The Toy Book - 2016 NY TOY FAIR EDITION

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difference that makes it special, and that’s what we found with our
most recent acquisition of Roominate.
What inspired the acquisition of roominate? How will this acquisition
impact PlayMonster?
With the acquisition of Roominate, a line of toys designed to
open up possibilities for kids by showing them that creativity and
engineering are fun, PlayMonster expands into the STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Math) category.
STEM is one of the fastest-growing categories in the toy industry
today. What makes Roominate different is that not only do
parents like it because it delivers on the principles of STEM, but
kids love it because it’s so much fun they want to play with it over
and over again. The founders of Roominate did a fantastic job of
designing this line with the help of kids so that the fun is new every
time. What good is a STEM toy if it’s not fun and kids don’t want to
use it, right?
In an age where kids are spending more time with technology
at younger ages, how are you helping kids and families spend
more time playing together?
We make fun games and toys that promote interaction and
quality time by playing with friends and family. We are champions
of play because play brings people together with laugh-out-loud
fun, and that’s important in today’s high-pressure world. We offer a
fun way to escape stress and “screen time”and consumers clearly
seem to be responding to that, as evidenced by not only by our
increasing sales, but also by all of the awards and accolades our
products have received recently. In the last six years alone we have
had eight TOTY (Toy Industry Toy of the Year) award finalists across
multiple categories—that’s a huge accomplishment for us, as well
as a great honor.
What are your future plans and expectations?
We expect to continue to achieve high growth as PlayMonster
by continuing our momentum and building on what’s been
successful for us, and so far that’s two very essential things: The
first is providing great play for all ages, not just for kids or adults or
infants, but for everyone. The second is providing high-quality play
that stands the test of time and offers a remarkable play experience,
not games or toys that will only hold interest for a few days.
These two ingredients, plus scaling up our marketing and advertising
on digital media and TV, will be our key to continued growth.
Last year we promoted one item, Chrono Bomb, on TV, and this
year we plan to promote several more, including our popular kids’
game Yeti in My Spaghetti. So we’re definitely Yeti—oops, I mean
ready—for an exciting new year! »
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In the past, Kurio partnered with major players in the app
world. Are you open to working with new licensing partners
going forward?
On the Kurio side in the U.S., we’ve partnered with everyone
from Angry Birds to Fruit Ninja, and from Disney to YouTube Kids.
In Europe, KD Group has a strong portfolio of premiere licenses
and is the preferred electronic toy licensee for major brands
including Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam, Disney, Barbie, and Monster
High. We recognize the importance of licenses and are very interested
in growing our licensed product portfolio in the U.S.
What is your focus for this year? What can we expect to see
from KD Group in the future?
We see a great opportunity for market share gain with Kurio
this year, given the troubles our main competitors have seen. We
will continue to stay on trend and align with what is driving the
business. For example, we are the first company to offer Windows
two-in-one options for kids. We are also very focused on the importance
of offering a strong value to consumers.
Additionally, we’re excited to expand our Kurio range to include
Kurio Watch, a real-working Bluetooth smartwatch designed
especially for kids. It combines all the basic watch functions (alarm,
calendar, calculator, etc.) with music and video players, a front-facing
camera for taking selfies and videos, messaging capabilities,
an activity tracker, and mini games using motion sensors.
On the toy side, we’re eager to further expand the reach of our
KD line of successful European-designed educational toys in the
U.S. Developed in conjunction with childhood learning professionals,
the toys offer kids ages 6 months and up stimulation through
different shapes and learning themes. Many of the KD toys are
bilingual and also double as role-play items. Ranges include: iLOL,
a “my first” series of toys for infants; Toddly Fun interactive toys;
Silly Sam & Friends toys featuring silly characters in the form of
everyday household items, such as a flashlight and a coffee maker;
Cheeky Tunes musical instruments; and My Bath Time waterproof-guaranteed
tub toys.
Under our Tech-Too brand, we have a new range of realistic,
pretend, touch-sensitive toys that look just like mom and dad’s
electronic devices, featuring a smart TV, remote controls, a smartphone,
a two-in-one tablet, a notebook, and a camera.
We’re also introducing a new range of nightlights for infants
and small children with a cute ghostlike character called Tinyboo,
who helps comfort kids who may be afraid of the dark. The nightlights
utilize LED technology and come in different forms and
functions, from a basic Mini Light that makes the perfect bedside
companion; to a Baby Light that doubles as a rattle; to a Lantern
that brightens to guide young children throughout the home; to a
Huggy Plush toy that has a special cuddle sensor built in. »
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