[Student Project] Visual Strategy Guide: Tonka (GR604)

01 T HE V ISU A L S T R AT E GY GUIDE

01 T HE V ISU A L S T R AT E GY GUIDE

Contents THE BRAND STORY 11 HISTORY 13 TIMELINE 17 MISSION STATEMENT

NEW VISION 21 NEW OBJECTIVE 24 BR AND VISUALIZATION 27 PERSONAS 37 COMPETITORS

In the Visual Strategy Guide, we'll rebrand the Tonka brand by reaching deep into their soul. We'll look at the brand’s history, their current look and feel and competitors to determine the best strategy to propel them into the future.

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As the first toy truc grew up in the 50s nates with people. steel toy truck, th imaginative play, a memories to many

ck of many people who s, Tonka always resoIt is the indestructible he representative of and the fond childhood y people.

HISTORY TIMELINE MISSION STATEMENT

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HISTORY

HISTORY

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History “Their durability encouraged a certain kind of play that got kids moving, got them thinking, got them rearranging piles of sand, mud and all kinds of things.”

—Patricia Hogan

What the brand does: Tonka is an American producer of toy trucks, which was known for making steel toy models of construction type trucks and machinery.

Who they do it for: Kids.

Why they do it: Utilize their durability to get kids moving, thinking, rearranging things, and enlighten them about the career path in real life.

Tonka Corporation began as a small metal manufacturing company located in an old school house in Mound, Minnesota. Its three founders, Lynn Baker, Avery Crouse, and Alvin Tesch, started the company in 1946. Mound Metalcraft, as the company was at first called, specialized in manufacturing tie racks and garden tools. But the company manufactured toy trucks as well, apparently as a sideline, and the three founders began exhibiting them at the New York Toy Fair as early as 1947.

These Tonka brand trucks quickly became its preeminent product, and the company changed its name to Tonka Toys in 1955. The name Tonka came from Lake Minnetonka, which the first manufacturing facility overlooked. The company's Tonka Trucks were made of heavy, automobile-gauge steel and were extremely realistic and durable; they caught on quickly among postwar baby boom parents.

In 1965, Tonka produced their most infamous piece of road gear: The Mighty Dump Truck. This toy was big enough for a kid to ride in, but even larger than its size was its volume of sales and durability in the market. The Mighty Dump Truck became Tonka's largest seller all the way up to the end of the century.

The future really looked bright and for the next 25 years or so, Tonka Toys continued to grow. The road was not always smooth. There were a few bumps along the way; management changes, recessions and the like. But Tonka Toys persevered.

In 1991, Tonka Toys was purchased by Hasbro Incorporated. In 1998, steel truck manufacturing moved completely out of the United States to locations in mainland China. The once mighty Tonka brand has been diluted with plastic trucks with funky faces, secured in bubble packs and hung on a hook at toy retailers across the U.S.A.

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TIMELINE

1946

1987

Mound Metalcraft was founded by Lynn Everett Baker, Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch.

Tonka purchased Kenner Parker, borrowed extensively to fund the acquisition.

1947

Metal Tonka Toys brand appeared for the first time.

1955

The Tonka brand trucks became the preeminent product, and the company changed its name to Tonka Toys.

1991

The cost of servicing the debt meant Tonka itself had to find a buyer and it was eventually acquired by Hasbro.

TIMELINE

TONKA

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Timeline 2000

1998

Since Tonka didn't have experience with video games or how to market them, the Master System's market share declined. Hasbro sold its digital gaming rights for various properties.

2005

Hasbro bought back the digital gaming rights.

Hasbro began a licensing deal with Funrise Toys to manufacture and distribute Tonka trucks.

2019 2001

Tonka trucks were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York.

Tonka rebrands itself and becomes a brand that allows people to foster tough, playful and wild imaginations.

“As children play with these trucks, they’re (often) sort of narrating a kind of story about what the trucks are doing, or where they’re going. That sort of makebelieve is a kind of play that all kids crave. And Tonka is one of those great toys that facilitate that.”

—Patricia Hogan

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MISSION STATEMENT

MISSION STATEMENT

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Mission Statement Foster tough, playful and wild imaginations.

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02

“Tough times neve tough people do.” ­

er last, but —Robert H. Schuller

NEW OBJECTIVE BRAND VISUALIZATION PERSONAS COMPETITORS

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NEW OBJECTIVE

NEW OBJECTIVE

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New Objective Unlike others, Tonka was built to be nearly indestructible. For decades they were created to be realistic and workable, and engineered to survive endless crashes and dirt pile adventures.

Rebranding Objective Tonka had its ups and downs as it expanded too many production lines and acquired other products, it was eventually heavily in debt and acquired by Hasbro. It succumbed to the market, focused on producing plastic toys. Tonka has lost many good qualities, but the name—and the memories—live on. It carries narratives of many people. It survives endless crashes and dirt pile adventures. People should be aware of that Tonka belongs to the wild, rather than stopping here. Then, Tonka will go far beyond produce toy models for kids, there is potential for expansion in a tough and playful way which actually goes back to it’s origin of creating great adventures, fun memories and shaping careers.

Tonka’s “heart of steel”, its spirit should be perpetuated and used to effect more people, get them running the imaginations wild in a tough and playful way, and let them be anything they want to be.

Therefore, it can be shifted into outdoors goods & camping equipment / survival training course / innovative curriculum / craft course / creative youth camp / exhibition / exploration hall / model show / weapons manufacturer / high-tech product (mobile phone / computer / spaceship) manufacturer / competition / high-end product customization / collection trading service, architecture, etc.

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Tonka toys were highly educational. They made kids think about moving parts, construction, how things work, what type of jobs a man could get driving these things in real life, and above all, what purpose they served.

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BRAND VISUALIZATION

Brand Visualization Before: Steel Toy Models

Tonka

Tonka, as the toy for kids, is not only durable but also highly educational. While playing with Tonka, children are engaged in activities, thinking, and even orchestrating their own roles and creating stories to bring themselves into real life.

BRAND VISUALIZATION

After: The Wild Side of Tonka

Tonka

What Tonka can bring people more than just the amazing trucks, they can also bring them out of the comfort zone, get them going outside to foster tough, playful and wild imaginations.

TONKA

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PERSONAS

PERSONAS

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Personas An audience-first approach allows us to segment audiences based on behavioral patterns and cultural interest.

The more we know about our audience, the better we can fulfill their needs.

Future Audience For Tonka, there will be a shift in audience from kids to people of all ages with a specific pursuit of tough and playful things, and yearn for the wild world.

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PERSONAS

KIM SOO-MI The Adventurer “I am an adventurous person, my life is always on the road. Planning a trip for the holiday is a very exciting thing to me. The mountains, rivers and woods in the wild are more attractive than the bustling cities to me.”

Traits Gender Female Age 24 Years old Location Seoul, Korea Occupation Student

Brands & Influencers

• Kim carefully writes down her trip plan and prepares the necessities before each trip because she is a very organized person.

• Kim travels alone most times because she is very independent.

• Kim often chooses to travel to the jungle, grassland or other places in the wild because she likes things that are challenging.

• Kim likes wild animals because she yearns for their free and wild life.

• Kim is not afraid of tough environment because she feels that every wild adventure is an opportunity to hone her will.

• Kim is cautious about the choice of travel equipment because that is the basis for securing travel in the wild.

• Kim likes to shoot vlogs to record all kinds of journeys because those are rare experiences.

PERSONAS

TONKA

MATTHEW ANDERSON The Fitness Fanatic “I feel that if a person wants to become a tough guy, he must strengthen his body first. I really love fitness, it not only makes me strong, but also makes my living habits healthier.”

Traits Gender Male Age 19 Years old Location Torrance, US Occupation Student

Brands & Influencers

• Matthew exercising regularly now because he used to be very thin, exercises made him tough physically and mentally and improved his living habits.

• Matthew cares about the equipment and environment of the gym because he is a person who pursues an efficient and high-quality life.

• Matthew always wants to learn new things because he has a strong learning ability.

• Matthew often works out and goes camping with his friends because he enjoys group activities.

• Matthew often performs fitness tests to check his physical condition because he wants to stay healthy at all times.

• Matthew always try to help others because he is a kind and passionate youth.

• Matthew also likes some ball games because they are fun and good for the health.

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PERSONAS

SCOTT FULLER The Veteran “After retired from the military, I still actively do some outdoor activities to miss the impassioned life in the past.

Age is not an issue, I'm as tough as ever.”

Traits Gender Male Age 40 Years old Location Ottawa, Canada Occupation Military Veteran

Brands & Influencers

• Scott is an expert in mountain climbing. It was easy for him because Military training used to be harder.

• Scott has been doing outdoor activities for years because he wants to push his limits.

• Scott participates in various marathon events because running makes him feel relaxed.

• Scott likes to compete with young people because he like the positive and energetic atmosphere they create.

• Scott likes to collect some good quality knives because he used them a lot when he was a soldier.

• Scott wants to use his experience and ability to help more people because he is an enthusiastic and righteous person.

• Scott teaches his children to learn some selfdefense skills because he thinks young people need to have the ability to protect themselves.

PERSONAS

TONKA

ELIJAH GARCIA The Extreme Sports Enthusiast “I love all kinds of extreme sports, like surfing, skateboarding or rock climbing. I feel like I have no limits, and I'll forget all the troubles in my life when I’m doing these things.”

Traits Gender Male Age 28 Years old Location Columbus, US

• Elijah fell in love with extreme sports when he first experienced it because he felt that these sports helped reduce the stress a lot.

Occupation Programmer

• Elijah believes that participating in extreme sports requires a dedicated space and professional protective gear because these activities are difficult and can easily cause injuries.

Brands & Influencers

• Elijah likes surfing and skateboarding because he likes the feeling of speeding and weightlessness.

• Elijah likes to go skiing in some wild places because he is very adventurous and likes to challenge himself.

• Elijah gains a lot by participating in outdoor activities because he have met many like-minded friends through that.

• Elijah often participates in competitions because he feels that competition makes progress faster than practicing alone.

• Elijah thinks it's easy to be inspired when doing extreme sports because these activities relax the mind and body of people and make them forget about the troubles.

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PERSONAS

FEI DENG The Dream-Seeker “I lost my sound body in an accident, but I still have a tough soul, which makes me feel that I have no difference with others, and I am still willing to challenge my limits.”

Traits Gender Male Age 50 Years old Location Shanghai, China

• Fei likes to go for a walk because the outdoors gives him a feeling of openness and relaxation.

• Fei admires the solid beauty of architecture because it is what he yearns for.

Occupation Architect

• Fei doesn't feel inconvenient about his body since his tough will supports him to do things like ordinary people.

Brands & Influencers

• Fei often does some adaptable sports with his friends because he wants to push his limits.

• Fei occasionally participates in some sports competitions because he wants to make a positive impact on others with his optimistic attitude towards life.

• Fei has a good physical and mental condition because he insists on treatment in a rehabilitation center.

• Fei attaches great importance to equipment because he believes that high-quality equipment is the guarantee of safe activities.

PERSONAS

TONKA

MINDY JONES The Master of Sport “I like the feeling of flying on the track, I love competition, and I enjoy the feeling of muscle ache after exercise.”

Traits Gender Female Age 21 Years old Location Chicago, US Occupation Athlete

Brands & Influencers

• Mindy takes everything seriously because she has a strong desire to win.

• Mindy likes competitions because she think a sense of crisis makes people better.

• Mindy training hard all the time because she is very self-disciplined.

• Mindy is a very confident person because her training has made her tough physically and mentally.

• Mindy believes that a professional instructor is important to training because their guidance makes training faster and more efficient.

• Mindy pursues good sports gear and supplies because those things can help people train safely and effectively.

• Mindy can maintain a good psychological quality even facing of emergencies because training makes her rational and strengthens her will.

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PERSONAS

RASHMI RAJ The Workaholic / Outsider “I am obsessed with work every day and I don't have any special hobby. If I must say, it is to make money.”

Traits Gender Female Age 35 Years old Location Nagpur, India Occupation CFO

Brands & Influencers

• Rashmi has little social activities because she works more than 50 hours a week.

• Rashmi doesn't even participate in family activities because she is too invested in her work.

• Rashmi check e-mails frequently because she is afraid to miss important work even in her free time.

• Rashmi has few friends because she is not interested in anything other than work.

• Rashmi will never be satisfied with her work because she is a perfectionist.

• Rashmi don't want to rest or go out because leisure makes her anxious.

• Rashmi is a very rational person because as a businesswoman, she focus on the interests most.

PERSONAS

TONKA

SIMON COMINS The Homebody / Outsider “Social activities make me anxious and afraid. I feel safe only when I am at home, and I can stay at home for at least a week without having to go out.”

Traits Gender Male Age 35 Years old Location England, UK

• Simon likes rainy days because they give him a reason to stay at home.

• Simon's phone is usually silent because he doesn't like to be disturbed.

Occupation Freelancer

• Simon is afraid of social activities, not only because he had to communicate with people, but also because he had to go outside.

Brands & Influencers

• Simon mainly eats frozen food and instant noodles because he is too lazy to cook.

• Simon can stay at home for a long time because everything can be shopping online.

• Simon has all kinds of TV membership because watching TV is his basic activity.

• Simon chooses freelance because it reduces the chance of face-to-face communication.

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COMPETITORS

COMPETITORS

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Competitors “World trade means competition from anywhere; advancing technology encourages cross-industry competition. Consequently, strategic planning must consider who our future competitors will be, not only who is here today.� —Eric Allison

Research Purpose Tonka was once a leading figure in imaginative toys, but the brand went into debt cause they rushed to expand the product lines and acquire companies. Therefore, exploring the development process, business models and even failure cases of the competitors are all factors that attribute to the brand development. Take the essence and discard the dross, and discover the uniqueness of our own brand is the core of competitors research. In addition, the exploration of discovering brand potential and the right expansion direction are also very important, so adjacent brands or brands with feasible development directions should also be included in the survey.

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COMPETITORS

Current Competitors These are some fast-growing toy brands selling metal / plastic automotive toys. Compared to them, Tonka is special in focusing on the production of toy trucks. Those trucks are made of high-quality metal, which is more durable.

Buddy L (also known as Buddy "L" or Buddy-L) is an American toy brand and company founded in 1920 as the Buddy L Toy Company in East Moline, Illinois, by Fred Lundahl.

Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer in business from 1919 to 1980.

Arguably, Marx was the most well-known toy company through the late mid 20th century.

The Nylint Corporation was founded in 1937 by Bernard Klint of Rockford, Illinois. His uncle, David Nyberg, supplied much of the initial capital to start the company. The company name of Nylint is a combination of both the Nyberg and Klint names.

All Metal Products Company was an American toy company founded in 1920 and based in Wyandotte, Michigan for most of its history. It produced inexpensive pressed metal toys under the Wyandotte brand name, and was the largest manufacturer of toy guns in the US for several decades in the 20th century.

Structo Manufacturing was founded in Freeport, Illinois in 1908—and later changed to “Structo Manufacturing” in 1911. Toy “builder kits” featuring roadsters, tractors and dump trucks, introduced

by Structo in 1917, launching 55 years of toy vehicle production for Structo—eventually selling out to Ertl in Dyersville, Iowa in 1973.

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The Ertl Company is an American toy company best known for its die-cast metal alloy collectible replicas of farm equipment and vehicles. The company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, home of the National Farm Toy Museum.

Odyssey Toys is a rapidly growing, dynamic company dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and distributing the finest hi-tech toys and electronic gadgets at very affordable prices.

Traxxas is a radio control model manufacturer based in McKinney, Texas. Traxxas offers electric and nitro powered radio-controlled cars, off-road and on-road vehicles, boats and drones.

Tamiya Incorporated is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery and solar powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints and various modeling tools and supplies. The company was founded by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1946.

Lego is a line of plastic construction toys. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. Lego pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways to construct objects, including vehicles, buildings, and working robots.

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COMPETITORS

Adjacent Competitors In addition to educational imaginative truck toys like Tonka, people will also consider buying similar types of products such as dolls, robots or games. Compared to them, Tonka is unique in its indestructible product quality and the spirit of toughness.

Fisher-Price is an American company that produces educational toys for children and infants, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a subsidiary of Mattel since 1993.

MGA Entertainment Inc. is an American manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1979. Its products include the Bratz fashion doll line, BABY born, L.O.L. Surprise!, Num Noms and Poopsie Slime Surprise.

Spin Master is a Canadian global toy and entertainment company that has been designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer products for children around the world since 1994.

Mattel, Inc. is an American multinational toy manufacturing company founded in 1945 with headquarters in El Segundo, California. In the early 1980s, Mattel produced video game systems, under its own brands and under license from Nintendo. It is the world's second largest toy maker in terms of revenue, after The Lego Group.

Bandai Co., Ltd. is a Japanese toy maker and a producer of many plastic model kits as well as a former video game company. It was the world's third-largest producer of toys in 2008 after Mattel and Hasbro.

Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs. Its headquarters is located in TaitĹ?, Tokyo.

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Bachmann Industries (Bachmann Brothers, Inc.) is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally headquartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading.

Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris and Rose Michtom. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Betsy Wetsy, Toni, Saucy Walker, Shirley Temple. Their last big hit was the Rubik's Cube.

The Performo Toy Company was established in 1925 by Torrence Leroy Dietz, in Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. They manufactured wooden toys in a building on North Spring Street.

The Pyro Plastics Corporation of Union, New Jersey was a manufacturer of plastic toys and model kits popular during the 1950s and 1960s.

Radica Games Limited is a United States company that produces electronic games, founded in 1983.

It began by producing electronic souvenir games for casinos. In the late 1990s, it became known for its Bass Fishin line of games. On October 3, 2006, Mattel, Inc. announced the completion of their acquisition of Radica. While Radica still produces electronic handheld games based on casino or card games, it has branched out into toys, board games, and video game accessories.

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COMPETITORS

Future Competitors The new Tonka is no longer just a toy producer. We are committed to taking people away from the comfort zone and leading them to the wild world. The future competitors will be brands that show toughness, imagination or wild characteristics, such as outdoor products, interactive museums, creative courses, manufacturing, survival courses, etc.

Cabela's Inc. is a subsidiary of Bass Pro Shops, an American direct marketer and specialty retailer of outdoor recreation merchandise based in Sidney, Nebraska. Cabela's was founded by Richard N. Cabela in 1961.

Recreational Equipment, Inc., is commonly known as REI, is an American retail and outdoor recreation services corporation. It is organized as a consumers' co-operative. REI sells sporting goods, camping gear, travel equipment, and clothing. It also offers services such as outdoor-oriented vacations and courses.

The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco that allows visitors to explore the world through science, art, and human perception. Its mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide.

The MusĂŠe MĂŠcanique is a for-profit interactive museum consisting of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts located at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California. The museum owns over 300 mechanical machines, and is one of the largest privately owned collection of such games in the world.

The San Francisco Railway Museum is a local railway museum located in the South of Market area of San Francisco. This small museum features exhibits on the antique streetcars of the F Market & Wharves and national landmark cable cars that continue to run along the city's major arteries.

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Stretch the Imagination takes great pride in creating a safe, nurturing and creative environment where young children are viewed as competent and capable learners. It is a place of research, collaboration, and play where children and teachers learn together through project work and creative discovery.

HUMMER was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors (GM) purchased the brand name from AM General and marketed three vehicles: the original HUMMER H1, based on the military Humvee, as well as the new H2 and H3 models that were based on smaller, civilian-market GM platforms.

Gut-Z Journey There is no better tool for tapping into our gut than wilderness experiences. Nature calms the chaos of our daily lives allowing us to hear our inner voice.

Creative youth's premier summer sewing & fashion design program offers hands-on lessons on the principles of sewing like how to use a sewing machine, fabric layout, pinning, and cutting as well as principles of fashion illustration and fashion design. Campers will also work on hand sewing skills, crafting such as embroidery, weaving, etc.

Adventure Out is the epicenter for primitive skills and wilderness survival instruction on the West Coast. From basic survival (shelter construction, fire-by-friction, water collection), to advanced skills courses: traps and snares, bow making, stone tools, animal tracking, and more.

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Sources

Tonka Corporation History http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/tonka-corporation-history/

Tonka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonka

12 Days of Minnesota Christmas: Classic Tonka Truck Born On The Shores of Lake Minnetonka https://www.twincities.com/2012/11/28/12-days-of-minnesotachristmas-classic-tonka-truck-born-on-the-shores-of-lake-minnetonka

Big Wheels Heavy Steel+Mud & Dirt=Big Fun http://www.jeffs60s.com/tonka.php

Imagery BCIT News Pinterest iStock Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant Max Pixel

DESIGNER Xiaoqian (Una) Li

CLASS GR604: The Nature of Identity

INSTRUCTOR Hunter Wimmer

SEMESTER Fall 2019

INSTITUTION Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA

PHOTOGRAPHY Pixabay Flickr Unsplash

TYPEFACES Chaparral Pro Gill Sans

BINDERY Chum’s Design & Print

This book is a non-commercial project for education purposes and is not intended to represent the Tonka brand.