THE BIG INTERVIEW BASIC FUN!
Opportunity
knocks
The Basic Fun! UK team discuss the company’s products, plans and projections with TnP What’s your background?
General manager Tim Ives
Tim, Lynne and Holly: Toys, toys and more toys, with a touch of golf, kangaroos and calculators! Collectively, the three of us have spent more than six decades in the toy industry, having worked for the likes of MGA Entertainment, Mattel, Flair, Hasbro, Tomy, Vivid and Lexibook.
Tell us a bit about Basic Fun! Tim: Formally known as K’NEX until Basic Fun!’s acquisition in 2018, Basic Fun! UK is a multi-line toy company playing in many core toy categories. Our extensive portfolio of brands spans preschool, plush, construction, retro toys, licensed toys, collectables - and, come A/W21, we’ll be breaking into the youth electronics category too.
General sales manager Lynne Swatton-Reed
Head of marketing Holly Lackey
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Holly: The Basic Fun! UK team is made up of just the three of us but, as the expression goes, ‘great things come in small packages!’. We’re using our 60-plus years of combined experience to support the continued growth of the business and cement Basic Fun!’s position as a top 40 UK company in the toy industry.
Lynne: While many consumers may not yet have heard of Basic Fun!, we have so many strong brands that consumers love: Care Bears, Tonka, Cutetitos, K’NEX, Lite Brite, Fisher Price Classic, Monopoly Surprise and many more. Our toys appeal to all ages and are recognised throughout all age groups.
and digital activity; collaborated with influencers; and generated online reviews through parental outreach. We’ve also invested budget in YouTube pre-roll, TVCs [television commercials] and campaigns on parenting consumer sites.
What changes have you made considering the restrictions that Covid has created?
Tim: We’re expecting footfall to be high when retail reopens. Physical retail has been missed and people have had fewer opportunities to spend their hard-earned cash in the past 12 months. Excitement for the reopening of retail, combined with pent-up savings, presents a great opportunity for the industry - especially for the likes of the collectables category, which is more affected by impulse purchasing. That’s why we’re so excited for the A/W21 rollout of Monopoly Surprise Collectables.
Lynne: With the unpredictable closure of retail stores and changes in consumer behaviour, we’ve had to be extremely light-footed; constantly reviewing forecasts and business potential to cater for changing demand. Reacting to this change has been key to the continued success of the business. Holly: For us, it’s been a matter of redirecting some of our marketing and PR efforts to make the most of the opportunity to engage with and connect with consumers online. To build awareness and heighten engagement with our brands, we’ve invested in social
What opportunities has the pandemic created?
Holly: With the games and puzzles category thriving, not least Monopoly, this collectable range is really going to be able to capitalise on that success. Kids will love the peel ‘n’ reveal unboxing experience: there are five surprises to discover in every pack, including exclusive tokens, unique coins, Mr. Monopoly expressions, chase tokens, and more. Not just fun to collect, these multi-purpose collectables can also be used while playing with nearly any version of Monopoly.
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