toys & family entertainment, april 2009

Volume 4, No. 5

April 2009

Features20 Toy Fair Trend: Keeping Up

with Mommy Bloggersby Beth Feldman and Bill Southard

22 Toy Fair Trend: Low PricePoint but Packed withPlay Valueby Nancy Lombardi

24 Fantasy and Fun: Roleplayby Paul Narula

25 Roleplay:Product Presentationby Paul Narula

26 Cuddly, Collectible, andCutting Edgeby Paul Narula

28 Plush: Product Presentationby Paul Narula

ON THE COVER: Hasbro’s FurReal Friends Lulu My Cuddlin’ Kitten, Fisher-Price’s Elmo Tickle Hands, Folkmanis’ Frog Prince, Zizzle’s R-Doggee,Gund’s Kalluk, and Jakks Pacific’s Domo plush

COVER BY DESIGN EDGE

34

ON THIS PAGE (CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP): North American BearCompany’s NouNou My Own Bear, Pretty Ugly’s Ox Uglydoll, andHasbro’s Transformers Bumblebee Movie Voice Mixer Helmet

Observations & Opinions page 4

Sizzlers page 6

Specialty Sizzlers page 8

The Ticker page 10

Entertainment Marketplace:

Where the Wild Things Are page 12

Merchandise Makers: Hooga Loo page 14

Industry Forum: TIA page 16

Industry Forum: ASTRA page 18

You’re Hired! page 36

Calendar of Events page 38

:

Product Presentationby Laurie Hahn

32 :

Russimcoby Paul Narula

Departments

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TO VEGAS

4 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2009

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PUBLISHED BY ANB MEDIA • Volume 4, Number 5

PUBLISHER BOB [email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ANDY [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER AMY [email protected]

CONTROLLER MARY [email protected]

EDITOR IN CHIEF JIM [email protected]

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR NANCY [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR CHRIS [email protected]

EDITOR AT LARGE CHRISTOPHER [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORS

LAURIE HAHN; [email protected] NARULA; [email protected]

WEB MASTER ERIK [email protected]

WEB CONTENT MANAGER BRENDAN [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

BETH FELDMAN; KATHLEEN MCHUGH;MATT NUCCIO, [email protected];BILL SOUTHARD; BENJAMIN THRUSH

HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE TONY LEESMART REGENT PRODUCTIONS LTD., 66–72 STANLEY STREET, ROOM 603,

KAI TAK COMMERCIAL BUILDING, CENTRAL HONG KONGPHONE: 2815 0166 • FAX: 2815 6911 • [email protected]

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PHONE: (646) 763–8710 • FAX: (646) 763–8727

TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT and SPECIALTY EMPORIUM are published monthly by aNb Media, Inc. Copyright 2009aNb Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or byany means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval sys-tem, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT andSPECIALTY EMPORIUM are registered trademarks of aNb Media, Inc. Opinions and comments expressed in this publi-cation by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of management.

WWW.ANBMEDIA.COM

The licensing industry is in a transitional period withregard to its U.S.-based trade show, just as the toy indus-try experienced a few years ago. Since its inception,Licensing Show has always been held in New York City.This year it is moving to Las Vegas. Much like when the

Toy Industry Association (TIA), moved its Fall Toy Preview to Dallas,some people are resisting the change.

The Friday morning before Toy Fair this past February, Advanstar,the company that produces Licensing Show, and the Licensing IndustryMerchandisers’Association (LIMA), held an informational breakfast to

address questions and inform everyone about the show’sprogress. At that time, opinions were re-stated by industry pro-fessionals for and against the move to Las Vegas. As many of myaNb Media co-workers can tell you, I am not happy about thisvenue relocation. (In fact, my co-workers are not happy about iteither.) However, the time for expressing opinions is over. Theshow has relocated to Las Vegas. It is a done deal. Now is thetime for planning to ensure that Licensing Show will continue tobe the vital component of the business that it has always been,

allowing licensors to promote their properties to potential licensees.Industry chatter has the licensing business in quiet mode right now. I

beg to differ with this assessment. Just look at the Sizzlers list on page 6of this issue. You will find licensed properties from top to bottom. Froma boys’ action figures, to the iconic Barbie, to a Millennium Falcon madeout of LEGO pieces, licensing continues to play a huge role in toy sales.

Last month, against my better judgment, but being a baseball fan, Iwatched some of the World Baseball Classic. The amount of licensedgoods, most notably team jerseys and hats, being worn by spectators wasoverwhelming. Having purchased sports-related apparel in the past, I’msure most of the purchased items were quite expensive. Much like toylicensing, if the consumer wants it, they buy it.

My belief is that, just like what transpired with the TIA’s Fall Previewmove to Dallas, exhibitors and attendees alike will support the Las Vegaslocation for Licensing Show and make it a success for all involved.

BY BOB GLASER


SIZZL

ERS

Here is an alphabetical listing of the hottest-selling items in the toy industry, based on

a combined survey of both offline and online retailers, reflecting the previous month’s sales.

SIZZLERS: WHAT’S MOVING OFF STORE SHELVES?WHAT ARE THE HOTTEST WEB ORDERS?

MARIO KART FOR WII

Nintendo

STAR WARS:THE CLONE WARS

CLONE TROOPER

VOICE CHANGER

HELMET

Hasbro

STAR WARS:THE CLONE WARS

FIGURES

Hasbro

TAG

LeapFrog

TECH DECK BOARDS

Spin Master

WII FIT

Nintendo

WWE FIGURE

ASSORTMENT

Jakks Pacific

BAKUGAN

BATTLE BRAWLERS

Spin Master

BARBIE 50TH

ANNIVERSARY DOLL

Mattel

BATHING SUIT BARBIE

THEN AND NOW

DOLL

Mattel

GIRL GOURMET

CUPCAKE MAKER

Jakks Pacific

HYPER DASH

Wild Planet

LEGO STAR WARS

ASSORTMENT

LEGO

Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker

Barbie 50th Anniversary Doll

Clone Trooper VoiceChanger Helmet

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This is an alphabetical listing of the hottest-selling items in the specialty segmentof the toy industry, based on a survey of independent toy and gift retailers,

reflecting the previous month’s sales.

SPECIALTY SIZZLERS: WHAT’S MOVING OFFSTORE SHELVES IN THE SPECIALTY MARKET?

BANANAGRAMS

Bananagrams

CALICO CRITTERS

ASSORTMENT

InternationalPlaythings

CALIN DOLL

ASSORTMENT

Corolle

EMILY GOES

WILD PLUSH

ASSORTMENT

Kids Preferred

JAPANESE

ERASERS

BC USA

PlasmaCar

Calico Critters

JUNIOR STOMP

ROCKET

D&L Company

PLASMACAR

PlaSmart

SPIFFY SPA

Alex

TWILIGHT

LADYBUG

Cloud B

Z WIND UPS

CaliforniaCreations

Calin

Bananagrams

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TIA TO RECOMMEND LEAD TESTING PROTOCOLThe Toy Industry Association, Inc., (TIA) recently announced that it will be submit-

ting for consideration to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a recom-mended testing protocol to efficiently verify lead paint limits on toys and children’s productsdefined in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

As adopted, the CPSIA required the CPSC to begin enforcement of newlead and phthalate standards for children’s products on February 10, 2009.Testing must be done to determine compliance with the new limits, but the necessary testing and certification requirementsdid not exist as the lead enforcement implementation deadline approached. As a result, the CPSC postponed the deadline until February 10,2010, to allow time for the development of clear and reasonable guidance. TIA called for the CPSC to move quickly in determining the nec-essary protocols so that manufacturers and importers would have adequate time to test product and demonstrate compliance with the law.

Since the law was passed last summer, TIA has been working to obtain reasonable enforcement of CPSIA requirements and assist theindustry in compliance with the law’s requirements. This demonstration of compliance was made easier when TIA launched its ElectronicCertification System (ECS). This web-based platform provides a comprehensive workflow to help domestic manufacturers and importersof toys to the U.S. meet the General Certificates of Compliance (GCC) requirements of the CPSIA. Launch of the ECS is the first phaseof TIA’s new Toy Safety Certification ProgramSM (TSCPSM), a comprehensive and sustainable system that will provide reasonable ver-ification that toys meet applicable mandatory U.S. toy safety standards.

FAO NAMES NEW CEOThe Associated Press reported that FAO Schwarz, Inc., replaced its CEO Ed Schmults with a former Bluefly.com executive, effective

immediately. New CEO Barry Erdos is the former president, COO, and acting CFO at Bluefly.com. He was previously president and COOof Build a Bear Workshop, Inc. Schmults had been CEO at FAO Schwarz since 2005.

HIT LAUNCHES MOVIE DIVISIONHIT Entertainment announced the launch of HIT Movies, a new division dedicated to making family-oriented movies out of HIT’s

library of children’s properties, as well as identifying and developing new stories and characters for future HIT family movies. To headHIT’s Los Angeles office and film division, HIT Entertainment president and CEO Jeff Dunn has tapped industry veteran Julia Pistor torun HIT Movies. Most recently, Pistor served as Nickelodeon’s executive vice-president of movies where she developed and produced atotal of 16 movies that grossed more than $1.5 billion combined at the box office. The new film division will initially focus on develop-ing family film franchises based on HIT’s properties, such as Thomas & Friends, Barney, Bob the Builder, and Angelina Ballerina.

TRANSFORMERS 3 HAS RELEASE DATEVariety reported that the yet-to-be-named Transformers 3

film is scheduled for release July 1, 2011. The release datewas secured to obviously capitalize on the July 4 holidayweekend. However, it was also reported by Variety thatdirector Michael Bay, actors Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox,or the writers have not yet been signed for movie number three.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the original 2007 Transformers, is due in theaters June 24, 2009.

A RECAP OF INDUSTRY HEADLINES


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APRIL 2009 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 11

On March 9, Mattel hosted a star-studded birthday party for Barbie at a real-life ver-sion of the Malibu Dream House. Designed by Jonathan Adler and hosted by ColinCowie, more than 250 people attended the event. Some celebrities at the party includ-ed Heidi Klum, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, Lauren Bosworth, and Ginnifer Goodwin.Also in attendance were ANB MEDIA’S JIM SILVER and CHRISTOPHER BYRNE, THE TOY GUY.

The 3,500-square-foot Malibu Dream House featured a wall-mounted mirrormade out of 65 black and white, bathing-suit-clad Barbie dolls; Lucite tables filledwith more than 1,800 pairs of Barbie sunglasses, 3,500 tiny shoes, and 3,500 doll-sized handbags; and a custom closet, housing all 50 pairs of pink Louboutins fromthe New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runway show. Not to be outdone,designer Chris March from season 4 of Project Runway created a chandelier for thesitting room, fashioned out of more than 30 blonde wigs. Also, an on-site Barbiemuseum not only showcased 25 of the most iconic Barbie dolls, but also the firstreveal of the new Barbie face.

Select pieces from the Dream House will be traveling to Las Vegas, where they’lladorn the new Barbie suite at The Palms. The suite is due to open for bacheloretteparties, girls’ nights out, and pink pampering this May.

Heidi Klum posed for pictures in the new custom-designed pink Volkswagen Beetle convertible. Thetrunk has been replaced with a pink and whitepin-striped pop-up vanity with Barbie cosmetics,an MP3 player, LED lights, and two drawers filled

with beauty accessories. White rims, a pinkairbrushed steering wheel, and plenty ofrhinestone detailing complete the look.

For a mischievous little boysent to his room without sup-per, the only thing to do iscreate an imaginary worldfull of mythical creatures.

This is the world author and illustratorMaurice Sendak created for the maincharacter of his 1963 book Where theWild Things Are. Now this classic book,which has sold more than 20 millionbooks worldwide, gets a big-screen adap-tation this year, as well as an accompany-ing licensing program.Originally published by Harper & Row

(now HarperCollins), the book followsMax, a little boywhowears a wolf costume,who gets sent to his room without supperfor causing mischief. Cooped up in his

room, Max creates and travels to an imagi-nary land where he encounters the WildThings. The Wild Things are fearsome-looking monsters, but Max conquers themby “staring into all their yellow eyes with-out blinking once.” Subsequently, the WildThings crown Max the King of All WildThings. But the little boy soon finds himselfhomesick and lonely, so he returns to hisbedroom, where he finds his still-hot supperwaiting for him.It might seem a challenge to take

such a short book and create a full-length movie for it, but that is exactlywhat director/writer Spike Jonze andwriter Dave Eggers did for Where theWild Things Are, which releasesOctober 16. Inspired by the book, themovie version brings this classic tale tolife. Warner Bros. Pictures, in associa-tion with Legendary Pictures andVillage Roadshow Pictures, will releasethe film, which stars big names, such asCatherine Keener, Max Records, MarkRuffalo, Lauren Ambrose, ChrisCooper, James Gandolfini, CatherineO’Hara, and Forest Whitaker.Warner Bros. Consumer Products has

created a licensing program for the filmthat spans key product categories and willtarget young kids, tweens, and teens.Licensed product will utilize keymoments and art from the film, as well asthe classic book artwork. Already signedon are Mudpuppy, Saramax, Funko,Crocodile Creek, and Junk Food forlicensed products that will transport con-sumers to where the Wild Things are.

WARNER BROS.CONSUMER PRODUCTS

BY LAURIE HAHN

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NEED TO KNOW

• Where the Wild ThingsAre was awarded aCaldecott Medal in1964. It also won aBoston Globe-HornBook Award and was anALA Notable Book.

• In 2006, the UnitedStates Postal Serviceissued a commemorativestamp depicting a WildThing in a series called“Favorite Children’sBook Animals.”

• The book is only 10sentences long.

• Maurice Sendak hasreceived the HansChristian AndersenMedal, the Laura IngallsWilder Award, theNational Medal of Arts,and the Astrid LindgrenMemorial Award.

a scene from Wherethe Wild Things Are


MUDPUPPYMudpuppy will pro-

duce a variety of puzzlesfor Where the WildThings Are. The 36-pieceMini Cube Puzzle(shown) measures 16 by16 inches when complet-ed. The nine-piece, dou-ble-sided two-in-onepuzzle features asleepand awake images. TheFirst Puzzle has four dif-ferent color-coded four-piece puzzles in one box with a cardboardhandle. The 24-piece Floor Puzzle is two by three feet when com-pleted. The Block Puzzle forms six different images depending onwhich side of the cube is up.

SARAMAXSaramax’s Max pajamas, based on themain character from Where the WildThings Are, are made from coral fleece.They will be available in sizes 2/4 and 4/7.

FUNKOStraight from the pages of Maurice Sendak’s book come clas-

sic character bobbleheads, including Max and Carol (shown).

CROCODILE CREEKThe classicWhere theWild ThingsAre plush toys from Crocodile

Creek were designed by Mel Birkenkrant and Bonnie Erickson, bothof Muppet fame, under the careful watch of Maurice Sendak morethan 30 years ago. The four characters are available in three sizes ofplush toys as well as puppets.

JUNK FOODJunk Food signed on to

produce Where the WildThings Are apparel for menand women. The T-shirts fea-ture images from the bookand fun phrases.

Not many pink plush hippotoys can claim to havefounded a company, butHooga Loo’s website givescredit to its “Chief

ImaginationOfficer” HermanA. Hipp as a co-founder. Indeed, a 30-year-old toy might havesome interesting insights on breaking into thetoy industry. However, since most toys don’tpossess the means to get such a job done, toyindustry veteranWilliam Beebe and entertain-ment veteran Kim McQuilken are the execu-tives who keep Hooga Loo running.

Beebe and McQuilken co-founded HoogaLoo in November 2007. The two men hadknown each other for some time, havingworked together on a number of projects.Prior to founding Hooga Loo, McQuilkenworked as an executive vice-president atCartoon Network in promotions and Beebeheld a senior position atBandai that put him incontact with McQuilkenquite often. “We alwayssaid to one another thatif we ever got a chanceto work together, weshould do it,” saysBeebe, who is co-founder and managingdirector for Hooga Loo.“Things worked out, oneafter another, and werealized this was the per-fect time to get togeth-er.” The two friendsbrought in a third part-ner, Neil Chur, who has

experience in management, marketing, andfinance. They chose the name “Hooga Loo”based on the Danish word hygge (interpretedas “happiness” or “well-being”), and createdthe company’s logo and HermanA. Hipp.

Hooga Loo started with a successfullicensed line early on. The company signed adeal with DreamWorks for the rights to plushbased on characters from Madagascar:Escape 2 Africa, the sequel to DreamWorks’Madagascar. This gave Hooga Loo a strongstart and helped establish the company early.This deal has also lead to new opportunitiesfor Hooga Loo as DreamWorks teams up withNickelodeon to produce the upcoming televi-sion series Penguins of Madagascar. HoogaLoo will be the master toy licensee for theproperty. In addition, thanks to McQuilken’sconnections, Hooga Loo was able to partnerwith the U.S. government and become an offi-

cial licensee of the U.S.Armed Forces. The com-pany has created theFreedom Ops line ofaction figures and vehi-cles based on these licens-es. “We’re the only offi-cially authorized manu-facturer, so we try tomake things as accurate aspossible,” says Beebe.Freedom Ops features anonline play componentbased on codes deliveredvia dog tags included inproduct packaging.

Moving from cartoon-based plush to official

military action figures may seem like a hugedisparity for a company, but that illustrates apart of what Beebe feels makes Hooga Loo aunique company. “We are not a boys’ compa-ny, a girls’ company, or a preschool compa-ny,” he says. “We’re a well-rounded compa-ny.” Beebe doesn’t want Hooga Loo tobecome focused on only one genre or demo-graphic. Instead, he believes that success willcome from being able to explore multipleoptions. In addition to its licensed products,Hooga Loo has partnered with Europeancompanies to repackage and distribute suc-cessful European products for the Americanmarket. Most recently, the company has takenthe successful Twisterz brand of toy cars inEurope and translated them into a successfulproduct in the U.S. Hooga Loo’s successesalso come from its ability to make the journeyfrom product concept to on-the-shelf productquickly and efficiently. “We have a greatnucleus of toy people who have been in thebusiness a long time and that lets us makedecisions faster,” says Beebe.

Hooga Loo has a number of new licensedproduct lines coming up. The company hasteamed up with Skate Monster to produce anew line of fingerboards, which will be acces-sory-oriented and highly customizable. Thecompany will also be working withGummybear International on a line based onthe company’s new mascot characterGummibär. Hooga Loo will continue to lookat new licenses and opportunities. “Whenwe’re in the right place at the right time, wecan react fast,” says Beebe. “That’s our com-petitive advantage over big companies inthese rough economic times.”

TOYS FROM A TOYBY PAUL NARULA

MER

CHAN

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Hooga Loo is an official licensee ofthe U.S. Armed Forces.

in the 4th Quarter

ItsWinningaboutFind out why retailers likeyou swear by ASTRA’sMarketplace & Academy.

“Whether the convention is inmy own back yard or across thecountry, it’s worth everything ittakes to get there.”

Mary SissonKazoodles

“My first time at ASTRA has setthe tone for the success of mybusiness—this was essentialknowledge I could not havegotten anywhere else.”

Melissa VanpoperingWishes Toy Wonderland

“Between the top notchseminars and the deals offeredat Marketplace, I make it apriority to attend the ASTRAconvention every year.”

Katherine HodgesTookie’s Toys

ASTRA’s 2009 Marketplace & Academy

Visit www.astratoy.org or call 1-800-591-0490

IN COOPERATIONWITH

The year’s biggest gathering ofthe specialty toy industry

June 14-17, 2009St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN

ASTRA_Newsletter_FINAL:Layout 1 11/6/08 4:15 PM Page 1

The rocky climate of today’seconomy creates and amplifiesthe risks associated with doingbusiness. In particular, theU.S. toy market has already

begun to see the effects of a major shake-out in the industry. This is evidenced bydeclining consumer demand, increasedindustry consolidation, constricted creditavailability, and the emerging costs associ-ated with new trade laws.

Toy manufacturers are at the fault line ofthis ground shift. In this environment, manytoy manufacturers have learned the hardway that a general indication of when aretailer is about to go under is when theychange payment practices or try to switchfrom letters of credit to an open account.

REDUCING YOUR RISKIn this environment, where big-name

companies are filing for bankruptcy, small-to mid-sized toy manufacturers need to bedoubly careful about the credit worthinessof their buyers. A company’s cash flow,earnings, and capital that were once vul-nerable to bad debt charge-offs are now inacute danger of defaulted payments.

In the face of this risk, trade credit insur-ance is a concrete coverage solution thatoffers protection against unforeseen bad-

debt losses. Particularly relevant to today’stoy manufacturer, this insurance productextends the capabilities of a company’scredit management practices by reimburs-ing you against losses from non-payment ofa commercial trade debt. The following aresome of the many benefits that come withpurchasing this additional coverage as partof your insurance program:• Makes a company more efficient andimproves the bottom line• Protects a company’s profits, reducescredit risk, and improves financial planning• Expands sales without increasing exposure• Complements existing credit managementpractices• Ensures continuity of business operations• Helps policyholder negotiate better dealsfrom banks and provide better credit termsto their customers

HOW DOES IT WORK?Of a company’s assets, 40–70 percent are

derived from accounts receivable. This vitalcomponent of a company’s balance sheet iseasily affected by business cycles and mostvulnerable to unexpected losses. If a majorretailer is unable to pay its obligations, orseveral smaller retailers are unable to paytheir invoices, the negative impact on a toymanufacturer becomes evident.

Trade credit insurance can be consid-ered a strong safety net. With this protec-tion in place, a policyholder is assured thattheir non-disputed accounts receivablewill be paid, either by the debtor (retailer)or the trade credit insurer within the termsand conditions of their policy. This insur-ance ensures balance sheet strength, cashflow protection, and loan servicing, cost,and asset-valuation enhancement.

Small to mid-sized toy manufacturers,distributors, etc., can especially benefitfrom this risk protection. The use of a tradecredit insurer makes business decisions lesspersonal as it handles the accounts receiv-able credit approval process and evaluatesretailers’ credit worthiness. Manage yourrisks by entering a relationship with anestablished credit management partner.

TRADE CREDIT INSURANCE FOR TODAY’S ECONOMIC CLIMATE


BY BENJAMIN THRUSH, HUB INTERNATIONAL

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As the exclusive insurance brokerage working with members of the Toy Industry Association (TIA), HUB International understands theunique risks that businesses in the toy industry face. As a leading commercial insurance brokerage with more than 200 offices throughoutthe U.S. and Canada, its experience in this industry has grown its client base to include toy manufacturers, distributors, and importers.

TIA members are invited to learn more about trade credit insurance during the member-exclusive webinar “Trade Credit Insurance—Protect Against Bad-Debt Losses” presented by HUB International on April 21, 2009, at 2 P.M. EDT. Visit www.members.toyassociation.orgto log in and register. For more information on HUB’s insurance offerings to the toy industry, please visit www.hub-tia.com or contactBenjamin Thrush, VP of business development, at (800) 706–3023 or by email at [email protected].

Spend five minutes listening tothe news and you’ll hearenough doom and gloom aboutthe economy that you’ll startto wish a superhero would

come along and rescue us all.One constant in business, however, is

that dreaming of superhero interventionsrarely works as well as tackling the problemhead on. After you do all the economizingand strategic tinkering your business canstand, what’s left to do? According to sever-al leaders of the American Specialty ToyRetailing Association (ASTRA), keepingyour spirits up is just as important as keep-ing costs down. What do you do to stay pos-itive and energized during tough times likethese? Here are some tips from ASTRAmembers on the frontlines.

• STOP LISTENING TO ALL THE BAD NEWSSue Warfield, a sales representative and

retail consultant with Retail Specialties,Inc., has a quick and easy way to feel moreupbeat. “Turn off all media! Immediately!”she says. “It doesn’t matter who you listento—the message is that we’re inches awayfrom unmitigated disaster. The more youhear it, the more likely you are to believe itand then you risk it becoming a self-fulfill-ing prophesy. Yet most businesses are sur-viving and our jobs are reasonably stable.Don’t lose sight of that.”

• UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS“We have empty storefronts on either

side of us and our sales over the past threemonths were down 7 percent from lastyear,” says Mary Sisson, owner of

Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash. “But downcycles don’t last forever, and they push youto try new things. We’re part of an excitingshop local campaign that will launch onEarth Day, and we’re experimenting withnew outreach techniques using social net-working, blogging, and Twitter. We’respending time on activities with longer-term payoffs such as heavy involvement inASTRA and the shop local group. Therecession is temporary, and we intend tocome out the other side as survivors.”

• USE THE DOWNTURN TO STRENGTHEN“The recession? It’s doing me a big

favor,” says Melissa Bernstein, co-CEO ofMelissa & Doug. “I love times like this. Itgets us focused on the reasons we’re inbusiness and how we can step up our game.It forces us to take a harder look at every-thing we do and why we do it. When weget to the other side of this, we expect ourbusiness to be better positioned in the mar-ketplace. It’s hard not to get positive ener-gy from going through that process.”

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF“Everyone experiences stress at times like

this,” says Kate Tanner, owner of KidstopToys & Book Store in Scottsdale, Ariz., andchair of theASTRAboard of directors. “Yourspecialty toy store should be a place wherecustomers know they can relax and have fun.But you can’t help others feel good if youdon’t feel good yourself. So make sure youhave a strategy for keeping a healthy, posi-tive perspective. Climb a mountain. Get amassage. Shut out the world a couple ofhours a week by losing yourself in a good

book. Whatever it takes to make yourselfupbeat, do it—because it’s your role to createan atmosphere in your store that makes cus-tomers want to be there.”

• KEEP YOUR CONNECTIONS STRONG“Look, we’re all in this together, so let’s

have some fun working our way out of it,”says Bill Benda, vice-president of sales atCreativity for Kids/Faber-Castell. “ASTRAisa great place to do reality checks and getmoral support because your fellow manufac-turers, sales reps, and retailers know whatyou’re going through. This year it’s a smartbusiness decision to get to the ASTRAMarketplace & Academy in St. Paul, Minn.,not just to keep your products in front ofretailers or to find the newest hot sellers, butalso to get the positive energy that comeswith the fun and fresh ideas you’ll find there.”

Whatever your strategy for keeping itpositive, maybe this year it’s importantenough to write it in your business plan andpost it on a big sign in your office. Not onlydoes it make each day more productive, itmakes customers want to do business withyou. “Trust me, customers come in yourstore to smile, not to feel a negative, tough-times attitude,” says Kidstop’s Tanner.“The best experience consumers have allday should start the minute they walk inyour door, and you can only make that hap-pen if you are thinking positive yourself.”

Kathleen McHugh is president of theAmerican Specialty Retailing Association(ASTRA). She can be reached at (312)222–0984 or at [email protected].

RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? ASTRA’S TIPS FOR STAYING ON

TOP OF YOUR GAME WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH


BY KATHLEEN MCHUGH, ASTRA

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M

If you’ve never heard of a mommy blog before, then get ready fora crash course on the women who are on the front lines of someof the most successful marketing and PR campaigns today. Theyare savvy, resourceful, and are a force to be reckoned with.Companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Nintendo, among so

many others, have tapped into this market of moms who readily reviewproducts and collectively reach millions with their “must have” prod-uct picks featuring items launching or already available at retail.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Some of the most popular mom blogs got their start more than fiveyears ago when writers began journaling their personal experiencesonline. While they initially expected their anecdotal tales to be seenby a handful of friends and family members, the juicier the post, themore eyeballs they would attract. Suddenly, blogs like Dooce werereaching millions of individuals and garnering significant income forthis mom blogging pioneer who eventually landed an agent and wroteseveral bestselling books about her dysfunctional life.With the advent of BlogHer, founded in 2005 by Lisa Stone, Jory

DesJardin, and Elisa Camahort, female writers began to have a pow-erful voice online where they began influencing the masses through acombination of blogs and in-person events that brought these influen-tial women together and put them in front of major brands.Over the past two years, however, an interesting evolution has

occurred in the mom blogger arena. While there are tens of thousandsof blogs devoted to parenting, politics, and entrepreneurialism, nowthe internet is buzzing with blogs dedicated to product reviews bymoms and for moms. This new wave of blogging can work to theadvantage or detriment of manufacturers—depending upon how suc-cessfully they interact with this valuable and influential market.Many of today’s blogging moms are former publicists and mar-

keters who have taken their promotional talents online—buildinghighly trafficked social networking and blogging communities likeTwittermoms with the help of Ning, and sharing their message linksand blog posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Digg as well as videosthrough YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, and Ustream, just to name a few.

IDENTIFYING THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MOM BLOGGERS

So how do you determine which mom bloggers are the most influ-ential? It’s simple, just take a look at some of the moms who are beingtapped by major companies to tout brands. TheWal-Mart ElevenMomsare a conglomeration of bloggers from across the country that havebecome a powerful voice as a result of being integrated into a multi-platform brand offering podcasts on Blog Talk Radio, individual post-ings on their blogs, and video blogs (or vlogs) on theWal-Mart website.From a manufacturer’s standpoint, mom bloggers can generate

quick, effective results. Instead of waiting six months to a year fora possible placement in a long-lead parenting magazine, mombloggers can review items within a matter of days after receiving aproduct and, depending upon the traffic of the site, could directlyimpact sales. If you are searching for a direct-to-consumer experi-ence that can potentially translate into instant online sales, thenlook no further than the mommy blog.However, before reaching out to these mom bloggers, you’ll

need to do your homework the same way you would when pitching“traditional” media. Read their blog, listen to their podcast, followthem on Twitter and determine if the products they are featuringwill make sense for your brand.

WHERE THE DADS ARE

As the rate of mom blogs continues to rise, enterprising dads havealso thrown their hat into the blogging ring. On the mommydaddyblog(www.mommydaddyblog.com) women swap reviewing and bloggingduties with their significant other. If you’ve got a product geared towardmen—especially tech toys—then this is a great group to tap into.As new moms continue to rely on the advice of other mothers, the

mommy blog phenomenon will continue to grow for years to come.

Beth Feldman is founder of RoleMommy.com. Bill Southard ispresident and CEO of Southard Communications. Feldman is thedigital media consultant for Southard Communications.

TOY FAIR TREND: KEEPING UP WITH THE MOMMY BLOGGERS


BY BETH FELDMAN AND BILL SOUTHARD, SOUTHARD COMMUNICATIONS

SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MOM BLOGGERS INCLUDE:• Cool Mom Picks • Classy Mommy • Skimbaco Lifestyle • CiaranBlumenfeld • Jessica Gottlieb • Mom in the City • Selfish Mom •Traveling Mom • Momma Said • Mom Advice • This Full House •Because I Said So • Scribbit • Jessica Knows • Wii Mommies

POWERFUL MOM COMMUNITIES:• Twittermoms • SV Moms Blog—as in Silicon Valley (also

comprises New York City, Los Angeles, Deep South, and others)

TOY FAIR TREND: LOW PRICE POINT BUT PACKED WITH PLAY VALUE


BY NANCY LOMBARDI

Over the past few years, itwas not unusual to seetoys with price points of$75, $100, $200, or even$300. In just about every

case the price was justified given what theitem was able to do. And consumers agreed,purchasing high-ticket items without eventhinking twice about it.Times certainly have changed over the past

year. As the global recession deepens, theonce recession-proof toy industry has beenbattered and bruised in some ways as con-sumers no longer shell out big bucks for high-priced toys. Instead consumers went back to

basics—classics always make a comeback intough times. Suddenly items such as basicboard games, crayons, Play-Doh, activity sets,LEGO, and other simple play patterns becomeall the rage. Consumers look for the comfortand nostalgia in the items’ simplicity and cer-tainly love the back-to-basics price points. Infact, Crayola and LEGO both reported excel-lent results this past holiday season.The one exception to this back-to-basics

trend has been video games, which are alsoreporting record results. The reason seems tobe that a game system and a few games willentertain the whole family for an extendedperiod of time, making it a wise investment.

At this year’s Toy Fair, $40 was consid-ered “expensive” for the latest crop of toys.Many toymakers are focusing their efforts onitems under $30 and even under $20 formany key products. For board games, in par-ticular, $15 seemed to be the magic numberto grab consumers’ attention.At this year’s Toy Fair, we saw numerous

items with low price points but packed withplay value. There were too many to featurein this space but there were certainly a lot ofgreat items from Crayola, K’NEX, LearningCurve, Step 2, and Toy Island, among manyothers, all under $40. A sampling are shownhere from other manufacturers.

I Can Do That! GamesI Can Do That! Games introduces an exten-

sive line of games featuring both the Dr. Seussand Curious George licenses, all of which areexpected to retail for under $20.In Curious George Discovery Beach Game,

kids ages 3–8 go on a scavenger hunt. Flip acard to reveal the challenge then search throughthe five secret beach locations to find theobjects. If the spinner lands on a wave, shakethe box and the treasure will slide and hide intoa new location. This no-mess game (the treas-ures and sand aresealed inside) is avail-able now for $12.99.

CadacoCadaco’s Big Draw Chalk Drawing

Machine features easy-to-follow instructionsinviting kids to create enormous chalk draw-ings on sidewalks and driveways that canlook perfect every time, according toCadaco. The trick is the Big Draw’s uniqueset up. Using a simple “recipe card,” chil-dren use Big Draw’s corresponding letterand number system to plot points for thedrawing, then simply connect the dots andcolor it in. This item is designed for ages 7and up, for a suggested retail price of $14.99.

HasbroDebuting this fall from

Hasbro is Kota & Pals StompersDinosaur for ages 3 and up. Pusha sensor on the dinosaur’s back tosee it march, throw its head back,and make sound effects. A fewstyles are available and each roar-ing dinosaur is sold separately. Itrequires three “AA” batteries,which are included for $24.99.


Wild PlanetWild Planet’s product line at this year’s Toy Fair was touted as $25

or less. The company says it hit upon this number based on retailfeedback between Fall Toy Preview in Dallas and February’s ToyFair. While all the items in this year’s line stress innovation, imagina-tion, and fun for kids, value is the key word for retailers and parents.Wild Planet recently signed an agreement with Crayola to create

a collection of coloring and activity sets. The line is expected to bein stores this fall. The key item in the line is Crayon Town. Thisactivity set encourages kids to create an entire town, complete withthree-dimensional structures to color and build. The town consists offive themed collections (horse ranch, neighborhood, airport, con-struction site, and zoo). Each set includes Crayola crayons, coloringsheets, corrugated pop-up buildings, and accessories. Once the envi-ronments are completed, kids can use the accompanying figures andvehicles along with their imagina-tion to roleplay scenes and playwithin the world they creat-ed. Free coloring refills areavailable online. Thestarter set is $9.99and the deluxeset is $19.99.

MEGA BrandsAvailable this fall from MEGA

Brands is the Play ’n Go Table.Designed for babies ages 1 andup, the easy-to-fold legs allow forquick clean up and storage.The table features buildingplates that allow for multiplebuilding configurations andthe integrated tracks workwith all MEGA Bloks vehicles. It comes with 20Maxi MEGA Bloks pieces. The suggested retail price is $34.99.

Jakks PacificThe Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Jewelry Factory allows

kids to design, bake, wear, and eat the creations includingnecklaces, bracelets, and rings. The set features a small bak-ing oven and a variety of molds to create jewelry charms andgems. Fill the molds with the candy chips and pellets includ-ed in the set and add colorful sprinkles to decorate. Bake forseven minutes and the jewelry is ready. The set comes withan oven, two silicone molds, two packs of translucent hardcandy chips/pellets for melting in strawberry andgreen apple flavors, sprinkles in a variety of shapes,two plastic ring bases, two clearplastic ring covers, one clear plas-tic locket to protect charms,oven tool for removingmolds, and an instructionbooklet. The set is designedfor ages 8 and up and isavailable for $29.99.

MattelMattel’s Bye Bye Bad Hair comes with a brush, a

seat for Barbie, and a specially formulated hairdetangling spray. Use the spray to smooth Barbie’shair, create different styles, and make her look new

again. It is designed for useon most types ofBarbie hair and not onhuman hair. This isdesigned for ages 3and up for a suggestedretail of $9.99.

Fantasies are an integral part of a child’s playtime. Almost allplay requires some form of an active imagination and cre-ative impetus from the child. In roleplay, though, the imagi-nation and creativity are the focal point of the entire play pat-tern. “Roleplay gives children a chance to become some-

thing bigger than they really are,” says Greg Lombardo, director of mar-keting at Hasbro. Whether it is as simple as a princess hat or as complexas a licensed recreation of a movie character’s laser weapon, roleplayprovides childrenwith a safe, funway to become their playtime fantasies.

BECOMING SOMETHING ELSEHelping a child create a fantasy can be a daunting challenge. While

the imagination does most of the work, a roleplay manufacturer must doits fair share to help provide an immersive experience.One of the most important aspects of a product is itsauthenticity to its roleplay subject. For a licensed prod-uct, this means that the product has to emulate as close-ly as possible the appearance of the licensed character itis based on. In some cases, such as with the Black &Decker line from CDI (a division of Jakks Pacific), theline has to emulate the qualities of a brand without a spe-cific character as a basis. “You have more creative free-dom, but that creates problems as well,” says HerbMitschele, senior vice-president of sales at CDI. “If a kiddoesn’t recognize something right away, it may not res-onate with them.” For non-licensed products, beingauthentic simply means looking as close as possible tothe “real” design that the products are based on. A fire-man’s helmet product should make a child feel like they’reholding a real helmet and a dress designed for a princess should look andfeel prettier and fancier than regular clothing.

Comfort is also incredibly important. Itchy material or poor designcan make a child turn away from a product, no matter how appealing theconcepts are. Few other categories require that a child cover his or herentire face to get the full benefit of the play pattern, but many roleplaymasks and helmets do just that. It is important that a roleplay product beeasy to put on and take off by the children themselves. For parents, thisis a safety issue. But for children, it’s simply the convenience and com-

fort of being able to play what they want to play without needing help.“The most important part of any roleplay toy is the ability for a child toactually have fun and feel powerful while pretending they are someoneelse,” says Danielle Armbrust, director of marketing at Bandai.

WHO PLAYS WHO?The age range that most roleplay manufacturers target is 3–7. Boys

move on to different play patterns and girls move on to more fashion-ori-ented dress-up, which loses the roleplay element (as CDI’s Mitschelejokes, “We basically start the girls’habit of collecting shoes.”).While stillwithin the target age group, however, roleplay holds a different draw foreach of the genders, necessitating a different approach in the category foreach group. Boys are oriented more toward aspirational characters. They

want to become a heroic or “super” character. This canencompass anything from an everyday hero such as apoliceman to a Marvel superhero such as Wolverine.Boys’ roleplay thus tends to be more action-orientedand features more accessories. For girls, roleplay is amore aesthetic play pattern.As Renee Stojek, art direc-tor ofAWish Come True, says, “Every girl wants to bea princess.” Girls tend to orient themselves with glam-orous characters, such as princesses or pop stars. Thismeans that while licenses such as Disney Princessesand Hannah Montana are excellent fits to the category,manufacturers have found that girls are less drawn tolicensed product than boys.

While the popularity of roleplay has fluctuated overthe years, the current marketplace looks to give the cat-

egory a strong position. Parents have traditionally foundthe category appealing. “Roleplay builds self-esteem, helps with commu-nication and early management skills, and is a healthy play category rec-ognized by professionals in the industry worldwide,” says Mark Levine,president of Aeromax. In addition, boys’ roleplay has seen a significantrise in popularity due to the presence of strong boy-oriented licenses inthe current marketplace.Advances in technology have also allowed role-play products to create even more authentic experiences for children.Manufacturers are confident about the category’s future.As long as thereis a place in a child’s life for imagination, there is a place for roleplay.

FANTASY AND FUN: ROLEPLAY


BY PAUL NARULA

CDI’s Disney Princess line has astrong appeal for young girls.


A child’s imagination is a powerful tool, but that’s not to say it can’t use a little help.Roleplay products are there to enhance a child’s playtime and help them become someoneelse, whether it’s their favorite action hero or an exciting real-life professional. Here aresome of the latest roleplay products from a number of manufacturers.

HasbroHasbro’s new Bumblebee Movie Voice

Mixer Helmet lets kids mix their voicethrough a “radio” sound effect so that they cansound just like Bumblebee from the 2007Transformersmovie and the upcoming sequel.The toy also features realistic robot battlesounds and radio tune-in phrases.

BandaiBandai will expand its line of Ben 10 role-

play with the new Omnitrix Hero Collection.This set includes an Ultimate Omnitrix with avac-metalized bezel and 10 different translu-cent figures that kids can use to activate theOmnitrix’s light and sound effects. TheOmnitrix Hero Collection also includes anexclusive Alien X figure.

AeromaxAeromax’s Get Real Gear line is

designed to look just like the real thingwhen kids put on the products. The Jr.Physician kit, shown here, includesscrubs, face mask with matching shoecovers, an embroidered lab coat, and areal working stethoscope.

CDI/Jakks PacificThe Disney On Stage InteractiveTheatre Playset is an assembled theaterthat offers three different sides of play: aticket booth to sell tickets and advertiseperformances, a dressing room, and thefront stage and marquee. The set comeswith one introductory cartridge for theincluded Performance Console, whichsets the scene. Additional cartridges canbe purchased seperately.

A Wish Come TrueNew from AWish Come True

is a line of glitter shoes, includ-ing ballerina shoes. The balleri-na shoes feature an additionalstrap to keep the shoes inplace during play.

Plush has been a staple of the toy industry since the teddybear got its name more than 100 years ago. The category isfeatured in nearly every toy store, large or small, online oroffline. It’s the universal appeal of comforting, cuddly ani-mals and silly characters

that keeps generation after generationcoming back to the category. Plushmakes the perfect gift for nearly everydemographic group and many adultshave even taken to collecting high-endpieces in recent decades. In addition,the advent of feature plush over thepast two-plus decades has helped fosterlearning for preschoolers. The learningcould be letters or numbers or it couldbe the importance of exercise—alltaught by following the cues of theplush character. And now the latest trend has plush coming to life inonline worlds through web play.

Spanning the GenerationsAsk any parent or grandparent to name their favorite plush from

childhood and just about all will be able to remember the toy. In fact,some may even still have the plush character as a keepsake. Plush havealways been comfort objects evoking positive memories, which, ofcourse, everyone wants to pass on. “From a parental perspective, it’sabout the love, the nurturing, and everything you watch your child devel-op,” says Keri DeAngelis, director of global brand management atHasbro. The same holds true for licensed products. Kids have alreadydeveloped a positive association with a particular character, so the char-acter can easily act as a conduit for learning, comfort, and nurturing play.

Plush holds multi-faceted appeal for many children. The most obvi-ous one is what JenniferMonson, marketing director at Gund, calls “hug-gability”—Gund’s logo reads “World’s Most Huggable.” The toy needsto make a child want to hug it and enjoy the act. In addition to being hug-gable, the item can act as a “friend” or “pet.” “Plush can satisfy the needto nurture in a child, or the need to have a best friend or pet,” says ScottGoldberg, PR and promotions manager for Zizzle.

Technological advances over the past 25 years have made it possibleto create “pets” and bring “friends” to life for kids. Everyone in the indus-try knows the incredible success Fisher-Price has hadwith Elmo since theoriginal release of Tickle Me Elmo in 1996. The company’s release of

TMX Elmo in 2006 further establishedthe power of technology as it displayedmore individual character and motionthan any feature plush before it. Fisher-Price continued to innovate with ElmoLive in 2008, creating an Elmo toy thathad increased interactivity and person-ality that could tell jokes and stories,sing, and dance. This year’s “Elmo” isyet another innovative product—ElmoTickle Hands. These red furry glovesfit over a child’s hands and can be usedto tickle or tell jokes, or set to dance

mode to teach a new Elmo dance. “It’s important to stay ahead of thecurve when developing new plush,” says Gina Sirard, vice-president ofmarketing at Fisher-Price. Fisher-Price will also be working on featureplush based onNickelodeon’s animated television showNi Hao, Kai-Lanthat will take advantage of the latest technology. The Super SpecialFriend Kai-Lan plush will react to a child’s touch, changing colors andlighting up to indicate moods and interact with the child during play time.

Where Fisher-Price perfected bringing characters to life, Hasbro hasperfected bringing pets to life through its FurReal brand. 2006 saw theintroduction of Butterscotch, a miniature pony with advanced animatron-ics that could whinny, snort, and react to touch and sound. The brand hasonly improved since then, with more detailed and complex additions,such as Biscuit My Lovin’ Pup, which can respond to multiple voicecommands and perform tricks such as sit, speak, and lie down. The com-pany continues to create more advanced FurReal Friends products witheach coming year, with new additions this year such as LuluMyCuddlin’Kitty and Zambi the Baby Elephant.

In addition, companies such as Zizzle and WowWee have their ownelectronic pets on the market. Zizzle has seen success with Lucky, TheIncredible Wonder Pup and will be building on that success with itsnewest addition, R-Doggee—amore boy-oriented version of the original

CUDDLY, COLLECTIBLE, AND CUTTING EDGE


BY PAUL NARULA

Jakks Pacific’s line of Neopets plush toys have both a collectible aspectand an online aspect to appeal to consumers.

TFE.26,27.April.qxd:TFE template 3/27/09 4:12 PM Page 1

Lucky that performs more actions and will dance andrap at the user’s command. WowWee’s Alive linefeatures an array of cubs, including lions, pandabears, and white tigers, that will react whenstroked and touched, making the sounds of thebaby animals they are based on.

Web-FactorWhile feature plush has been the most signifi-

cant development in the plush category in the past 25years, the newest product that has enacted change inthis category has been a simple code of numbers included with a plushcharacter, driving kids to a website. This phenomenon took off withGanz’s Webkinz and has been built upon by others in the industry.

However, in the case of web-related plush, the plush is just a conduitto a website. The manufacturer cannot simply sell the code, so it getsattached to something cute and cuddly for the consumer. The code thenimmerses the child in a world connected to that character.

Jakks Pacific is just one company that has stepped into the digitalplush arena, continually adding to its Neopets plush line (although itshould be noted that Neopets was a website first, which then developedinto a property). Each plush product unlocks additional content atNeopets.com and gives kidsmore to playwith online.Additionally, Jakkshas developed a line of plush for the Club Penguin brand. Each itemincludes a coin with a code that translates into more items for the chil-dren’s avatar in Club Penguin—which also started online and became anoffline property. Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop VIP (Virtual Interactive Pets)line lets kids take their purchased miniature plush to an online world withthem, creating two levels of collection, with special offers and pets avail-able both online and offline. Ty, the maker of the Beanie Baby plush line,has also entered the digital plush arena with Beanie Babies 2.0. The web-site leads kids to a game and social site based on the Beanie Babies.

Penny WisePlush commands price points that themarket will bear. In these uncer-

tain economic times, there are many options for lower priced purchases.Yet just a year or so ago, manufacturers (most notably Hasbro) offeredfeature plush in the $200 and $300 range and consumers purchased it.

This year Hasbro has scaled back its offeringswith the Lil’ Patter Pups ($24.99) and theFurreal Newborns ($12.99). In addition, Kota,

the once-$300-dinosaur, is now available in a“Hatchlings” line, which consist of smaller prod-

ucts that retail at $18.99. Gund’s San Diego Zoo col-lection retails for $15 an item, part of whichis donated to the San Diego Zoo itself for anadditional “feel-good” factor to an inexpen-sive purchase. Russ Berrie’s Yomiko line has anumber of products that can be purchased for

under $15, and in some cases under $10.While inexpensive itemsmay be what’s hot for kids, adult or teen col-

lectors are less sensitive to price. “For older kids who are looking to col-lect, plush is a great opportunity,” says Jeremy Padawer, senior vice-pres-ident of marketing at Jakks Pacific. Jakks Pacific’s collectible lines touchon a number of price points. ManyNeopets, Club Penguin, and Pokémonplush products can be picked up for under $10. However, each line alsohas a set of items at a higher price point that could be larger (such as theNeopets Jumbo 10-Inch Plush) or have additional features (such as thePokémon Throw Pokéball) that put the product in a higher price bracket.

For adults, collecting can encompass such items as Ty’s BeanieBabies, which ignited a craze a number of years ago, changing the natureof collectible items.While Beanie Babies were inexpensive items to col-lect, Steiff offers a high-end option with its line of “teddy bears in a suit-case.” Each individual bear retails for $30–39 and comes with a numberof accessories, accompanied by a suitcase that can carry both the bear andany included extras. Bears within the line consist of construction work-ers, babies, and ballerinas. Steiff also has a wide range of exclusive andlimited-edition plush that can cost anywhere from $150–$295 per item.

As the recession deepens, manufacturers are remaining upbeat. Thereare numerous offerings spanning a variety of price points and styles, aswell as on and offline play. “Plush is a classic toy that has been aroundfor many generations,” says Christine Lien, vice-president of productdevelopment and sourcing at Russ Berrie. “It is timeless, and it is notbased on trends that come in and out of the marketplace.” And for thatreason, this category will continue despite the economy, web trends, ornew technological developments.


FurReal Friends Lil’ Patter Pup from Hasbro.

TFE.26,27.April.qxd:TFE template 3/27/09 4:12 PM Page 2

Plush


BY PAUL NARULA

From the most humble teddy bears to the most complex feature plush, plush products are a bigpart of today’s toy market. Here’s a look at some of the newest items in the plush category.

HasbroNew in Hasbro’s FurReal Friends line of feature plush is Lulu My

Cuddlin’ Kitty. Lulu mews, cuddles, and preens in reaction to how chil-dren play with her. Rubbing her back will cause her to purr. She will rollonto her back to get her tummy rubbed and will “lick” her paw to wash

her face and preen. Lulu requires four Cbatteries, included, and is for ages 4–8.

JakksJakks Pacific will release a wide line of new Domo

plush, based on the Japanese broadcaster NHK’s mas-cot that now has a series of animated shorts airing onNickToons several times a day. Domo will come with

his favorite girl, a weasel namedTashana, in a Domo

Plush Two-Pack.The two-pack ofplush is for ages 3and up.

Fisher-PriceFisher-Price has developed a full line of plush based on the

Mr. Men and Little Miss characters from Chorion. Charactersinclude Mr. Rude, Mr. Bump, Little Miss Sunshine, and more.Fisher-Price will also be introducing plush based on theNickelodeon cartoon Ni Hao, Kai-Lan.

GundGund has partnered

with the San DiegoZoo to create a line ofplush based on actu-al animals within thezoo. Each plush ani-mal is designed after areal animal, including some of the most popular attractions atthe San Diego Zoo. A portion of the profit from each pur-chase is donated to the San Diego Zoo.


Russ BerrieYomiko is Russ Berrie’s

line of highly realistic-lookingplush. New to the line are agroup of mixed breed dogs,including an Aussiedoodle,Englishboodle, Jackahuahua,and Puggle. Russ Berrie is alsointroducing the new XL JunglePlush line to Yomiko, whichfeatures realistic plush inter-pretations of jungle animalssuch as the tiger, giraffe, ele-phant, and lion.

Rocket USALubies are a new line of basic plush from

Rocket USA. Designed by Joy Michel andMichael Perry,Lubies use thetagline of “Nobeans, no codes, justpure simple fun.”The plush are aimedat all ages and havetheir own website atlubieland.com.

iToysiToys’ new plush, Rutherford the Message

Bear, uses a wireless USB key to help children andparents communicate. Parentscan store audio messages orstories on Rutherford. When

Rutherford has a message orstory, his tummy will light up red

(for messages) or blue (forstories) and his blue

paw can be pressed todeliver the message.Rutherford can alsoact as a nightlight.

ZizzleR-Doggee is Zizzle’s newest feature plush,

developed along the same lines as its Lucky theWonderpup. The voice-activated R-Doggeecan perform 15 differ-ent commands, rang-ing from simpleinstructions such as“sit” or “stay” to morecomplex tricks such as“bust a move” or “canyou rap?” R-Doggee isfor children 4 and up.

Plush


CommonwealthBased on Nintendo’s

Nintendogs video gamebrand, Commonwealth’s newNintendogs Tug and Play Pupwill play tug of war with theincluded rope fragment at thetouch of its paw.

HosungHosung’s new plush line, My Natural, is made with nat-

ural untreated, unprocessed, and unbleached cotton. Onlynatural plant and mineral dyes are used in the production ofeach plush toy.

Pretty UglyOne of the latest additions

to the Ugly Doll line is Ox,a one-eyed creature whosename stands for “hugs andkisses” instead of the ani-mal. Pretty Ugly will havea full line of plush for Ox,as well as for additionalnew characters such as FeaBea and Winkolina.

Animal AdventuresThe Breath-Easy Baby line from Animal Adventures is designed

to minimize dust mite andallergen collection on theplush toy to create an aller-gy-kind plush. The lineincludes floppies, musicalplush, stackers, and pairedmama and baby plush sets.


AuroraAurora’s Learn With Me

Bear can play fun sounds andfeatures new textures. The bearhas a number of snaps, buttons,and ties that give young chil-dren a chance to practicetheir mechanical skills.

DouglasQuilti Horses are nine-inch tall plush

horses that feature quilted fabric withruffled manes and knotted tails.

Violet, Amaryllis, andFanfare are the threeavailable Quilti Horses.

Kids PreferredIn honor of the 70th anniver-

sary of the children’s bookMadeline, by Ludwig Bemelman, KidsPreferred will release a full line ofplush based on the Madeline character,including basic plush dolls, speciallypackaged plush, and beanies.

Wild RepublicNew from Wild Republicare Vibes. Vibes are plushfigures of real animals inneon colors, such as pink,

green, yellow, purple,and blue.

In 1993, Simeon Oram was looking for achange. Having done charitable work inEastern and Central Europe for 13 years,Oram wanted to move on and do some-thing different with his life. Working

with his brother, Oram’s knowledge ofthe Central and Eastern regions ofEurope led him to realize that productsfrom that area could be exported to therest of the world and create a more suc-cessful business model. Oram and hisbrother started Russimco as a way to notonly move on, but to continue helpingthe area of Europe they’d become famil-iar with. “You can throw money at theproblems and difficulties in those partsof the world, but, at the end of the day,it’s things like trade that can bring about majorchanges,” says Oram.

Today, Russimco has come a long way fromits roots in Eastern and Central Europe, but hasnever lost sight of the philosophy of helpingpeople. Perhaps one of the most wide-reachingways to help people is to help the environment,and Oram feels that this type of sustainability isa large part of the products and practices thatRussimco creates now. “I have always believedthat society in general uses the world’sresources in a badly thought out manner,” Oramsays. Russimco uses wood for most of its prod-ucts because wood is a renewable resource.Oram views toy products as potential “tran-sients”—products that could be thrown awaywhen they outlive their usefulness—and hopesthat if Russimco’s products are thrown away,

theywill have aminimal environmental impact.Another major step that the company has

taken to establish itself as an environmentallyfriendly toy manufacturer is eliminating batter-ies from its products. “If you work out the actu-

al numbers regarding the huge amount of bat-teries that end up in the landfill or are disposedof in ways that aren’t environmentally friendly,you begin to realize that toys have a lot toanswer for in that respect,” says Oram. In aneffort to prevent Russimco toys from contribut-ing to that problem, the company has replacedany batteries that would be used to power toyswith muscle-powered generators built directlyinto the toys. These generators allow a toy to bepowered up via shaking or by turning an includ-ed handle. Not only is this healthy for the envi-ronment, but Oram also feels that the crankingor shaking required to charge the toy addsanother dimension of play for the child.

Oram has also focused on makingRussimco’s packaging less dangerous to theenvironment. The company holds a minimalist

approach to its packaging, usually simplyincluding a swing-tag on its products. Whenpackaging is required, Russimco uses a uniquestyle of packaging that Oram compares to an“egg box.” The sturdy material is made of a

pulp constructed of recycled papers.“We think [our packages] work verywell,” Oram says. “They stand out, theyhave a bright colorful background, andthey’re 100 percent biodegradable.”

Russimco’s products span a numberof age demographics. Products withbasic kinetic generators are available forchildren around 12 months of age.Products such as the Eco-Rockets,which are powered by a crankeddynamo, are aimed at the 6–8 age group.

Some of Russimco’s products skew even older,such as its powered Zoo Flashlights, whichOram says can find consumers even amongteenagers. Russimco also produces an extensiveline of traditional products, such as pull-alongs,dolls, andmore. In addition, Russimco acquiredgame company Gazebo Games, which gives ita strong games line.

Oram plans to keep Russimco going strongon its key principles, despite the shaky econo-my in the UKwhere Russimco is based. “We’restill able to look at product development andwe’re taking things on a thought-throughapproach,” he says. The company has a numberof new products on the way andwill continue tostay environmentally conscious and focused ongiving kids and parents the biggest charge theycan get for their money.

CLEAN, GREEN FUN WITH RUSSIMCO


BY PAUL NARULA

Russimco’s Eco-Rocket

GAMEPLAN EUROPE LTDHelping toy manufacturers expand internationally.

Since 1988 Gameplan Europe has been helping toy manufacturers and suppliers to develop theirexport sales. Here are some of our services, which cover the whole world.

> Market investigations of opportunities

> Viability studies for business set-ups

> Finding distributors, sales agencies, etc.

> Managing distributor networks

> Executive recruitment.

Gameplan Europe also publishes the InternationalDirectory of Retail Toy Buyers and the InternationalDirectory of Toy Importer-Distributors. These invaluable sources of information cover 38 countries and are the essential starting point for building international business.

For further information please contactAndrew Dobbie or Margit PendlTel. +44 (0) 1442 870100 (United Kingdom)email: [email protected] site: www.gameplaneurope.com

Project1 9/25/06 10:46 AM Page 1


Fair IndigoFair Indigo’s Joobles are

playmates from Peru whereartisans have handcrafted amenagerie of animals underfair-trade conditions, pro-viding work and hope tohundreds of rural and urbanPeruvians. These hand-knit palsfeature the tagline “Responsible,Sustainable, Adorable.” Each soft animalis made with eco-friendly dyes and organic cotton grown in Peru. Eachof the 10 Joobles stands 11 inches tall.

Innovation FirstInnovation First, Inc., intro-

duces the Hexbug Ant, anautonomous, six-legged creaturewith probing, tactile antennas andhooked claws. It features front andrear touch sensors that allow it tomaneuver around objects in itspath and wheel-legs that propel itforward, backward, and over small obstacles. Each HexbugAnt has aninner body loaded with robotic intelligence, protected by a hard, trans-parent exoskeleton casing. Two button-cell batteries are included. It isavailable in red, blue, green, pink, and orange.


ImagiPlayImagiPlay Games teamed up

with green magician Steve Trashto create an eco-friendly, eco-themed magic set. The GreenMagic Set is handcrafted in a sus-tainably harvested wood box.The wood used in the tricks ismade of bamboo and rubberwood.Tricks in the set include Green Energy Cube, which allows magiciansto read someone’s energetic mind; Pollution Paddle, which makes atoothpick jump from one hole to another on the paddle; and EcoWands, which lets kids grow a string, shorten it, then grow it again.The Green Magic Set is for ages 8 and up.

North American BearNorth American Bear celebrates a new charity

partnership with the release of My Own Bears, acollection of soft friends designed by kids forkids. In soft velour with embroideredaccents, 15-inchNouNou (shown), 16-inchPink, and 17-inch Ruby, My Own Bearscomewith a special hang tag reflecting thechild’s original artwork and story thatinspired its design. A portion of My OwnBears sales is donated to Hugs AcrossAmerica, a non-denominational, not-for-profitorganization providing teddy bears and mes-sages of loving care to children in crisis.


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COOKIE JAR ENTERTAINMENTBRENDA BISNER, SENIOR MANAGER,DOMESTIC CONSUMER PRODUCTSBrenda Bisner joined Cookie

Jar Entertainment as senior man-ager, domestic consumer prod-ucts. In this position, she will beresponsible for developinglicensing programs for CookieJar’s top consumer brands andentertainment properties includ-ing Strawberry Shortcake,Mommy & Me, and Richard Scarry. Prior to joining Cookie Jar, Bisner served as vice-president

acquisitions, children’s programming for PorchlightEntertainment, where she was responsible for acquiring allchildren’s programming across three platforms, including inter-national, U.S. DVD, and digital media.

BANDAI AMERICA, INC.PAUL HAUSBACK, CFOBandai America, Inc., appointed Paul Hausback as CFO. Hausback

succeeds Kunio Ikoma, who has accepted a new position within thecompany as senior vice-president of corporate planning.As CFO, Hausback will manage all financial and fiscal management

aspects of the company’s operations, including oversight of the compa-ny’s finances, operations, human resources, legal and business affairs,and information services groups.Previously, he worked at The Walt Disney Company in various exec-

utive roles in finance and business operations in its consumer products,interactive gaming, internet, mobile, and retail businesses.

CHILD’S PLAY COMMUNICATIONSMARIE VANASSENDELFT-BAKER, SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ANDDIRECTOR OF TEAM MOMChild’s Play Communications

named Marie VanAssendelft-Baker as senior account executiveand director of the company’sproprietary mommy bloggercommunity, Team Mom. Bakerwill spearhead PR managementfor Goddard Systems, the fastestgrowing childcare franchise inthe nation, as well as develop and supervise the Team Momnetwork. Previously, Baker was senior account executive atRosica Strategic Public Relations, senior account executiveat Litzky Public Relations, and held positions with SusanBlond, Inc., and Fanatic Promotions.

CALLAWAY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTJOHN W. LEE II, CEOCallaway Arts & Entertainment announced

the appointment of John W. Lee II asCEO. Teaming up with Nicholas Callaway,founder and president of Callaway Arts &Entertainment, Lee will work to expand thecompany’s existing story- and art-based brandassets across all media in the United States andinternationally. As part of his role, Lee plans tofurther develop the company’s very successfulbrand, Sunny Patch, and forge new partnerships for the company. In hisshort time with the company, Lee has already been instrumental in cre-ating a partnership between Callaway Arts & Entertainment and inde-pendent toy company Melissa and Doug.Prior to joining Callaway Arts & Entertainment, Lee was part of the

team that created the Ready-to-Learn Partnership, which developed theliteracy-based children’s program, WordWorld. In addition to his rolewith Callaway Arts & Entertainment, Lee will remain a business andbrand development advisor for WordWorld as well as retain his seat onthe organization’s board. Before WordWorld, Lee served as founder and president of Learning

Curve Brands. He is co-founder of Playing for Keeps, a national not-for-profit organization that promotes the importance of unstructured play,and has been awarded the Toy Industry Achievement Award for BrandBuilder and 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award by the AmericanSpecialty Toy Retailing Association.

AMERICAN GREETINGS PROPERTIESPROMOTIONSAmerican Greetings Properties (AGP), the intellectual property and

outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation,announced the promotions of four executives.Mackenzie Glass has been promoted to creative director of design.

She is responsible for the creative development of style guides, packag-ing, trade shows, and design collateral for all of AGP’s new and existingcharacter brands.Kelly Grupczynski has been named to creative director of illustra-

tion. She was previously creative developer for AGP. In her new role,Grupczynski will be responsible for the creative assets used in characterdevelopment, entertainment, digital media, and style guides.Tony Chien has been promoted to director of marketing. He will

oversee and execute all consumer and trade marketing initiatives as wellas business development for all brands underAGP. Previously, he servedas senior brand manager.Lisa Wascovich has been promoted to director of digital media. She

will oversee and execute all digital projects. She and her team areresponsible for the creative and technical development ofAGKidZone.com, AGP’s branded websites, online advertising and pro-motion, digital content development, and video games.

TOY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, INC.MICHAEL T. PERKINS, TECHNICAL OUTREACH DIRECTOR,TOY SAFETY CERTIFICATION PROGRAMThe Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA), appointed Michael T. Perkins

to technical outreach director for TIA’s new Toy Safety CertificationProgram (TSCP). The TSCP, which will be launched in phases this year,offers a comprehensive and sustainable system that will provide reasonableverification that toys meet applicable mandatory U.S. toy safety standards.Perkins will implement an outreach, education, and training plan that willintroduce factory auditors, toy testers, and companies and retailers of allsizes to the TSCP. His responsibilities will include helping these audiencesunderstand how the program and its process requirements can help themcomply with new and emerging safety standards.Most recently, Perkins served as vice-president of operations at

Cadaco, where he managed the product development process, interna-tional and domestic sourcing, and quality and toy safety programs.

HALLOWEEN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONNEW BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe Halloween Industry Association (HIA) announced

its new Board of Directors for the 2009–2010 term. StanleyGeller, president and CEO of Fun World, Inc., is chairmanof the board. Gellar will be responsible for leading thestrategic vision of the board of directors on behalf of theHIA membership.Marc Beige and Scott Emmerman were elected co-vice

chairmen. Beige is president of Rubie’s Costume Companyand Emmerman is president of sales of InCharacter Costumes.JoeAnton, president of Disguise, Inc., is the treasurer. Steve

Cohen, vice-president of The Paper Magic Group, is secretary.Stephen Stanley, executive vice-president, Halloween and sea-sonal at Jakks Pacific, Inc., is immediate past chairman.The newly appointed board has set important initiatives

for this year including addressing new government regula-tions, exploring developing industry standards and accom-panying HIA certification program, and growing member-ship to engage all manufacturers (large and small) in theHalloween industry. The board also revised HIA’s duesstructure in an effort to make dues more affordable forsmaller manufacturers.

CANDYRIFICGREG DECKER, SALES MANAGERCandyRific, a novelty candy manufacturer, hired Greg

Decker as sales manager. Decker comes to CandyRific witha background in novelty candy, including previous positionsat Cap Candy and Pez. His past management experience inthe Midwest and Northeast will prove a valuable resource asCandyRific continues to expand nationwide.



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INDUSTRY-RELATED TRADE SHOWS

MAY6–8 ToyCon 2009 toyassociation.org Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa Litchfield Park, AZ19–21 All Candy Expo allcandyexpo.com McCormick Place Chicago

JUNE2–4 E3 e3expo.com Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles2–4 Licensing International Expo licensingexpo.com Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas14–17 ASTRAMarketplace astratoy.org St. Paul Rivercentre St. Paul, MN24–28 Origins Game Fair originsgames.com Greater Columbus Convention Center Columbus, OH

JULY17–20 California Gift Show californiagiftshow.com Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles23–25 OASIS Gift Show oasis.org University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ23–26 Comic-Con comic-con.org San Diego Convention Center San Diego

AUGUST7–11 Minneapolis Mart Gift & Accessory Show mplsgiftmart.com Minneapolis Mart Minnetonka, MN8–11 San Francisco International Gift Fair sfigf.com Moscone Center San Francisco

SEPTEMBER13–16 The ABC Kids Expo theabcshow.com Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas

FALL TOY PREVIEW

TUESDAY–THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6–9; DALLAS MARKET CENTER, DALLAS

TOY FAIR 2010SUNDAY–WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14–17; JACOB JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, NEW YORK CITY

Today’s the day...to Laugh & Learn. ™

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toys & family entertainment, april 2009

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