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Click here to listen to this episode CEO of Star Stable Entertainment Johan Sjöberg calls his game “World of Warcraft…for girls.” The hugely successful game is now making its move into toys under a licensing agreement with Just Play. In this episode, Richard and Chris talk with Sjöberg about the development of the brand, how they engage with kids and the expansion onto iOS … [Read more...] about Building a Global Brand: Star Stable Gallops Into the Toy World

Wheeling, IL, May 9, 2022 – Elenco, the creator of the award-winning SNAP CIRCUITS® line of educational circuit-building toys is pleased to announce that Anthony Trani has joined the Elenco team as Chief Executive Officer. An experienced business leader with over 15 years of experience in global consumer products, Anthony comes to Elenco from Bazooka Candy Brands, where he led … [Read more...] about Elenco Announces New CEO and National Sales ManagerAnthony Trani to lead maker of iconic SNAP CIRCUITS® brand [ad]

Grant Chapman, President of KroegerGrant Chapman is President of Kroeger, a 51-year-old distributor, representing some of the world’s largest and best toy companies through the wholesale distribution of proprietary lines within the North American retail environment. The company markets and sells products to all types of retailers across North America –  from specialty to mass, … [Read more...] about My Interview with Grant Chapman, President of Kroeger

Utku Tansel LLB, MBA Utku Tansel has 18 years of success in driving global thought leadership, project and content management, delivering strategic business intelligence and insight to major international companies. Throughout his career, he has led many global research programs across a wide range of diverse and dynamic industries including Toys & Games, Licensed … [Read more...] about Hamleys Rides on the “Retailtainment” Trend with Its Newest Retail Space Dedicated to

“You are seeing two big companies take very different approaches,” said Stephanie Wissink, a managing director at Jefferies. “Mattel is a manufacturer that needs to fill factories, but they also are cognizant of the momentum of the platform. Hasbro is going the other way in that they are narrowing their licensing portfolio and focusing on fewer, bigger things. It’s more a … [Read more...] about Quotes With Your Coffee #3 – “Videoconferencing inhibits the production of creative ideas”

Investigation into Ocean Freight Carriers Over PricE-GOUGING The New York Times headline reads, “American Importers Accuse Shipping Giants of Profiteering.” There are ten companies that are the major players in the ocean freight industry. Importers have complained to the Federal Maritime commission about what they see as monopolistic practices by the ten companies. The … [Read more...] about Disruption Report #54: Supply Chain Challenges May Get Worse, Importers Accuse Shipping Lines of Price Gouging, and American Consumers Vote for Global Trade with Their Wallets

World Video Game Hall of Fame class, 2022. The Strong, Rochester, New York We welcomed four new inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame class of 2022: Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Sid Meier’s Civilization. They span almost a 20-year period in game history, with Ms. Pac-Man coming out in 1981, Civilization released ten … [Read more...] about How Does a Game Get into the World Video Game Hall of Fame?

Click here to listen to this episode Richard and Chris talk to Barry Schwartz of Schwartz PR about hisincredible career. From his start as a kid in vaudeville, Barry moved into PR(another kind of showbiz, he notes) and was the creative and PR force behindmany hits of the mid-20th Century. From introducing LEGO and the Othello gameto the United States, to launching Hello Kitty … [Read more...] about Toy Industry History: Barry Schwartz on 50 Years of Making Hits

Below is a list of the 114 companies that exhibited at the Spielwarenmesse in 2020. The Spielwarenmesse is the world’s biggest toy show, and it will be back with a vengeance in 2023. It will definitely be the place to add new customers, gain new relationships and obtain up-to-the-minute knowledge of what is happening in the world of play. If you are in the toy industry, it is a … [Read more...] about The Spielwarenmesse #3 – Who Exhibits at the Spielwarenmesse?

What makes for an outstanding animated character? I was, this week, asked that question by a reporter from CNBC. To give my best answer, I asked for time to do some research. I wanted to see what critics believed were the best characters and then understand what those characters had in common. A little googling revealed that there were several lists of great animated … [Read more...] about What Makes a Great Animated Character?