Kim Boyd, Head of Global Brands & Consumer Innovation at Hasbro, discusses the company’s big focus on licensing, entertainment, and more in this extended edition of The Toy Book’s 2023 State of the Industry Q&A roundtable. Want more insight from the all-stars of the toy industry? Click here to explore this year’s lineup!
The Toy Book: How is Hasbro’s Blueprint 2.0 reshaping the concept of what the company can be across toys and consumer products?
Kim Boyd: Blueprint 2.0 is our strategy for bringing brands to life in innovative and exciting ways for our consumers. It’s an approach that focuses on fewer bigger brands, expanded licensing, branded entertainment, and an impressive array of consumer products spanning a broad range of diverse categories. 2023 will see our Blueprint 2.0 in full force given the synergy with the highly anticipated upcoming premieres of the films Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) film will kick off a focus on that brand with a new toy line. With Transformers, fans will be able to connect once again with the iconic “More Than Meets the Eye” robots through new products. Those are examples of how we’re activating our strategy to engage our fans in those beloved brands and deliver for them across many touchpoints.
Right: Transformers Legacy Evolution Comic Universe Tarn action figure.
TB: What are some of the biggest brands that Hasbro is focusing on this year, and what should retailers be excited about?
KB: Given the big blockbuster movie releases, D&D and Transformers will be hot brands in 2023, but we also have exciting things in store for our other priority brands from NERF to Hasbro Gaming. In January, we shared that the iconic mystery-solving board game Clue received a refresh with rich new takes on the original murder mystery storyline, an intriguing diverse cast, highly stylized game pieces, and the glamorous Tudor Mansion. Available in stores now, this new version of Clue kicks off a revitalization moment for the brand with more mysterious complexities coming in 2023 and beyond. Fans will want to stay close as the Clue stories will continue to expand even further through new games and virtual experiences.
TB: Adult collectors, whom Hasbro has catered to for years, went mainstream last year. How does Hasbro plan to keep fueling interest for the kidult crowd?
KB: As we’ve seen, the kidult consumer base is growing and growing. They are stimulating a fan economy that is one of the fastest-growing toy categories overall, and it is a significant growth area for Hasbro. To drive this, we are continuing to invest heavily in Hasbro Pulse, our Hasbro direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform, as well as collectibles like action figures and sports memorabilia, and trading card games like Magic: The Gathering. We are focused on our fans more than ever!
TB: What are your overall predictions for the state of the toy industry and toy retail this year?
KB: The past three years living through a pandemic have also certainly shifted play into being all about experiences, as parents want more and more for their children to create positive, fun, and hands-on memories in the real world. We’ll see continued growth in experience-based play from imaginative playsets to interactive figures. Our lineup of Play-Doh products allows kids to express their big imaginations, while our Baby Alive dolls give little ones hands-on role-play experiences.
Additionally, products with cross-generational appeal, such as Clue, Monopoly, and Wordle: The Party Game, will continue to resonate with game lovers of all ages, allowing families to gather together and enjoy games that engage the entire family to create everlasting memories. Lastly, entertainment will be huge. As-seen-on-screen themed product lines based on popular TV shows and films will continue to prove successful. Throughout the year, fans and families can enjoy entertainment-themed products based on all-new TV shows, streaming content, and feature films, such as Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, and My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale.
A version of this Q&A was originally published in the 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
