Since 1968, Mattel‘s Hot Wheels brand has been revving up the fun for generations of kids and collectors.
According to The NPD Group, Hot Wheels consistently ranks as the No. 1 toy in the world with millions of its 1:64-scale “mainline” die-cast vehicles sold each year. With many kids amassing an impressive fleet of toy cars and trucks, they usually need somewhere to park — or store — them. That’s where Intek Toys comes in.
As one of Mattel’s licensing partners, Intek designs and markets innovative storage and organization products that add new play patterns to the mix. And that’s not all — Intek also offers additional Hot Wheels-branded products that kids will love.
The Toy Book recently caught up with Intek Director of Development Ronen Dzienciolski to take a peek under the hood to learn more about the company’s partnership with Mattel, how it works, and what retailers can look forward to in the months ahead.
The Toy Book: How did Intek’s licensing partnership with Mattel come about?
Ronen Dzienciolski: We began our relationship with Mattel 25 years ago. It all started with our interest in the Barbie brand for a specific country, but then we grew not only in terms of products and territories, but we also incorporated more brands from the Mattel portfolio. From that moment on, we have been nonstop partners and have grown significantly with their brands. A very special exception was made for car cases as it is a product very close to the core of Hot Wheels.
TB: When it comes to product development and innovation, does your team generally start by crafting new ideas on its own, or is there constant collaboration to serve a specific need?
RD: All our products come from ideas developed in-house. We then submit the concepts to Mattel’s approval department and, between both teams, we refine the product to obtain the best possible result for the consumer to enjoy our Hot Wheels offerings. In addition to developing the product itself, we develop a lot of marketing materials, including TV commercials. They’re a powerful tool to promote the Hot Wheels collection on TV and on our social networks.
TB: Hot Wheels are known for being one of the world’s most affordable toys. How does that play into Intek’s development cycle?
RD: Our methodology starts with the consumer and extends to the factory cost. We are extremely careful so that the entire commercial chain has margins in line with their expectations and the consumer obtains an excellent value for the price of the product. Another fundamental factor for us is the coexistence between our products and the Hot Wheels products developed by Mattel — our most important partner in strategic terms.
TB: Considering Intek’s other product lines, including plush, games, and electronics, storage stands out as being unique.
RD: When we think of a line of car cases for Hot Wheels cars, we take into account several decisive factors. First, we notice an incredible fact about the toy industry: Hot Wheels sells about 16 cars per second. If you do the math, that’s more than 500 million cars per year. So, we wondered, “Where will Hot Wheels-loving kids keep all of these die-cast cars?” Our answer is our product line. But we go one step further … to build storage spaces and combine them with Hot Wheels tracks [for additional playability].
As our products have a lot of play value, they are chosen and requested by children, but since they also have a benefit in relation to order and care, they are also products purchased by adults. Today, the order and care of objects are values that parents want to promote as part of the responsibility that children must learn. According to data released by Mattel, each child has, on average, their own collection of 45 Hot Wheels cars, and their parents want to keep them in the best possible condition so that they can be used over and over again while entertaining their children.
TB: The Hot Wheels brand has been growing for Mattel in recent years. How will Intek’s product offering evolve to grow with the brand?
RD: We see huge room for the range to grow. Hot Wheels cars are the best-selling product in the toy industry in terms of the number of units sold each year. Their high quality encourages children to increase their collection year after year.
In 2023/2024, we are launching more than six new products. We are developing a car case in the shape of one of the most representative Hot Wheels cars that has internal ramps for launching. We also designed a product that the market has been requesting for a long time: a car case with a 1:64 car included. For this, we partnered with Bladez Toys in the UK. At the same time, we are adding a classic — the car case in the shape of a wheel in a metallic material — and for the first time, we are launching a case for Hot Wheels Monster Trucks.
TB: How can retailers get in touch if they’d like to add Intek products to their mix?
RD: Both distributors and retailers can contact us at sales@intektoys.com. You can also check out our product line at intektoys.com.
This edition of Talkin’ Toys is an exclusive digital companion to the 2022 Innovation & STEM issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!