money to build it,’ pitching toy companies on the license is certainly a good route.” Relinquishing complete control of your idea can be a challenge, though, which is why Mackey says LCG (so far) hasn’t pitched its products to larger companies. “It’s like selling your child,” he says. “You just get so attached to your own ideas, your own IPs, and your own game that you’re like, ‘Ugh, I just don’t want to turn it over to someone else.’ I think with any designer there’s probably a bit of that, or maybe a fair amount.” PITCH PERFECT The idea of starting a new toy company may sound daunting, but pitching a toy idea to an established manufacturer presents its own set of challenges. Newcomers may have trouble reaching larger companies, which are likely receiving hundreds of other pitches. James Martin, senior vice president of robotics at Spin Master, says the company has entire teams, such as the internal advanced concepts team, dedicated to looking for new toy ideas. Some of the company’s major lines, such as Air Hogs, Bakugan, and Moon Sand, came from outside inventors. The company also offers an inquiry form on its website that inventors can use to submit toy ideas. As for what Spin Master looks for in toy ideas, Martin says the company wants to be surprised and challenged. “We want to have that feeling of ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’” he says. “It can be something as simple as using a new material or as complicated as a new electronic item. We look at them from the same perspective.” In April, Spin Master announced its partnership with Ryerson University for the first toy invention program in Canada, starting this September. The course series will focus on entrepreneurship in the toy 30 THE TOY BOOK | MAY/JUNE 2019 | toybook.com
business and will connect students with a variety of inventors, designers, and companies in the industry. Students will also have access to prototyping technology. Spin Master isn’t the only major toy company to provide channels for inventors to submit their ideas. Mattel, HEXBUG, PlayMonster, and Hasbro — among others — offer an online submission process. Hasbro has the Spark system, through which anyone in the U.S. over the age of 18 can submit toy ideas. The system scans for key words that may alert the company to a potential good fit. Then, someone at Hasbro will review the concept. “We have fantastic relationships within the inventor community but also want to hear from unlikely innovators,” says Deniece Nunez, inventor liaison at Hasbro. “We want fresh, new ideas from both established and unexpected places.” Read more about the legal implications of submitting ideas on page 108. AND THE WINNER IS ... Another option for toy inventors is entering competitions. This is an especially good option for younger inventors because many are geared toward kids. One such event is Fat Brain Toys’ Kidventor Contest, which started in 2017 and was developed from a conversation during a company product development meeting. “The thought occurred to us, why not flip the script and create a toy invention program that puts kids in the driver seat?” says Mark Carson, president and co-founder of Fat Brain Toys. The competition is unique in that the winning child’s invention becomes a real product. The Kidventor judges choose a winner in late October, and Fat Brain Toys unveils a product prototype at Toy Fair New York in February. Then the product moves into production, and the Kidventor receives royalties from the toy’s sales. Carson says Door Pong, the game invented by 2017 Kidventor winner Alexander Xiong, is “a true commercial success.” He also says this competition is important because it gives kids hope that their dreams are possible.
As for what makes a submission stand out, Carson says innovation is most important. “We’re always seeking out new play patterns and sometimes it takes the pure, unpolluted ideas of a child to uncover those activities,” he says. “It has to capture the imagination of the judges for it to truly stand out.” A WORD OF ADVICE One of the best ways to learn about toy inventing, Mackey says, is from those who have succeeded at it. “If you want to make a great commercial, you’d look at beer commercials or look at Coke or Pepsi commercials and what are they doing to be successful, and emulate those qualities,” he says. “Look at who’s the best in the industry and see what made it work and how can you improve on it. That’s what I usually do.” From his experience, fellow inventors will be happy to share advice about their successes and failures. Now, things have come full circle: Mackey has new inventors reaching out to him for advice. Even though he says he is “still in the need-help mode,” he does his best to share what he has learned. Damman has advice for fellow inventors as well, starting with being realistic about your idea. “Be really honest with how good your idea is,” he says. “Yes, your mom’s going to love it and your husband or wife is going to be supportive, but if you throw it out to the wolves, do people really get excited about it?” Damman also stresses the importance of remembering the backend — production, distribution, etc. — not only the product. “Don’t be the person who’s picking and packing boxes,” he says. “Have someone else do that.” Finally, Martin advises aspiring toy inventors to do three things: “Push your ideas as far as you can, think about it from the consumer’s point of view — if you do that, you’re ahead of at least half the people who invent — and always have a second idea. Show that you’re already thinking ahead as to what’s next.” » Madeleine Buckley is an assistant editor at Adventure Publishing Group, where she contributes to the Pop Insider, the Toy Insider, and the Toy Book. She enjoys covering the latest news and trends in the toy industry and pop culture.