EricNymanThe Toy Book (TTB): How do you utilize consumer feedback in product development?

Eric Nyman (EN): Hasbro puts our consumers at the center of everything we do, and we’ve seen a tremendous amount of change in the way kids and families play today. Therefore, we conduct extensive research and are in constant conversation with our consumers to better understand their wants and needs and make sure we are delivering the world’s best play experiences. Over the last several years, Hasbro’s marketing team in conjunction with our consumer insights team has talked to tens of thousands of kids of all ages through research and in our three Fun Labs around the world.

One example that highlights how we’ve utilized consumer feedback in product development is the Marvel Super Hero Mashers line. We heard from consumer research that kids wanted more opportunities to customize and personalize their play experiences. Kids not only wanted to pick their favorite super heroes, but also customize them to make them unique by mixing and matching their super hero powers. One day they wanted Spider-Man’s web slinging abilities, but Hulk’s fist smashing hands, the next day they wanted Thor’s gauntlet and Iron Man’s mask! This feedback helped us to better understand there was a need to reinvent and evolve action figures as we know them.

Based on these consumer insights and global trends, the Hasbro team created the Marvel Super Hero Mashers line, a re-invention of the action figure that allows consumers to mix and match their favorite superheroes. We tested this specific customization initiative with kids around the globe. Based on the overwhelming success of Hasbro’s Marvel Super Hero Mashers, we extended the line into Transformers last year and will further extend into Star Wars and Jurassic World this year.

TTB: The industry has seen a surge in tech toys and youth electronics. In what new ways are you incorporating technology into your product development?

EN: We are always researching and developing new technologies to enhance our consumer play experiences, and to provide new and innovative ways for kids of all ages to engage with our brands. Our consumers are technologically and digitally savvy, and we strive to provide them with products that fit their lifestyle, which includes engaging content, enhanced play experiences, and digital interaction. We have a team here at Hasbro that is dedicated to finding ways to marry the digital and physical worlds that are relevant for consumers today. Knowing when and how to best incorporate new technology into a product, based on what our consumers crave, is key to maintaining the success of our brands.

In 2015, our new animated series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, comes to life in the all-new toy line that is fully integrated with the Transformers: Robots in Disguise mobile app. The app allows kids to watch the show, play with fast action toy products, and take those characters right into the Robots in Disguise app by scanning the Autobot or Decepticon Shield to unlock that character and other plus ups within the game.

We’ve also seen the growth of the wearable tech trend, which we have incorporated into the new Twister Moves line, available now, which includes a Tracker accessory that allows kids to digitally keep track of their high scores, spins, skips, and jumps when playing with the Twister Moves products and other active play like running and dancing.

Furby has created a truly innovative toy experience through interactive programming and robotic engineering, bringing to life a toy that appears to develop its own personality. The development of the free Furby app, available on all iOS and Android devices, was an innovative addition to a toy that is packed full of technology and personality, and enhances the playability by engaging with the Furby creature.

The N-Strike Elite Nerf Cam ECS-12 Blaster is the first-ever Nerf blaster to feature an integrated camera, allowing for instant video playback, sharing, and download. The integrated camera is operated with the touch of a button, and designed so that fans can easily operate it while running and playing with the blaster. This innovation is a direct result of listening to our consumers and delivering what they are looking for in a Nerf product.

TTB: What measures have you taken to keep pace with consumer technology expectations?

EN: Technology is changing at a fast pace, so we continue to leverage consumer insights to ensure we are creating the most innovative experiences with our brands. Our marketing, design, and development teams are constantly researching and looking at the latest trends to uncover new technology to bring into our products. We listen closely to kids and consumers through testing to find the right way to integrate technology into our products and ensure the experience is fun and as friction-free as possible.

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Guest Auther

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