and benefits. This should take a lot of guesswork out of yo-yos for retailers and consumers, who in the past found the category to be over complicated. Social media is helping us create a relationship with our fans and new players. We share information almost daily on Facebook, Twitter, and our new company website. This allows us to get almost instantaneous feedback from our most passionate customers. It also gives us a forum to reach players in emerging markets in Europe, Asia, and South America, which have been more challenging to reach in the past. Trade publications and subscriber email blasts have been good tools for us to communicate our new products, packaging, and sales programs directly to specialty retailers. They provide an opportunity to share new messages and reinforce our branding.
some of our products, our play days, and other things that are interesting and let our customers get to know us better. Beyond that, we spend a lot of time making sure that we have all of our events publicized the best way that we can. This is one of the main reasons we do these events. We get them listed on several Internet event calendars, in a couple of local event publications, and some additional places. This has helped spread our reputation and bring in new prospects.
What types of consumer outreach garner the strongest response for your store? Are you utilizing online options in addition to traditional newspaper ads/flyers? Holliday: We do not really do traditional newspaper ads or flyers. We focus our attention on our email list for our informational newsletter. This provides parenting tips, fun facts, and other things that we get good feedback from. We also focus our attention on our Facebook page, which we use to engage our customers and prospects in fun ways with information about
Towles: aMuse has a significant social media presence. Our blog (www.amusetoysblog.com) reaches customers from around the world, as well as around the corner. We use that space to offer our expertise and provide readers—both current and potential customers—an insight to our mission of deliverying beautiful, purposeful play while showcasing many of our retail and community partners. Underwriting on our local public radio station (WYPR) is something we not only enjoy doing (supporting public radio),
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but also serves to put us in front of our key demographic: intelligent, thoughtful, and loyal consumers. What is your distribution strategy when it comes to specialty? Quercia: Hape is committed to the specialty market because it is where the end consumers have one-on-one interactions with the retailers. The stores usually have a strong community presence and exceptional service, and cater to their customers. Hape has different product lines to fit a large variety of markets, from the small boutique stores, to the craft and educational stores, as well as zoos, museums, and aquariums. We are behind our product 100 percent, and our customers, the retailers, know that. I personally conduct sales training with the Hape sales team, as well as with the sales reps, to convey the message of Hape’s products. Kimber: We strive to provide product differentiation by offering items to the specialty market initially and exclusively for a limited time. We appreciate the unique experience that speciality retailers offer customers, and we want to encourage this by offering them unique product and first-to-market items.
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Nathanson: We have always had incredible support from the independents and mom and pop stores. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their loyalty and belief in our products. So our strategy, if you could call it that, is to treat everyone like family; assume the best and you get the best.
Rywolt: We manage larger specialty customers in-house, and work closely with a wide network of sales reps for the balance. Good reps offer specific expertise and relationships that our small internal team can’t replicate. We maintain an active
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Chatting with the Industry relationship with our reps, taking their advice on what is working and what needs to change. We also try to join them for meetings with buyers when possible, because ultimately we have the deepest knowledge and passion for the product. It makes for the strongest possible presentations. Are you utilizing online retailing to grow your business? Are you selling products direct to consumers, or through an affiliate, such as Amazon? Towles: We have an e-commerce website. At the moment it represents a small percentage of yearly sales. We are currently in the middle of changing our site to be completely integrated with the point of sale system used in our store fronts (MerchantOS), allowing us to manage site inventory more effectively and have an online presence that better represents our brand.
consumers are demanding. We know that people are now factoring in the environment when it comes to their standard of living and even when it comes to buying toys for their children or loved ones. Consumers, especially first-time parents, are now more educated about the quality and the safety standards of toys. So Hape wants to make sure that the toys are safely produced as well as safe for the environment. All of our products are produced with water-based paint and we have several collections that are produced with FSC wood. We are aiming in the very near future to have all of our toys 100-percent environmentally friendly.
Holliday: We do not actively sell any toys on our website. Our site is used for informational purposes only. The only online sales we have are from Children’s World our participation with the Shopatron network, and from customers who Girson: From time to time we see various may or may not have went to our site, but call us “buzz-words” or “hot topics” coming up in our to have us pick out a gift and either ship, or have industry. Though our customers are more aware ready for them to pick up. Just yesterday, we had of environmentally friendly toys, I believe that a person call in, and we took care of three birth- for the most part this is only one factor in their day gifts that our staff picked, all over the process of choosing which toys to buy. A couple phone. The customer came in today, picked up of years ago, “green” was very in. Now it’s just their gifts, and was on their way. another available category, as is “Made in America.” Though many would like to buy Is there a greater demand from your customers green toys, or those made in the U.S., pricing is for environmentally friendly toys? Are they be- usually more of an overriding factor in the decoming a bigger part of your product mix? cision-making process. Quercia: Hape not only agrees that it’s better to “go green,” but we want to provide what the end What would you like to see toy manufacturers
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do differently to cater to you and your customers’ needs? Holliday: Toy manufacturers can help us in several ways, some of which we are seeing more activity on recently, which is nice. Specifically, having and enforcing a MAP (minimum advertised pricing) policy, free demos, low minimum orders (especially to try new product), shipping on time (not being backordered for extended periods), and free or reduced cost items to support play days, as this is a great way to get manufacturers’ products in front of customers.
Towles: Back to basics. Foster a healthy retailer-manufacturer relationship that empowers stores to further their brands’ market penetration. Provide retailers with well-written and professional-looking marketing materials to share with staff and consumers. Help retailers become true brand ambassadors. Be more transparent about distribution plans. Are they specialty only? Will they be dropping inventory on flash sites or big box stores at any point during the coming year? Do they have MAP policies? Will they enforce them? With more information, we can make more informed choices about what we choose to carry. Are you seeing an increase in technology-driven toys in your store? Do you feel that tablets and app-based products will have a greater importance for holiday 2012? Girson: Yes, I do see an increase in technologydriven toys, but have to say, I still think, in the big scheme of things, toys are far more valuable when kids are using their own imagination and creativity rather than having the electronics do all the thinking for them. That’s not to say we
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have our heads in the sand and refuse to embrace technology. I am selective, and will only bring in product that falls within my general selection criteria of quality, usefulness, longevity, and value. We are waiting for some tablet appbased games to come in. Though I expect to sell a fair amount, I do not see technology-driven products being a major percentage of what we sell in the foreseeable future. How do you keep abreast of the latest trends in the toy industry? Quercia: Being in this competitive industry, you have no choice but to stay on top of your game. Whether it’s information that I receive from renowned designers and inventors, to the feedback from my customers of what items are
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selling in their stores, or witnessing which trendy toys the kids are playing with these days, it’s all useful knowledge that helps me keep up with the industry. It also helps that Hape is a member of several toy associations, so I take advantage of the benefits that come along with having those memberships; read all the newsletters and magazines, attend networking events, and most of all, keep in touch with other members.
Rywolt: We read publications like The Toy Book and the ASTRA newsletter regularly, and get our up-to-the-minute news fix from online sources. Another great resource are the toy fan pages on Facebook, where companies share their latest introductions and you get to see and
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read the immediate reactions of their fans. Nathanson: It’s a combination of reading trade resources, listening at all the toy/game and trade fairs, and talking with our customers, both retail and consumers. Kimber: In order to keep tuned into the pulse of the consumer base and the industry itself, we rely on websites and newsletters for information. We are always networking within the industry, with industry events and trade shows becoming the cornerstones of many productive relationships. These elements are all tied together by memberships in industry associations. We rely on ASTRA, NSSEA, and TIA to keep us in the loop. ●
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Bananagrams Heads to the Olympics The classic word game BANANAGRAMS launches a London 2012 edition this year. The London 2012 version stays true to the classic game while including five additional colored “joker” tiles featuring various Olympic sport pictograms. The fast and fun anagram tile game requires no pencil, paper, or board, and comes in a portable banana-shaped pouch. The game is appropriate for children ages 7 and up. Bananagrams also introduces supersized versions of its games with Jumbo Bananagrams and Jumbo Zip-It. The Jumbo version of Bananagrams is a blown-up version of the original game, while Jumbo Zip-It is a large-scale edition of the two-player crossword race that can be played in as little as 20 seconds.
Bananagrams London 2012
All Aboard! Tomy Chugs Ahead The Chuggington Wooden Railway system, from TOMY, adds more characters to its collectible lineup of engines, as well as feature-packed starter train sets, buildings, and tunnels at key price points. All are made with classic, high-quality wood construction, which is compatible with other major wooden railway toys. Little conductors can really control the rails with the Chuggington Wooden Railway Lights & Sounds Signal Gate. The slide lever with drop-down stop sign and red and green signal lights lets engines know when it’s their turn to stop and their turn to ride the rails. The two-in-one Rotating Rising Tower features a four-way riser that rotates 360 degrees to build the ultimate Chuggington Wooden Railway layout. The rustic-looking Old Town Turntable is sure to spin up some fun. Crank the knob to spin the gears and steer the chuggers in new directions. The tunnel cap can be used on the turntable or removed and set up anywhere along the Wooden Railway track for added tunnel play. New friends and old favorites are featured in this year’s Chuggington Wooden Railway Engines lineup, including Harrison, Chatsworth, Action Chugger, Frostini, Hoot & Toot, Speedy McAllister, Action Chugger Mobile Command Car, Piper, Skylar, and Decka; as well as Engine 2 packs including Fuel Cars, Monkey Cars, Dino and Camera Cars, Snow Struck Wilson, Koko’s New Look, and Brewster’s Booster. Chuggington Wooden Railway Lights & Sounds Signal Gate
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Perfectly sized for long car or plane rides, SMART/TANGOES USA’s IQ Twist can keep kids ages 6 and older entertained for hours
Speed Along with Eitech
Live in the fast lane with the Eitech Radio Control Jeep with LED Lights Construction Set. For ages 8 and up, this set has a two-way remote control, more than 400 steel parts, and tools. Large tires give traction, and blue and red LED lights make the vehicle seem more realistic. Follow the easy step-by-step instructions or make an original creation.
Play Smart with PlaSmart This year marks the 10th anniversary of PLASMART’s PlasmaCar, the mechanical marvel that makes use of the cleanest and most inexhaustible energy source on earth: kid-power. For ages 3 and up, the PlasmaCar is very durable and can handle a load of up to 120 pounds on a rough, flat surface, and 220 pounds on a smooth, flat surface, so parents can have fun too. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the PlasmaCar line is expanding with cool features and upgrade accessories, including the PlasmaCar Pro model, the PlasmaWheel, and PlasmaCar Sticker Sets. The PlasmaBike is a pedal-free balance bicycle with a unique shape that provides children a more stable ride than traditional bikes. For ages 18 months and up, the PlasmaBike is comfortably high and easy to propel, and it has recessed but reasonably wide-spaced wheels for maneuverability and balance. The internal bearing system of its wheels ensures a safe and smooth ride, allowing progressive speeding while learning to avoid obstacles and hazards. Free from cables, chains, and pedals, PlasmaBike has a sleek design and helps build bike-riding confidence at an early stage. PlaSmart also offers Perplexus Twist, a 4-D marble maze game. Perplexus Twist is designed to challenge and excite players ages 6 and up with the addition of a new “twist”—a new feature that requires a player to twist and realign the PlasmaCar tracks to escape traps, decoys, and cliffhangers. The Perplexus line of 3-D and 4-D marble maze games has players maneuver a small marble around challenging barriers inside a large-sized transparent sphere. Unlike traditional flat-surface mazes that are composed of one path, Perplexus challenges players with numerous paths to choose from and dozens of barriers to overcome. Players can race each other or the clock. Perplexus is a great tool for cognitive development, encouraging children to exercise their problem-solving, motor, and dexterity skills, as well as improving their hand-eye coordination. Perplexus Twist
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Stay Timely with OMNICOR The Wikki Stix Birthday Calendar never goes out of date. This perpetual calendar is a colorful way to make note of birthdays, anniversaries, and all those important dates that are the same year after year. The calendar includes 24 Wikki Stix so kids can make a picture to top off each month. Ideas and illustrations are included.
Neat-Oh! Keeps It Cool Blossom Bags Backpacks and Lunch Boxes, from NEAT-OH!, feature fashionable flower blossoms decorating the exterior and soft straps for comfort. They are great for school, play, or travel. The backpacks have a padded backside for support. The backpack’s front pocket organizer and side pockets fit a water bottle and MP3 player. It has a durable polyester woven fabric interior and two main compartments for books and papers. Neat-Oh!’s Sports Lunch Boxes are complete game changers for the outdated lunch box. Pull out your lunch, fresh and safe from the elements, from a lunch sack decorated with sports images, including soccer, basketball, hockey, and football. The lunch box is insulated to keep food cold and has two compartments to keep the heavier items from crushing the lighter items. Another addition to Neat-Oh!’s food management line is the Picnic Lunch Box Assortment. The line comes in four themes: Carmen Cat, Denzel Dog, Clyde Cow, and Penny Pig. Unzip the lunch box to find not only your lunch, but a small place mat, too. The mat lays flat and wipes clean with a damp cloth for spills and crumbs. Each of Neat-Oh’s lunch boxes will keep food cold for up to seven hours. The ZipBin Full Throttle Space Bring Along Backpack is convenient for holding toys, books, lunch boxes, or clothes. The backpack comes with soft sides and adjustable straps for easy carrying, and the play set portion includes one space shuttle and one plastic astronaut. The surface wipes clean with a damp cloth. Blossom Bags Backpacks and Lunch Boxes The ZipBin Dinosaur Explorer Day Tote Playset has an earthy tone with beautiful artwork and prehistoric creatures all over. With a soft side and a handle on top, the tote is convenient to carry. It also holds lunch or school supplies and is great for field trips or camp. When unzipped it becomes a play mat or place mat that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. The super-light set weighs less than one pound and includes two dinosaurs. Bring your farm animals everywhere with the ZipBin Farmland Bring Along Backpack. Open the tractor flap to find a barn with a hayloft ready for the adventures that await. When it’s time to turn in, zip up your backpack and toys, and store it for another day. The backpack comes with soft sides and adjustable straps for easy carrying, and the play set includes two farm toys.
ZipBin Full Throttle Space Bring Along Backpack
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Perfectly sized for long car or plane rides, SMART/TANGOES USA’s IQ Twist can keep kids ages 6 and older entertained for hours
Go Mad for Matryoshka Madness
MATRYOSHKA MADNESS introduces six new Micro-Matryoshka designs. These cute and collectible six-piece mini nesting dolls are now available in 12 character themes, including ninjas, apes, bugs, bunnies, angels, and penguins. The dolls measure in height from 3.25 inches to just .75 inches. With Paper-Matryoshkas, children are now able to craft their own set of nesting dolls that really do nest with just scissors and glue. This craft kit includes templates for each of the five dolls printed on high-quality stock. The completed dolls make a great display, or can be used as individual gift boxes. The kit provides a craft project for children of all ages, with a little help from a parent. Micro-Matryoshka, Ninjas
The Orb Factory Has Sticky Style Floating on Cloud b
THE ORB FACTORY’s Stick’n Style Fashion Bag comes with more than 200 sparkling jewel pieces. Kids can follow the numbered legend and add sparkling jewels to this metallic fashion bag. The kit is designed for ages 5 and up and comes with an adjustable strap. The Orb Factory also introduces Sticky Mosaics KeepSake Boxes. The kit includes one jewelry box with a mirror, a ballerina story, and more than 550 sparkling tiles and jewels. Kids can follow the numbered legend and add sparkling jewels to make three special boxes. Each box features a different princess along with her animal friend.
CLOUD B introduces Tranquil Turtle to highlight its new Tranquil Lagoon collection, which is designed to help children sleep safely and soundly through the night. Tranquil Turtle is the first Cloud b product that combines both sight and sound features in one soft, soothing character. The Turtle transforms any room into a peaceful seaside oasis. Glowing in a relaxing aquamarine or amethyst color, the shell projects an underwater light effect with a gentle wave motion and plays the soothing sounds of ocean waves and undersea melodies. The total effect provides for a calm and relaxing environment, giving children a peaceful night’s sleep. Tranquil Turtle features a 23-minute sleep timer with auto shut-off, and includes an illustrated storybook, adoption certificate, and endangered sea animals guide.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Folkmanis Serves Up Little Piggies New from FOLKMANIS, the Pill Bug Puppet has segments that overlap and can roll up into a ball. A movable head and buggy legs are ready for crawling and exploring. The Piglet Puppet will sing along with favorite barnyard tunes, zip-line through the forest, or snuggle. Finally, the Rooster Puppet is ready to strut and peck. The Pill Bug Puppet, Piglet Puppet, and Rooster Puppet are recommended for ages 3 and up. Piglet Puppet
The Haywire Group Makes Animal Soup THE HAYWIRE GROUP debuts the Animal Soup Board Game, a mixed-up animal game based on the best-selling book by Todd H. Doodler. Players try to be the first to complete silly animals—such as a birdle (a bird and a turtle) or a croctopus (crocodile + octopus)— by mixing and matching animal tops and bottoms. The Bear in Underwear Backpack Adventure Board Game is a zany, no-reading-required matching game for preschoolers based on another best-selling book by Doodler. It features a 3-D game board, and the box doubles as a playing surface. Players race through the forest trying to help Bear and his furry friends find their lost underwear. The first player to match all the underwear on their card wins the game. Turn out the lights and try to be the last mammal standing with the glow-in-the-dark game Chupacabra. This survival dice game is based on Latin American folklore. Players take turns removing opponents’ animals from their hands based on how many chupacabras are rolled. Be the first to collect all dice in play, but watch out for “Chupacabra Loco” when someone rolls all chupacabras and has the power to take out the largest pack of animals in play. Dicecapades Dice-T is the dice-rolling crossword game where spelling words plus lots of luck equals a win. Players use their dice to complete crosswords, and the first player to complete all of their puzzles earns a bonus. Easy to learn, and challenging to win, Dice-T is a word game designed to keep players on their toes. Robbin’ Eggs is a game of math, memory, and luck. Each egg has a number on the bottom—some positive, some negative. Turn over eggs in an effort to get the sum as close to the rolled number on the die, all while following the sometimes silly rules on your card. If your opponent has a “rob” card, they can steal the egg you need before you can get it. Players try to remember the location of numbers as the game progresses, until another player scrambles the locations with a drawn card. The player with the lowest score at the end wins the game.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Prince Lionheart Gets the Nursery Organized The Modular Diaper Depot (MDD), from PRINCE LIONHEART, is an organizing product for the nursery. It can be used on a flat surface, in a cabinet, or can hang on the changing table. The MDD offers six different configurations so caregivers can customize it for individual changing needs. Use one station to fit a large assortment of diapers and baby toiletries or take it apart for multiple rooms in the home. It is light, durable, and easy to clean and carry. Prince Lionheart’s PlayMat is designed to last through the developmental stages of a child. The PlayMat is designed to cushion and delight babies during tummy time, entertain toddlers for play time, and encourage young learners of all ages to engage and explore. Search for the hidden characters, count the creatures, sound out letters, or master the road.
Get Crafty with Wowopolis
Yomega Lets Kids Customize
Crafting meets coloring in the new Colorgami arts and crafts kits from WOWOPOLIS. Debuting with several thematic sets, including “Space Adventure,” “The Red Carpet Fashion Series,” and “Alphabet Pop-Ups,” each U.S.-made Colorgami kit includes markers and special sheets of perforated craft paper with pop-out characters, accessories, themed environments, and more, for ages 3 and up. When the coloring is finished, the illustrations can be popped out, folded, and constructed into a three-dimensional scene. Puzzle Match combines puzzles and memory games in one patent-pending game designed for kids ages 3-6. Rather than searching for two identical images, kids have to find two halves of a whole image, such as the bottom and top of a seahorse. Once kids find the interlocking pieces, they can assemble them into a giant, beautifully illustrated scene. Through fun, colorful, and challenging play, Puzzle Match helps kids develop cognitive and motor skills, and it reinforces problem solving, abstract thinking, concentration, and memory.
With YOMEGA’s Yo-Mods Customizable Yo-Yo System, players can build their own yo-yos to perform however they wish. Each Yomega Yo-Mod yo-yo includes interchangeable parts to customize performance. Players can swap the return system pads, spacers, and weighted shells to trick out the G-R (green), BX2 (blue), or Pro Speed (black). Change speed or responsiveness by switching the compatible spacers, pads, and bearings. The Yomega Kendama Pro is a professional model based on Yomega’s popular Kendama. The piece is crafted out of wood, making for a better grip and a premium feel. Catch the competition-sized ball on the various sized cups, and then go for the spike, landing the ball on the pointed tip. The game is easy to learn yet difficult to master. It is available in a range of colors. Yo-Mods
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Blast Off with Zing Toys Pump up the action with blasters and rockets from ZING TOYS. The Zing Air Zoom Zooka high-powered air launcher blasts rockets, planes, and suction cup darts over 50 feet. It’s also a super shot, with a quick-fill water blaster that shoots water up to 50 feet. Zing Air Double Shots has two Pop Shotz blasters, for double the fun. Use the six target cans for solo or group play. The Zing Blast Off Zomp Zing Air Zoom Zooka Rocketz features air-powered rockets that reach heights up to 200 feet. Set the launch angle for high arching flights, then slam your foot down to launch. Zing also introduces four items in the Stik’em! line. Stik’em! Air Bow is an air-powered, easy-to-fire bow that blasts rockets and Stik’em! darts more than 55 feet and right on target. The ammo sticks to walls, doors, ceilings, floors, and more. The Stik’em! CrossBow features stealth swing arms that pop open for action and send super-soft Stik’em! darts flying. Built-in ammo clips keep extra ammo at the ready. Stick’em! Throwing Dartz! are safe, soft, sticky darts that will cling to almost anything. Whip them at the wall, floor, ceiling, and more. Get ready for a dart war with Stik’em! 2 Player Dual Pack! Strap on your paddle target and set your own rules. Fling the Grip-Stik rockets, specially designed to stick to almost anything, and try to catch them above your head, behind your back, or on a dive. There are a million ways to play.
Wiggles 3D Puts Fun at the Tip of Your Fingers Fingertips contains three games in one, ideal for preschool and elementary school-age children. WIGGLES 3D, the bright, finger puppet-inspired characters on hand-shaped cards, include lions, penguins, dogs, monkeys, and other familiar images. The game helps build matching skills, hand-eye coordination, and memory skills. Games can be played cooperatively or competitively to match the children’s skill levels and needs. Kids ready to play for speed can rush to make matches quickly. Children who are at a social stage can play at a more relaxed pace. Wiggles 3D has a fun take on alien invasion games with Army vs. Aliens. Choose a side, roll the dice, and rule the world. Can flying saucers and death rays beat out tanks, nukes, and troopers? Find out with Army vs. Aliens. There are 18 custom dice—nine for each team. The handy guides help players plan their battle moves. The game also features two dice cups that snap together to double as a carrying case for portability and play-anywhere fun for ages 8 and up. Also coming soon from Wiggles 3D is Pirates vs. Ninjas. Randomonium is fast-paced and perfect for any crowd, and is designed for two or more players ages 10 and up. Players try to make as many connections between tiles as possible before the timer runs out. They have 20 seconds to link the words on their tiles to the tiles already played. Fellow players, however, decide if a play counts or not. French and Spanish editions are coming soon. For two to four players ages 6 and up, Space Checkers combines the luck of dice with the strategy of checkers. Four races of aliens have discovered Earth. All of them want to invade the planet, and they’re not interested in sharing. The races agree to decide the matter in a space showdown. The winner takes all, with Earth as the prize. Players capture opponents’ flying saucers by jumping over them. The first race to collect any 10 ships wins the game.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Collectible figurines from An Elf’s Story are new from ELF ON THE SHELF. Collectors can fashion their own stories with this durable plastic set featuring scout elves Chippey, Showflake, Wordsworth, and Zart. A Santa Claus figurine is sold separately. An Elf’s Story Easy-to-Read Book is a beautiful re-telling of the Christmas story featuring the McTuttle family and their pixie scout elf, Chippey. An Elf’s Story Book with Sound is also available. Finally, Elf on the Shelf will offer girl elves for Christmas 2012. With pearl earrings, rosy cheeks, and feminine features, the Elf on the Shelf girl is now available with light skin/blue eyes or brown skin/brown eyes.
Perfectly sized for long car or plane rides, SMART/TANGOES USA’s IQ Twist can keep kids ages 6 and older entertained for hours
Small World Toys Is Fashion-Forward
Create music using your body, finger, hand, and even your face with Musical Touch from SMALL WORLD TOYS. Each time you play, you compose new music. Sounds are created when contact between players is made. Make your musical selection—melodies, percussion, or animal sounds—then tap the next player’s hand, arm, or face—the possibilities are endless—and a sound is made. As each player touches one another, melodies begin to form. The faster the players tap each other, the faster the tunes are played. The interactive game features eight classical melodies, seven percussion sounds, and seven animal sounds to be used by two to four players at a time. Design and sew runway fashions with this fully equipped studio for budding fashion designers. Using the Haute Couture Fashion Studio, create outfits for 11-inch fashion dolls using the patterns included. Four mannequins assist while designing, and the studio includes a battery-operated sewing machine, fabric, patterns, trimming, jewels, and thread. Small World also debuts the Build a Three-in-One Digital Camera that users build independently. A webcam, video camera, and a digital camera in one, the kit comes with a USB cable, camera battery, camera strap, and software application. The Green Thumb Garden Set features all the tools needed to be a successful gardener. The garden tote has handles and pockets for accessibility, and the set also comes complete with two shovels, a rake, a spray bottle, a pair of garden gloves, and an apron. Bright colors, bright patterns, and colorful farm animals make Spin-A-Mals Farm Gear an attention grabber. Place the eleven gears on the wooden base, then place the cow, sheep, and dog into one of the openings. Turn the knob and watch the colorful gears spin while the farm animals twirl. With the Dough Food Court, players plan the menu, pick out the dough colors, and start cooking with the dough equipment. Whip up waffles, ice cream, hamburgers, vegetables, hot dogs, and more. The kit comes with an ice cream maker, a roller, a round shape press, 10 jars of assorted colored play dough, a waffle maker, four shape stencils, two plates, four round shape molds, two small ice cream cups, two large ice cream cups, two oval bowls, two food trays, a scoop, a fork, and a modeling tool. Design a boutique and then dress the models with your fashions using Small World Toys’ Tell a Felt Story Fashion Designer. Felt pieces stick like magic and can be used over and over again. The 51-piece set includes a play board, two figures, three shopping bags, a dress stand, a mirror, a sales desk, a sign, a dressing curtain, two hats, two handbags, a hanger, and an assortment of scarves, tops, skirts, dresses, pants, and coats. When finished, the box doubles as a frame.
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Zip Around in Hape’s Zebra Cart The Galloping Zebra Cart, by HAPE, is a balanced cart that provides a sturdy base for pulling up and has a unique design that makes pushing a breeze. The pair of zebras take turns moving up and down as they lead the way. For kids ages 1 and up, the Galloping Zebra Cart features a sturdy 15.6-inch high, natural, white, and orange wood frame with bright green wheels.
Spin and Race with Daydream Toy DAYDREAM TOY introduces Tosy Toop’s Lightning Tops to the U.S. market this summer. The motorized Lightning Tops combine nonstop spinning action with superbright LED lights. Spin the tops on top of one another to make a top tower, spin one on your hand, and spin them on any hard surface. The Lightning Tops are available in a variety of colors and designs. The Tosy Toop was recently certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest running mechanical spinning top with a nonstop spinning time of 24 hours, 35 minutes, and 15 seconds. Daydream also offers the Battling Lightning Top Set, which includes a battle arena, two lightning tops, and two stick controllers. Daydream Toy also introduces ZipDrifters, mini robotic racecars that buzz around in all directions. The movement is powered by bristle-based vibration, and the toys can be raced on the track (included) or on a flat, hard surface. They will move around obstacles and change direction on their own. ZipDrifters are available in single-car sets or double-car sets. Both sets include tracks and replacement batteries. A ZipDrifters Counter Display Unit is also available. It holds a demo set at its base, 12 pieces of the single-car set, and six pieces of the double-car set.
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Get Puzzled with Pressman PRESSMAN TOY CORPORATION has announced a new line of products based on the HarperCollins children’s book series Big Nate. Pressman plans to release games and puzzles at mass and specialty retailers nationwide in July. Pressman will launch a line of products inspired by Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation’s The Smurfs 2, scheduled for release next summer. Pressman Toy’s preschool games and puzzles include a range of memory, action, and board games, as well as floorsized puzzles and puzzles in tins. The products are available for purchase at mass and specialty retailers nationwide.
MAY/JUNE 2012
Trump Them All with Top Trumps With a recently updated website on which kids can immerse themselves in the TOP TRUMPS Universe through online play, Top Trumps announces several new titles to the U.S. market. Top Trumps Moshi Monsters Collectors’ Tins feature characters from the interactive social network and online game. The portable tin is perfect for storing the packs and comes with two exclusive supercards. Top Trumps also offers 30 of the natural Wonders of the World. From the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls to Mount Fuji and the Amazon rainforest, breathtaking images, along with incredible and little-known facts, are included in the Top Trumps Wonders of the World pack. The Top Trumps Countries of the World pack gives kids the chance to travel the length and breadth of the world. Stats include each country’s highest point, its population, and how far it is from Washington, D.C. Beautiful images, maps of the world, and amazing facts are included. In addition, the Top Trumps Doctor Who rights have just been extended to the U.S., and a new pack will be available in the States later this year, just in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Berg’s Got Hot Rides for Kids BERG USA introduces a slew of tricked out ride-ons at ASTRA. First, the Berg Black Edition has custom black fatty tires, black rims, extra large black front fairing, and a black seat and steering wheel. An adjustable seat ensures that this kart is a fit for drivers ages 5 to adult. Riders can pedal forward, coast with the pedals static, pull the hand brake to stop, and pedal in reverse. The Berg Buddy is designed for children 3 to 8 years old and is built to last. New this year, a custom black trailer is available so kids can haul everything they need. Like all Berg pedal go-karts, the Trailer Junior boasts sealed bearings, pneumatic tires, and sturdy construction to withstand the rigors of play. It is compatible with the full line of Buddy karts. Like Ferrari’s new Formula 1 racecar, the Ferrari 150° Italia pedal go-kart has new design elements and sponsor stickers. Made for the young Ferrari enthusiast, this kart is most comfortably driven by a child 3 to 8 years old. This pedal go-kart uses a unique BFR drive system allowing the driver to pedal forward, coast with pedals remaining static, then pedal backward to engage a coaster brake and, once stopped, pedal in reverse. Berg Black Edition
The LiteHawk Whisper Sailboat, from BORGFELDT CANADA, LTD., navigates using 2.4 GHZ spectrum radio technology with carbon fiber mass and ABS hull. The LiteHawk Charger Speedboat lifts out of the water and rides on a cushion of air, hitting speeds of 17 mph. The LiteHawk Zoom Airplane allows for the performing of acrobatic loops using 2.4 GHZ spectrum technology. All three are made for kids ages 3 and up. The LiteHawk II Helicopter has all the features of the Original Litehawk, but has been upgraded with a boost button for a faster flight and in-flight on/off control of the flashing lights. The LiteHawk Duo Helicopter has twin blades, with the same easy control LiteHawk Helicopters are known for, and is available in U.S. Marine Rescue or U.S. Navy Rescue colors. Both are designed for children ages 8 and up.
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Winning Moves Gets You Thinking in Threes TriBond, from WINNING MOVES GAMES, starts with three seemingly unrelated clues, such as “What do roses, doughnuts, and jurors have in common?” The team that guesses correctly, with the answer “They come in dozens,” wins. The first team to collect the winning number of cards claims victory. For two or more players ages 12 and up, the game includes 400 cards with 2,000 “Threezer” riddles, a card tray, die, and instructions.
MAY/JUNE 2012
Part of the Douglas Sassy Dogs line, from DOUGLAS COMPANY, Sassy Black and White Shih Tzu is dressed in a pink leopard dress with hot pink satin bow. A soft pink bib attaches the dress around the neck with a cozy feel. An adorable face and the cuddliest fur make this 8-inch pup irresistible. Also available are Sassy Pug, Sassy Cream Sassy Black and White Shih Tzu Shih-Tzu, and Sassy Bichon. One of four new styles of Douglas Ruffle Saks, the Dachshund Ruffle Sak is festive with hot pink fur trim and a satin ribbon accent with diamond jewel heart embellishment. Eight-inches wide, the black and white dachshund print flashes bright in contrast to the pink accents. The handles and middle ruffle coordinate with a dainty polka dot print.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Find It Games Launches into Space FIND IT GAMES introduces Starry Night, a game that features 40 glow-in-the-dark items that kids can study to see what cosmic images turn up. The game begins with a star-shaped container filled with brightly colored pellets. When the room is darkened, and the container shaken, players look inside and document the items they see. Shapes include Saturn, a satellite, and down-to-earth objects, such as a sleeping bag and a mug. The new Pieces of History line of puzzles features the image of a significant event familiar to both children and adults. On Dry Ground captures the crossing of the Red Sea, and The Parade of Animals shows a world full of animals prior to Noah’s Ark. Completing the puzzle is just the first step. Like the traditional Find It game, players need to look closely to uncover hidden objects within the artwork. HARRISVILLE DESIGNS offers the Magic Yarn Twister. The tool helps novice knitters spin their own wool yarn for projects. It comes with a wooden spindle and 2 ounces of 100 percent dyed virgin fleece. It is suggested for kids ages 12 and up.
Roll & Play, from THINKFUN, is a game designed specifically for toddlers. To play, toss the big plush cube and identify which colored side faces up. Choose a matching color card and perform the activity shown, such as “make a happy face” or “moo like a cow.” The activities supported by Roll & Play are designed to help children shine, supporting healthy development and celebrating success. Tetris meets word search in PathWords Jr. Players exercise verbal and spatial reasoning as they place Tetris-style puzzle pieces onto the challenge grid so the letters under each piece spell a word. PathWords Jr. engages young players and builds vocabulary skills with graphic hints and funny wordplay. Strengthen your memory with Distraction. Players take turns drawing number cards and remembering a growing sequence of digits. Draw a Distraction card and the player must answer a question before reciting the numbers in order. Get caught repeating the sequence incorrectly and collect the cards. The first player to run out of cards wins. Three decks are included with the set: 54 round number cards, 50 rectangular cards, and 100 Distraction Cards.
The NHL Hockey Guys set, from KASKEY KIDS, INC., allows kids to recreate hockey games and enjoy imaginary play between two full teams. The set includes 14, 2.5-inch players, one referee, two goals, a 1-inch puck, 10 rink wall pieces, a plastic mat that resembles ice, and a stackable container with attached lid and handle.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 CitiBlocs Moves Ahead with Vehicles CITIBLOCS’s Neon 100-Piece Set comes with green, pink, blue, orange, and natural-colored blocks for building towers, towns, castles, and more. Each set comes in a sturdy, paint can-style container, with a handle, for storage. The CitiCars 8-Piece Wooden Car Set features a taxi, police car, fire truck, and more that act as accessories for CitiBlocs constructions. The cars range in size from 2 to 4 inches, and are the same width/height as the standard blocks (approximately .75 inches), making them suitable for kids ages 3 and up. The CitiBlocs Storage Bin folds or holds blocks. It’s lightweight, made of phthalate-free, nonwoven poly fabric, safety-tested, and decorated with a vibrant CitiBlocs city theme. Every CitiBlocs piece is cut from Grade A Radiata Pine from certified renewable forests in New Zealand and packaged in China. CitiBlocs building requires no glue, snaps, connectors, or magnets—just gravity, balance, and imagination.
With EDUSHAPE’s Sensory Balance Toy, kids can learn agility and consequence while adding pieces one at a time, stacking shapes as high as they can without tipping over their structure. Great for one or more players, the toy features deeply textured, easy-to-grasp, dense Edu-foam pieces. This progressive toy helps develop fine/gross motor skills, logic and reasoning, hand-eye coordination, socialization, and tactile sensory feedback. Tub Art Pirate and Tub Art Princess sets provide bath time fun. Each set comes with four nontoxic soap crayons; a toddler safe, “What would I look like if I were a (Pirate/Princess)” mirror; and two like-themed, large, double-sided Edu-Foam drawing pads, which adhere to tiles when wet and wipe clean with the included eraser and water. Crayons are safe on bathroom tiles for even more fun.
WONDERWORLD’s Spring Fever Balance Bike, for ages 2 and up, provides a safety-conscious approach to learning how to ride a bike. The bike, featuring spring décor, has no pedals or training wheels. It features pneumatic rubber tires with extra long tube valves, as well as rubberized handle bar grips for easy steering, which is limited to prevent jackknife accidents. The spoke-less disk wheels prevent feet from getting tangled, and the adjustable seat grows with children, handling up to 60 pounds of weight. Wonderworld also adds the Red Buggy Car to its collection of ride-ons. With a curved seat and chunky rubber wheels to provide a firm grip, the Red Buggy car gives children (ages 18 months and up) a safe ride. Glow-in-the-dark Tumble Cars make for great day and nighttime play for kids ages 18 months and up. The Tumble Cars include a five-story built track that allows cars to roll down each track with a sleek sliding motion. The special gate on the first-story track can be used to release or store cars with the open and close functions. Red Buggy Car
Sensory Balance Toy
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 The Young Scientists Club Exerts Invisible Powers THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUB introduces new Magic School Bus science kits for ages 5 and up. The new kits will teach children how to make and race magnetic cars, create slime, and grow pretty polymer petunias and super balls, along with 50-plus experiments. Attracted to Magnificent Magnets sends kids on a magnetic scavenger hunt and shows them how to build a compass, make magnetic slime, design magnetic faces, experiment with lodestone, play magnetic games, hold magnetic car races, and more. This kit includes a poster with a racing track, a gameboard, and experiment diagrams. Explore goo with the Slime and Polymer Lab. Young Scientists take polymers out of milk, make slime, create goop, produce a snow eruption, melt snow, grow absorbent flowers, germinate seeds in polymers, perform a polymer trick, dehydrate polymers, and more. This bus-shaped kit comes with science components, 20 experiment cards, a data notebook to record observations, and 10 containers of polymers including super balls, rainbow beads, snow, and gel crystals.
The colorful and easy-to-assemble Push & Play Rabbit Wagon, from GORGEOUS PRODUCTS, encourages walking and balancing. The maze on both sides of the wagon satisfies childrens’ curiosity and helps develop manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. The walker meets both U.S. and European safety standards.
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Bring technology to exercise with JUMPSPORT’s new iBounce Kids Trampoline, an engaging way for 2- to 5-year-olds to exercise. Bungee cords provide a soft and lively bounce while the handle bar adds stability. With a JumpSport iBounce Tablet Mount, kids will be able to exercise while watching the Hop-Along with RompyRoo video, which is also available as an eBook.
A bright gleam crosses the night sky and disappears into the dark backyard with a faint plop. A mysterious shooting star has fallen to earth and is stuck on the clothesline. In Catch a Falling Star, from PLAYROOM ENTERTAINMENT, players try to give back the rays to the little star as carefully as possible withCatch a Falling Star out letting any pieces fall down. Some rays will stick to the star, while others will not. Will you be the first to give all of your rays back to the star? A game for one to five players, ages 5 and up, Catch a Falling Star takes about 20 minutes to play. Disguised as ghosts, children tiptoe secretly through the old mansion. Little do they know, a real ghost has joined them in the game of Peek-ABoo! Players must discover who the real ghost is, with the help of mirrors that magically pop up when you turn a key, and discover each person’s true identity one by one. The children can see their reflections in the mirrors, but the ghost can’t. The game is for two to four players, ages 6 and up.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Aeromax Blasts Off to Space With AEROMAX’s new astronaut-themed toys, kids can pretend to be space explorers. Junior explorers can blast off to indoor or outdoor adventures on the Jr. Space Explorer, an inflatable space shuttle for ages 3 and up. This shuttle boasts genuine looking instrument panels, gauges, a built-in portal view of Earth, and the red and white stars and stripes of the U.S. Designed to accommodate up to 90 pounds, the shuttle has a 45-inch wingspan and spreads 43 inches in length. With the Astronaut Space Pack, kids ages 5 and up can shoot aliens (or next-door buddies) with a 30foot blast of water. The space pack holds a liter of water and can shoot water in two directions at once or in a single straight-on stream. The pack has pretend pressure and instrument panels, and adjustable black straps. It can be played with or without water for indoor or outdoor galactic role-playing. Astronaut Space Pack
SAFARI LTD. introduces new members to its Best in Show collection. Additions include a Golden Retriever (4.25 inches long by 3 inches high) and a Golden Retriever Puppy (2.75 inches long by 2.25 inches high). Both figurines have shaggy coats and a retriever’s typical eager expression. This year, the Carnegie Dinosaur Collectibles lineup of scale (1:50) model reproductions from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History includes a bold Brachiosaurus. Authenticated by the paleontologists of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, this licensed scale model is designed to reflect the latest scientific research. The model stands 7 inches tall and measures 18.5 inches long. In the Dragons Collection, Safari introduces a Swamp Dragon, which camouflages into both land and water. The dark-eyed dragon stands 3.5 inches high by 9 inches long. The Designer Toob line adds an African Village style to its variety. Hand-painted figurines—including a mother, father, youth, Grevy’s Zebra, goat, elephant, and hut—range in size from 1 to 3 inches. Other new Toob varieties include British and Continental Armies. Blacktip Reef Shark Beware of the Wild Safari Sealife Blacktip Reef Shark that inhabits the tropical coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The prominent black tipped fins easily identify this 5-foot-long shark. The figure measures 5.75 inches long by 1.5 inches high. A Bearded Dragon figurine (8.5 inches long by 3 inches high), part of the Incredible Creatures Collection, is a vibrant orange, one of many colors of bearded dragons in central Australia. Other new Incredible Creatures include the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit Baby, Eastern Chipmunk, and Coral Snake Baby. Safari Ltd. dives into the legend of the Greek mythological creature Hydra, a serpent-like water beast. The multi-headed figure measures 7.5 inches in length by 4.5 inches high. From the Safariology collection, the Life Cycle of a Green Sea Turtle set follows the species through four major life stages, including eggs, hatchlings, juveniles, and adults. Neatly packaged, the set includes educational information on each stage. Additional new Safariology sets include Green Bean Plant Life Cycle, Trilobite Fossils, and an assortment of dinosaur fossil kits. Most collectibles are appropriate for ages 3 and up, and are phthalate- and lead-free.
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The YardBoard, from SPOONER BOARDS, is an all-terrain board for downhill sliding. Unlike a snowboard, the YardBoard slides on all surfaces and requires no boots or bindings. A rope handle keeps the rider, ideally ages 6 and up, locked in, and the channelgrooved bottom allows for ultimate control.
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In just 30 minutes, grown-ups can assemble (or disassemble) TOY MONSTER’s Monkey Bars. It’s an outdoor toy that engages kids in play while climbing, balancing, and pretending. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, this durable structure holds two children, with a maximum weight load of 150 pounds. Made of durable UV-certified and high-quality PE and PP materials, this play set is built for longevity and hours of playtime. Toy Monster’s Monkey Bars can be taken apart and re-assembled in large indoor spaces as well.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Haba Offers Sustainable Toys German toymaker HABA crafts its wooden items from sustainably forested German maple and beech. Nine baby and toddler wooden products are new this year and are suitable for ages 6 months and up. The Little Sparrow and Little Sheep Clutching Toys have dangling feet and feature bright colors just for baby. Push Tumble-turn, Flapping Frank, Cackling Cathy, or Chris Croak Push Toys and watch them go. For kids that would rather pull, try the Caterpillar Rina Pull Toy. Caterpillar Rina The Zoolino Effect Building Blocks come with 24 wooden pieces to create a stacking animal zoo. Each beech wood piece has either a drilled hole or peg for toddlers to easily manipulate into different characters. The set includes a little bell, a peephole, and a kaleidoscope. Roll the dice and move around wooden pieces in My Very First Games Gitti Giraffe. Toddlers and caretakers grasp, build, and even topple the long-necked giraffe.
Geocaching, from BRAND 44, is a real world, outdoor treasure hunting game that utilizes a GPS-enabled device. With family and friends, navigate to a set of coordinates and attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Geocaching is a fast growing activity; there are more than 6 million active geocachers, 1.6 million active geocaches, and more than 75 million geocaches forecasted to be found this year. The Backyard Adventure product line includes the Slackers Slacklines and Ziplines and The Geomate line of geocaching products, including the Geomate Jr. GPS device that comes preloaded with more than 250,000 cache locations from the Geocaching.com database. Brand 44 recently purchased the Geomate Jr. Geocaching GPS product line from Apisphere, Inc. Brand 44 is also the licensee of the Be Prepared line, a Boy Scouts of Americabranded line of camping and activity products.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
The Gymnic Line’s Raffy the Rabbit, from TOYMARKETING INT’L, INC., is the same as the Rody Horse, only it’s a rabbit. The toy can even be used with the Rody Base as a Rocking Raffy the Rabbit and is available in two colors. The new Racin’ Rody Horse teaches children to learn balancing and coordination while hopping on their Rody. Rody, available in three colors, can be used for races or in therapy for special needs children due to its softness and ride-on qualities. Rody Horse is now available in gold.
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FAT BRAIN TOY COMPANY debuts Tobbles Neo, the little brother to Tobbles. Kids build the six uniquely weighted pieces on the included stacking base to balance, nest, and spin. Tobbles help kids develop fine motor skills, coordination, and visual spatial acuity. Arx is a new magnetic building block. The colorful, magnetic, arc-shaped pieces sway, combine, and mesmerize, as kids explore design, balance, and the power of magnetism. A magnet rolls in each Arx piece, allowing for unconventional constructions. A building base and 24 magnetic pieces are included. In Crazy Cakes, Baker Bernie needs Tobbles Neo players’ help in stacking his baked goods as quickly as possible. The first player to finish stacking one of Baker Bernie’s 12-layer cakes wins a recipe card. Collect 10 and win the game. Drop the shiny metal sphere into the Paradox Box and then move it through the blind maze by tilting and turning. Can you find the opposite exit without losing your marbles?
A Pajaggle Board is the combination of a game, a brainteaser, and a puzzle all rolled into one. Based upon concepts of spatial recognition and visual discrimination, Pajaggle Boards challenge players to quickly put unique pieces where they belong. Pajaggle has more than 13 curiously addictive ways to play and is appropriate for almost any age. It can be played individually or as a team. The Pajaggle Board, from PAJAGGLE, INC., comes with 61 pieces, and is available in a variety of colors. It comes with a built-in storage box and an electronic timer.
MAY/JUNE 2012
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 With Aqua Belle, from SMART TOYS AND GAMES, 48 IQ-boosting challenges help players build logical reasoning, cognitive thinking, and improve visual and spatial perception, all while having fun. The single-player game’s compact game board and convenient storage compartment make it great for travel. The SmartMax Stunt allows kids to explore the fascinating world of magnetism in a safe way. The giant parts are an ideal toy for young children. Older children can construct towers, bridges, and other super-sized buildings. Kids can build short, long, and fast cars, or make up something totally different. Parts include bars, balls, wheels, and cockpits. With the SmartMax Drive & Fly set, kids can build cars, trucks, and airplanes. The wheels, cockpits, wings, and containers can easily click onto the bars. All parts can be combined with existing SmartMax sets. Together with the bars and metal balls, there are endless possibilities.
The 2-in-1 Noah’s Ark Floor Puzzle, from WEE BELIEVERS, is a round, 28-inch double-sided puzzle featuring artwork of Noah and a parade of animals on one side and Noah’s Ark and underwater friends on the other side. It contains 48 pieces.
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Sandzini
Create a 3-D musical work of art with the nanoblock Violin and Guitar from THE OHIO ART COMPANY. The micro-sized building blocks enable kids to execute even the finest details. The nanoblock guitar includes more than 160 pieces and comes with detailed, color instructions. The nanoblock instruments fit into the palm of your hand and are part of the nanoblock “mini plus series” collection. Nanoblocks are designed for ages 8 and up. Sandzini is a vibrantly colored and versatile compound that takes almost any shape. Kids can cut it, mold it, sculpt it, cover it, let it air dry, and put it on display. Clics is a single piece building block system developed and made in Belgium. With Clics, the fun begins with one block and the fun grows as more and more Clics are added. Using their imaginations, kids can create endless combinations and develop hand-eye coordination while doing so.
MAY/JUNE 2012
Masheroo!, from ROOSTERFIN, is the game that keeps everyone on their toes. The first player to match their shape and face chips to their pattern card wins. But the Masher Bolt can mash shapes, leaving no choice but to rebuild. Masheroo! is for three to six players, ages 5 and up.
American Trivia Family Edition, from OUTSET MEDIA, features knowledge-based content rather than trivial tidbits. The cards have two sides—one with easy questions and one with more difficult questions—allowing players of all ages to compete. The 20th Anniversary Edition of MindTrap calls back to its roots. After selling over 3 million copies worldwide, Outset Media will print the original version, with its quirky questions and mind-numbing riddles. The game is appropriate for ages 12 and up and can be played with two players or teams. Six games comprise the Family Charades Compendium. Picture Charades, good for young ones, makes it easy for those under age 7 to play along. Kids Charades has easy-to-read and easy-to-act prompts. Family Charades, for ages 8 and up, is slightly more challenging. Animal Party Charades, appropriate for ages 10 and up, is all about animal sayings. The Hollywood version is good for ages 12 and up. Finally, Time Capsule Charades takes players on a stroll down memory lane with charades from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. “What Bird Am I?” is a board game that allows players to test their species identification skills. With three levels of difficulty, What Bird Am I? is for novice and intermediate birdwatchers, as well as truly serious birders. The game has 300 photographs of birds across the continental United States and Canada. The game is designed for ages 14 and up and can be played with 2 or more players. Silent But Deadly is a game loosely based on the traditional game of Crazy Eights. The difference is this: Silent But Deadly includes humorous fart facts. The game can be played by two to six players ages 10 and up. Dung Deck is a game of Trumps and Dumps, where the high card wins the round. From alpaca to zebra, the game contains 55 photos of things you’ve probably never seen before, and hopefully never stepped in. Each card also includes interesting facts about the animals and their “business.”
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Let Custard ’n Jelly Watch Over You CUSTARD ’N JELLY is a line of seven ethnically diverse guardian angel dolls, which were created by an 8-year-old girl who wanted everyone to have their own guardian angel. Each of the guardian angels has a unique story line and pledges to watch over their young owner. Together they form an elite task force of angels called the GARD (Guardian Angel Rainbow Division). When a child receives an angel, they register their angel on the Custard ’n Jelly website, where the child chooses one of three children’s charities to which a donation will be made on their behalf.
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Dixit Journey is the newest version of ASMODEE’s game of storytelling in which a picture is worth a thousand words. In Dixit Journey, a gallery of artistically designed cards offers simple images for interpretation, so young players have a chance to play, too. The challenge for the player acting as storyteller lies in providing a clue that is subtle enough to ensure that at least one player, but not all, will guess which card is his and vote for that card. Appropriate for ages 8 and up and allowing for three to six players, Dixit Journey makes its debut in June.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Mysterious Creatures the Game, from EDUCATION OUTDOORS, was created to engage players’ curiosity in the mysteries of nature that exist across the world. The game takes each player on an adventure and race across the globe in search of their creature’s evidence cards. The first player to collect all three evidence cards and make it back to their creature’s country of origin wins. Along the way, players learn geography, country flags, and information about real and fabricated creatures. Old- and new-school technology join forces with the DJ Rock Dock, a portable speaker dock kids build all by themselves, from SMARTLAB. Build a speaker dock for an iPod, iPhone, or MP3 player. The kit features a 3 mm headphone jack, pre-printed foldable paper housing, and a circuit board. Kids can twist wires together to build the speakers without any tools required. It’s a safe project for kids ages 8 and up.
CREATIVITY FOR KIDS’ 3-D Wonder Paint set includes everything needed to create dimensional craft projects, sun catchers, and window art. Themed kits include Flowers & Butterflies, My Cute Pets, Fabulous Fairies, and Sweet Treats. 3-D Wonder Paint comes in seven solid, seven glitter, and three liner paint colors. The Feather Trinket Box, safe for kids ages 6 and up, includes all the supplies necessary to decorate a printed flower-shaped trinket box with feathers and rhinestones. The Butterfly Wind Chime, appropriate for ages 6 and up, comes with everything to build a chime with acetate wings, a cardstock body, metal wind chimes, and a gel cord. Once assembled, kids can decorate with 3-D paint and rhinestones. The Cardboard Race Cars kit includes the materials to build and decorate two mini cardboard cars, which, once assembled, have working pull-back mechanisms and wheels that move. The EZ Spray Tie Dye Banadana set includes a 17-by-17-inch cotton bandana and everything else needed to complete the project, such as a spray bottle for application, two colors of dried pigment, rubber bands, and a work pad.
GREEN TOYS introduces its 20-piece stackable Salad Set, which interchanges with other Green Toys play food products. The set includes a serving bowl, a salad plate, two serving utensils, three lettuce leaves, three sets of cucumbers, two tomatoes, two red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and fold-your-own oil & vinegar and salt & pepper. The Twist Teether is lightweight and three dimensional with colorful charms and a distinct texture to stimulate visual and tactile senses. The Sand Play Set includes a bucket, shovel, rake, and sand castle mold and is available in pink or blue. The 15-piece Tool Set, available in pink or blue, includes a tool box, a phillips screwdriver, a flat screwdriver, a hammer, a saw, a wrench, pliers, two two-hole connectors, two nails, two bolts, and two nuts. Mini Fastbacks palm-sized cars are two-door coupes with a classic sloping roofline, racing stripes, and a no-metal axis. The set of four is available in red, blue, green, or yellow. All Green Toys products are made with environmentally friendly materials.
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The Dress Up Kitty Outfit, from MANHATTAN TOY, has velvety soft black and white fabrics, and a kitty cat tail. It also comes with a matching headband with attached cat ears and a little kitty handbag for trick-or-treating. The Kitty Outfit is appropriate for children ages 1 and up. Potty training can be a challenge. The Baby Stella My Big Girl Potty Book is a potty training tool to help little ones stand up to the challenge. Baby Stella tells her story of how she learned to use the “big potty” in 10 illustrated pages. A spooky time is in store with the Spookydoos Owen Owl. The owl’s silky soft fabrics and smile will have children cuddled up close to this nightime friend. Collect all three nocturnal pals from the Spookydoos collection: Owen Owl, Cyrus Cat, and Barton Bat. Asher is a Groovy Boy counterpart to the Groovy Girls doll line. Groovy Girls Design Your Own Chillaxin’ Patio Set comes partially assembled. Chairs and table are sized to fit in the Groovy Girls Hip Happenin’ House and will fit with every Groovy Girls doll. The set includes two easy-toassemble wooden chairs and table, four glittery pens, five posh paint colors, 30 bedazzling gems, one super cool stencil, and a step-by-step instruction sheet. Whoozit Whoops!, the new Whoosit character, is ready to play. Whoozit Whoops! has many features, including crinkle paper, a peek-a-boo mirror, and noisemakers. The noodle-like fabric adds texture to this stimulating toy. The Brilliant Bear Stacker includes magnetized connecting discs that allow for easy stacking. The stacker features a natural-colored wooden base, five wooden stacking discs of varying colors, and a bear face-shaped topper. The toy is ideal for children ages 9 months and up.
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Get Creative with Alex’s Art Start ALEX’s first art kit for toddlers, Tots Art Start, includes materials for six works of art for children to create. For ages 18 months and up, the kit contains two pre-printed paper frames and three first crayons for scribbling, a paper giraffe and tree with tons of stickers, and two crack-and-peel collage boards with doilies, tissue, fringe, and crepe papers. Build tall skyscrapers with the 3D Cityscape puzzle and play set. The giant 42-piece city-themed floor puzzle includes three interchangeable 3-D buildings, for ages 3 and up. Mix yummy colors and flavors of lip shimmer with the Mix ’n Make Up Lip Shimmer. Kids ages 6 and up can fill five ice pop containers with professional grade ingredients. The sets comes with all the supplies needed: five ice pop containers with key chains, three bottles of color/flavor drops, a lip shimmer base, rainbow glitter, 28 stickers, a mixing cup, and a stir stick. Maxville, a wooden activity cube with a turning base, features a curvy maze, racing rollers, spinning gears, a peek-a-boo mirror, and spin-and-match pictures, for ages 1 and up. So Many Headbands makes 10 headbands in endless combinations. Build bows, bejeweled flowers, and pom-poms. Slide-on gem stem and easy-attach ribbons allow kids ages 6 and up to create different looks again and again. The sets include eight satin headbands, two stretchy headbands, a slide-on gem stem, two easy-attach ribbons, eight fabric flowers, five ribbons, 86 gems, a rainbow shoelace, six tulle pieces, felt shapes, and rubber bands, all packed in a keepsake case with handle.
CAMPANTICS is a children’s board game of summer camp adventures. The board is the campground, and the players are the campers. Each trip around the board is one day at camp, during which campers participate in their daily activities from arts and crafts to swimming and baseball, get into mischief, follow the camp director’s announcements, and try to avoid the Forbidden Forest. At the end of the game, the winner is the camper with the most fun points, which are tracked using colorful acorns. The game is designed children ages 5 to 11. The rulebook comes in a comic book format, and also provides guidelines for kids to play solo.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
ELF MAGIC’s Forever Elf Fashion Collection includes the Ready to Romp Elfit, which is comprised of six pieces: blue jeans, a white turtle neck, a red fleece vest with signature embroidered snowflake, cowboy boots, a reversible scarf, and a hat that features a button hole-stitched slit for easy scarf ties. Elf Magic has also added new designs with pieces that are easy to mix and match. More than 50 different outfits can be created using the pieces in the Forever Elf Fashion Collection. The Daisy Patch dress with lime green leggings and the Everything Posh eight-piece ensemble have been added to the collection.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Perfectly sized for long car or plane rides, SMART/TANGOES USA’s IQ Twist can keep kids ages 6 and older entertained for hours
Educational Insights Has Magic Moves
The Magic Moves Electronic Wand, from EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS, encourages kids to get moving by providing 90 commands for them to follow, from “swoop like an eagle” to “stomp like a dinosaur.” Twentysix musical styles complement the commands to keep kids in action. The Wand is appropriate for kids ages 3 and up. Puppet-on-a-Stick combines three oversized puppets into one with silly faces and movable mouths. The puppet is recommended for kids ages 4 and up. GeoSafari Jr. Talking Bug Net allows kids (ages 3 and up) to choose a (pretend) bug and drop it into the net to learn 100-plus bug facts and quiz questions. The Net then asks questions using the facts that have been learned. Nowhere to Go is a two-player, hexagonal game board. The game includes two playing pieces and 40 blockers. Each player places a spy piece on the starting spaces, and they proceed to take turns moving across any bridges that are not blocked. A player ends their turn by placing a blocker on any bridge; the first player to trap the other spy with blockers wins.
PEACEABLE KINGDOM introduces Preschool Skill Builder games, in which everyday tasks, such as cutting with safety scissors or recognizing left from right, are practiced and mastered in a cooperative game setting. The new titles include Feed the Woozle, Willy’s Wiggly Web, and Snug as a Bug in a Rug. In Feed the Woozle, kids must feed Woozle 12 silly snacks without dropping them from the spoon while they perform such actions as walking backwards or hopping like a bunny. The included child-safe scissors in Willy’s Wiggly Web allow two to four players to cut all the little bugs free from Willy’s Web before he drops down from the top. Spin the spinner in Snug as a Bug in a Rug, find the matching bug, and then secretly slide it under the rug, all while working on visual discrimination, the concept of taking turns, and counting.
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Beamo
TOYSMITH’s Squishees help individuals grab hold of their emotions. The two-inch super soft stress balls are available in four expressive moods. Deluxe Kendama is a classic toss and catch game from Japan with endless tricks to learn and master. It is made of solid wood and measures 7 inches tall. Beamo Jr., a lightweight and oversized hoop, is easy to throw and even easier to catch. Toysmith is introducing a 20-inch version of the 30-inch classic Beamo.
MAY/JUNE 2012
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Choose Friendship with the Choose Friendship Company
Perfectly sized for long car or plane rides, SMART/TANGOES USA’s IQ Twist can keep kids ages 6 and older entertained for hours My Friendship Bracelet Maker, from CHOOSE FRIENDSHIP COMPANY, allows users to easily create friendship bracelets while storing their thread neatly inside. A butterfly clip keeps bracelets in place during knotting. Easy-to-follow pattern instructions and 56 pre-cut threads are included in the slide-out storage drawer. Companion pattern tutorials are available online at myfbm.com. My Friendship Bracelet Maker Traveler is designed for kids on the go. The slide-out drawer comes with 20 pre-cut threads in 10 different colors. A globe clip keeps the bracelet in place during knotting. Numbered slots keep threads organized. My Ribbon Barrette Maker lets kids create hair ornaments with ribbons and beads. The barrette holder and loom pegs secure barrettes and ribbons as kids weave. The slide-out drawer keeps ribbon, beads, and barrettes securely stored. The My Ribbon Barrette Maker Refill Kit contains more than 300 pieces.
C’mon Get Ugly PRETTY UGLY artists SunMin and David celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary with the orange doll that started it all: Wage. The orange character will be reproduced in honor of the anniversary. Everybody needs a buddy. Sure, your buddies will have your back after a bad dream, when it’s dark, or when the cookie jar is empty, but they are also there for you to share the good times. BBQ? Buddy is ready. BBQ with pie after? There. Kick the ball around? Done! Ride in the cart at the market? OK! Help with rude people? Yes! Help with homework? No. See, your buddies are there 90 percent of the time! But they are 100 percent behind you as you work hard to make your dreams come true and do what you love. Available in six different pairs, there’s an UglyBuddy set for everyone. The UglyBag Assortment, released in June, is a drawstring backpack featuring Uglydog, Ice-Bat, Dave Darinko, and Trunko. Two is better than one when it comes to the Ugly Pillow. This double-sided plush pillow features Tutulu and Groody, Ox and Ice-Bat, Ninja Batty Shogun and Ket, or Uglybot and Dave Darinko.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
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Patch Is Rockin’ the Boat PATCH is expanding its roster of skill-and-action games with Don’t Rock the Boat and Cluck ’n Chuck. Don’t Rock the Boat entices kids to channel their inner pirate. Take turns trying to balance the pirate penguins on the ship, but don’t rock the boat and send mates overboard. Cluck ’n Chuck is for two to four players, and the object is to corral a gaggle of chickens. Both of the games are appropriate for kids ages 4 and up. The Tall-Stacker Mighty Monkey set invites kids to stack colorful pegs to create different play structures for their monkeys. The set is safe for kids ages 3 and up. Kids can learn better manners with Blunders and Manner Mats, and have fun on the go with a variety of Big Little Games. Big Little Games are small in size but large in value and easy to store and bring on the road. These include Flingin’ Frogs, which involves catapulting 12 miniature frogs onto five tiers of lily pads, worth varying levels of points; Spurtle Turtle, a matching game; and Super Shooter Basketball.
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ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Perfect
Lamaze Isn’t Just for Moms Anymore
New from LAMAZE’s line of infant development toys is Turtle Tunes, a plush turtle with a vibrant musical shell. When babies touch the turtle’s shell, different musical notes are played, helping kids become more audibly aware. Maki the Monkey also makes an appearance this summer. The monkey features a colorful body; vibrant patterns; ribbons; and a high-contrast, swinging, peek-a-boo banana. Walter the Waddling Penguin Pull Toy features crinkly wings, colorful patterns, various textures, and a surprise peeka-boo fish. For auditory awareness and visual development, Walter has two high contrast, bead-filled wheels and a pull string, which allow baby to easily pull him around.
LAY-N-GO, a patent-pending activity mat, squeezes cleanup, carryall, and storage into one cinched package. The full-size mat measures 5 feet in diameter and converts into an easy-totransport shoulder bag. For families that can never stay in one place, Lay-n-Go Lite is smaller (18 inches) and can be taken anywhere. The mats are washable, available in three colors, and safe for children ages 4 and up.
The new Marshmallow Rapid Fire, from the MARSHFUN COMPANY, blasts multiple mini marshmallows up to 30 feet in one shot. Regulate the use of your marshmallow ammo by varying the amount of pumps that create air pressure. The more pumps to the rear handle, the more marshmallows will exit the barrel. When pumped to full capacity, the Marshmallow Rapid Fire sprays out the entire magazine of 25 mini marshmallows with one squeeze of the trigger. MALLOW
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The Kettrike Kalista, from KETTLER, has a four-position adjustable frame and a four-position adjustable seat that grows with children. It has a patented limited turn feature to help prevent tipping, while the fixed front wheel keeps the pedals rotating. The Kiddi-o Air Tire Swift trike has the same patented limited turn radius to reduce tipping, in addition to an adjustable frame. Tubeless air tires make for a smooth and quiet ride, and a handlebar bag provides a convenient storage space. The Kiddi-o Fold ’n GoNanas has a three-bolt assembly, with a foldable click-and-go frame button for instant riding enjoyment or storage. A durable, semi-high seat back offers added back support, and there is a built-in carry handle. Parents can bring the playground to their backyard with the Kiddi-o GoNanas Parallel See-Saw. For added safety, the seesaw keeps children parallel to the ground at all times. High-back seats provide extra support, and spring-loaded stoppers underneath allow for an easy landing.
MAY/JUNE 2012
ADORA’s Winter Wonderland 20-inch Toddler doll, with brown hair and blue eyes, embraces the winter season in a fun and fashionable way. She’s perfectly dressed for fun winter days in her red sweater knit dress with white ruffles, a red satin ribbon, and embroidered pink flowers. She wears a matching red sweater knit cap with the same embroidered pink flower detail, along with white knit tights and red suede boots trimmed with white fur. Adora’s Giggle Time Babies are easy to take along in their very own baby carrier, and they giggle when hugged. They have lifelike features, such as little button noses and tiny hands and feet. Each handmade doll is created in Adora’s lightly baby powder-scented Gentle Touch vinyl. They are designed for cuddling with their soft doeskin body and beanbag weighted bottom, which gives them their lifelike feel. DISCOVEROO’s Construction Set includes nuts, bolts, wheels, a number of different-sized pieces, a screwdriver, and suggestion cards describing what can be made with the variety of pieces. There are 80 pieces in total, all made from Plantation Birch Wood and packaged in a durable recycled box with a handle for simple storage. The set is safe for children ages 3 years and up.
Winter Wonderland 20-inch Toddler doll
OWI’s RoboKits introduces a Salt Water Fuel Cell Giant Arachnoid Kit. The Salt Water Fuel Cell Giant Arachnoid Kit lets children learn about new forms of clean energy, while building and powering their own toy. After activating the fuel cell module with a saltwater mixture, the magnesium metal sheet (three included) can operate the Spider for about five to seven hours continuously. All the materials used in this kit are environmentally safe and clean non-toxic substances.
The new YBIKE Explorer three-wheeled go-kart is powered completely by kid pedal power. Its sleek and functional design features two easy-to-grip handles to make the ride secure and a unique back-wheel steering that makes it easy to maneuver while cruising the pavement. YBike Explorer is designed for ages 5 and up with a max weight capacity of 110 pounds, and is available in orange/white. National Sporting Goods is the sole U.S. distributor for the YBike line.
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SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Learning Resources Makes Building Sweet LEARNING RESOURCES’ Primary Science Mix & Measure set is comprised of chunky tools that are easy to grab for small hands. The set includes a scale, a bowl, three self-standing spoons, and six different cup designs. Activity cards instructing kids on goo making, puffy paint, and slime are also included. The Farmer’s Market Color Sorting set helps children with color recognition. The set includes an activity guide, 25 foods, stickers for labeling, and five baskets that measure 4 inches high and 5.5 inches wide. All that food needs to be served on something. The Sprouts Serve It 24-piece set features easyto-grip silverware and large dishes (7-by-7 inches), and is safe for children ages 2 and up. New Sprouts also offers a play food set, a tool set, and a doctor set for children ages 2 and up. The Candy Construction Kit, complete with step-by-step building instructions and 92 chunky pieces, helps to advance motor skills. Due to some small pieces, the set is safe for children ages 4 and up. Candy Construction Kit
Snuggle Blanky
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KIDS PREFERRED has signed with Disney for a line of Mickey Mouse- and Minnie Mouse-licensed products, including dolls, rattles, chimes, and throw blankets. Soft Mickey and Minnie Stick Rattles greet tiny hands with crinkle and chime sounds that stimulate their senses and teach them about cause and effect. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Chimes are ready to travel with the family, with an adjustable strap that attaches to a stroller, the pack and play, crib, or carrier. Eight inches in height and hand washable, the chimes jingle and keep little ones occupied. A nursery isn’t complete without a soft throw to sleep on, nap with, or just hang on to. The Snuggle Blanky is 14 inches wide, machine washable, and features a colorful patchwork design and satin trim.
MAY/JUNE 2012
WABA FUN’s SmartShapes is an activity kit utilizing Bubber material, along with geometric-shaped molds, to encourage creativity. Animals, vehicles, and buildings can be created with the help of the tools provided. Each kit contains four different colors of Bubber (red, green, blue, and white), nine SmartShapes geometric molds, a Bubber knife, and a pattern guide with three different levels of difficulty. Bubber is ultra light and soft as silk. It is also gluten and allergen free, easy to clean, won’t stain or leave a residue, and never dries out, so it can be used over and over again. The My Princess Academy Reversible Pettiskirt, from ALMAR SALES, is made of layers of soft chiffon with a gathered satin elastic waistband and bow. The skirt flips inside out to show off the second color, and is available in purple with fuchsia or pink with turquoise. The Reversible Pettiski is one size fits most (3-8). The My Princess Academy Sequin Dress with Tulle & Rosettes is comprised of a sequin stretch top with a two-tone tulle skirt, which is adorned with satin rosettes at the waist. This dress is available in either pink with turquoise or pink with lilac and is available in sizes S (3/4), M (5/6), and L (7/8).
Wearing a familiar cap and armed with his trusty snowplow, Large Scale Thomas hauls two festively decorated cars to deliver big holiday cheer to one and all. BACHMANN TRAINS’ new Large Scale Thomas’ Christmas Delivery ready-to-run electric train set comes with Thomas the Tank Engine (with hat, snowplow, and moving eyes); an open wagon with presents, a coach, a five-foot, four-inch by four-foot, three-inch oval track; a speed controller; and a power pack.
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DUNECRAFT introduces five new Dome Terrariums, including the Farmer’s Harvest Garden and the Butterfly Glamour Garden. DuneCraft now offers bulk bags of Spit Balls, Glow in the Dark Spit Balls, and Growing Skulls as well. Create a 4-D scene with the new Bi-Level Cool Combinations. Grow Fly Traps and Volcano plants with the Volcano Crater Garden. The depth of the planter can be accentuated with the included foreground and background decals. Other items in this line include the Swamp Thing Garden and the Rainforest Cloud Garden. Drop a bomb and get plants growing with Seed Bombs. You can throw them, water them, and watch them grow. The clay in the bomb holds moisture and protects the seeds from animals and birds. Styles include Butterfly & Bird Mixture, Perennial mixture, and Herb and Grass Seed Bombs. DuneCraft also offers new edible plants in both the Sprout ’n Grow and Organic Veggie lines. Styles include mini cantaloupes, eggplant, and hot peppers.
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2012 Bathtub Fun with Blue Box Toys BLUE BOX TOYS introduces a series of bath time toys with an additional outdoor component. The Dedee Duck Bath Organizer is made of soft fabric with easy-grip handles and is designed to keep bathtub items tidy. It comes with a tote bag for outdoor use. The Scoop ’n Hoop Pals offers loads of bath time fun as babies aim the ball into the whale’s mouth net, which attaches with suction cups to the bathtub spout. It also scoops up sea animals, and it comes with a tote bag for outdoor use. Shape ’n Slide Pals is a two-in-one shape sorter and sliding rattle for babies. Launching this fall, Watch Over Me is a sleep and wake up monitor that plays 18 melodies with different rhythms. It takes babies through a five-phase sleeping stage program designed to put baby to sleep and awaken soothingly. The monitor is also programmed with smart sensor technology that detects body heat, motion, and voices. A fantastical board game designed for the entire family (ages 7 and up), Magic Feather, from WIGGITY BANG GAMES, is a silly romp around a magical neighborhood where animals act like people and players have to help them foil the crows. Play as one of eight neighborhood animals to complete one of six stories, and complete the challenge on the story card to win. You’ll have to stay one step ahead of the crazy crows as you move around the neighborhood doing things like pretending to be a cat that swims, telling a story about your breakfast, or making another player laugh without talking.
DARON introduces a new category of CAT licensed toys for 2012, including the CAT Motorized Mini. These construction toys for young builders are built to last, just like the real ones. Push the vehicle down and it goes forward; push the top down again and it stops. Daron has also taken over distribution of Jumpin Banana. Included in this line of whimsical stuffed toys are Mad Muttz. Daron will debut three new Mad Muttz this year, each with motion sensor activation and five different sounds. Imagine seeing an awe-inspiring view of Earth from space—in your room. With UNCLE MILTON’s Earth In My Room, watch Earth’s city lights illuminate from East to West in detail. Earth In My Room is remote controlled and designed for kids ages 6 and up.
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BEGINAGAIN’s Cat, Elephant, Moose, Dog, Wolf, and Bear Family puzzles are both a play set and a puzzle. Children can play with the pieces like a GreenRing play set or put them together to complete the puzzle. Each six-piece puzzle is handcrafted with plantation-grown rubber wood and finished with child-safe paints. The Lemonade Set, which is made in the U.S. from 100 percent recycled plastic, serves four. A compact nesting design allows for easy clean up and storage. The set features the lemonade-style pitcher with lid, four serving cups and saucers, a mixing spoon, and an ice tray. The Number Snail Puzzle is a challenging one-to-10 number puzzle for preschoolers. The puzzle teaches basic skills, such as counting from one to 10 and recognizing colors. The first in BeginAgain’s new pop-up series, A Day on the Farm is a rubber play set with beechwood side enclosures. To clean up, kids gather the animals, place the farm in the book, squeeze it closed, and snap it shut. The set includes a Playbook (two boards hinged with natural cotton), a soft Pop-Up playscape, and six farm animals made from natural rubber. The GreenRing is for children at least six months old who are teething. Made from a three-inch loop of smooth beech wood encircled by soft, 100-percent compostable corn starch bio-resin, the dual material design offers tactile play and develops fine motor skills. The GreenRing is available in green, pink, and blue, and the outer ring can be removed and sanitized on the dishwasher’s top rack.
New to the world of game making, FUNNYBONE TOYS will launch three new card games: Array, CUBU, and Spectrix. The goal of Array, which is appropriate for ages 8 and up, is to connect the cards to build an array of colors. Array can be played on a table, but to see how big an array can get, the floor is recommended. To win, build the largest array of colors possible. In CUBU, visual illusion leads to confusion as players try to follow number and color sequences. The ultimate goal is to reach 100 points before your opponents. A spin-off version, Speed CUBU, tests players’ visual perception. Both CUBU games are suitable for ages 8 and up. Spectrix challenges players to build and expand groups of beautiful color sequences by mixing and matching their own and other players’ cards into strategic groups. Be the first to play your entire hand and win.
A Day on the Farm
E-Rangers’ Headquarters
MAY/JUNE 2012
The E-Rangers’ Headquarters, from PLAYMOBIL, will be available this August. The HQ is equipped with a swiveling LED spotlight, a cannon, and a functional solar fan. Kids can oversee operations in the command center using the computer with changing displays. A rotating gate and elevator allow E-Rangers to enter and exit the facility, and a balance racer makes it easy to patrol the surrounding area. The set also includes four E-Ranger figures, a robot figure, and other accessories. The balance racer can be converted into a propeller or jet car racer. The HQ is recommended for ages 7 to 12. The enemies of the E-Rangers, the Dark Rangers keep a lookout in their revolving tower. The rear ramp raises and lowers, and the set also includes a Dark Rangers vehicle with collision sensors that kids can remotely steer using the infrared remote control, which also controls the knockout cannon. Three Dark Ranger figures, a robot figure, a computer module, tools, an Energy Crystal, and additional accessories are included in the set, which is recommended for Dark Rangers ages 7 to 12.
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I
Science Kits Explore New
Boundaries
by Reyne Rice, trend specialist and consultant
f you haven’t checked out the science kits category lately, you are in for a surprise. The newest products offer engaging activities for kids of all ages across a plethora of science disciplines and topics, including STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering, and math), physics, biology, chemistry, anatomy, rocketry, astronomy, earth and life sciences, magnetism and electricity, logic and puzzles, forensic investigation, weather and climate, fossils, and rainbows and refracted light—the list keeps growing. Themed kits offer the opportunity to explore individual science concepts with hands-on discovery and experiments, and teach kids to make assumptions, test hypotheses, and then activate experiments to see if their hypotheses hold true. Eco-curious consumers can grow crystals or butterfly gardens, cultivate ant farms, or manage frog habitats, encouraging an interest in living things and how creatures and formations grow and evolve. Slime, fluorescent glowing rocks, and polymers can be exciting as they morph over time and create squishy or solid models. Exploring rocketry and flight can encourage a love of engineering, space, and aeronautical concepts. Children can blast into basic physics and gravity concepts with rocketry science kits, mastering flight and challenging speed with superfast hydrogen or solar-powered vehicles. Adding a science focus to your promotional activities can be a reward for your customers and your cash registers. By offering summer or fall instore demonstration programs, discovery days, and other regularly scheduled hands-on trial experiences for your youngest customers, you will be training your customers to keep coming back to the store to try new activities. These event opportunities drive consumer foot traffic, excite and engage kids with activities and experiments, and provide gift-givers with a chance to roam the store in search of new projects to keep kids busy throughout the summer months. Many manufacturers will offer a promotional trial demonstration kit free-ofcharge, with a minimum order quantity purchase, just for this trial-by-demo purpose. Getting clients to try a product at an event promotes good will, and often en-
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courages a purchase when consumers see how involved their young scientists can become. Your staff can suggest outdoor exploration products, such as the new National Geographic-licensed products offered by Thames & Kosmos and Uncle Milton. National Geographic has expanded its licensing program quite extensively this year, providing retailers the opportunity to capitalize on a well-known and trusted brand, with a grouping of fresh new products by various manufacturers. Supplying kids with navigational and hiking tools, such as compasses, flashlights, headlamps, walking sticks, and bug vacuums, encourages them to enjoy the outdoors on their own terms. Excavation tools can keep kids engaged for hours, carefully digging for buried treasure. Nighttime explorations are also a part of summer lore and evening fun. Retailers can encourage purchases that offer astronomy lessons with kits that explore far-away galaxies. Educational Insights offers the GeoSafari Talking Planetary Mat, which answers questions such as, “How much would you weigh on the moon?” Offering an interactive way to demonstrate the changing forces of gravity on the different planets, this mat features all eight planets and the moon, as well as fun, recorded facts to help kids understand gravity, weight, mass, and basic astronomy. For the days when the weather is too hot
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The Rainforest Biosphere from DuneCraft
(or too cold) for outdoor activities, retailers can focus efforts on indoor science kits. Grow glowing polymers and slime with Polymer Power, from Conner’s Kits for Kids. With this kit, up-and-coming scientists use Slime Base Solution and Slimerizer Mix to make ooey, gooey, stretchy, slimy slime, while learning about chemical reactions, polymers, and the process of experimentation. Dover Publications recently teamed up with Sesame Workshop for Sesame Street Simple Science Experiments with Elmo and Friends: Water and Earth. With more than 96 pages of colorful illustrations and easy-tofollow instructions, kids can create indoor rainstorms, bubbles, and other experiments that highlight Sesame Street’s new STEM curriculum. Forensic and investigation kits bring out the super-spy in kids, and offer them the chance to test, explore, and reach beyond the printed page to 3-D and even 4-D science. New exploratory kits even teach about life science concepts such as biology and anatomy with the use of cleverly designed 4-D models, designed to amaze and delight even the youngest biology students. “The 4D Anatomy Science Kits offer a ‘humane alternative’ in life science, allowing younger children to experience science without the squeamishness or controversy of dissection,” says Alex Miller, president of DiscoverThis.com, a knowledgeable manufacturing and retailing online resource in the Internet science kit marketplace. Many of DiscoverThis.com’s kits are exclusive to its website, a comprehensive online resource for both proprietary and branded science-related products, kits, and refills. By appealing to the caregiver, educator, parent, home-schooling teacher, or consumers who believe in the concept of lifelong learning, companies can find multiple ways to keep that customer coming back for more science kits and experiments. Ester Novis, a Harvard-trained biologist and founder of The Young Scientists Club, has developed a 12-month-long subscription model that delivers experiments and science kits every month. The club’s Magic School Bus subscription offers kid-tested and scientistapproved science-themed kits that include colorful instruction manuals and kid-friendly terms and explanations. Instead of encouraging customers
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The Magic School Bus Slime and Polymer Lab from The Young Scientists Club
to have the kit shipped to their home, creative retailers can establish a monthly play-date where kids and parents can come to the store to pick up their newest kit, and partake in a planned activity using one of the kit’s concepts. Retailers can then garner additional sales with complementary cross-sell and refill kit materials. These all-in-one science kits were chosen after years of research and development, in conjunction with annual summer camp programs that The Young Scientists Club has conducted since 1999. Creatively leverage this manufacturer’s knowledge to your advantage and your customers will keep coming back to you for new ideas. For consumers searching for activities to engage kids in after-school, summer, or home-schooling projects, these all-in-one kits and products provide options to explore earth science with tumbling rocks, erupting volcanoes, glowing fluorescent plankton, outdoor plant and fossil exploration, plant terrariums, and the ubiquitous ant farms with critters that feed on colorful gels in clear viewing habitats. Homeschooling numbers are increasing as more and more families choose to teach kids from home, according to the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics. Using the summer and fall months to encourage handson play throughout a child’s life, not just during the school months, instills a love of learning and exploration that will go beyond the school years. Even for customers not homeschooling their kids, the activities on the following pages will inspire year-round learning with hands-on activities that tie to kids’ hobbies and interests. Themed science kits offer variety, an all-in-one option that consumers prefer, and the opportunity for repeat purchases with refill kits and materials to create even more experiments. So try on a little rocket science and train your staff to encourage their inner scientists to ignite sales in this expanding category. ●
Reyne Rice is a seasoned industry professional with 30 years of experience marketing, researching, and analyzing the toy industry and the youth marketplace. She advises broadcast and print media on the hottest trends in toys, games, technology, entertainment, and licensing as it affects the youth marketplace.
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Spotlight on
The new National Geographic Outdoor Explorer Series, from UNCLE MILTON INDUSTRIES, features nine items, each with its own activity guide containing recommendations for the young explorer, ages 5 and up, on how to use the products out in the field. From clip-on shoe lights to a game of discovery called “Earth Tag,” this line features the 3-in-1 Expedition Magnifier, the 4-in-1 Explorer Navigation Tool, and the Deep Cave Explorer Echo Maker.
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EASTCOLIGHT LTD. introduces the updated Planetarium with Multimedia Speaker and Radio. The planetarium, which is available in six colors, brings astronomy education into the bedroom using precise star field data. With multimedia speakers, kids can play music through a smartphone, an iPod touch, or an iPad. Automatic star field rotation is available in five speeds, and a built-in radio keeps listeners up-todate with the latest news. Users can set an offtimer for 30 or 60 minutes.
DISCOVER THIS, an online retailer of educational science kits and toys, has added 4D Anatomy Models to its selection of science kits for kids. The new offerings allow students to focus on a wider variety of animals, including 4D Vision Frog, 4D Vision Great White Shark, and 4D Vision Full Skeletal Model Dog. Each 4D model snaps together and is pre-painted. Older children can benefit from the wider variety of animals and models focused on specific sections of the human body.
Millions of plankton live in ponds, lakes, and oceans. Take a closer look with the EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS’ GeoSafari Plankton Net. Kids can toss the net into any natural body of water and sweep back and forth to collect plankton, then lift the net to examine them and share their finds with friends. The set includes a mesh plankton net with a removable, transparent, magnified bottle and attached cap; and a laminated guide and identification chart. The set was designed for kids ages 8 and up.
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GAMENAMICS introduces a collection of Discovery Kids-branded build-your-own science and robot kits. The Robosaur, along with the other items in the collection, is geared toward children of all ages. The kits will allow children to bring science into their homes by building everything from air-powered cars to fruit-powered clocks. The products will debut this year across all retail channels.
The Amazing Squishy T Rex, an anatomically correct model from SMARTLAB, features five squishy parts, including a tongue, two connected stomachs, intestines, lungs, and a heart. This toy will take children through a journey of learning, playing, and fun with unique, removable, squishy organs. The T Rex will be available this fall for children ages 8 and up.
The Outer Space Adventure Dome, from DUNECRAFT, takes gardening and plants into a whole new realm, and allows consumers to grow plants that relate to space. For example, the Space Plant moves when you touch it, the Antenna Plant has flowers that look like Alien antennas, and the Rocketship Plant has flowers that look like the flames emitted by a launching rocket. The kit contains themed decals, stakes, and Space Sand for kids to build lunar lagoons, and comes complete with an alien.
OWI ROBOTIKITS introduces 7-in-1 Rechargeable Solar Transformers. This innovative solar science kit encourages children to exercise their imaginations. The box includes snap plastic parts (no screws or tools required), a solar panel, and accessories. It is easy to assemble the seven different modules, which include two power charging stations and five different vehicles. The 7-in-1 Rechargeable Solar Transformers allow the user to experience energy that can be recharged and stored in a power source. It is available in five different models: Solar Car, Concept Car, Bulldozer, Dump Truck, and Concept Racer.
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Science
LITTLE BITS introduces its system of electronic modules, which snap together with tiny magnets that can be used for prototyping and play. With the Little Bits Starter Kit, users can create their own interactive projects in seconds, with no soldering, programming, or wiring. Just snap and play. These kits will help foster the creation of the next generation of scientific thinkers and problem-solvers with hands-on experiences that inspire and delight. Little Bits was designed for children ages 6 and up. DOVER PUBLICATIONS has partnered with Sesame Workshop to publish Sesame Street Simple Science Experiments with Elmo and Friends: Water and Earth, one of the first books to highlight Sesame Street’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum. With the help of their favorite characters, kids will be led through numbered steps of simple, athome experiments, including making a table-top volcano, an indoor rainstorm, bubbles, and more. Plus, there are “Murray’s Science Words on the Street” sidebars, fun facts from Grover, a science journal with blank pages to write down results, mazes, and look-and-find puzzles.
With THAMES & KOSMOS’ Eco-Battery Vehicles kit, kids build and experiment with a new type of environmentally friendly “fuel cell” to learn about electrochemical cells and BEVs. The battery is a metal-air electrochemical cell, a type of battery that is widely used in small-scale devices. It is ideal for demonstrating battery technology because it does not use any harmful chemicals; it uses only magnesium plates, salt water, and the oxygen in the air to generate electricity. Kids can build 20 different models and power them with this special battery.
Working with Ms. Frizzle, the most famous wacky science teacher around, THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUB’s newest kits will teach children how to make and race magnetic cars (Attracted to Magnificent Magnets), create slime (Slime and Polymer Lab), grow pretty polymer petunias and super balls (Grow Amazing Polymers Group Pack), plus 50 other experiments. In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, Scholastic debuted two new iPad apps, The Magic School Bus: Oceans and The Magic School Bus: Dinosaurs; a new game for Nintendo DS; and a 60-city live touring show, The Magic School Bus Live! The Climate Challenge. Attracted to Magnificent Magnets kit
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Customer Service:
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Building Self-Service That Truly Serves the Customer
by Micah Solomon
ustomers today expect, and demand, the availability of roundthe-clock self-service options. Airline passengers are accustomed to printing their own boarding passes at home. Royal Caribbean has kiosk “concierges” at every desk to guide guests back to their room. Patients access information from the Mayo Clinic while waiting for their real doctor to arrive. To be customer-friendly, self-service needs to follow the rules of great service design. Here are the principles of successful customer self-service. Great hospitality companies, such as The Ritz-Carlton, strive to anticipate even the unexpressed wishes of their customers. This goal—what I term anticipatory customer service, where a desire is anticipated and then fulfilled seamlessly, with no effort on the part of the customer—is also what you’re looking for with self-service. Granted, self-service is likely to be anticipatory by its nature, due to its ability to accept unique, customized input from the customers themselves, and smart self-service design can further enhance this. The most brilliantly implemented self-service helps suggest choices and behaviors in an intelligent manner. Take Siri, the new go-to guide on iPhones, as an example. Yesterday I confided to Siri: “My teeth are bothering me.” Siri responded: “I found a number of dentists… 23 are fairly close to you.”
Provide Anticipatory Customer Service
Usability is a science people need to respect. Reinventing the wheel (or reinventing a location for the search bar on your homepage) is selfdefeating behavior. A wheel should be round, and the search bar should be smack dab at the top of a web page, where your customers expect it. Why do customers despise IVRs (telephone interactive voice response)? Because so many companies ignore or try end-runs around the rules of usability for such systems. Most people can’t retain more than 30 seconds of information at a time, so an IVR with more than 30 seconds of options or information only confuses and annoys customers. There are similar hard-and-fast rules about how many menu items a customer can remember, yet some companies mangle their application of this rule by
Don’t Relocate the Search Bar
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loading up each option with sub-options. Self-service is fun for customers—until it isn’t. Build in escape routes for customers that take them directly to humans who can help when they’re stuck. To wit: • If you ask, ‘‘Did this answer your question?’’ at the end of your FAQs, spend some time considering what should happen if the customer’s response is ‘‘No, it didn’t answer my question.’’ In my opinion, it should be a response of ‘‘I’m so sorry, we obviously have room for improvement; click here and a live human being will assist you.’’ Or ‘‘If you would like a phone call from a human, please enter your number here. When we call, our humans will have a complete record of your query/issue and its failed resolution, and we will make it right.’’ • “Please do not reply…”—really? Automated confirmation letters need to come from, or at least prominently feature, a reply-to address. When huge companies send confirmations that end with ‘‘Please do not reply,’’ it’s a kiss-off. When smaller companies do this, they just look ridiculous. Either way, it can lead customers to desperation. The asymmetry defies our human desire for reciprocity: The company is sending you a letter, but prohibiting you from writing back.
Build Escape Routes
In most businesses, you serve your customers best by offering your customers a choice of channels. A choice means they choose, and you respect their decisions. Customers shouldn’t be calling your contact center on the phone only to be told, ‘‘You really should go to the website for that.’’ There’s a reason they called you on the phone, so talk to them! ●
Make Self-Service a Choice
Micah Solomon is a customer service and marketing speaker, strategist, and consultant. He recently released his newest book, High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service, which discusses customer service in a technological era. To learn more, visit www.micahsolomon.com or email him at micah@micahsolomon.com.
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MEDIA CENTER
Where in the World is Away? is a book about environmental issues. Through catchy rhymes and colorful illustrations, kids can learn about the harms caused by pollution and trash, and the benefits of recycling and reusing. The second collaboration from author and musician Michael Franti and illustrator Ben Hodson, Where in the World is Away? encourages little ones to change the world. Produced by PFA MEDIA, each book comes with a musical readalong that adds to the experience.
Make Believers gets kids grooving, while teaching important life lessons. The third CD from Secret Agent 23 Skidoo incorporates an array of genres, from traditional hip-hop to punk rock and salsa. Make Believers opens with an energetic adaptation of the classic Jack in the Beanstalk fairytale, “Magic Beans,” in which young Jack ignores the negativity around him to forge ahead with his dreams. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo collaborated with multiple artists to create this album, which was produced through his new label, UNDERGROUND PLAYGROUND RECORDS.
VeggieTales: The Penniless Princess—God’s Little Girl offers a modern take on a classic tale. Based on the children’s book A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this film follows Sweet Sarah Crew on her journey from riches to rags to riches. VeggieTales: The Penniless Princess—God’s Little Girl teaches an important lesson about knowing your own true worth and trusting God despite the downfalls in life. Released by BIG IDEA ENTERTAINMENT, the DVD features a sing-along, a discussion guide for parents, and behind-the-scenes clips.
Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week introduces children to Jasper John Dooley, a little boy with a big imagination. It’s Jasper’s turn to be “Star of the Week” at school, but another student’s newborn sibling steals the spotlight. Jasper builds a baby brother out of wood, but the new addition does more harm than good. Can Jasper get out of the trouble he’s caused? The first in a series of chapter books from Caroline Adderson and KIDS CAN PRESS, Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week will entertain and inspire young readers.
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Five Truths of Managing Retail Employees
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by Chip Averwater, author of Retail Truths: The Unconventional Wisdom of Retailing
ood management seems so smooth and effortless, it hardly looks like management at all. With good management, employees like their work, share the company’s objectives, and even enjoy their boss. It looks so easy, we wonder why everyone can’t do it. But many retail employees tell tales of horrible bosses: condescending attitudes, conflicting instructions, lack of support and encouragement, insufficient information, poor recognition of effort, etc. Work becomes misery—enough to kill the enthusiasm of the most motivated employee. So, why the difference? What does a good manager know that a horrible boss doesn’t? Here are five truths of managing retail employees effectively:
1. Good management is more philosophy than technique. Poor managers think their employees have to be prodded and commanded to work. They believe nothing gets done unless they stand over their employees and push them to perform. Smart managers realize their employees want to play a part and contribute to company goals. They treat employees as colleagues and teammates, share objectives with them, and celebrate victories. Employees recognize which attitude we assume and reciprocate in kind. 2. The job isn’t commanding, it’s assisting. A good employee doesn’t have to be told what to do. If you’ve hired and trained the person well, he or she knows the goals, the role, and how he or she can best contribute. Often a frontline perspective allows the employee to see what needs to be done better than managers can. You only need to provide the tools, remove the obstacles, and offer support and encouragement. 3. Actions speak louder than words. Employees listen eagerly to what bosses say. They want to hear
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what’s important, what to focus on, and how they can help. But when a manager’s actions contradict words, that not only confuses employees but managers lose credibility. If you preach punctuality, be consistently on time—or even better, be early. When you advocate organization, your own desk, files, and work should be scrupulously organized. If you promote expense control, you have to set an example with your own expenses. 4. Employees treat customers as managers treat employees. The culture of a company is set at the top and radiates throughout the ranks. Customers feel it indirectly but unmistakably. The boss’s image and demeanor are the model for the organization. If the boss is perceived as callous, unfriendly, and uncompromising, employees will adopt that manner and reflect those values to customers. If the boss is caring, outgoing, and fair, the store’s customers will sense that as well. A company’s atmosphere is pervasive and ingrained, and can’t be shifted at will. Empathy for customers starts with empathy for employees. 5. Responsibility is a reward and honor, not a burden. Employees enjoy playing an important role in stores. Like a player in a ball game, nobody wants to sit on the bench; everyone wants to play and show what they can do. Responsibility is recognition of abilities and work well done. It creates pride and renews enthusiasm. A title that reflects the responsibility is an opportunity to share that pride. Respect, recognition, and responsibility are job benefits; in some cases they can make up for pay that’s not as high as we’d like it to be. ● Chip Averwater is a third-generation retailer and author of Retail Truths: The Unconventional Wisdom of Retailing. The book consists of 427 retail truths, and is available at local booksellers, Amazon, B&N.com, iTunes iBookstore, and Smashwords.com.
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TV andToys:TheBestMarriageEver Part 1 of a Series by Stuart Fischer
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elevision and toys have always other products would follow. been separate industries, art Toy companies would base their deforms, and activities, but they cisions on the popularity of a certain have a few things in common: both tel- television show or motion picture, evision and toys are part of popular cul- whether it was animated or live-action, ture. Both are part of the general and then would go to their designing entertainment business and their main departments to see if making a toy goal is to entertain children and, in based on such an item was economimany cases, adults as well. cally and technically possible. Despite their similarities and their If the answer was “yes,” the toy differences as industries and art company would contact the studio or forms, the two have proven many the owner of the property times over that they can make for and make a deal to manan excellent collaboration, and ufacture a toy, regardless both industries have used difof what the toy would be. ferent methods to utilize the Then it would be up to the talents and the influence of toy company to market the toy acthe other. cordingly and pay a royalty to the Television was born in rights-owner. the 1940s, and the first In the 1960s, a slight adtelevision show produced vancement was made. With telespecifically for kids debuted in vision having become bigger and the late 1940s. Toys have been stronger as a medium, more chilaround even longer, but the dren’s shows were produced, not relationship between toys and just for the networks, but for the television actually started off-network market as well, then earlier than most people reknown as syndication. Hanna-Barbera Producmember. Iconic Cobra Commader figure, from Hasbro’s tions, which carved a name At first, a toy would foloriginal 1980s G.I. Joe for itself with the hit show low a television series. action figure line The Flintstones, as well as Shows such as Captain Kangeroo, Howdy Doody, Gumby, Huckleberry Hound, Quickdraw McMickey Mouse, and Donald Duck made Graw, and Yogi Bear, decided to create an impact on television, and toys and another show, but with the aid of a toy
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company so that the toy that was based on the show had more potential to be a success. That show was Magilla Gorilla. Ideal Toy Company, a major toy manufacturer at the time, had the toy license. Both the show and the toy line worked, and Magilla Gorilla is still running as a show somewhere in the world (even though there are no toys at the moment). In 1969, ABC took a chance—and it was a big one—on putting a show based on Mattel’s Hot Wheels toy line on its Saturday morning schedule. The producer was a small animation house, Pantomime Pictures Corp., which had the Hot Wheels rights, and in the fall of 1969, the show started on ABC. It was only a matter of time before someone at the FCC decided that the show was nothing more than a weekly TV commercial and that it was inappropriate to have such a show running on television. After about a year or two, having been put under pressure, ABC pulled the show, and a toy-based series didn’t appear on television for another decade. The 1980s ushered in the “Reagan era,” and it was an era of de-regulation. The FCC loosened its tough standards as to what went on the air as long as it was not overly violent, or sexually or
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racially offensive, and saw no reason to prohibit shows that were based on toys. Books, comic books, and comic strips were being made into television shows, including shows directed at kids, so why not toys? What began in 1983 with Masters of the Universe, Rubik’s Cube, and G.I. Joe exploded into a new program category, and there were some true successes that came from the collaboration between the toy business and the TV business. Both mediums benefited from that success, along with the studios and toy companies that produced the shows. The established trend of the toy coming out after the show was put in reverse beginning in the early 1980s. Masters of the Universe was already a huge success as a toy line, and when Lou Scheimer of Filmation Associates saw the toy and realized the great potential it had for a show—because of the fantasy aspect of the toy line and the good character of the lead hero, which was He-Man—he made a deal with Mattel, which owns the toy line, and developed it for television. In the fall of 1983, the show began in syndication, and became a ratings winner almost immediately. Hasbro then rolled out its G.I. Joe cartoon, first as an animated mini-series so that the waters could be properly tested. When the ratings proved that it was a hit— and after a long layoff due to the Vietnam War, which hurt the sales of the toy company back in the ’60s—Hasbro realized that there could be a second life for its line. From 1984 on, G.I. Joe became not only one of the best-selling
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toys at the time, the time. Most imporbut a true television tantly, these collaborahit. Hasbro produced tions showed that two the show through its creative mediums advertising agency, Grifcould get together and fen-Bacal, and Marvel create a product to Productons, Ltd., the aniachieve a common goal. mation studio arm of MarIt proved the importance vel Comics, which also of having a flexible mind so that published a G.I. Joe comic new things could be accombook to spectacular replished. sults. For much of the One drawback in this era 1980s, the comic was of the toy-driven show was a 1980s Masters of the among the most popular the lack of interest and supUniverse Skeletor figure, within the comic book port whenever something from Mattel business. original was proposed to a Mattel and Hasbro had proven that network or studio to be done as a teleby working closely with their animation vision show. The first thing they would studio partners, more could be done in ask the person pitching the show was the future and that new toys could be whether a toy company was involved. If created not just within the halls of the there was not, the meeting would end toy companies, but also by animation right there. No toy line, no TV show. studios. And so began a revolution of The TV-toy tie-in has made its sorts, without any objections from gov- mark on the history of youth entertainernment agencies. Certain pressure ment. Following articles in this series groups objected, but that did not stop will take a look at TV-toy tie-ins that the toy companies or the studios from became successful and why. ■ doing what they thought was good business. What followed were such shows as Stuart Fischer has worked at UniThe Gobots, The Transformers, Jem, versal Studios, where he helped develop She-Ra: Princess of Power, Pound Pup- shows to be sold to networks, as well as pies, My Little Pony, The Sky Com- Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he manders, Bravestar, Thundercats, and developed shows to be sold to the netSilver Hawks, among others. Even works and to the first-run syndication Rambo was made into a TV cartoon se- market. Fischer has written the books ries and a toy line where one supported Kids’ TV: The First 25 Years and The the other so as to attract maximum at- Hanna-Barbera Story: The Life and Times of TV's Greatest Animation Stutention from kids. The 1980s was a period where both dio, as well as various magazine and the studio and the toy company were trade journal articles. He also created true partners, and it worked, most of his own comic book, The Man-O-Saurs.
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Licensing Show 2012 Nerd Corps Entertainment
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akks Pacific, Inc., has entered into a licensing agreement with Nerd Corps Entertainment, Inc., to manufacture, distribute, and market a line of toys based on the animated series, Slugterra. The sci-fi, actioncomedy adventure series is set to air on Disney XD this fall with 39 half-hour episodes, plus 39 one-minute online “Slugisodes.” The agreement includes action figures and accessories, vehicles, play sets, role play, novelties, and plush items. Jakks expects to launch Slugterra products in North America beginning next spring, targeting kids 6 to 11 years old.
NBCUniversal
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group of new products based on NBCUniversal’s classic television properties will be released this year. Diamond Select Toys joins NBCUniversal to release the Eddie and Marilyn Munster action figure two-pack this August. The two youngest members of the Munsters clan come as a pair, along with character-specific accessories for Spot and Woof Woof. Eddie and Marilyn Munster The new Munsters House Model action figures Kit, from Moebius Models, is 1:87scale and stands approximately 6 inches tall upon completion. A set of Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman Trading Cards will be released by Rittenhouse Archives later this year. For the 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica, Bif Bang Pow will release a line of retro figures this July. The 8-inch action figures feature multiple points of articulation, episode-specific fabric clothing, and a retro style reminiscent of the Mego action figures from that era. An Apollo and a Cylon Centurion figure make up the initial launch. Costumes for the classic Battlestar Galactica brand will be released this fall from Anovos, and later this year, a set of high-end prints of Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept art will debut from EFX Collectibles.
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The Aird Group
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he Aird Group’s kimmidoll brand continues to expand globally as the company has signed on eight licensing agents, bringing the total number to 12, and has created a family of sub-brands, each with its own style and appeal. A recent new creation within the kimmidoll umbrella, kimmidoll love was designed to appeal to tween and teen girls, and aims to capture the fun, creative vibe of Generations Y and Z. Each character expresses her own kimmidoll love edgy, fashion-forward style and celebrates all of the excitement that young life has to offer. The Aird Group announces that in 2013 it will launch two new sub-brands, kimmidoll Baby and kimmidoll Wisdom.
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Licensing Show 2012 Disney Consumer Products
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elta Children’s Products plans to release an assortment of Cars and Disney Princess-themed furniture. Items will include toddler beds, tables, upholstered chairs, desks, and toy bins. Delta will also produce a selection of toys, such as a Princess easel, a Cars track table, and a Cars tool table that doubles as a puzzle. Delta will also focus on the original faces of Disney with a line of Mickey and Minnie furniture. The Mickey and Minnie line will include standard bedroom furniture, as well as a music table, which comes complete with a cymbal, drums, and an xylophone.
Cars Tool Table
FremantleMedia Enterprises
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n the upcoming year, FremantleMedia Enterprises plans to expand several child-friendly brands, including Tree Fu Tom, The Aquabats Super Show!, Bellator Fighting Championships, and Monsuno. Tree Fu Tom, an animated fantasy-action series, encourages viewers to interact with the show through physical actions that have been devised and approved by movement development specialists to assist in the development of children. FME is taking a phased approach to its consumer products roll-out strategy in order to maximize consumer awareness and build character recognition. For the initial launch, FME is looking for licensing partners in core categories for toy, publishing, apparel, and DVDs. For the full launch, FME is seeking partners across outdoor/sports, interactive games, stationery, dress-up, novelty, puzzles, and tableware. The Aquabats Super Show! follows five musicians on their never-ending quest to battle evil with music. The characters are fictionalized personas of the real members of cult classic rock band The Aquabats, which debuted in 1994. FME will manage the ancillary rights for the brand across a broad range of categories, including apparel, costumes, publishing, and games/gadgets. Bellator Fighting Championships, the premier tournament-based mixed martial arts organization, showcases a unique format of world-class fighting with a 12-week, eight-man tournament featuring some of the most dynamic fighters in the world. FME will handle the licensing, digital, and ancillary rights for the U.S. and international markets, and will explore a range of opportunities across co-branded products, licensing partnerships, e-commerce, sponsorship, and more. Monsuno, a show about battle creatures with destructive potential, premiered on Nicktoons in the U.S. in February and has since seen strong ratings growth. The series will now roll out in more than 60 markets worldwide, with multi-platform launches in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand this past spring on Nicktoons, and further free-to-air deals to be announced. As distribution and ancillary rights agent for the brand, FME recently signed agreements with Jerry Leigh of California, Inc. to introduce a range of apparel, including graphic T-shirts and bottoms for boys; VIZ Media, LLC for paperback and digital graphic novels (U.S. and Canada only); and Accessory Innovations for accessories including backpacks, lunch totes, messenger bags, and more (U.S. market only). FME is seeking new global partners for phase two for categories including additional apparel, graphic novels, and sticker and activity books, and for phase three in categories across games, outdoor toys, dress-up and role play, activity and craft, board games, and puzzles.
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Licensing Show 2012 Nickelodeon Consumer Products
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ickelodeon Consumer Products introduces new products and merchandising partners for its new and established properties, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Winx Club, Team Umizoomi, and Bubble Guppies. The company will also unveil a new lineup of Dora the Explorer toys, from Fisher-Price, including a dollhouse, dolls, figures, play sets, and role-play toys. Dora will also be featured on a new line of children’s furniture from Delta Children’s Products, including a canopy bed, a deluxe organizer, a toy box, a table and chair puzzle, a three-tier organizer, and an art play product. SpongeBob SquarePants’ product lineup will include construction sets from Lego and Imaginext system play sets, figures, and vehicles from Fisher-Price. The animated fantasy adventure series Winx Club will make its retail debut with a line of dolls, play sets, accessories, dress-up and role-play items, and Halloween costumes by Jakks Pacific’s Creative Designs International and Disguise Halloween divisions. Additionally, Nickelodeon is set to launch a program for merchandising and promotional partners for its preschool series Bubble Guppies, which features a diverse group of preschoolers with fish tails who go on adventures exploring their world.
Winx Club
The Wiggles
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orldwide children’s band The Wiggles are having a big year after founding member Greg Page returned to the band, following a fiveyear absence. The Wiggles recently announced, however, that this would be the final year of the original lineup. Yellow Wiggle Greg Page, Red Wiggle Murray Cook, and Purple Wiggle Jeff Fatt have decided to retire from the band. This summer’s “Celebration Tour,” a 30-city concert series occurring during July, August, and October, celebrating the band’s 21 years together, will be the final chance for fans in North America to see the original lineup perform together live on stage. Next year, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, and the first-ever female Wiggle, Emma Watkins, will join the group’s founder, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, on stage. After leaving Disney in 2009 to become an anchor brand at the 24-hour preschool cable network Sprout, The Wiggles are poised to bring their polished edutainment programming onto network television this year, with the launch of Sprout’s new Saturday morning preschool block debuting on NBC this July. The group is in talks to finalize a new daily show to air on Sirius XM’s Kid’s Place Live, also starting in July. Fans can also bring the Wiggles home with The Wiggles Big Birthday, a DVD release from N Circle, and a new CD release from Razor & Tie. Both are set to hit stores in mid-July. Ruckus Media Group will feature The Wiggles as part of the initial books for the release of the Ruckus Reader, a learning program for the iPad. Jets, Sets and Elephants Beauty Corporation is launching a new line of Wiggles bath products for toddlers, which will include bubble bath, shampoo and conditioner, foaming hand soaps, and character-head bath sponges, as well as seasonal and everyday toiletry gift sets. California Costumes will launch a new line of Wiggles costumes for children. BuySeasons, a supplier of costumes, accessories, party supplies, and seasonal décor, is releasing a line of Wiggles-themed party supplies beginning this summer.
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Licensing Show 2012 Hasbro
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he Global Licensing and Publishing division of Hasbro continues to showcase its Transformers, My Little Pony, and Nerf brands this year. The lineup will span categories, such as apparel, home, food, and publishing. Additionally, the company will spotlight its initiatives in the entertainment sector, from film and television to digital gaming.
Activision Publishing
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ctivision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc., has secured a core group of licensees to help launch a comprehensive merchandising program for Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, one of last year’s top Tree Rex from Skylanders Giants 10 video gaming titles. The company has secured partnerships with best-in-class licensees, including JEM Sportswear (T-shirts) Mad Dog Concepts (sleepwear), ABG Accessories (headwear and cold weather), Thermos L.L.C. (lunch kits and Funtainers), BDA/POWER A (carrying cases and game accessories), Rubie’s Costume Co. (Halloween), Brady Games (strategy guides), and Trends International (posters). Activision has also announced a global licensing partnership with Penguin Books Limited for a series of books and apps to sit alongside Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. The Skylanders publishing program will be the next tie-in range to expand the digital brand with exclusive downloads, guides to the world, and original stories that are inspired by the game. Penguin Children’s Books will publish five titles under its Media & Entertainment imprint beginning this spring, and the debut title, The Doomsday Quest, was an e-book, which released in April. The physical Doomsday Man title will publish in October, along with Master Eon’s Official Guide, Magic & Tech Handbook, and a sticker book.
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Nelvana Enterprises
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elvana Enterprises’ Babar and the Adventures of Badou enters into its second season and will see the addition of new characters and Babar and the Adventures of Badou themed episodes this year. Licensing opportunities will be available for the new show, as well as for the classic Babar brand. As preschool show Franklin and Friends enters season two, the new CG-animated episodes will see Franklin and his friends solving mysteries as the Super Cluepers, racing their bumpy buggies, and being creative. Each story emphasizes the importance of family, friendship, and helping others. Nelvana Enterprises and d-rights are releasing 52 new episodes of the anime-style action series Beyblade: Metal Fury. In part three of the series, the world is at a tipping point in the battle between good and evil. The key to Earth’s salvation lies within 10 star fragments that empower its masters to fight for their chosen side. This includes the new Beywheelz chapter, which takes place in the futuristic city of Destection. The series Max & Ruby now features 78 half-hour episodes following the bunny siblings and a number of popular apps for mobile platforms.
MAY/JUNE 2012
Licensing Show 2012 DreamWorks Animation
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his year, DreamWorks Animation’s portfolio of properties and characters is led by Turbo, an original CG-animated film, which hits theaters next July. The tale of an ordinary garden snail with dreams of racing greatness has DreamWorks aiming for cross-category support, led by global master toy licensee Mattel, with additional licensees in the toy, apparel, accessory, sporting goods, room décor, back-to-school, party, and digital content categories. The film features the first-ever CG representation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 race. A pair of upcoming sequels and original films make up the remainder of Turbo DreamWorks Animation’s feature film plans. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted hits theaters this June. How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be released in June 2014. The Croods debuts next March, and Rise of the Guardians, which will bring children’s favorite legendary characters to life in a whole new light, is set for release in November. Additional business initiatives for DreamWorks Animation include an array of digital projects in both publishing and gaming and the expansion of themed entertainment experiences in the recreation and leisure markets.
Classic Media
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s Waldo gets set to celebrate his 25th year in hiding, Classic Media has announced a host of new licensees, a broader retail presence, and several new territory launches. Both Where’s Waldo? and Where’s Wally? continue to build on their successes as gaming franchises with the recent launch of the properties’ first Android app from Gameloft, the upcoming release of the third Apple app from Ludia, and the first Facebook game, also from Ludia. Techno Source, Concept One, and Jem Sportswear will debut consumer products this fall. Territories launching a 25th year-centric consumer products program include France, Spain, and Korea. This year will also feature more publishing SKUs than any other year in Waldo’s history. Since the debut of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe toy line 30 years ago, the franchise has continued to hold onto both mass and cult appeal. Classic Media has now brought on a slew of new licensees to complement the original toy launch. Key partners include DC Comics, Changes for apparel, Disguise for costumes, New Era for headwear, Mill Creek for a 30th anniversary DVD, and Funko for a line of bobbleheads. Classic Media introduces the addition of two new preschool heritage brands, Noddy and Olivia. Momentum continues for Noddy, a French property, with a new toy line from Lansay, a publishing program from Hachette, and a full consumer products program. In the U.S., Olivia’s adventures continue as the brand rolls out products from new partners Just Play and LeapFrog. Classic Media has planted its flag on 2013 and deemed it “The Year of Pat,” in recognition of Postman Pat’s feature film debut. The film will be released in the UK in May 2013; season two of the TV series will hit CBeebies the same year. Timed to the launch of the new entertainment, consumer products will relaunch with toys, publishing, and more.
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Where’s Waldo?
MAY/JUNE 2012
American Greetings Properties American Greetings Properties announces its new initiatives for the U.S. and abroad for some of its evergreen brands. Strawberry Shortcake is entering her second season on The Hub Network, and is adding a new character, Cherry Jam, who brings her talents to Berry Bitty City. Cherry Jam is the first new character to join the American Greetings family in 10 years. A Cherry Jam DVD will debut this fall. Strawberry Shortcake is also introducing a new live show touring throughout Latin America, the expansion of a global publishing program, a long-term partnership with Pernambucanas Department Stores in Brazil, and QSR promotions with McDonald’s in Latin America and Asia Pacific; KFC in China; and Jollibee in the Philippines. After debuting in 1982, Care Bears celebrates 30 years with the return of a brand new CGI-animated TV series this summer on The Hub Network. The show will feature new characters in the land of Care-a-Lot. Toys from Hasbro are set to release in the U.S. and other international markets next year. This year, AGP secured global deals for the Care Bears with Uniqlo, Oysho, Fox, and Pull & Bear as well as promotion opportunities with Unilever in Europe; Yahoo!, Cathay United Bank, and Family Mart Convenience Stores in Taiwan; KFC and Coca Cola Brand (Olo Olo) in Japan; and Malaysia Airlines. The Holly Hobbie brand expands its licensing program throughout Europe with recycled stationery products from Pigna Nature, and a DTR apparel program with 275 Springfield outlets. The brand also has a line of agenda and novelty books from V&R Editoras in Latin America.
Sony Pictures Entertainment
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ony Pictures Entertainment heads into 2012 seeking the development of co-branded promotions, licensed merchandise, and retail promotions for its new slate of feature films. The CG-animated Hotel Transylvania hits theaters this September and features Adam Sandler as the voice of the infamous Dracula as he gets set to host all the world’s most popular ghouls and monsters—Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and more—at his home resort to celebrate his daughter’s 118th birthday. The party kicks off swimmingly until one ordinary man stumbles into the festivities and develops a liking for the bloodsucker’s little girl. Sony’s upcoming sequel, The Smurfs 2, slated for release next July, features the addition of Gargamel’s Smurf-like creations, the Naughties, who attempt to harness the all-powerful Smurf essence. When he discovers that only a true Smurf holds the secret to the creation process, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and imprisons her in Paris. February 2014 sees the release of Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers, which revisits Flint Lockwood and his friends as they are forced to leave Swallow Falls following the disastrous food storm of the first film. But when it’s discovered that sentient food beasts have overrun the island, they are asked to return to save the world again. Skewing older with a PG-13 rating, M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action After Earth arrives in theaters next June and features the characters Cypher Raige and his son Kitai as they crash land on Earth one thousand years after a cataclysmic event renders it uninhabitable. As Cypher lays dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain in order to recover the rescue beacon. Sony Pictures Entertainment continues to add partners to a new licensing program that targets core fans of Ghostbusters.
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THE TOY BOOK • 101
Licensing Show 2012 Source InterLink Media
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ource Interlink Media, a multimedia agency, content creator, and licensor, now holds more than 70 enthusiast brands, making up more than 800 licensed consumer goods, including jumper cables, jumpstarts, multi-tools, and pet car safety items. The company’s Motor Trend cellular accessories and Bluetooth items will roll out this year and grow to include new GPS accessories. Source Interlink’s GrindMedia division has licensed the Action Sports Brand with Surfer and Slam apparel and accessories. Licensed mobile apps for Android phones, iPhones, and tablets continue to be a focus of the company’s business moving forward. SIM also continues this year with 11 branded radio and television shows and is on the lookout for new partners.
CPLG U.S./Cookie Jar
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PLG U.S., the licensing arm of Cookie Jar, will showcase several properties, including Caillou. Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and Toysrus.com will offer an expanded assortment of Caillou merchandise this fall. The line includes figures, play sets, puzzles, bath toys, and plush. PBS Distribution continues to release new Caillou DVD compilations this year, including Caillou's Outdoor Adventures and Caillou’s Mysteries and Adventures. Caillou bedding is being developed by new master bedding partner, Baby Boom (dba Betesh Group). Having launched a new toy line last fall, The Bridge Direct is the master toy partner for Richard Scarry’s Busytown. The Busytown Play System lets kids explore and play in their own Busytown world, while Wonder Forge follows its Eye Found It! board game with the Busy, Busy Airport Game. CPLG will renew its partnership with the American Automobile Association (AAA) to continue promoting child passenger safety, and has secured a top QSR partner for most of next year. Koba Entertainment is launching a live, ticketed stage show for this fall in North America. Home furnishings are being developed by Gift Creations. Toddler footwear is being developed by Crocs. With 26 new episodes in development for kids’ TV show Johnny Test, a new Johnny Test mobile gaming app releases in June from 505 Games for the iPad and iPhone. Buy Seasons is developing Johnny Test party goods for its Birthday Express website. Johnny Test also has a master T-shirt partner, ODM, which is selling into retail now. New deals signed for evergreen girls’ property Strawberry Shortcake include Koba Entertainment for a ticketed Strawberry Shortcake theatrical show premiering in January 2013 in North America; Newco for a foam sleeper, foam chair, and bean bag now prominently featured on an endcap in all Babies “R” Us stores; and a Toys “R” Us exclusive line of role-play toys. New Space Invaders products include apparel from Changes and Junkfood, children’s sleepwear from Saramax Apparel Group, Inc., and adhesive wall clings from Blik. E-commerce products are available from Blik, ThinkGeek, and Pop Fanatics. Classic construction toy brand Erector has brought back to life the traditional system that made it famous and continually moves toward innovation with the imaginative assembling systems that it devises using the latest materials. CPLG is developing a licensing program for kids 4 to 10 years old, as well as for teenagers and adults.
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Space Invaders T-shirt
MAY/JUNE 2012
Licensing Show 2012 Mind Candy
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ind Candy announces that four new publishing partners will join its Moshi Monsters portfolio. New titles from Penguin and its imprint DK; Scholastic; Reader’s Digest; and Prima Games, an imprint of Random House, will be available at retail this year. Penguin will debut children’s paperback, hardcover, and electronic offerings, while its DK imprint will offer a Moshi Monsters character encyclopedia and an Ultimate Stickers Collection. Additionally, Scholastic will offer Moshling collector’s guides. Reader’s Digest will offer children’s novelty books. A print strategy guide for the Moshling Zoo Nintendo DS game will be released by Prima Games. SkyJack has extended its North American partnership for the U.S. and Canada version of Moshi Magazine.
Hit Entertainment
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t Licensing Show, Hit Entertainment will focus on Thomas & Friends, Mike the Knight, Fireman Sam, and Angelina Ballerina, in addition to other core properties—Barney, Bob the Builder, Pingu, and Rainbow Magic. Thomas & Friends introduces new friends and destinations this year and highlights the narrow gauge engines on the Island of Sodor in the forthcoming CG-animated, 60-minute feature Blue Mountain Mystery, set for worldwide release on DVD this fall, which Lionsgate Home Entertainment will distribute in the U.S. To support this feature event, Thomas & Friends licensees worldwide, including Fisher-Price, Random House, Egmont, Mega Bloks, and Tomy, will create more than 75 tie-in products, including books, games, engines, play sets, apparel, bedding, and accessories. Discovery Bay Games and Hit Entertainment will introduce the first Thomas & Friends iPad game appcessory and corresponding apps. The new Thomas & Friends-branded Duo Thomas & Friends appcessory will offer app-supported active play for iPad, and is slated to be introduced this fall. In Latin America, new apparel and accessories partners have been lined up, and, in Asia, a Thomas & Friends licensing program will kick off following the program’s launch on CCTV in China last year. Hit and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio have teamed up to produce 52 12-minute episodes of Mike the Knight, a new CG-animated preschool series that takes viewers into a rich world of castles, quests, dragons, and trolls. Mike continues his broadcast quest around the world, including Super RTL (Germany), Cartoon Network (Italy), Hop TV! (Israel), YLE (Finland), RTE (Ireland), NOS (Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), Canal Panda (Portugal), and EBS (South Korea). This brings the total number of international broadcast sales for the series to 17. Nelvana Enterprises represents the series in broadcast and home entertainment in Latin America and France, as well as broadcast in the U.S., while Hit represents Mike the Knight in all other territories globally. More than 40 licensees have signed up with Mike the Knight. Product roll out has begun at retail in the UK, and a full U.S. consumer products program will debut at mass and specialty retailers next year. Master toy licensee Character Options will launch a new range of Fireman Sam toys internationally later this year. Product is also available for distribution opportunities throughout EMEA. Fireman Sam toys and other consumer products will launch in Australia this year.
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Licensing Show 2012 Sesame Workshop
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ollowing the success of Let’s Rock Elmo!, Sesame Workshop continues its partnership with Hasbro, introducing new items to Hasbro’s learning line of toys this year. The products will feature a full range of Sesame Street characters and will include Ernie’s Alphabet Notepad, which is designed to help kids explore their ABCs on a colorful LCD screen tablet. Through a new partnership with Qualcomm, Sesame Workshop aims to explore and develop ways that augmented reality technology can enSesame Vuforia augmented reality platform, courage learning abilities, imaginative play, and emotional growth among by Qualcomm children. Using the Vuforia augmented reality platform and holding up a tablet to a traditional play set, children can interact with their favorite characters in a new way. In other tech news, a partnership with Microsoft through its Kinect for Xbox 360 console will result in Sesame Workshop’s Kinect Sesame Street TV. With the new title, kids and families can jump into the action using full-body and voice recognition. Sesame Workshop and Delta Children’s Products will release a new line of branded children’s furniture this year, including a bed, a toy box, a chair desk, a multi-bin organizer, a table and chair set, and a book and toy organizer.
Kidz Bop
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usic brand Kidz Bop will kick off this summer with a set of new partnerships, consumer products, and licensing agreements in place. The latest volume in the audio series, Kidz Bop 22, will be released this July. Timed to the release of the new song collection, Imperial Toy will debut a new line of Kidz Bop Pop Star role-play toys, featuring musical microphones, keyboards, and fashion accessories that incorporate technological elements. New Kidz Bop downloadable content continues to be available on LeapFrog’s app center, with new content rolled out on a monthly basis. Kidz Bop has also partnered with Sakar to create a new line of youth electronics. Sakar’s initial offerings will include karaoke machines, headphones, MP3 players, and digital cameras. Earlier this year, Kidz Bop launched Kidz Bop Block Party on SiriusXM, a new radio show on the Kids Place Live station every Friday evening. The interactive show allows kids to help determine playlists and segments, chat with celebrities, and hear their own voices over the airwaves. Kids can also participate with the show online by visiting KidzBop.com. The website recently launched an interactive games section that will continue to offer new titles throughout the year. In addition, it will host new video contests in partnership with several major youth-oriented entertainment brands. On the mobile front, Kidz Bop has released a karaoke app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Kidz Bop has partnered with RCA Records and Electus to launch the Kidz Star USA 2012 Talent Search, a national competition for kids age 15 and younger. Beginning this June, kids can upload a 90-second performance video for their chance to be the next Kidz Star. Electus will produce a reality series chronicling the top 10 contestants as they perform before a live studio audience, and the grand prize winner will receive an RCA recording contract and a starring role in upcoming Kidz Bop video content.
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Licensing Show 2012 Spin Master
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pin Master’s La Dee Da, the newest doll on the shelves, inspires girls to imagine, create, and express themselves through fashion. Each collection, which includes the Signature, Sweet Party, World Trip, and Studio Fashions, shows off a unique look. Whether it’s simple chic or crazy couture, there are outfits and accessories for every style. Even La Dee Da’s dog, Le Bun, keeps up with the trends and wears only the most fashionable outfits. The La Dee Da hair extensions let girls change their do with some clip-on color, while the La Dee Da Fashion Design Sketchbook lets them draw their own creations. Zoobles has given girls a whole new way to play. These mysterious, whimsical creatures can roll up into a ball and magically pop open to surprise and amuse girls when dropped on their very special Happitats. Zoobles captivates the imagination of younger and older girls alike with trendy and vibrant graphics. Spin Master continues to market the product through increased promotional retail activity, as well as a McDonald’s Happy Meal Promotion in June and July. The company will continue to produce mini games, downloads, consumer contests, rewards, and more, while increasing Zoobles’ presence on Facebook and YouTube. La Dee Da Signature Doll
Ludorum
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udorum, creators of the television show Chuggington, announces Traintastic Adventures!, a multi-platform campaign that focuses on Chuggington’s collection of characters, destinations, and adventures. Ludorum kicked off this year with the U.S. premiere of the show’s third season on Disney Junior, as well as on the new 24-hour Disney Junior cable and satellite channel. To formally launch the new campaign, Anchor Bay Entertainment will release the Traintastic Adventures! DVD this August, and Budge Studios will release a full feature game app, bringing the Chuggington brand to iOS and Android devices. This October, families can visit movie theaters to catch Traintastic Adventures! episodes on the big screen, through a partnership with Kidtoons. To encourage collectibility among the Chuggington fan base, Ludorum will introduce a set of Chuggington Traintastic Adventures! collector cards and a map, which will come free to consumers who purchase select Tomy or Anchor Bay products beginning in August. At retail, Ludorum continues its partnership with Totsy.com, the flash sale website. The two companies’ new venture will be a Traintastic Adventures! online feature shop. Ludorum also will launch the Traintastic Family Adventures Sweepstakes in partnership with Delta Vacations. Fans can enter to win a Delta Vacations trip for four to ride the rails of a treasured scenic railroad in the U.S. Master toy partner Tomy introduces a new track system, the Chuggington Die-Cast Railway. The new set allows fans to build track layouts vertically for the first time; it will hit shelves this fall. Bendon Publishing will introduce activity books and educational workbooks under the company’s new Imagine Ink link, and LeapFrog will offer digital Chuggington content in its App Center for the first time. Pacific Cycle will release new bikes, protective gear, and accessories.
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The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers
CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET OR LAURIE SCHACHT ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 307 7TH AVENUE, SUITE 1601 NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM
Licensing Show 2012 The Joester Loria Group
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s the global master licensing agent for The World of Eric Carle, The Joester Loria Group has initiated a global strategy to extend the program’s reach. Key segments include infant and toddler apparel, toys, games, arts and crafts, HBA, feeding, home textiles, and teaching and school materials. New to the program are museum gifts, home and personal accessories, junior apparel, loungewear, and accessories. New this year for Pinkalicious are seven new book titles and new consumer products, including cosmetics, hair accessories, dress-up and role-play items, apparel, bikes, skateboards, ride-ons, and games and puzzles. Poppy Cat, the book series and PBS Kids Sprout series, will soon debut on NBC’s Saturday Morning Sprout block of programming with key licensing categories planned for North America, including toys, games, and apparel. Also debuting on NBC’s Saturday Morning Sprout block, LazyTown offers live theatrical events, music, DVDs, and publishing. Joester Loria will launch a multi-category licensing program this year. Kicking off with dress-up and role play, the program will expand into healthy food and beverage, publishing, toys, and games.
The Jim Henson Company
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he Jim Henson Company’s Pajanimals follows the adventures of four characters—Sweetpea Sue the pony, Squacky the duck, the creative Cowbella, and optimistic puppy Apollo. Tomy International, the U.S. master toy licensee, is developing an assortment of toys and juvenile products, including plush, figures and play sets, nighttime projectors, monitors, nightlights, nap mats, and play mats, which will launch next year. Additionally, The Jim Henson Company recently inked a digital licensing deal with NFusion Interactive, under which the company will release the first Pajanimals app in June. The app, an interactive adaptation of the episode “Light in the Sky,” lets children join in on the Pajanimals action by experiencing the familiar music, characters, and animation. This August, NCircle Entertainment, which holds the home entertainment rights for the U.S. and Canada, will release the brand’s first DVD, Meet the Pajanimals. Other licensees set to launch products next year include Lighthead Beds for illuminated graphic children’s headboards, Starbound Entertainment for parade balloons, and California Costumes for infant and toddler Halloween costumes. Another family priority for The Jim Henson Company, Dinosaur Train brings trains and dinosaurs together in an animated children’s series airing on PBS Kids. Most recently, the company signed a licensing agreement with TDG & Associates to develop healthy foods and snacks for toddlers across several food categories. Master toy licensee Tomy will debut new products this year, including new additions to its InterAction Figure line, led by the new Extreme InterAction Figures, which incorporate all the sounds and phrases of the original line, but add physical action movements. Tomy will also expand the Dinosaur train play set offerings with the introduction of the Arctic Adventure Motorized Train set and Big Dinosaur Motorized Adventure set. For the brand’s publishing program, by the end of this year more than 100 Dinosaur Train reading and activity books—from partners Penguin, Random House, Reader’s Digest, and Publications International— will have been released globally. Pictured above: Pajanimals
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Saban Brands
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aban Brands gets set to ring in the 20th anniversary of the Power Rangers next year. To mark the occasion, the brand’s next chapter, Megaforce, will be unveiled later this year. The program will air on Nickelodeon beginning early next year, and all throughout the year the Power Rangers will make their presence known at several large events with surprise appearances. Saban plans to celebrate the milestone by holding events across the globe and creating all new content. A new partnership with global home furnishings manufacturer Majarian Furniture Company will result in a new line of Paul Frank youth furniture. The collection, designated for all ages from toddler to teen, will feature complete bedroom sets, storage cubes, stackable ottomans, and desk chairs.
Marvel
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arvel continues to assemble a major worldwide licensing and merchandising campaign to support Marvel Studios’ upcoming theatrical slate, led by the recent blockbuster release of Marvel’s The Avengers and the upcoming releases of Iron Man 3 (May 3, 2013) and Thor 2 (November 15, 2013). Marvel will also leverage Avengers-related TV content, including two new TV series launching in 2013, as well as other platforms, such as video games, comics, and digital. Marvel’s approach to this portfolio is both long-term and expansive, establishing the “Avengers Assemble” as the franchise retail umbrella that will help drive licensed product sales in 2013 and beyond, providing licensees and retailers the opportunity to develop integrated, evergreen consumer products programs based on the films and overall franchise. With major blue-chip partners already on board for portfolio-wide programs, including master toy licensee Hasbro, Hallmark for social expressions, Li & Fung for apparel, Jay Franco for home, and Kraft for food, Marvel is looking to assemble a roster of top-tier licensees across all core categories to build comprehensive licensing and merchandising programs, as well as innovative retail and co-branded programs, surrounding its upcoming feature film releases. The Amazing Spider-Man movie will release in July, and to bring the character to kids’ homes on a weekly basis worldwide, the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series recently launched as a part of Disney XD’s Marvel Universe programming block in the U.S. The program will roll out internationally this fall. This content focus, along with new video games, comics, books, and digital initiatives, will secure Spider-Man’s status as a core, evergreen boys’ franchise. With major licensees already on board and new partners being signed in key categories, Marvel is looking to grow Spider-Man significantly with comprehensive licensing and merchandising programs, as well an innovative retail approach. Delta Children’s Products will offer Spider-Man-licensed products, including a toddler bed, a multi bin, a table and ottoman set, a chair desk, an upholstered chair, a toy box, and a foam chair.
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THE TOY BOOK • 111
The European Toy Market Large, but Fragmented by Steve Reece, brand marketing and product development consultant
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or an up and coming North American toy company, the European market might appear exotic and potentially lucrative. With the second and third biggest retailers in the world based there (Carrefour and Tesco, respectively), a population of approximately 730 million, and a combined economy ranked by the International Monetary Fund as the largest in the world, it is an opportunity too big to miss. However, those traveling over there with dollar signs in their eyes should beware. While Europe combined is huge, commercially speaking, it’s also highly fragmented, and it’s very easy to bite off more than you can chew. Although there is a large degree of homogeneity about the U.S. market, Europe is quite different. While Europe may be of a similar size geographically speaking, there are 44 sovereign states with their capitals in Europe and 50 that have some territory in Europe. For every one of those, there are local customs, laws, retail differences, and a lot of cultural, legal, and commercial diversity. Furthermore, there’s a very significant language barrier to doing business, with 23 official languages of the European Union and a mind-blowing 230 languages and dialects in total. An English-only speaker can’t operate in every market as a salesperson. If you want to sell to retail in France or Spain but you don’t speak French or Spanish, what can you do? You can dial customers anyway and speak English, but it’s often fruitless calling retail switchboards in markets where they speak the same language as you; it doesn’t get any easier when they don’t. You can engage a distributor, which is generally recommended, but there are market dynamics at play that complicate matters. For instance, if you sell to two distributors, with one in France and one in Benelux (Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg), their retailers overlap territories. Also, pricing is generally lower in Benelux, so grey market shipment by retailers could destroy your French business and leave you with an irate, alienated distributor.
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Of course, localized product is needed, with some markets needing three or more languages per product, and in the same way a typo would look outrageous on English language packaging, so would an error in any one of those 23 official languages. Our grueling journey to securing European distribution has yet another hurdle to overcome, in terms of customs regulations and movement of goods. Thanks to the European Union, trading is harmonized across EU member states, with a mostly effective “free” market in operation. The challenge, however, comes when trying to ship in Europe outside of the European Union, which at the time of writing means Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, Russia, the Ukraine, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Belarus. While the majority of the opportunity is within the EU countries, especially the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, every extra roadblock laid reduces the low hanging fruit. As if this wasn’t complicated enough, currency is another major factor. The UK has the pound, the other EU states mostly have the euro, stock is bought from China in U.S. dollars, and there are litanies of other local currencies to boot. Currency management is a vital part of trading in Europe, so if you don’t want to deal with that complexity, you’d be wise to trade USD FOB only. Staffing is even more complicated with different employment laws in each country, as well as European-wide legislation that tends to be more employee-friendly than in North America. Commercial agents have guaranteed residual commissions owing to them across the European Union, so beware on that front. If you are considering hiring staff in France, I would advise against it. There is a saying that it’s easier to chop off your own hand than to fire a French employee. The time difference between North America and Europe also gets in the way of doing business, especially if you are on PST. As the working day begins in Los Angeles, the Europeans are heading home, so either the L.A. office must get on the
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phone early, or the EU office stays late. Frankly, working late is de rigeur for most European divisions of U.S. companies, but your customers won’t be staying late just because you’re in a different time zone, so get used to that. Finally, God help anyone in a multi-territory legal dispute in Europe. As rival jurisdictions bicker about jurisprudence, the legal bill mounts and the parties may need ratification from the European Union courts in yet another location, with yet another set of legal fees. There are numerous other significant barriers to doing business that I won’t go into here. Nevertheless, we can clearly see that while the opportunity is large in Europe, it’s not that straightforward, and gung ho megalomania should be tempered with a harsh dose of reality. Having emphasized the difficulties, there are some clear forward paths we can look at now. The first and most prevalent of which is to utilize distributors that understand the local nuances, have the retail relationships, and take legal responsibility for trading. This may not be a long term strategy you are very comfortable with, but it took even the Hasbros and Mattels of this world decades to set up an office in every decent-sized market in Europe. The second option is the “beach head” strategy, whereby you pick one market in which to trade direct to retail, thus establishing your beach head and branch out from there over time. In most instances, the beach head market would be the UK. Since the language is nearly the same, the licenses tend to convert more easily there, and it is the biggest individual toy market in Europe. The third option is to sell to distributors and retailers on an FOB basis only via the Hong Kong toy fair and the mas-
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sive Nuremberg show, meaning only two sets of airfares and hotels versus everything that comes with setting up offices, albeit with less topline sales. In case you’re already established in one or more of the EU markets, here’s my priority rough list for your distribution efforts, although this will depend to some degree on your product category, as category strength varies by market: The UK is the biggest market, and has a similar language to the U.S. France is next in size, although with significant local challenges and diversity factors. Germany is third, since it’s home to the largest specialty market in Europe. It is, however, very decentralized, and retail is massively fragmented. Spain is next, but you should expect to TV advertise everything, closely followed by Italy, which is large in size but slow to get business moving for various reasons. The next tier down would be the Nordic countries, Holland, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Rolling out all those markets would keep most businesses busy for a decade or more, so I’ll write another article in 2022 to let you know where to go next. ■
Steve Reece is a leading brand marketing and product development consultant in the UK and European toy and games markets, as well as the author of The Practical Guide to Doing Toy Business in Europe. He previously worked for Hasbro’s European head office in brand marketing and market research. You can contact him via steve.reece@vicientertainment.co.uk, or visit his blog, www.stevenreece.com.
THE TOY BOOK • 113
International Toy Industry Juguetes B2B, the International Toy Magazine Association (ITMA) member from Spain, reached out to editors of toy magazines around the world to get a global perspective on the state of the toy industry. We take a look at two of these profiles here, with more to come in our July/August issue.
Industry Snapshot: Holland
Jan Sinke, editor, Speelgoed en Hobby
What are the main characteristics of the toy sector in your country? The toy business in Holland is different from other countries because we have a lot of smaller sized toy shops (150-400 square meters). Toys are not sold through supermarkets or hypermarkets. Toys “R” Us left Holland a few years ago, and most of the toy shops belong to the Blokker Group, which has several toy chains. So we don’t have very large shops, but there is always a toy shop within reach. Most toys are sold in November or December, and in Holland more toys are sold because of the birthday of Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) on December 5 than for Christmas. A big threat for toy shops is the Internet. Web shops are very popular, and some welcome them as a new way of selling toys. We also have a lot of specialty shops for board games and party goods. Who are the top three to five key players in the industry (manufacturers and distributors)? In The Netherlands, the key players are Lego, Playmobil, Mattel, Hasbro, and Simba Dickie. We have only two larger Dutch manufacturers: Jumbo and SES (and some smaller ones). What are the best-selling products or category of products? Are any of them more widely accepted compared to other markets? The best-selling category is construction toys, by far. Just like in Germany, we love to play board games. This is
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not in the top-five ranking, but it is higher than in other countries (besides Germany). Do licensed toys comprise an important share of the market? Which are the most important properties in licensed toys? The top licenses are Disney•Pixar Cars, Disney Princess, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Hello Kitty. Minnie Mouse is an up-and-coming property. More local, but popular here, are characters from Studio 100, such as K3, Mega Mindy, and Maja de Bij. Licensed toys are important in Holland, much more than in Germany, for instance. About 30 percent of toys are licensed. What are the major trends in product development? Trends include products with an app, such as those from Mattel and Spin Master, but also from Dutch manufacturers such as Jumbo and Identity Games. Also new, Lego Friends will be very hot. What are the main changes in consumer habits caused by the economic situation? Do you think that these habits will remain as the economy improves? In Holland, we are known for shoppers who look only at prices. So, normally, prices are important and, in this bad economic situation, even more so. Therefore, our retailers sell many more cheap toys. Even the bigger sets from Lego and Playmobil don’t sell well. It will stay this way for a long time. ■
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Industry Snapshot: Poland Anna Wakulak, editor, Swiat Zabawek
A
ccording to the German branch of The NPD Group, the value of the toy market in Poland is PLN 838 million ($269 million USD). For many years, the highest sales figures have been generated during the Christmas season (2010: PLN 260.8 million, up 6.5 percent compared to the same period in 2009). In the past year, the average toy price was approximately PLN 24.9 ($8 USD). Market share of individual product groups in 2010: plush toys, 7 percent; arts and crafts, 8 percent; dolls, 15 percent; games and puzzles, 10 percent; infant/preschool, 17 percent; outdoor, 10 percent; vehicles, 12 percent; construction sets, 12 percent; action figures, 6 percent; other toys, 4 percent. Licensed toys comprised 15 percent of toy sales during this period. The 10 most popular licensed properties included Beyblade, 0.8 percent; Mickey Mouse & Friends, 0.3 percent; Winnie the Pooh, 1.1 percent; Disney Princess, 0.7 percent; Ben 10, 1 percent; Disney•Pixar Cars, 1.6 percent; Toy Story, 1.2 percent; Star Wars, 2.1 percent; Hello Kitty, 0.6 percent. In the third quarter of the previous year, production of games and toys was carried out by 1,044 companies. Most companies registered their activity in the Masovian, Silesian, and Lesser Poland provinces. In Masovia, there were 235 active entities; in Silesia, production of games and toys was carried out by 182 companies; whereas in Lesser Poland, toys were made by 117 companies. There were 1,792 specialty toy retailers at the end of September 2011. Seeing as each of them could have had several—or even more than 10—locations, the number of specialty outlets may have been much higher. The most toy stores—325—were situated in Masovia. From June to September 2011, throughout Poland, the number of re-
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tailers that offered toys decreased by 28. (Source: Central Statistical Office)
Attitudes, Behaviors, & Customs Fifty-seven percent of Poles say that they buy toys for children under age 15 at least once in a while. The average purchase frequency is nine times per year. Those who buy toys are mainly 30-49 years old. This group includes more people with basic education, housewives, qualified workers, and white-collar workers than the non-purchasing group. Usually, toys are purchased for children under age 3. Almost 75 percent of Poles give toys to a child for their birthday/name day and for Christmas. Other popular occasions are St. Nicholas Day and Children’s Day. Purchases without any occasion (33 percent) or as a reward (10 percent) are made less frequently. Valentine’s Day and back-toschool are not typical occasions to buy toys. Most frequently, Poles buy toys in hypermarkets (35 percent) or traditional toy stores (29 percent). The most important factors in toy selection are aesthetic qualities/appearance of the toy, price, safety, and quality— all of these were named first by 16-21 percent of Poles who purchase toys. For children under 3, shoppers usually look for safe, and good-quality toys. For children ages 4-6, aesthetic qualities and the child’s preferences are more important than for other age groups. Choice of toys for older children is more often dictated by toy brand, recommendations, or TV advertising. Toys from the vehicles/trains category were the most frequent choice during shoppers’ most recent shopping trip (19 percent). Dolls, jigsaw puzzles, and building blocks were bought with equal frequency (17 percent). (Original survey of Swiat Zabawek and GfK Polonia). ■
THE TOY BOOK • 115
Raising
the Bar
Trademark Infringement Claims and Coverage Understanding your company’s liability insurance can help you decide whether to settle or prepare a defense against a claim of trademark infringement. by Howard N. Aronson
E
ven if your use of a trademark has been “cleared” by trademark counsel, you are likely aware of the risk that your company could still be sued for infringing another company’s mark. You may not be so keenly aware, however, that, should that day come, you may be well served to call not only competent trademark counsel, but also your company’s commercial general liability (CGL) insurance carrier. There is a chance—and how good a chance is the key issue—that your CGL policy may cover claims against your company for trademark infringement, as well as copyright and product packaging infringement. Many current CGL insurance policies contain an “advertising injury” clause. This clause may require an insurer to defend and cover claims arising under trademark and/or copyright, even if not embedded in an advertisement. Advertising injury is a term that has been defined by courts in varying degrees to include various types of trademark, copyright, trade dress, and trade name infringements. While some courts may ultimately determine that a claim is not covered, courts generally have broad interpretations of an insurance company’s duty to defend claims that are alleged to fall within an advertising injury clause. This can buy you time and money to discuss the claims against you with your attorney, and to assess whether your company should consider settlement or prepare a defense. Most importantly, it is essential to act promptly—most policies include language that will act to bar coverage where an insured fails to give timely notice (usually 20 or 30 days) of a potentially covered claim. Read the policy to find the form and type of required notice—and act.
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What Does the Policy Say? First, check what your policy says. “Advertising injury” language varies widely from policy to policy. In the early 1970s, the forms promulgated by Insurance Services Office, Inc. (“ISO”), which are widely used in the industry by many carriers, began to offer coverage for advertising injury claims, including claims for unfair competition. But the coverage offered was only within a Broad Form Endorsement—essentially a rider providing additional insurance available for a higher premium—to the standard policy. This additional endorsement is scheduled from coverage claims for trademark, service mark, or trade name infringement other than for “titles” or “slogans.” In 1986, ISO forms moved the “advertising injury” language into the body of CGL policy language, thus making it part of basic coverage for the first time. Policies utilizing this form (many current CGL policies still utilize some form of the 1986 language) thus explicitly covered a significant number of “advertising injuries,” but did not specifically cover trademark infringement claims. In 2001, ISO changed its CGL form language to re-insert the exclusion for “trademark infringement” (not service mark, trade name, or trade dress). In 2007, the language was changed to make it clear that the use of another’s advertising “idea” was covered. Policies today may, or may not, include some or all of this language.
Where Do You Live? Ultimately, what your policy language means may be determined by the court that hears the infringement claim against you. A federal court will apply the law of the state of
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fringement claims. Courts in New York have frequently held that this language includes all trademark and trade dress claims. New York, Vermont, and Connecticut have held that there should be no distinction between infringements arising out of an insured’s marketing and advertising activities and those arising from simple manufacture and sale of product. Courts in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, however, have held that the facts and circumstances of each alleged infringement action must determine whether the policy language dictates coverage or exclusion. Thus, infringements in advertisements may be covered, while product packaging at point-ofpurchase may not be covered. the defendant’s residence to determine the scope of coverage under a CGL policy issued in that state. New York courts typically interpret “advertising injury” claim language very broadly, holding that most policies cover claims for most types of infringements. In Missouri, by contrast, policies are very narrowly construed, and coverage is routinely denied. Most legal precedent from the federal courts on the issue of policy interpretation in this area derives from policies utilizing the 1986 ISO language, which, as stated, is still widely used by CGL carriers. Various federal circuit courts have interpreted key facets of the 1986 language formulations differently. Many courts have determined that “misappropriation of style of doing business” includes trademark and trade dress infringement claims because such claims go to the heart of a company’s attempts to distinguish and protect its products or services. Some courts, encompassing Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, have held, however, that this language does not necessarily cover trademark and trade dress claims. Courts also differ widely in interpreting whether the term “infringement of copyright, title, or slogan” includes trademark claims because of the terms “title or slogan.” New York courts have typically held that trademark claims are covered under this language, but, elsewhere, decisions have been far less uniform. Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee courts have said “no,” while courts in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana have said “yes.” Courts taking a more general approach have been split on the extent to which the definition of an “advertising injury” generally should include trademark or trade dress in-
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What Does the Complaint Say? What the complaint alleges will have a lot to say about whether a trademark infringement claim made against you will ultimately be covered by your CGL carrier. The more broadly you are able to characterize the claims as deriving from your company’s marketing and advertising activities, the more likely you will be able to successfully argue that your policy covers the claims, depending on where your company resides and what your policy says. Because courts outside of New York have often held that an “advertising injury” requires at least some support that an infringement derives from widespread promotion activities to trigger coverage, counsel may help you in this regard.
It’s a Simple Two-Step Process As your attorney probably told you, even if you have done everything right you could still get sued for infringement. If you do, follow a simple two-step process. First, call your attorney and provide a copy of the complaint. Second, contact your insurance agent and company, and provide them with written notice of the claim against you. If your carrier denies the claim, you may still be able to compel the carrier to defend the claim, at great cost savings. ■
Howard N. Aronson has provided legal counsel to toy industry companies for the past 30 years. He is the managing partner of Lackenbach Siegel LLP, an intellectual property law firm recognized for its nine decades of handling toy company issues. Contact Aronson at haronson@LSLLP.com or (914) 7234300.
THE TOY BOOK • 117
The Consumer Speaks: Data Is Not a Plaything by Bryan A. Pearson, president, LoyaltyOne
C
onsumer data is not something to toy with, yet when it comes to how marketers put it to use, some are still merely flipping the switch and then ignoring it. Every year marketers invest millions of dollars in customer research in order to better target and reach shoppers. But new research indicates our connections are weak, at best. Consider, for instance, this figure: Only 26 percent of U.S. and Canadian consumers feel that they receive preferential treatment in return for sharing their personal information with marketers. Each American household, however, is enrolled in more than 18 customer loyalty programs—that’s more cards than our wallets have space. Of those 18 programs, the average consumer is actively involved in only 8.4, less than half. Each one of these programs requires some amount of personal data from its members, and it collects this data with the understanding that the consumer will receive something of value in return. If only 26 percent of consumers feel they receive preferential treatment, and if most U.S. households are participating in less than half of their loyalty programs, then somewhere in that value exchange, there is a disconnect. This is a call to action for any marketer who wants to stand apart, and I suggest that the most effective way of doing this is through the methods we rely on for using personal information. In an effort to gauge how people feel about data collection and use, LoyaltyOne queried 2,000 consumers in the U.S. and Canada. The findings surprised us. For instance, consumers said they were generally suspicious of data marketing companies and were concerned about their personal privacy. Indeed, 32 percent of our survey respondents said they had been notified that their personal information had been stolen or compromised.
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Yet our research shows the actions consumers take to protect their privacy are uneven at best. For instance, just 22 percent said they always read the terms and conditions of their privacy statements. What other measures have consumers made to protect their privacy in this value exchange? • 41 percent of all respondents said they paid cash instead of credit out of concern about the use of their personal information. • 43 percent of respondents said they refused to give personal information to a salesperson. • 23 percent said they decided not to make a purchase from a company out of concern about use of their personal information. • 12 percent of respondents said they canceled or opted out of a loyalty program membership. It is clear that for many consumers, the value exchange between themselves and the companies with whom they share personal information oscillates between benefits and disadvantages. Fueling some of these concerns, in addition to the natural human instinct to protect personal information, is the recent spate of data breaches, some of which are due to negligence and others resulting from intentional hacking or theft. Yet consumers continue to choose to join loyalty programs and share their personal information, despite that most—74 percent—feel they get no preferential treatment at all in return for their information. This is a confounding figure considering how many people are members of loyalty programs that promise this very thing. It begs the question: Why do consumers participate if they feel they get so little in return? And, more importantly, how long before the con-
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sumer decides to stop using a program, making it another one of the 9.6 inactive memberships in every household? These next figures are no more encouraging: • 88 percent of respondents said they thought companies used personal information primarily to benefit their business. • 52 percent believed a company’s intention was to use the information to better serve the customer. • 85 percent said they were “often concerned” about how much of their personal information was being held by others. • 64 percent of the respondents said they would be willing to share additional personal information if companies sent them more relevant communications. This last finding is rather favorable, and it can be considered a valuable lesson. All communications should be designed to reach the consumer in the way she or he likes to be reached, and in the proper context. This is a key part of the value exchange. A mother who just drove her youngest to college does not need, nor want, emails promoting diapers and Lunchables. A retired executive who just booked an African safari is not likely to be interested in retirement savings options. But even when it comes to the most basic benefits consumers expect in exchange for their personal information, none of the responses yielded support that exceeded 50 percent of the population: • 49 percent of respondents said they looked forward to tailored offers based on what they buy. • 41 percent said they expected advanced information on new products or services. • 36 percent expected preferential treatment or improved product assortments. These are low expectations in return for sharing so much valuable information. It is clear that these rather colorless projections are the result of the consumer experience. We as marketers have access to all this wonderful information, yet somehow it is still not being put to work in a way that satisfactorily closes the transaction and is relevant to our customers. The answer, to me, is in the responsible use of data. Here
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are five principles for doing that: BE TRANSPARENT AND REASONABLE: Consumers are more likely to engage with a company that is transparent. Explain in straightforward language your intentions, you’re achievements, and what’s in it (and not in it) for the customer. Collect only the data you need, then use the data you collect to deliver on your promise. GIVE CONSUMERS A CHOICE: To gain trust, let the consumer choose how to share information. Permission-based or not, your program will only work with responsible marketing and when the data is respected. Don’t cross the creepy line into the ultra-personal areas such as health, sex, and personal finance. RESPECT AND PROTECT DATA: Use data only as directed and as is permissible. Retain data only as long as needed. Don’t use data for secondary purposes, such as selling it to a third party without permission. Always, always, always destroy data with care. MONITOR FREQUENCY OF USAGE: Consumers are overwhelmed by too much information. Ensure that your company is not adding to this burden by not abusing a person’s name, contact information, and permission. Make sure that emails are not too frequent and that they are relevant to the customer’s needs. MUTUALITY OF VALUE: Focus on creating real value for the consumer. It’s not just about the product exchange, cash, points, or coupons. It is also about something bigger— relevancy. The more your communications and offers resonate, the more engaged the consumer. Combined, these five principles will deliver a quality of trust that is hard to equal. This level of trust fosters strong relationships, which in turn lead to greater profitability. It’s a virtuous cycle. If you believe in these causes and business philosophies, then ultimately you will easily be able to live by these principles. ■
Bryan Pearson is president and CEO of LoyaltyOne and author of The Loyalty Leap: Turning Customer Information into Customer Intimacy, which can be ordered now at www.pearson4loyalty.com.
THE TOY BOOK • 119
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Industry Marketplace The Toy Book Volume 28, Number 3
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Advertiser Index ABC Kids Expo .......................................................................S51 Adora Doll ...............................................................................S37 Adventure Publishing Group ...................................................109 Bananagrams ..............................................................................S5 Berg USA.................................................................................S31 Cloud B ....................................................................................S11 Daydream Toys ........................................................................S49 Delta Children’s Products ........................................................105 Dub Garage Toys........................................................................15 Eastcolight................................................................................S65 EduShape .................................................................................S33 Eitech America.........................................................................S43 Folkmanis...................................................................................S9 Forum Publishing .....................................................................120 Fremantle Media Enterprises .....................................................93 Greenguard Environmental ......................................................S45 Hape Toys ................................................................................S17 Haywire Group.........................................................................S55 INI LLC ...................................................................................S58 Interactive Toy Concepts............................................................18 Jada Toys ......................................................................................6 Jump Sport ...............................................................................S54 Jupiter Creations ......................................................................S29 Just Play Products ........................................................................9 Maisto.........................................................................................13 Matryoshka Madness ...............................................................S32 Megahobby Wholesale.............................................................120
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet ..............................................................120 OMNICOR...............................................................................S41 Pacific Play Tents.....................................................................S35 Pajaggle ....................................................................................S38 PlaSmart ...............................................................................11, 33 Pressman Toy ...........................................................................S39 Prince Lionheart.......................................................................S13 Rubbabu ...................................................................................S25 Sakar.........................................................................................103 Small World Toys.......................................................................S3 Source Interlink Media...............................................................97 Talking FRIENDS ......................................................................99 Thames & Kosmos...................................................................S63 The Orb Factory.......................................................................S30 The Bridge Direct.....................................................................124 The Toy Insider ........................................................................123 TOMY ......................................................................................4, 5 Top Trumps ..............................................................................1, 2 TUV Rheinland ........................................................................S53 Ugly Doll..................................................................................107 UL-STR....................................................................................S27 Universal Studios .......................................................................95 Wiggles 3D...............................................................................S21 Winning Moves........................................................................S46 Wowopolis................................................................................S47 Yomega.....................................................................................S23 Zing Toys .................................................................................S19
THE AD INDEX IS PUBLISHED AS A COURTESY. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO BE ACCURATE, LATE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES IN LAYOUT MAY RESULT IN ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.
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THE TOY BOOK •
121
Flashback: May/June 1992 1.
2.
4.
3.
1. Star Pics launches a line of Saturday Night Live trading cards, featuring favorite characters Wayne and Garth, the Coneheads, the Blues Brothers, and more. 2. The Lamb Chop plush from Direct Connect stands 15 inches tall and comforts kids with its soft, wool body. 3. Take on the role of columnist Abigail Van Buren with Dear Abby, a board game from Pastime Industries, where players guess (and hopefully give) the right advice. 4. Giggle Wiggle, from Milton Bradley, swings and sways while children try to place, and keep, marbles in the caterpillar’s hands.
What’s Hot! TV Promoted Toys 1. B a r b i e ( M a t t e l )
6. T e e n a g e M u t a n t N i n j a T u r t l e s ( P l a y m a t e s )
2. P u p p y S u r p r i s e ( H a s b r o )
7. S u p e r S o a k e r ( L a r a m i )
3. T r e a s u r e T r o l l s ( A c e N o v e l t y )
8. S i n c l a i r T a l k i n g B a b y D i n o s a u r ( H a s b r o )
4. N e r f B o w a n d A r r o w ( K e n n e r )
9. T h e I n c r e d i b l e C r a s h D u m m i e s ( T y c o )
5. T e r m i n a t o r I I F i g u r e s ( K e n n e r )
10. Blu rp Bal ls (Er tl)
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