Where the Toy Industry is headed is the subject of several articles. At the New York Toy Fair 2010 there were many unsettled rumors on how toy makers expected to get out from under the thumb of the big box toy sellers and recreate an environment in which they could develop more core brands that the big box retailers couldn’t ignore. Retailers are, to be sure, still in the driver seat. Several recent moves, however, indicate the toy companies are working to create a stronger demand for products over which they have greater control.
Last issue AFD outlined the revolution in toy marketing over the last 15 years and how that has strangled off the emergence of new core brands. This issue AFD explores the options open to toy companies in view of rising royalty/risks cost brought on by the success of Avatar as a film, but failure as a toy franchise.
Since that article was written Hasbro has come up with yet another approach. They have decided to start their own Family Network featuring their own animated strips based on existing and potential evergreen brands. It’s going to be fun to watch how the rest of the industry scrambles to catch up.
This issue also features an in-depth report of the 2010 G.I. Joe Convention by Charles Griffith.
This product was added to our catalog on Monday 28 June, 2010.
