06-07_My Little Pony.qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 12/09/2018 17:17 Page 8
JOIN THE SQUAD Inset: Adult clothing for Tezenis inspired by the retro PONY look.
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ith a presence in more than 193 markets, MY LITTLE PONY is a global phenomenon. The franchise has generated approximately $1.4 billion in retail sales across more than 500 licensees spanning over 17 categories including toy, health and beauty, publishing, digital gaming, apparel, housewares, electronics and arts & crafts. Since 2014, the brand has consistently been in the top three for playset dolls (NPD), regardless of the market, showing it is a true evergreen property with lasting power. At the heart of the brand and driving consumer engagement is storytelling. The ‘always on’ content Right: A big push on the toy front are the Equestria Girls fashion dolls. Below right: Cutie Mark Crew collectibles.
Time For The Toys A key focus for Hasbro’s toy lines for 2019 will be expanding MY LITTLE PONY offerings with new and exciting products and collaborations. “There’s a huge opportunity in the fashion dolls space,” says James. “We have the Equestria Girls range and are looking at extending this and increasing our distribution. And with the current collectible/blind bag trend showing no signs of slowing down, MY LITTLE PONY Cutie Mark Crew will continue to be a top priority.”
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The MY LITTLE PONY franchise is Hasbro’s top performing girls’ brand with 95% brand awareness in the UK. An evergreen brand, Hasbro invests heavily in omni-screen content, consumer products and social, digital and PR initiatives to ensure audiences around the world stay connected with MY LITTLE PONY and its socially relevant themes of inclusivity and friendship. strategy tells the stories on multiple platforms including cinema, TV, SVOD and YouTube. “Fans around the world love MY LITTLE PONY stories and characters and it is through our compelling storytelling that we can really build the franchise,” says James Walker, SVP Consumer Products EMEA. “The feature-length movie last year, MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE, helped bolster the franchise and we’re building on that continued momentum.” A big piece of work coming out of the UK team has been Project Pink – a consumer research programme providing insights into how fans move around the MY LITTLE PONY ecosystem. “Project Pink has allowed us to really look at our fans and how we engage with them across content, media platforms and consumer products,” says James. “We’ll be focussing a lot more on age-centric planning, looking at things like toys, consumer products, how we market with retailers and using social and digital media. This is a really exciting project and a new way of looking at MY LITTLE PONY.” Part of the reason MY LITTLE PONY is such a success is the wide demographic, ranging from pre-schoolers to teens and adults. While the toy lines continue to be the main revenue driver for the franchise, it is some of the trendbased fashion collaborations that have reignited a fan