Global Toy News

3D Printing; Are We Near the Tipping Point?

MakieLab

In my last posting ("Last Week I Visited the Future... and its in 3D")I wrote about my trip to Shapeways, a company that is on the cutting edge of consumerist 3D printing. Shapeways is not the only company in the business.  If you want to check out some toy specific 3D sites, you may want to visit My Robot Nation where you can design and have 3D printed your very own robot.  Also, check out Makie Lab, a British company which focuses on allowing users to design and 3D print toys and games.

Thanks to Shapeways, I learned about how big the 3D printing market has become and the number of materials there are available with which to work.  But what does it all mean?  Is it important?

My Robot Nation

I think it means a lot.  Here are some things to think about:

• If you own enough 3D printers, why would you need to own any inventory?  You could print out on demand.  It’s JIT (Just in Time) in its truest sense.
• If you can print out small batches without the need for molds or factories?  Anyone can enter the marketplace with a new item.  The only cost is for the material.  
• If the need for factories and engineers declines, what happens to people who currently hold those jobs?

Last Week I Visited the Future…And It’s in 3D

I have, since a child, been fascinated by the future.   I can even remember the day when it all started.  My much older brother kept a big box of old comic books under his bed.  Once, while browsing through a sea of Superman and Batman I chanced upon a Bugs Bunny comic book.  The cover contained a picture of Porky Pig steering a rocket ship while Bugs Bunny fried some eggs on the after burner.  Intrigued, I picked it up and was immediately immersed into the story. 

Bugs and Porky had gone to visit the offices of a Science Fiction publishing company.  They wanted to know where the writers got their ideas.  It turns out that the company had a window that opened onto the future.  Porky and Bugs Bunny, being Looney Tune characters and therefor rediculously impulsive, climbed through the window and had wild adventures with space ships and ray guns. The memory is so vivid that I was able to Google a description of the cover and find it (see above).  From that day on I was hooked on wanting to live in the future; it was my dream to crawl through that same window.

Well, it felt a little like that last week when I, Gerrick Johnson and JC Jung took the elevator up to the 8^th floor of a downtown building and paid a visit on to  Shapeways; a 3D printing company.

If you will recall, 3D printing is a process by which you produce a 3 dimensional object based upon a design you create or download into your computer.  Rather than ink on paper, the printer lays down thin layers of material until they finally form a finished object.  In short, just as you can print out a letter or sales sheet from your computer, with the right equipment you can print out a three dimensional object.  In fact, the newer machines even apply paint.

Kodak, Polaroid, Hasbro and the Challenge of Innovation

Why do established companies have such a hard time innovating their business model, even when they can see the future coming?  That’s the interesting question that Nick Bilton confronted in his interesting New York Times article:  “Disruptions: Innovation Isn’t Easy, Especially Midstream.”

Bilton uses Instagram, the poplar photo sharing app that was recently purchased by Facebook, as his point of discussion.  Those readers who are old enough will remember the name Instagram and the logo from the long diseased Polaroid camera company.  Polaroid was a one- time innovator which produced cameras that printed out pictures on the spot.  The pictures had an odd patina and over time they faded but at the time they were state of the art.

The Instagram purchased by Facebook, however, uses modern technology to allow users to make their photos look like old fashioned Polaroid images.  As Bilton puts it: "Integra’s personality and style were developed in some way from old film camera companies. The application’s filters that convert pictures to look like snapshots from yesteryear were inspired by classic Brownies and Instamatics and disposable point-and-shoots."

Bilton then goes on to ask the essential question:  "...why was a small start-up with only 13 employees able to build Instagram while a company like Eastman Kodak, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection, was not?"

A former CEO of Polaroid, Gary T. DiCamillo, answered the question this way: “We knew we needed to change the fan belt, but we couldn’t stop the engine,” he said. “And the reason we couldn’t stop the engine was that instant film was the core of the financial model of this company. It drove all the economics.” The same was true of Kodak and its reliance on its own cash cow: silver halide film.

It is a cyclical problem all successful companies eventually face as the technology around them changes, but they cannot change. We are in the midst of constant innovative flux as the play platform

“All Play”; A New Linked In Group

I have started a new group on Linked In called “All Play.”  Its purpose is to create one space where everyone who engages in the business of play (profit and non-profit) can come together to share ideas and points of view.  It is my belief that all play is slowly converging, whether it is in a park, on the Internet or at the kitchen table.   The barriers between play that is for adults and for children are collapsing as well.  The old rules simply no longer apply

Watch a someone and you will see that they could care less into which category a particular form of play falls.  They pick up a cell phone, cast it aside to play a board game and then run outside to play on the swings.  For them, it is all play.

Why then do we, as professionals, create barriers between our respective forms of play?  We need to begin the process of coming together so that we are all part of a new world of play that does not discriminate as to how happiness and joy occurs. 

Whether you are in apps, traditional toys, games, video games, parks & recreation, hobbies & crafts, playgrounds, beach play, educational or whatever else I am not thinking of, join us to discuss what we all have in common.  By doing so, I believe we can make swings swingier, games gamier and crafts craftier.

Click here and join the discussion. 

 

The Death of the “Price Point”?

   
                                                                                      Brian Maggio                                                        


For about two years now, we’ve heard grumblings of pricing pressure at retail.  Manufacturers are seeing higher costs of materials and labor, and retailers for their part are faced with ever higher margin requirements to justify the real estate.

At the same time, there has been an almost palpable desire to hit “key price points” at retail.  Sometime, somewhere, a group of marketing brains got together years ago and decided that all products had to fit neatly into distinct price tiers.  And retailers were trained accordingly. 

Regardless of the cost / value relationship or the build that had gone into a product, all sales presentations had to align with predetermined price points.  “Is that a $14.99 or a $19.99 product?” was a common question that a buyer would pose to the salesperson.  (To which I was occasionally tempted to

Why Leapfrog may be the first 21st Century Toy Company

As I thought back over my conversation with John Barbour("John Barbour; a conversation with the CEO of LeapFrog"), I was struck hard by the notion that LeapFrog may be the first truly 21^st century toy company.  Rather than being a hybrid that cobbles together traditional and digital play, LeapFrog is creating a whole new type of company that is seeking to seamlessly integrate all of the play formats.  Think about it; children don’t divide toys up by their category.  They just play with which ever format satisfies their need of the moment.  Watch a child play and you will see them pick up an iPad, toss aside a Lego brick; toss aside an iPad and start coloring with a color book.  It all happens seamlessly.  A 21^st Century company will satisfy that need, no matter what format is called for.

Secondly, I pondered how perfect a choice John Barbour was to lead a company into this brave new world of integrated play.  During the conversation, I intuited that John was one of those rare people who is neither dominated by the left (analytical) or right (intuitive) side of his brain.    Both his

How to Make Toys & Toy Inventors

I never miss an opportunity to speak when invited. I think it important to share with others what we do as toy inventors and what we learn in the process of creation. It's also important to let kids know about toy design as a possible career choice.

After all, it wasn’t until I was flat broke and desperate for a job 30+ years ago that I even heard of toy design. Before that I had never given a thought to where toys came from. It turns out that toy invention was the perfect career choice as the need for innovative and fresh ideas in the toy industry is never ending.

John Barbour; a conversation with the CEO of LeapFrog

John Barbour, CEO of LeapFrog, graciously agreed to do an interview with me that turned out to be a great conversation.  John is fun to be around.  When you first meet him, three things are immediately obvious:  John has a strong Scottish brogue, a great sense of humor and an abundance of both mental and social intelligence; he dominates a room. 

John, now CEO of LeapFrog, is leading a renaissance at that company.  I was intrigued, however, as to why he had returned to the toy industry.  After all, John had already finished a highly successful career in the toy industry which included the Presidency of Toys R Us, USA, International, and ToysRUs.com as well as executive stints at such notable toy companies as Hasbro, Matchbox and OddzOn Products.  Why would he choose to jump back in?

Why did John return to the toy industry?

John told me that he returned because he loves (I underlined “loves” because when he said the word he almost shouted it), not likes but loves, the toy industry, its people and its consumers.  Where else, he told me, could you have such a positive impact on children?  You can almost feel John’s adrenaline pumping as he describes his desire to turn LeapFrog into a place with a reputation of being a great place to work…and according to him; he is having fun doing it.  John’s mission:  To create a collaborative, entrepreneurial environment in which those who work at the company feel they are having a positive impact on children’s lives.

Why did he choose LeapFrog for his return?

But why LeapFrog, why not some other company?  John told me that he had met the company’s founder, Mike Wood, at its inception.  John was struck by Mike’s desire to educate through fun.  Later, while at Toys R Us, he was able to follow LeapFrog’s growth and gradual decline.  When he received the call to lead, he knew he could make a difference.  He also knew that LeapFrog had tremendous potential in a category, “Supplemental Education” that was growing. 

What business is LeapFrog in?

In order to make the turnaround happen John knew he had to do was answer Peter Drucker’s famous question: “What business are you in?” Pepsi and Coke, John told me, assumed they were in the soda business.  If they had realized that they were actually in the non-alcoholic refreshment business they would not now have to purchase bottled water, energy and fruit juice companies. 

So what business is LeapFrog in; it’s not the toy industry; it’s the “Educationally fortified entertainment business.”  John told me that kids get enough work while at school.  They really don’t want to come home and work some more; they want to play.  LeapFrog’s mission is to provide products that educate but are as compelling as anything else the child could be doing whether it is television, a video game, a movie or music.  In other words, LeapFrog is providing world class entertainment that is “fortified with educational nutrition.” 

Who is Leapfrog’s competition?

So, if LeapFrog is in the “educationally fortified entertainment business;” who is the competition?  Is it

Adult Playgrounds

Yes, you read that headline right.  There are now playgrounds designed specifically for adults.  As with Halloween, Skate Boarding and Action Figure collecting, adults are extending their childhood interests into their mature years.

That is according to a New York Times article by Winnie Hu, “Mom, Dad, this Playground’s for You.” The article describes it this way:  “Though there are no swings or slides — these are essentially outdoor gyms — such playgrounds not only have the look of traditional children’s play spaces, but they are also built in some cases by the same manufacturers.”

The article informs us that “[t]he adult playground concept is borrowed from China and parts of Europe, where outdoor fitness areas for adults have become as routine as high-fiber diets or vitamin D supplements in preventive care, particularly for older people.”

The idea is that people won’t exercise if it seems like work.  If they are playing, however, exercise

Gaga the Game; Not the Lady

Every once in a while, while walking in New York, I pass a place called "The Gaga Center."  I had assumed that it had something to do with Lady Gaga, maybe a charitable foundation.  I had assumed wrong.  At least that was what I realized when I read a piece in The New York Times, "Jewish Camps Spawn a U.S. Playground Hit",  about a game called Ga-ga or Gaga that is sweeping the country’s youth centers. 

The article, by Karen Alexander, puts it this way:   “Believed to have originated in Israel, the game — which translates to “touch, touch” in Hebrew — has been a standby of Jewish summer camps and community centers in the United States since at least the 1970s. Now, to the surprise of parents who recall the game from their youths, gaga is solidly mainstream.”

Here, according to the Wikipedia entry, is how the game is played:

My Interview with John Barbour, CEO of LeapFrog; next week in Global Toy News

Join us next week for an interview with John Barbour, CEO of LeapFrog.  John has a vision for LeapFrog that is future forward and one you may be suprised by.  Visit us next week for a two part article.

FAO and Toys R Us; through the eyes a very smart 9 year old

Author, Kayla Cushey and friend

To show a different perspective to our toy industry readers, we enlisted the help of the ultimate insider – Kayla Cushey – a 9yr old avid shopper who has a definitive passion for toys...and writing.  Currently residing in Los Angeles, CA, Kayla recently visited New York City for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the sights of the city – especially Toys R Us and FAO Schwartz. 

I had a chance to meet Kayla and her sister while they were visitng New York with their mother.  I was impressed with how amazingly she articulated her impressions of what she had seen.  I asked her if she would write an article for us and she kindly agreed.  Here are some of her observations, and please note, nothing has been edited; these are her words:

“Mommy, Mama, Mom…what is that??  If that’s Toys R Us, we HAVE to go there…now!”

The first time I saw Toys R Us in NYC was in Times Square – it had a big sign and I thought it was going to be like any other Toys R Us, except for how BIG it was!  When I walked in, I couldn’t believe my eyes!  It was so much different from any other Toys R Us store I have ever visited.  The first thing I saw was the really big Ferris wheel – it was amaaazing!  I thought to myself – this is a once in a lifetime opportunity – and I thanked my Mom for letting me go on it.  When we were in line, I saw all of the different brands and characters on the carriages including:  Nickelodeon, My Little Pony, Barbie, Scooby Doo, Cabbage Patch Kids, Phineas & Ferb, Tom & Jerry, Mr. Potato Head and Monopoly.  While we were on the ride, we saw many floors filled with toys that I recognized right off the top of my head.  I couldn’t wait to get off the ride and shop!

Once we headed up the elevator, my excitement grew and grew!  I saw so many fun toy brands - everywhere!  Candy Land, Fashion Angels, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pillow Pets, Lalaloopsy, Winx Club, Monster High and of course, My Little Pony (my 6yr old sister’s favorite) to name just a few.  My favorite brand was Fashion Angels – they even had a section where you could pick out and create your own jewelry, as well as other projects.  I just loved it!

Toys as Art; the work of M.ScHoRR

I was riding along FDR Drive on New York’s Upper East Side yesterday when I spotted a mural that ran for hundreds of feet along a construction fence.  It contained a wonderful array of brightly colored race cars.  It was a feast for the eye.  I don’t know if Mitchell Schorr was thinking of toy cars when he painted it but it sure looked like that to me.  The piece is called DaRaceStreetLegal.  Here are some examples of his work:

Part 3: Sex and the Toy Department

 

In my last posting I discussed how the Halloween and Book industries handle the issues of adult toys and play.  Barnes & Noble manages its product presentation by segregating adult toys from children’s toys; Halloween takes a more laissez faire approach.

So my question is this: If popular media as well as the Halloween and Book industries blend the innocent with the not-so-innocent, why is the toy department different?  Is it our job to determine what is “Okay” for kids or does that job belong to their parents? Can adult themed products like Stewie Griffin, the football headed, psychotic, anglophile baby from Family Guy and Ted the Bear be merchandised peacefully in the same department as Angelina Ballerina and Thomas the Tank Engine?

I think yes.  It can be done and it should be done.  Why, because it makes economic sense to give your consumers what they want.  The only question for me is, “what is the best way to do it?”  How do we meet the needs of all consumers while being careful not to put off those parents who

Part 2: Sex and the Toy Department

This is second of a three part series on adult oriented toys which considers two basic questions: Do adult themed toys belong in the toy department or toy store and if they do how and where should they be merchandised?

At the end of my last post, I noted that one place to look for guidance is the book and Halloween industries.  Barnes & Noble, for example, has created a template for how to merchandise adult themed products by segregating adult and child into two departments.  Adult games and puzzles are in one area (actually on a different floor) and children’s are in another.  In reality, however, this is no different than how book stores have been merchandising for years.  The same book store that carries Goodnight Moon in the Children’s book section also carries the Marquis de Sade in Erotica; same store, different departments.

Halloween was at one time a children’s holiday.  Sales by today’s standards were modest.  Product offerings centered on masks and inexpensive vinyl costumes.  That has, of course, changed as Halloween is now a $6 Billion dollar industry that focuses on adults.  Visit a Halloween store or

Sex and the Toy Department

This is the first of a three part series on adult oriented toys which considers two basic questions:  Do adult themed toys belong in the toy department or toy store and if they do how and where should they be merchandised? 

This is no small concern. Over the last few decades, at the same time that children have been
walking away from toys, adults have been embracing them.  In fact, adults have grabbed hold of much of the silliness of childhood (cartoons, candy and more).  What has resulted is an, at times,
uncomfortable blending of the “adult “and the “child” in popular culture. 

Some of the most popular shows on television are animated series like Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” or Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s “South Park.” They provide us with cute child characters that look innocent but spout X rated language that you would typically associate with a standup comedy routine. Both of these extremely popular shows bend the notion of childhood innocence and, in a way, reflect the world children confront on their televisions and the Internet.

These shows are targeted to teens and young adults but are also watched by children who enjoy television with parents and older siblings.  In the case of a movie like “Ted the Bear,” they may not actually go to see “Ted the Bear” but they will watch an endless number of advertisements for the movie. 

Probably no other instance better captured this cultural shift than the Katy Perry Sesame Street moment.  Acting child-like but showing ample cleavage and leg, Perry pursued little Elmo playfully around Sesame Street.  Sesame Street decided not to show the footage but it made it to YouTube where it is a favorite.

But has the toy department ever been a place of innocence; certainly, not for boys?  It once held an armory full of guns.  In fact, the industry may not sell as many cap guns as it used to but it does sell a

Direct Mail: An Effective Traffic Builder

 

 

 

Mary Ann Everett has presided over Toy Collection Catalog and consulted with catalogers for 19 years. Contact her for more information about catalog marketing at mae@toycollection.com. See a sample specialty toy catalog at www.toycollectionholidaycatalog.com.

Picking up from where I left off on Friday, my thoughts turn to why retailers use direct mail promotions. These effective promotions are most often used by independent toy stores as traffic-building catalogs, rather than direct-response catalogs used by national catalogers. They usually are mailed within about a 10 mile radius of the store’s location and most purchases are made at the store with the added support of its knowledgeable sales staff. The catalogs often compliment other community “buy local” campaigns. Retailers using catalogs and flyers often include a coupon offer to encourage and track response. Response rates of 3% to 8% are typical, depending on the season and type of mailing list used. This rate is much higher than the average 2% response for national catalogers. Store owners are also able to track response to their promotions informally, as when they see a steady stream of customers arrive in their stores clutching catalogs right after the mailing hits.

Choosing direct mail is not without challenges. Even with digital design and printing innovations, it can be a time consuming and expensive endeavor for a small business owner. There is also a need to rent, build, or maintain a quality mailing list. Specialty toy retailers are extremely fortunate to have group catalog options that are convenient and affordable, allowing them to order a reasonable number of copies and get a full holiday catalog in the mail for about 80 cents per piece. Group programs such as The Good Toy Group, Toy Collection Catalog, and franchisors such as Learning Express and Brilliant Sky all provide marketing support with print promotions. Even the ASTRA organization offers its members a printed flyer to promote the winning “Best Toys For Kids.”  Other large stores have the resources to select their own merchandise and promotions for fully custom catalogs, often leaning on vendor ad allowances to help with production costs.  

With postage accounting for 25%-50% of the cost of any direct mail promotion, having a quality mailing list is crucial. Retailers find their own customer file is the most responsive, but since kids do age out of toys it is always a good idea to “prospect” to potential new customers as well. A list compiler can supply targeted rental names that fit the demographic profile of their customer base: high-income families living close to their store, for instance. The store list is a valuable asset and is worth the effort to maintain. A “clean” mailing list starts at the point of entry, usually when a purchase is made, and should include a date field and use standard address abbreviations. Store files should be updated annually with NCOA (National Change of Address) service to find customers that may have moved. A reliable mailing house can remove duplicates and standardize list files for optimal delivery and postal discounts.

Skate Geezers; adults who still want to play

 

 

 

Are you familiar with the term Skate Geezer?  I hadn't until I saw a nice article in The New York Times about these people in their 50’s (mostly guys) who have returned to skate boarding.  These are people with responsible jobs, families, gray hair and all the other accoutrements of respectability.  But now, in middle age, they long for the excitement of their youth;  careening around on a skate board.

Here is how the  article by Alex Williams puts it in “Skateboarding Past a Midlife Crisis:"  “Forget the little red sports car: the new symbol for midlife crisis is the skateboard. Graying members of Generation X, and even their older brothers, are reclaiming their youth and rebellious streak by hopping back on a skate deck.”  It is there way of extending “…their adolescence until their federal prescription-drug benefit kicks in.”

These senior adolescents have made some changes, after all they have more money and less agility than they did 30 years ago.  They now ride on a longer version of the skateboard called a “longboard.”

Toy Catalogs Deliver for Small Retailers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Ann Everett has presided over Toy Collection Catalog and consulted with catalogers for 19 years. Contact her for more information about catalog marketing at mae@toycollection.com. See a sample specialty toy catalog at www.toycollectionholidaycatalog.com.

Some of the most successful small toy retailers use traditional media to reach their customer base. This may seem counter-intuitive at a time when social media is exploding, ad budgets are tight and many small businesses equate successful marketing with collecting the most email addresses. An estimated 30% of specialty toy stores make direct mail promotions the foundation of their marketing plan, relying on catalogs and flyers to build traffic, drive sales and create customer loyalty. These savvy retailers return to traditional direct mail campaigns year after year because of the big impression their branded mailings produce, the immediate response they generate, and the long-lasting return on their investment.

Toy catalogs are clean, visually appealing and helpful. Oftentimes they also refer customers to the store’s website or Facebook page, but most typically they call for action by bringing customers into the local brick and mortar store. Print promotions distinguish these thriving retailers from their local, national and online competition. 

China’s Deflationary Worries

 

 

 

 

We in the toy industry have, over the last few years, become accustomed to a steady rise in the cost of doing business in China.  Worker demands for higher wages and better working conditions; rising costs for raw materials and a steady upward pressure on the Chinese currency have seen to that.

It appears, however, that we may see a possible downturn or steadying in pricing as the heavy drop in Chinese exports have resulted in the possibility of deflation, not inflation, in China. Here is how Bloomberg Businessweek put it in a July 9, 2012 article entitled “China’s Deflationary Threat”: 

Is China running the risk of falling into deflation? Chinese stocks were rattled on July 9 by the government release of consumer and producer prices in June. The consumer price index rose 2.2 percent from a year earlier, and producer prices actually fell 2.1 percent vs. a median forecast for a 2 percent drop…Consumer prices have been falling for three months, producer prices for four months.

The New York Times, in a July9, 2012 headlined an article entitled “Price Data Suggest Specter of Deflation in China.” The article quotes a factory manager that sells consumer goods as saying: 

Business is slower and more challenging this year compared to the same period last year — I would say prices are down over all by 5 percent this year,” said Elaine Yan, the manager of

A Toy Industry Get Together: Coming Soon to Your Neighborhood

Last week I wrote a post about my very excellent night out with JC Jung of Globe Trotoys, Manuel Torres of Nickelodeon and Gerrick Johnson of BMO Capital.  It was wonderful getting out with such highly intelligent people.  We had a great conversation about the toy industry, did some laughing, had some excellent food and drank various forms of alcohol.  We are making this a regular night out and will be selecting guests to join us.

As a result of that article, we received comments from Mary Couzin in Chicago; Michelle Spelman in Cincinnati and Gwen Austin in Denver.  It seems that these cities have active toy industry social groups that get together on a regular basis.  I understand that Los Angeles does as well.  I thought their comments so important that I decided to write a posting to showcase them:

Chicago

Mary Couzin and the Chicago crowd have been arranging toy industry get togethers for a while now.  Mary wrote in to the comments section to tell us how they do it in Chicago: 

We started our get-togethers 3 years ago and now usually draw over 40 people each month and usually from at least 4 states. We've also tied it to a visit with a toy/game store, so we spend an hour at the toy/game store and then move onto a close pub or restaurant. Last week we had 50 people starting at Marbles: The Brain Store (the founders, Scott and Lindsay, gave a warm welcome to us) and then shut down Flemings Steakhouse at 11:15 pm.

There is nothing like face-to-face communication. Many ideas/partnerships/friendships have evolved over the years. There are groups in Cincinnati, Denver and LA. I hope they post their details.

Cincinnati

In turn, Michelle Spelman wrote in to tell us about how they get together in Cincinnati:

Cincinnati has a lively and engaged presence in the toy industry as evidenced by The Cincinnati Game & Toy Industry Professionals group. Celebrating its 2-year anniversary this month, we meet quarterly for breakfast and professional development programming.

The group lives primarily on LinkedIn and our discussion board is full of interesting information and conversations. We have over 250 members working in nearly every capacity across the industry and across the world, from global brands to local startups. Nearly all our members have a

Coming Next Week: "Sex and the Toy Department"

Starting next week, look for my three part series  on the relationship between "Adult Toys" (think "Ted the Bear," the "Simpson" and "South Park") and whether and where they belong in the toy department.  I think you'll find it of interest.

Auntie Up! The Power of the Aunt as Primary Gift Giver

 

 

 

 

Melanie Notkin is the founder and CEO of the award-winning SavvyAuntie.com and creator of the popular Savvy Auntie lifestyle brand – the phenomenon heralded by fabulous kid-friendly women everywhere as a celebration of modern, cosmopolitan aunthood.  Melanie certainly makes a case for why toy companies should be including Aunts in their marketing plans.

I can remember clearly the moment I first saw my nephew, minutes-old in my brother’s arms. Everything changed for me in that moment. I immediately fell madly, unconditionally in love. And I made a promise to myself to love this child, safeguard this child, and do whatever I could to make this child happy. Since then, my nephew has welcomed several little sisters, my amazing nieces, and my love has grown.

At the time my nephew was born, I was a senior executive at a global beauty company. I had an extraordinary life. I would travel for business to Paris one week and lead a meeting with the CEO the next. But as savvy as I was in my cosmopolitan lifestyle, I was not savvy about the things children need and love. As much as I love children, I made gaffs simply because I didn’t have the resources moms and dads do. So, for example, when I handed my then two- year-old niece a beautiful doll from Paris, she was disappointed that it wasn’t Dora. But back then, I had no clue who Dora The Explorer was! And my nephew, who was growing up to love classic boy toys … well as a woman, what did I really know about boy toys? I felt like I was disappointing them time and time again.

This experience was part of the inspiration for SavvyAuntie.com, the award-winning lifestyle brand I launched four years ago this week, as the primary resource for cool aunts, great-aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids. Interestingly, nearly half of all American women – 47.1% - are childless. That’s a steep rise from just 35% in 1976. While the majority of women do eventually go on to be mothers, we’re having children later than ever before. In fact, 46% of women ages 25-29 are not (yet) moms and 14% of first-time moms are age 35 or older. And one in five women ages 40-44 are not (yet) moms, for a number of valid reasons. We’ve stretched out the time between adolescence and motherhood by decades! And that leaves a lot of devoted time, and discretionary income, to spend on our nieces and nephews by relation and our nieces and nephews by choice (our friends’ children).

I established the Savvy Auntie lifestyle brand to give aunts the tools and resources they need to be Savvy Aunties – and the credit they deserve for their generosity of time and income toward the children in their lives which is often overlooked. For instance, in my best-selling book, Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids (Morrow, April 2011), I introduce the concept of “QualAuntie Time.” The time an aunt spends with a child-not-her-own is most often dedicated playtime.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one hour of uninterrupted playtime for young children to help with their cognitive, emotional and social development, not to mention fine motor skill and language development. That precious hour is very challenging for a parent to find for their children. But Auntie? She’s carved out time specifically to visit and play with her nieces and nephews. And simply by playing, they are developing!

Who Leads the World in Roller Coasters; What that may tell us about how Playful a Country is

In that summer is fully here (I don’t know about where you live but here in the American Northeast it is HOT!) it seems like the right time to talk about roller coasters and what love of roller coasters may say about a people and their love of play?  Does the number of roller coasters in a country tell us something about the people who live there?  In other words, can we say that the more the roller coasters the more playful the country?

In order to find out I decided to do some analysis.  First stop, what are the top countries in the world for roller coasters? 

            Country             No. of Roller Coasters

1. United States                         761      
2. China                                    548      
3. Japan                                   214      
4. United Kingdom                     169      
5. Germany                               134
6. France                                    96        
7. Italy                                       67
8. India                                      64        
9. Canada                                   55   
10. South Korea                            50

    

But wait a minute, before you start chanting USA, USA; let’s recalculate these based upon population.  Here are the pro rata rankings:

 

 Country                         Population per roller coaster 

1. United Kingdom                            366,863
2. United States                                411,300
3. Japan                                           598,130
4. Germany                                       604,477
5. Canada                                         618,161
6. France                                          677,083
7. Italy                                             910,447
8. South Korea                                  980,000
9. China                                        2,372,262
10. India                                        18,750,000

Should we be surprised that the UK is number 1?  Well, what about what Shakespeare has Henry V say in the play of the same name?  Called the “St. Crispin’s Day Speech,” Henry (Hal) is about to lead his men into battle against what seemed to be insurmountable odds when he makes an inspiring speech to him men.  He tells them to rejoice: “"[W]e few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”  It seems to me that if you can be happy about getting killed you are probably absolutely delighted about riding a roller coaster.  Well, the speech worked and the British won; nice job, Henry!

But is the UK really the number one country for roller coasters? 

MonstroCity and Other Great Playgrounds

It is summer and our attention is drawn to outdoor play.  If anything, slides, swings, jungle jims and other playground features are nothing if not great big toys.  I recently wrote a piece entitled "Dangerous Playgrounds; are they a good idea?”   After reading it, Charlotte Fixler, Communications Manager for ThinkFun sent me a piece she found entitled “America’s Coolest Playgrounds.”  There were nine shown, here are the ones I liked:

The first one pictured is MonstroCity (see above)  in St. Louis at the City Museum.  The author, Sarah Weir, describes it as “post-apocalyptic.”  I used to live in St. Louis and what I remember fondly was a playground that you could see from route 40 that contained the longest slide I have ever seen. 

I don’t know how much fun this playground in Clemyjontri Park, Fairfax County, VA actually is but doesn’t it look like a giant board game? (see below)

Only in New York would you find a playground described as the biggest in the country.  It’s at the New York City Hall of Science Playground in Queens. (see below)

A Look at the New Olive Oyl; Popeye better shape up

I chanced upon the new Olive Oyl website and I have to tell youre, King Features is doing a great job of reinvigorating a 93 year old cartoon character.  They have kept her essential look while making her totally contemporary.  In fact, she looks fashionable.  So fashionable that there are a number of companies licensing Olive Oyl for clothing and shoes.

If you visit the new Olive Oyl Loves website you will find that she is totally hooked up with the social networks (she’s even on Pinterest) and is reaching out to females of all ages; a very interesting and timely approach.

That’s not all that’s going on with Popeye.  It appears that Sony is doing a 3D Popeye movie.  So, good for King Features, good for Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Sweetpea, Wimpy and even the Seahag.  Oh yes, good for anyone who is considering a license.  It could get interesting.  Go to the next page to see a really cool take on Olive Oyl.

Dinner for 4 with JC Jung, Gerrick Johnson and Manuel Torres

            From left to right: Manuel Torres, Gerrick Johnson, me and JC Jung

We in the toy industry rarely have the opportunity to sit down with very smart people and have great conversations about what we do.  It was with that in mind that I was joined for dinner by Manuel Torres, SVP MD Global Toys, Video Games and Consumer Electronics at Nickelodeon and SVP Latin America Consumer Products at MTV Networks; Gerrick Johnson, toy industry financial analyst for BMO Capital and Jean Christian (JC) Jung, co-owner at Globe Trotoys.

We met at the venerable Keene’s Steak House where we consumed a great dinner and a few drinks (well, not a few).  We discussed everything from the rise of 3D printing to who and what's hot and not.  Adding to the flavor of the evening was the backgrounds of two of our group:  JC was born in France but lived in Africa from age 6 to 16 and has also lived in a number of European countries as well; Manuel was born in Mexico City and has lived in India and Brazil.  Gerrick and I, well, we are not so exotic.  I am from the South and Gerrick was brought up on Long Island but did go to college in North Carolina (Wake Forest). 

None-the-less, everyone had a unique point of view.  The conversation was funny, smart and interesting to say the least.  The food was good too.  We are going to make it regular event and invite a special guest to join us. 

By the way, Mary Couzin has started a large group in Chicago that meets on a regular basis.  Let us know if you are doing something similar.

 

Pregnancies Are Down; what it means for the baby and toy industries

As we all know, pregnancy rates are highly important to both the toy and baby industries.  They provide us with a clear message as to how many children we can expect will be playing with toys or drinking out of Sippy cups in the coming years.  That is why The New York Times headline, “Pregnancy Rates Sank Over Last 20 Years,” caught my eye.

Here is how the article starts:  “Pregnancy rates have decreased over the past two decades among all races, ethnicities and age groups — except for women in their 30s and early 40s.”  Here are the pregnancy numbers by age group comparing 1990 to 2008:

Teenage Girls    (15-19 years old)                                 Down 40%

Women (Early 20’s)                                                       Down 18%

Women (35 – 39 years old)                                            Up 38%

Women (40 – 44 years old)                                            Up 65%

I reviewed the actual study from the National Vital Statistics Reports and found that over all,

That's what? ToyPedia helps demystify the toy box

 

 

 

Chris Braun was an early collector of toy soldiers and started trading toys at age 16 to help finance his degrees. After working for Bain & Company, GE Capital and others, he found his way back to toys while managing a business selling on eBay and other platforms with revenues of more than $15 million. He started www.ToyCollector.com to satisfy both his need for the ultimate resource for toy fans as well as to create a better trading environment for collectors, the public, retailers and manufacturers.

 The thought behind creating ToyPedia was simple: construct a comprehensive database where not only vintage toy collectors could discover a breath of toys to delight their imaginations, but provide information about new and old favorites to toy lovers everywhere.

At the heart of ToyPedia is the ability to educate and inform the world at large about toys whether someone found a gem in an attic or picked up at a cool item at a garage sale. Furthermore, it enables us to drive our collectable toy marketplace allowing buyers to find out more about a toy thereby making it easier for them to sell it.

We started out with a tree structure, organized by brand name – everything from A-Call-to-Arms to Zylmex is listed on this level. ToyPedia is intuitive as well, so for household names like Barbie and Hot Wheels, they’re on the same level as Mattel, even though both are Mattel brands. Users can browse the brand list or type a few letters into the search box to display all manufacturers containing those letters. For example, type “Mat,” and up comes Animate Toy, Major Matt Mason, Matchbox, Mattel and Playmates – many more will be added going forward!

Clicking on a brand name gives users the next level beneath it – sometimes that’s a list of product ranges, sometimes it's items grouped by type such as cars, dolls, figures, etc. The data for each brand is structured individually to strike the best balance between preserving range structure for the purist collectors and making stuff easy to find for the newcomer. It’s amazing how complex toy ranges can get, but if someone has a model of a rocket with “Airfix” on it and the next level under Airfix is “Space,” they’ll know that’s where to find it. Sometimes there is more than one sub-level, but the goal is to avoid that as nobody likes clicking through too many levels – navigating back through every stage is easy and gives users big red X buttons to go back a level each time.

Top 10 Famous Bears

After I wrote my article on Ted the Bear, I began to think about the number of bears in children’s literature, cartoons and movies.  So, I thought it would be fun to do a little research and rank the Top 10 Fictional Bears in history in order of importance.  

1.    The Three Bears           

This bear family which debuted in Goldilocks several hundred years ago is still with us today.  They may just have been the bears that started it all.

2.     Teddy Bear 

Teddy Roosevelt didn’t know what he started when he spared the life of a bear while on a hunting trip.  What did he start; the teddy bear business?

3.    Winnie the Pooh           

Probably the most recognized bear in the world. 

4.    Smokey Bear               

Smokey, based upon an acutal rescued bear,  with his big round hat and shovel is the least warm and fuzzy of the top 10.  He means business though and his business is stomping out forest fires.  Start one and he looks like he may stomp you out.

5.    Brer Bear

Brer Bear was the creation of Joel Chandler Harris.  Now largely forgotten, the dim witted bear was a featured character in Disney’s “Song of the South” and still shows up in the occasional character parade at Disney theme parks.

6.    Fozzie Bear

Kermit’s furry sidekick is a slapstick comedian whose signature pork pie hat and wide open mouth convey a Borscht Belt comedian of the 1960’s.

7.    Yogi Bear                    

The name was based upon Yogi Berra, the Yankees catcher, but the character was that of a picnic lunch stealing vaudevillian.  This 1960’s Hannah Barberra character, accompanied by Boo Boo Bear, attempted a comeback in a quickly forgotten 2010 movie.

8.    Berenstain Bears          

I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with one of the creators Jan Berenstain(the other being her husband Stan), a few years ago.  She recently passed away but I can still remember her telling me how their editor, Dr. Seuss, was the one who came up with the name Berenstain Bears.

9.    Paddington Bear          

A stowaway bear from Peru, Paddington is found in London’s Paddington station where he is adopted by the Brown family.  He continues to please parents and children as a very polite and warm hearted character.

10.  Rupert the Bear            

No, not the Rupert from English artist Mary Tourtel (the English love bears, the British Toy Association even gives out a Golden Bear Award each year) but the Rupert from Family Guy.  He belongs to Stewie, the oddly adult baby with a British accent (and yet another British / Bear connection).

So, let us know what you think of this ranking.  Who did I leave out?  Let me know.

“Ted the Bear”; Does he belong in the toy department?

Ted, the foul mouthed bear with an oversized sex drive, is a breakout star in Seth “Family Guy” MacFarlane’s movie of the same name.  Probably not since “Greg the Bunny” has an “X” rated plush animal had such a starring role (and by the way if you like Ted and have never seen Greg the Bunny its worth watching.  Particularly their movie parodies.)

There have, of course, been animals in plays, movies and television shows before but they have not been made of fuzz and cotton.  Some  were imaginary.  Harvey the invisible rabbit who accompanies Jimmy Stewart to various bars and now resides on Broadway in a theatre revival comes to mind. 

And there have been plenty of cartoon animals with foul mouths and oversized ids.  Look no further than Brian the dog on MacFarlane’s venerable “Family Guy.”  So, here is a question:  Will a toy company license the rights to Ted?  A plush Ted with a sound chip would probably be an attractive purchase to