They are the companies behind the scenes who keep the wheels of the toy business turning. From logistics and safety, through to PR, marketing and recruitment, ToyNews finds out what’s on offer for suppliers…
Amethyst says that it is the largest third party logistics firm for the toy business in the UK, and it boasts over 25 years of supply chain experience in the industry.
It offers multi-channel distribution centres, providing flexible and variable cost warehousing.
With around one million square feet of shared-user warehousing and 500 full time employees across five centres in the UK, Amethyst is close to the national and regional centres of a number of major retail customers. The company provides dedicated customer service teams for its clients, offering stock visibility using its own bespoke systems and those of its transport partners.
Other services include stock reporting; perpetual inventory management; inbound services; secure storage; flexible pick regimes including batch pick, order pick, etc; tailored packing; carriage; returns processing; bar coding and reworking.
Established in 1988 by Andrew Dobbie, former European marketing director at Mattel, Gameplan Europe proides international business strategy advice to toy companies wishing to expand throughout the world.
From the very beginning this led to Gameplan Europe being requested to find MDs to set up subsidiary companies in Europe and the US, and this activity has grown until the company is now a leading specialist executive search consultancy to the global toy industry, recruiting brand managers in the UK and Europe right up to presidents for US subsidiaries.
The indepth knowledge of the idiosyncratic dynamics of the toy business and intimate knowledge of many manufacturers, each of which has its own distinctive ethos and working practices, enable Gameplan Europe not only to identify candidates who have the appropriate skills to perform outstandingly in the toy industry, but also help to match candidate personalities to the specific needs of each client.
Its global network of top level industry contacts enables Gameplan Europe to provide unusually rigorous reference checks from people who trust them with sensitive information about candidate strengths and weaknesses.
Gameplan Europe continues to be active in business strategy consulting and in publishing of business information, services which complement the recruitment activity and which help to find the best candidates. The company has a multi-lingual team, fluent in German, French and Spanish.
For further information, visit www.gameplaneurope.com.
Birchwood describes itself as a boutique business offering bespoke solutions to finding the right sales and marketing people for the toy sector.
Owner Amanda Holder has over 14 years of recruitment experience, 13 of which have been in the toy sector and across the children’s market. Holder works on sales and marketing positions of all levels from trainee to director, and everything inbetween.
Although a number of her clients prefer to remain confidential, Holder’s portfolio includes Mega Brands, Cartamundi, Jumbo Games, Bandai and Flair among others.
In response to increasing demand, Birchwood also offers an all encompassing solution to the needs of businesses and individuals from both inside and outside the toy sector. The firm works with candidates on all aspects of getting a job, keeping it and excelling in the role, while Holder mentors directly with individuals on structuring their own career ladder, preparing a winning CV and giving bespoke career advice.
Gem’s 250,000 sq ft facility (boasting 35,000 pallet positions) is based in Raunds, Northamptonshire – 20 miles from the M1 and centrally placed from the ports of Thamesport, Southampton and Felixstowe. Indeed, the company says that it is ideally located to hit the most frequently serviced UK distribution locations within two to four hours.
Gem has over 2,000 direct trading accounts ranging from major High Street brands through to indie retailers across the entertainment industry. Services include logistics, product handling, inbound, web offering, IT services, marketing, creative, financial, Far East offices and reverse logistics. Key clients are Xbox 360, Ubisoft, T2, Essential Music and Ministry of Sound.
Dubit is a kids entertainment consultancy with research, digital and marketing teams which work with global brands including Disney, Turner, BBC and Mattel, as well as start-ups.
Established in 1999, the firm has worked with brands throughout the product development journey, helping to create and launch new toys, games, books and online worlds. The Dubit research department boasts one of the largest direct to youth panels in the UK, giving it direct and ongoing access to kids trends, media consumption and entertainment preferences.
The firm runs a monthly omnibus for brands looking for immediate answers to key questions, plus regular product/media tracking surveys for companies such as McDonalds and Viacom.
Dubit Digital extends this expertise into understanding and developing new products or brands online.
The firm’s studio includes strategists, designers, artists and technologists who create virtual worlds for brands which want to extend their product online, capture a community and grow revenue streams. Customers include Cartoon Network, BBC and The Wizard of Oz.
London-based PR and marketing agency Bastion was founded in 1992 and specialises in supporting youth and consumer technology markets, as well as live events.
It has been working with the toy industry for more than a decade, most notably with the BTHA and Toy Fair – Bastion has been the PR agency for the show for five years.
Each year, it creates new campaigns which support up to 200 exhibitors in getting their message across to trade, consumer and business media before, during and after the event.
Over 400 journalists turn up on press day from the likes of BBC TV and radio, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky News, national press and parent and craft titles, plus, of course, trade media like ToyNews.
Specialist toy and licensing recruitment agency, Aardvark Swift recruits for a variety of roles including national account managers, sales directors, brand managers, marketing directors, licensing managers, product development, graphic designers and across QA.
It also offers advertised search and headhunting services for more difficult to fill vacancies. The company also has a dedicated sales agent service, with over a hundred toy industry specialist agents registered and looking for extra product.
Key clients include Hasbro, Mattel and Disney, as well as a number of smaller companies – even start ups – which are looking to expand their teams.
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services solutions are designed to assist toy manufacturers, importers and distributors in minimising the risk of liability, costly product returns and brand damaging recalls.
The firm provides a complete solution from product concept to store shelves – including product testing, safety assessments, design evaluations, consultancy, inspections and audits – to help clients improve their supply chain, as well as checking their toys meet the necessary regulatory standards.
The requirements of the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC – introduced in July – have brought a host of new challenges, including the obligation to conduct a Safety Assessment and making sure toys meet the new chemical requirements (from July 2013).
The consumer and trade PR agency works across the toy, nursery, entertainment and technology sectors.
It has experience in planning and executing campaigns, which include launch and industry events, news generation in print and on TV, product placement, celebrity seeding and securing trade coverage. Wire also manages social media and blogging campaigns.
Successes include promoting Tomy’s toy and nursery ranges, launching Paper Jamz from WowWee securing over 500 pieces of coverage in six months and introducing the Arctic Force line from Wham-O.
SoSound works with toy companies, licensors and inventors to design and develop speech and music-based electronics products.
Set up in 2003 by an experienced toy developer and a professional audio technologist, the firm’s aim is to provide a flexible service from initial concept through to production hand-over if required.
Services include audio design, music composition, recording, editing, electronics hardware and software programming and testing. Product developments range from simple press and play, complex interactive learning toys and even animatronics.
In addition, SoSound is also currently developing in over 40 languages and has two in-house studios with full patch in facilities to enable it to work on a worldwide basis.
Retail logistics company Import Services has a toy client portfolio including Flair, Toymaster, Jakks Pacific, Melissa and Doug, IMC Toys and Fun4Kids.
The firm handles inbound shipping, customs clearance, warehousing operations, high volume order processing, pick, packs and distribution throughout the UK and continental Europe.
Import Services began working in the industry 25 years ago.
It is based in Southampton and operates with three Port-centric flagship DCs, the latest of which is a 165,000 sq ft, 22,000 pallet capacity site, situated adjacent to where the container ships berth at port.
Hertfordshire-based play and parenting research consultancy, FUNdamentals has created my2frontteeth.co.uk to provide anyone buying products for children with information on child development, and explains how playing with different toys promotes this.
Parents have the opportunity to receive a bespoke product recommendation for a specific situation or for a child with particular needs. Companies with products featured on the website can purchase the review report and can also commission separate product reviews.
The firm is always on the look out for new products for the site and companies are welcome to send in samples for review, with no obligation to buy the report.
Rainbow Productions is the company behind the licensed children’s characters seen walking the aisles at trade shows such as Toy Fair and Brand Licensing Europe.
The firm works with clients in sectors including licensing, retail and sport to translate their properties into walk-about costume characters, while it also designs characters.
In addition to manufacturing licensed character costumes, Rainbow also acts as a licensee – it manages the personal appearances at live events of over 100 characters. For licensors, costume characters are commissioned for promotional use and to extend the brand into live events, particularly during the early stages of the lifecycle.
Once brands are established, Rainbow generates royalty incomes for the owner through actively selling personal appearances to third parties such as leisure attractions and event organisers.
Licensors also work with the firm on campaigns to support licensee listings, managing character tours in retailers and shopping centres.
The Cambridge-based agency boasts specialist in-house, PR, design and advertising teams.
It has a number of years experience of working with clients in the toy industry and currently supports MGA Entertainment and Zapf Creation UK with consumer and trade PR and social media activity. It works with brands including Lalaloopsy, Bratz, Moxie Girlz, Baby Annabell and Baby born.
The agency has also picked up awards for its b2b and consumer campaigns: Best PR Campaign at the b2b Marketing Awards 2010 and Best Corporate and Business Communications Campaign at the CIPR East Anglia Gold Pride Awards 2010.
Threepipe has eight years’ experience in the toy business.
It has worked with Hornby Hobbies – and its Airfix, Corgi and Scalextric brands – for six years, and with LeapFrog for three years.
Campaigns include running educational programmes in schools and launching new technologies with LeapFrog, as well as organising Velodrome sprints with Hornby’s Olympic ambassador Lizzie Armitstead among others.
The company has also picked up a number of accolades at the 2010 CorpComms Awards and the 2009 PRCA Awards. The firm also works with Seven Dials, K-Swiss and Football League.
Pittilla PR has been working in the toy business for some 25 years. From Teletubbies to Thomas the Tank Engine, the firm has worked with most of the major toy companies and created campaigns designed to sell through product and make the news.
From press releases to product launches, the PPR team of ex journalists cover all aspects to help gain maximum publicity for brands.
The brand and product marketing consultancy has been set up by industry veteran, Steve Reece. Vici offers services including brand insight and consultancy, consumer insight, product launch marketing planning, mentoring and toy marketing training and distribution set up for the US, UK, Europe and worldwide.
In addition, through sister company – www.r-gmarketing.co.uk – it offers marketing execution.
The full service PR consultancy specialises in consumer leisure. Over the years it has worked with firms including Hasbro, Tomy, Flair, Rubik’s Cube, Bandai, Atari, Activision, Hornby, K’nex and Nintendo – either on a long-term retained or project basis.
Drumond Park has also been working with Langshot for more than ten years on its PR and outreach sampling programme.
Blog-Match.com gives firms a chance to get their products in front of bloggers.
On joining, companies will be able to have their press release included in a weekly email newsletter, which hits the inboxes of hundreds of bloggers, while Blog-Match.com can also advise on how best to manage PR campaigns.
The blog sites have all signed up to receive news, and it’s up to each subscriber to decide what they want from the resource.
Tricky is a design and invention consultancy with over 15 years experience working within the toys and games industry.
It specialises in new concepts and idea generation, product development, mechanical and electronic design solutions and licence product design and development.
The firm can work on its own or with a design team on a small part of a project, or take it on entirely and manage it right through to production.
As well as its work within the toy business, Grayling also boasts clients in the food and drink, healthcare and nursery accessories sectors.
In toys, the firm’s expertise ranges from developing educational programmes around parental issues such as child development for VTech, through to creative consumer engagement campaigns for established brands like Bandai.
For the past six years, Grayling has also worked with the Toy Retailers Association to promote Dream Toys. It also has a track record for strategic partnership development with official parenting bodies and networks like the National Childbirth Trust, Mumsnet and Gurgle.
Designed to offer b2b solutions for small to medium sized companies, Evergreen has been established since 2004.
It has worked with a variety of clients including manufacturers, retailers – specialising in online retailers, virtual facilities management and industry associations. It offers solutions for long or short-term projects or even one-off visits if needed.
Current clients for PR firm Bright include Lego, Lego Duplo, Street Surfing, Nanos and Great Little Trading Company.
It has 15 years experience working with toy and parenting brands, with its creative integrated PR campaigns incorporating traditional offline and online PR, social media and experiential activity.
Bright also has a dedicated digital division offering online reputation management, social media, search engine optimisation and mobile and viral marketing.
Home entertainment specialist Fizz has been working with Revell UK since July on its range of brands including its F1 model kits, Leonardo da Vinci wooden model collection, X-Ray and its remote control products.
Fizz has also been working with playing card specialist Cartamundi. On top of this, the company has introduced themed gift catalogue PR campaigns, including Royal Wedding, Summer Holidays, Back to School and Christmas Gifts. Several toy companies have taken part including Alsuna, Asobi and Green Board Games.
