News

10.11.2017 // HOT NEWS!!! Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nürnberg

Сompany "Ranok-Creative" is announcing that upcoming Spielwarenmesse 2018 will take place in Nurnberg from January, 31 till February, 4.

We are pleased to inform you that we are among the exhibitors and would like to invite you to visit our stand E-20 in Hall 10.0.

07.11.2017 // US.: Halloween spending to reach record $9.1 billion

With more people celebrating, Americans will splurge on costumes, candy and pumpkins for a record $9.1 billion in Halloween spending this year, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is up 8.3 percent from last year’s previous record of $8.4 billion.

“Americans are planning to spend more than ever as they gear up for Halloween,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers are helping customers celebrate in style with a huge selection of costumes, candy and decorations to cater to ghosts and goblins of all ages.”

Consumers are expected to spend an average $86.13, up from last year’s $82.93, with 179 million Americans planning to partake in Halloween festivities, up from 171 million in 2016. Only 12.9 percent say their spending will be impacted by the economy, down from 14.1 percent last year and a peak of 32.1 percent in 2011.

According to the survey, consumers plan to spend $3.4 billion on costumes (purchased by 69 percent of Halloween shoppers), $2.7 billion on candy (95 percent), another $2.7 billion on decorations (72 percent) and $410 million on greeting cards (37 percent).

Among Halloween celebrants, 71 percent plan to hand out candy, 49 percent will decorate their home or yard, 48 percent will wear costumes, 46 percent will carve a pumpkin, 35 percent will throw or attend a party, 31 percent will take their children trick-or-treating, 23 percent will visit a haunted house and 16 percent will dress pets in costumes.

Thirty-five percent of consumers will find their inspiration for the perfect costume online, while 30 percent will look in stores, 20 percent will ask friends and family, 18 percent will look to Facebook or Pinterest, 17 percent will be influenced by pop culture and 14 percent by print media.

When it comes to buying costumes and other Halloween supplies, 47 percent of shoppers will visit discount stores and 38 percent will go to a specialty Halloween store or costume store. In addition, 25 percent will visit supermarkets, 24 percent will buy at department stores and 22 percent will shop online.

“Halloween continues to be a highly anticipated holiday for Americans, who will spend a record amount this year with increases across all purchasing categories,” Prosper Insights Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow said. “Expect consumers to be on the lookout for early-bird promotions both online and in-store as they hunt for the best items to complete their costumes and embellish their homes.”

Top Costumes

More than 3.7 million children plan to dress as their favorite action character or superhero, 2.9 million as Batman characters and another 2.9 million as their favorite princess while 2.2 million will dress as a cat, dog, monkey or other animal.

Proving that Halloween isn’t just for kids, a record number of adults (48 percent) plan to dress in costume this year. More than 5.8 million adults plan to dress like a witch, 3.2 million as their favorite Batman character, 3 million as an animal (cat, dog, cow, etc.), and 2.8 million as a pirate.

Pets won’t be left behind when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. Ten percent of pet lovers will dress their animal in a pumpkin costume, while 7 percent will dress their cat or dog as a hot dog and 4 percent as a dog, lion or pirate.

The survey asked 7,013 consumers about Halloween shopping plans. It was conducted September 5 - 13.

30.10.2017 // Toy vision: The impact of kids' viewing habits on toys

Toy vision: The impact of kids' viewing habits on toys

Children’s TV plays a vital role in how kids select their toys, inspiring playtime on all levels. But how are kids’ viewing habits starting to impact sales? Jade Burke explores.

Kids are consuming TV content at a rapid pace, and with an abundance of children’s channels from Nickelodeon to Cartoon Network all churning out new episodes on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that these children’s series are having a fundamental impact on how young ones enjoy playtime.

Tuning in to the TV and watching the latest episode of PAW Patrol is part of a child’s routine, just as it is playing with the latest play-set starring Chase and Skye, but are kids’ viewing habits starting to have a key impact on toy sales? "The performance of shows on-air directly impact the sales of products related to the show," reveals Nickelodeon’s VP of commercial partnerships, consumer products and experiences, Marianne James.

Certainly if a show is trumping viewing rates it is likely that toy sales will follow suit. However, research is intrinsic to ensuring a toy launch is successful, for example, James warns that children’s shows must boast a loyal following before a toy line can even be considered. "We try to monitor the popularity of shows before we consider products. This includes doing research into the consumer products potential of the shows, through to ratings once the show has launched," James enthuses.

"Kids are consuming more content than ever before because of different platforms and second screens" Marianne James, Nickelodeon

Not only that, timely releases can also help to continue momentum, such as with the PAW Patrol Air Patroller vehicle, which hit retailers’ shelves after the vehicle was showcased during an episode at Easter 2016, which resulted in a sell-out product. From this no doubt children continued to engage with the series and buy new toys.

"PAW Patrol is an example of a property that has now become an essential part of a pre-schooler’s daily viewing and as such, products, especially toys and softlines, are timed to launch at the same time as particular episodes, such as the Air Patroller vehicle toy launching at the same time as the episode was shown at Easter 2016 and the product sold out."

Similarly, WWE supported the release of a Steel Cage play-set for fans to enjoy by locking Chris Jericho inside a cage during a match, to help ramp up toy sales.

Screen success

In a society that is now screen heavy, with households having as many as six screens in the form of TVs, smartphones and tablets, the impact TV is having on a child’s choice in toys cannot be ignored, with streaming services and adverts all altering how a child is playing.

"I think standard TV is not having as much of an impact. My children prefer on demand TV like Netflix and YouTube and I think YouTube has a far bigger impact," recalls Matt Booker, owner of Automattic Comics and Toys.

"The problem is that distribution in the UK is way behind keeping up with the current trends and needs a kick up the bum. It's evolving into a very different market place for the next hot trend."

In contrast, Nickelodeon has witnessed a recurring trend in children choosing to watch TV, which has also helped to propel toy sales with various properties including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which has secured over $2 billion in retail sales across various categories since 2012.

James adds: "Kids are consuming more content than ever before because of availability on different platforms and second screens, but we know through our research that their preferred way to watch TV content is through the main set and that live TV still accounts for the majority of their viewing."

There’s no denying the impact an advert may have on children too, with most children’s shows filled up with advertisement slots for the latest toy, showcasing new heroes and villains for kids to play with. With all of this content engulfing viewers, children are able to gain inspiration for playtime, taking on the role of the ‘baddie’ or ‘goodie’ character to mimic poignant scenes from their favourite TV show, which of course leads to even more sales for the manufacturer. Mitch Brown, owner of Darths Hutt, concurs: "The majority of advertising is now on the children's channels rather than normal terrestrial channels. Kids can pester the parents for a product they have seen on TV, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the parent has seen the advert themselves."

Binging boom

With all this consumption comes a cause for concern; are children now starting to binge on their favourite shows through different platforms?

Ofcom detailed its annual Communications Market Report during August 2017, which found that 79 per cent of UK adults are now watching multiple episodes of their favourite shows in a single viewing session. Of course, this figure doesn’t include children, however, the fact that the UK is enjoying binge watching proves that this behaviour could be transferred to kids.

"It is important to know what children are watching and a great excuse to tune in".

Peter Allinson, Whirligig

"This generation of kids tend to want content on tap to suit their mood, our research has shown, and VOD viewing allows for this," James explains.

"Binging on one property for example can mean watching the show, buying the products, playing the game online and interacting with the channel on social media for example."

Despite this, toy manufacturers cannot discount the fact that TV content is a major part of children’s lives and has a huge impact on how children play and choose their toys, making it even more crucial to track their viewing habits.

"It is really important to know what children are watching and a great excuse to tune in," concludes Peter Allinson, owner of Whirligig Chichester.

26.10.2017 // Toy industry gathers for the 10th Kids Turkey

- Trade fair takes place in Istanbul from 26 to 29 October 2017
- International exhibitors unveil innovations at the World of Toys Pavilion
- Matchmaking Tool helps trade buyers prepare for the fair

24.10.2017 // WIT selects The Toy Association as management services provider

17.10.2017 // Kids License Monitor III/2017: these are the most popular toy licenses among children

Top 10 Licenses - appeal

The licenses liked best by children aged 4-12 years in the three markets (total sample). For example, 66 % of all French children in this age group like "Cars".

The top 10 most popular licensed properties in Germany (Illustration: Spielwarenmesse; Source: iconkids & youth)

The licenses liked best by boys and girls aged 4-12 in Germany

Boys in Germany

• 4 - 6: Cars, Mickey Mouse, Bob the Builder
• 7 - 9: Ice Age, Tom & Jerry, Penguins of Madagascar
• 10 - 12: Minions, Ice Age, Penguins of Madagascar

Girls in Germany

• 4 - 6: Frozen, Minnie Mouse, Disney Princess
• 7 - 9: Ice Age, Frozen, Tom & Jerry
• 10 - 12: Bibi und Tina Real life, Ice Age, Minions

Top 10 toy licenses - hype status

The licenses which are absolutely brilliant to have on products for most of the children aged 4-12 years in the three markets (total sample). For example, 38 % of all British children in this age group consider Harry Potter absolutely brilliant to have on their things.

The top 10 most popular license themes on toys in Germany (Illustration: Spielwarenmesse; Source: iconkids & youth)

The top 3 most popular licenses on toys in Germany sorted by gender

Boys

• 4 - 6: Cars, Minions, Spider-Man
• 7 - 9: Spider-Man, German National Football Team, Minions
• 10 - 12: German National Football Team, Minions, Batman v Superman 

Girls:

• 4 - 6: Frozen, Minnie Mouse, Disney Princess
• 7 - 9: Minions, Frozen, Ice Age
• 10 - 12: Minions, Bibi und Tina Real life, Frozen

11.10.2017 // World Smile Day

Fun Holiday – World Smile Day The first Friday of October every year is celebrated around the globe as World Smile Day.

The unofficial holiday encourages people to do acts of kindness to spread good will and cheer.

First started in 1999 by the creator of the smiley, Harvey Ball, the holiday celebrates the intent behind the now universally recognized icon - to bring a smile of the faces of people around the world. The purpose of the holiday was the move away from the commercialization of the smiley and to use it as a symbol of kindness and affection.

Morale Booster

The smiley made its debut in 1963 as a way to increase the morale of the employees of a life insurance company. Today, it is one of the most popular nonverbal ways to convey joy, happiness and cheer. The smiley face began as a bright yellow circle with two dots to represent eyes and a black line that represents a smiling mouth.

Emoji

Today, there are many different versions of the smiley, representing many other human emotions such a sadness, surprise, worry and laughter. In modern texting smileys are used to express emotions in online conversations on a smartphone or on a computer. The practice has its origin in Japan, and the smileys and other icons are known as emoji.

How to Celebrate?

Make people around you smile.

Do a random act of kindness. Buy a stranger a coffee. Compliment someone. Give your seat up to someone on the bus.

Surprise someone in your family with a visit, cook a meal for them, or do something special for them.

Volunteer your time and/ or money at a local nonprofit organization.

Did You Know... ...that babies are born with the ability to smile?

28.09.2017 // The Toy Insider reveals top toys for gift guide

The Toy Insider has detailed its expert picks for the best kids’ toys and tech for its 12th annual gift guide.

Three lists are included in the guide; the Hot 20 (the most wished-for items of the year), Top Tech 12 (featuring AI, AR and VR) and STEM 10.

27.09.2017 // How to find new distribution channels for toys

We in the toy business can tend to get very focused on our existing (traditional) retailers. In markets like the USA, France and the UK, just a few retail chains per market have a very significant market share i.e. Walmart & Target in the US, the hypermarché and toy specialist chains in France and Argos in the UK and tend to demand a large degree of focus and care from our sales teams. But there are more distribution channels in which toys fit perfectly.

The German toy market is unusual when compared to these other major toy markets. It has a very fragmented retail base, with its preponderance of independent toy retailers and not one retailer accounting for a very large share of the market, it is somewhat unusual. This difference shifts the challenge from managing one or two highly demanding super-sized retailers to ensure you can leverage as many listings/shipments as you need, to a challenge of managing a fragmented sales network and the need for more substantial sales infrastructure.

There is a place for toys in almost every store

One distribution factor that is present in mostly equal measure in all these markets though is the concept of ‘alternative distribution’. Away from much cherished toy specialists like Toys R Us, and highly valued but very demanding multi product retailers, is a different world where toys can be present but aren’t necessarily integral/essential to the retailer in question.

While Toys R Us obviously must stock toys, and the mass market generalist retailers use the toy category to drive in store traffic and to ensure they capture as much family spending as they can, why would a book store, a furniture store or a multi-media retailer stock toys? Especially when toys are sold on a ‘firm sale’ basis i.e. the retailer buys them and keeps them, not like sale or return to supplier which is typical for books or multi-media for instance? Moreover, do these retailers merit focus and attention when they tend to take a narrow range of products from a limited number of suppliers?

Alternative distribution for smaller toy companies

The value to toy companies of such customers probably comes down to business strategy and place in the market. The 80/20 rule would probably suggest that such retailers are not worthy of the time of the sales departments in larger companies like Mattel, Hasbro or Lego for instance. Such non-core customers are more likely to be passed onto wholesalers by these big players.

However, for smaller companies there may well be value in targeting such alternative distribution, because the value of the potential opportunity may well be more significant to a company that doesn’t have full distribution into all traditional channels. My own experience would suggest that sometimes it is easier to be one of a few suppliers in a particular category than it is to be one of many. For smaller companies, a broader base may mitigate the risk that gigantic customers pose in terms of ongoing sales/listings stability and inventory.

These alternative retailers may sometimes appear to be uncommitted to the toy category – some years they are in, some years they are not, but the reality is that they do offer incremental opportunity. Sometimes they may increase their toy line around events i.e. a major book launch, or a particular season of the year. Toys can help them broaden their offer to the consumer and draw in more families to their outlets.

Toy and toy themes for particular retailers

While consumers may not be looking in such types of stores for toys specifically, the research I have conducted suggests that the average consumer does not think “I’m in a book shop, I am only here to buy books”, rather they look at and eventually purchase items which they want or even need, regardless of where they are when they buy them. Certain types of toys can fit very well with a particular retailer, i.e. the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film toys (& other merchandise) appear to have achieved significantly more in store space than the general line of toy products offered usually due to the clear link between the movies and the books they are derivative works of.

Toys may not seem such an obvious fit with some of these alternative distribution channels, but they still offer revenue opportunity for those willing to step outside the usual and place a sales call.

26.09.2017 // The power of digital

The power a brand ambassador can bring to a new product can undoubtedly transform a toy into a one hit wonder or a long-standing hit with fans. Tony Norton form Norton PR reveals all.

 We have been ‘doing’ digital PR for years and in the toy industry this means using online influencers who could be brand ambassadors for a client’s product or service.

However, the challenge has become how PR agencies utilise this trusted, user-generated content and reach those consumers across a more diverse comms platform than ever before.

Today, there is a risk that PR agencies can only offer clients a finite digital PR programme; one which ticks the boxes for sending out product, getting reviews and coverage, but that’s where their role ends.

But for the consumer, this is just the beginning. It is now a question of how that review/post/blog can be amplified, re-edited, re-issued and aligned with a much bigger client brief, and translate into tangible sales.

User generated content is on the rise, predicted to surpass brand generated content by 2020. According to YouTube, video consumption grows by 100 per cent per year, with more child-directed viewing across an increasingly diverse range of comms channels.

Print media will continue to be relevant, however, the digital age has made these titles better, more relevant and more connected to their audience. Planning PR campaigns that have an element of user generated content can be utilised across a host of social and online channels, as well as provide trusted news stories that reflect real people and real brands.

User-generated content will surpass brand content by 2020.

Tony Norton, Norton and Company

Having one million views for a YouTube unboxing via a high profile influencer sounds like a major PR win. In reality, that comes at a cost as, unless you can track a sales spike to that one moment in time where they raved about a product, it’s all fluff with no substance.

The challenge is to source those influencers on the up, not those who have already peaked. They charge the earth and there is no longevity around their review.

As more PR companies recognise the value in digital content and the social web it's not farfetched to suggest that purely PR or digital agencies will disappear or morph into something new as skill sets merge.

Digital tools, skills and knowledge have become standard practice in PR rather than the specialist skill it was. Working with digital PR practitioners guarantees campaigns reach and longevity.

PR agencies must continue to battle for the share of a client’s media spend in which there is often a chunk for digital and influencer partnerships without real understanding of how the two can be aligned.

As consumption of information becomes more focused on content and digital, PR and all its facets may be the best way to communicate your brand and product offering as they have a more in depth knowledge of your consumer and how to reach them.

Tony Norton is the chairman of Norton and Company Marketing Communications. With 23 years PR experience, Norton has seen success with major children's brands including Thunderbirds, Bratz, JCB, LEGO and Crayola.