License for
Lifestyle
by Ernst Kick, CEO, Spielwarenmesse eG
W
hat perfumes do top models use? Fragrance note: fruity. You can go out and buy the perfume collection that goes with the German TV series, and wannabe models see it as the surefire way of taking their first step onto the catwalks worldwide. But what do Angry Birds actually smell like? The once odor-neutral computer game has made it into the flacon, but if you’re thinking of guano, you’re wide of the mark. Think rather of an Eau de Cologne that the birds Red, Chuck, Bomb, and Pig King were given as their fragrance. Fragrance, fashion, design, music, everyday articles, toys, apps—they are all stylistic means of life, manifestations of various lifestyles. Whether girly, bad boy, punk, rocker, lifestyles of health and sustainability, minimalist, family person, hedonist, or jet-setter, people give their lifestyle a personal note through their own preferences. The art of the license and lifestyle sector is to materialize people’s way of life and to work through the variety of ways in which it is expressed. And as long as individualism is gaining ground, there will be myriad lifestyles. Kids and young adults will experiment in the process of self-discovery until they have found their personal style. The license, toy, and consumer goods industry accompanies them through this process with a huge range of products represented at Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg. In the stores, these then become the articles that spark impulse buying. It’s precisely these products that catch my eye in a store, and I know immediately I have to have them. Toy retailers can smarten up their product range with fashionable and trendy articles as fast movers. Fads such as the coveted Rainbow Loom bracelets invented by Cheong Choon Ng create an unexpected stream of buyers heading for the toy store. The craze swept over to Europe this year. For
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015
many retailers in Europe, these rubber bands generated the highest footfall of the year. By this past fall, 3 million packs of the original had already been sold. And whenever fashionistas top up their stock at their trusted toy retailer, they also pick up this toy and that toy on their way to the checkout. Licensed articles can have the same suction effect, and if the license’s themes address the lifestyles of both kids and adults equally, it becomes particularly interesting for sales of licensed figures, because the number of people in the potential target group escalates. The properties that span generations—such as Star Wars, Lego, Activision, and Disney Infinity—are moneyspinners that keep the tills ringing. At this year’s Spielwarenmesse, these revenue drivers in the Fashionable and Trendy Articles group are allocated their own show area. You’ll find these products that consumers of all ages use to express their lifestyle located centrally at the Mitte entrance. I can already reveal that the products in this area feature licensed articles. In Nuremberg, you’ll discover which products toy manufacturers worldwide can offer you for your assortment. Ultimately, your mission is to strengthen customer loyalty by means of the best products, and in Nuremberg from January 28 to February 2, we will offer you the finest selection of products to do just that. Come and see for yourself. ■
THE TOY BOOK • 11