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Inset: The Barbie x Missguided partnership is now going into its fourth season. Below: Mattel’s head of consumer products for Europe, Lisa Weger. Bottom: The new Thomas & Friends series has introduced multi-cultural characters and female protagonists.
IN CONVERSATION WITH: MATTEL
Toys to life It has some of the most well known brands in the industry in its portfolio – including Barbie, Thomas & Friends and Hot Wheels – and, with its toy business enjoying success, Mattel is reinvigorating its core brands’ franchise potential, too. LSB catches up with the company’s new head of consumer products for Europe, Lisa Weger, to find out more. “The CP team is very much part of the business plan for growth,” states Lisa Weger, regional head of consumer products for Europe at Mattel, when LSB catches up with her following a busy start to her tenure at the company. “We want to reinvigorate the core brands’ franchise potential by building on the success that the toy business is currently seeing, particularly on Barbie and Hot Wheels, with both enjoying double digit growth following a strategic long-term plan to reinforce the brands’ core USPs and purpose for parents.” Mattel has some of the most well known and iconic brands in the industry – its enviable portfolio not only includes the aforementioned Barbie (who celebrates her 60th anniversary in 2019) and Hot Wheels (50 this year), but also Thomas (75 in 2020), Fisher-Price, Enchantimals and Polly Pocket. Lisa re-joined Mattel earlier this year (she was previously at the company back in 1997, leading the
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LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2018
licensing business for Canada and Latin America), having spent 14 years in New York leading the franchise management, visual branding and licensing for Turner Kids. And, while Mattel has a wealth of evergreen brands, there is also a great deal of untapped opportunity, something which Lisa is very excited about. “We are currently in a very stable position - with such a lot of change and volatility in the retailer landscape and consumer buying patterns we are pleased to be maintaining a healthy business,” she tells LSB. “We have seen some great growth in our core toy business and this is allowing us to leverage this momentum and drive exciting partnerships and opportunities.” While Barbie has been busy making headlines (see separate box out), the activity around Hot Wheels has been revving up, too. “The anniversary has been a great milestone for us,” says Lisa. “Our partnership with former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg and the energy and momentum the brand has is great. We really want to capitalise on this and translate it into some exciting streetwear partnerships, as well as some exciting new developments in the toy space.”