KIDS_BLE_FEATURE_ALT_EUR_1006_ELLENDER 9/14/17 10:54 AM Page 3
6 TV KIDS
Gross says, and that carries over to the toys as well. For example, Hasbro’s line of spinning tops features “a new way to win wherein a player can defeat their opponent by essentially ‘bursting’ their opponent’s spinning top,” which is a big draw for young fans, Gross says. Key categories for the brand include apparel, party goods, games, puzzles, sleepwear, bedding and publishing.
KEEP IT FRESH Jennifer Coleman, 4K Media’s VP of marketing and licensing, says that “finding new partners to work with in different ways” is critical to rejuvenating the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand. “We Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty is one of the new brands that Saban is showcasing. look for different ways to bring the looking at innovative ways of working with retailers, merchandise to our fans and create a broader fan base.” including doing exclusive products or windows.” It’s also about guiding those partners. “Knowing the Saban’s Soulié concurs, noting, “What you often see brand as well as we do, we can steer [retailers] in the these days is a revolving door of entertainment right direction in terms of what we think the fans want,” brands based on movies coming and going at retail.” Coleman explains. She says some partners are even going The closure of brick-and-mortar stores is also partly as far as hiring fans of properties like Yu-Gi-Oh! who can responsible for the challenge of getting items on shelves. speak to the types of products that might capture con“The whole retail environment is difficult,” says Marja sumers’ attention, and purchasing power. Kerkhof, the managing director at Mercis, which hanBut no matter how innovative the property or product dles the Miffy brand. “Online sales are great and growing is, retail is not an easy game, even for evergreen brands. rapidly, but they are not yet making up for what we are “Competition is always a challenge,” says Sesame’s losing in stores. That’s a threat at the moment for every Greenbaum. “We’re all going after the same limited property and business. There’s a lot of fragmentation, and amount of shelf space. These days you have to be a little the big retailers don’t seem to have yet found the answer bit more creative when you’re looking at retail and try to the trend toward internet sales.” to figure out a match that works for both partners. We’re
Genius Brands has been signing up licensees for its new preschool property Rainbow Rangers in categories such as apparel.