Scott Flynn, chief commercial officer of PlayMonster, talks about consumer generations and licensing relationships in the Toy Book’s annual State of the Industry Q&A.
The Toy Book: What does it take to relaunch or create new iterations of classic products for a new generation?
Scott Flynn: When we launch any product, we start with the consumer and how these brands will fit into their habits and lifestyle. With classics like Spirograph, Koosh, or Playskool, we’re taking timeless brands that have been enjoyed by generations, and we’re making them relevant to today’s consumer.
With Spirograph, we appealed to younger generations in 2021 by adding motion and strobe lights, which animates the classic works of art. In 2022, adult crafters can create new designs with the Spirograph Mandala, which speaks to the meditative crafting trends that we’re seeing on social media.
Last year, we took Koosh from the ‘90s — and its days on the Rosie O’Donnell Show — and made it appeal to today’s families with mega-influencers Dude Perfect. This year, we’re taking inspiration from lacrosse, one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, and launching a variation that uses the Koosh ball. With each of these classics, we look at marketing and innovation to offer a point of difference in the marketplace, while ultimately creating quality play experiences that are inherent to our company values.
TB: How important are licensing relationships to your overall business strategy?
SF: Licensing is a powerful way to launch new products using stories from entertainment properties that consumers know and love — however, this will always happen in parallel with the development of our PlayMonster brands.
We’ve strategically leveraged licensing with our games category and co-branded products. With games, our partnerships with key properties like Disney and Schitt’s Creek have allowed us to create truly unique gameplay concepts that have set us apart. In 2021, we successfully brought the award-winning Schitt’s Creek license to the Things brand, and in 2022, Disney fans can anticipate the return of Disney Trivia, which is coming back as a collector’s version for the first time in 20 years. We also look forward to developing our co-branded products and our relationship with Hasbro, in which we’ll continue to take iconic brands like Koosh, Spirograph, and Playskool and make them relevant to today’s consumers.
This article was originally published in the February 2022 edition of the Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue!
