TOTAL LICENSING
children’s eyes have been lighting up at theme park visits for decades, as they can greet their favourite character in real life. Recently, the more innovative have been marrying the brand and the experience to create some unique ex-
‘...Bricks and mortar retail has suffered, but this has lead to the rise of innovative tech and experiental marketing...’ periential marketing offerings – such as Hot Wheels’ Epic Race, Transformers Road Show, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters wreaking havoc in a London station, and Doc McStuffin’s Big Ted Check-
Up Clinic. In a nutshell, the desire from children to play with toys and enjoy their favourite brands has not changed, but the way they go about interacting with them is. Thus, the way that their parents or guardians purchase their toys is also changing. Licensing continues to lead the way in toy sales. And whereas in previous years this was, more often than not, driven by the blockbuster hitting big screens, the increased amount of content – and the growing number of children who know how to access content through myriad technological devices – means that there is a wider pool of licensed toys to choose from. This has also meant that brands with a long history have had to adapt to suit the new gen-
eration of children. For example, the concept behind Barbie is very much the same. However, today she enjoys a multitude of careers, comes in many different shapes and sizes, and seven different skin tones. Also of this has appealed to the movement towards openness, diversity and equality. At the time of writing this, just days away from the 2018 holiday season, Amazon gave its predictions for the top toys that children will be gifted come December 25. Fingerlings, Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Express, Monopoly Fortnite, as well as iterations of collectibles such as Pikme Pops and Shopkins all make the list. And another trend has emerged in recent times – while traditional retailers may be taking a hit, the rise of shops such as dollar/pound stores, budget shops and mainstream supermarkets as being major players in the toy retail arena continues to grow.
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