Multiculturalism at Play
In a world growing ever more diverse, Specialty Toys & Gifts asks doll manufacturers about the current state of the multicultural doll market, the challenges of reaching consumers, and what the future of the doll category looks like.
Anita Winsor, president, Starpath Dolls
What are the major challenges facing multicultural dolls, either in the mass or specialty markets? Winsor: Multicultural dolls have been scarce for so long that many stores are still wary that customers will not buy them. Smaller toy stores have limited shelf space, so they may choose to stick to the safer, more traditional choice of Caucasian dolls. But as expectations change, the market will follow.
Harkin: In the mass market, it would appear that there is less choice than a few years ago. This, however, has provided an opportunity for companies such as Arklu, who serve independent retailers, to provide different options for consumers.
Ian Harkin, managing director, Arklu
Anderson: I think most toy manufacturers would like to offer a wider variety of dolls and accessories, whether it be themes, fashions, or cultures. However, the cost can be challenging from a manufacturing and inventory standpoint, especially distributing to the specialty market.
Briner Conrad: Because very little previously existed in the multicultural doll market, the biggest challenge is consumer awareness. Fortunately, parents today are, in many ways, more eager for their children to play with toys a little while longer. How do consumers tend to discover multicultural dolls? Is it word of mouth, news articles, or blogs? Anderson: I think consumers find multicultural dolls through a variety of mediums. Because our advertising is primarily grass roots, word of mouth has been primarily how consumers find out about our toys.
Amahale from South Africa, from Global Girl
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
Winsor: The Internet has made them easier to find. There is a growing recognition that there is a market for
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these dolls. When I was at Toy Fair last February, I was approached by a number of stores and online sites that specialize only in multicultural dolls. The demand was there, but the product selection was not.
Briner Conrad: Moms have always been incredible influencers. But with the proliferation of social media, their sphere of influence is now exponentially greater. In addition, trusted resources, such as print and broadcast media, continue to play an important role in communicating new toys to parents too.
Harkin: We have focused a lot on PR, social media, mom bloggers, and the media. We’ve been fortunate to receive a lot of positive feedback and encouragement, which helps spread awareness. What are the latest trends in multicultural dolls? Which groups have seen an increase in demand in recent years? Harkin: It’s been almost two years since we launched Lottie. When we first shipped our dolls, we did notice that the ethnic dolls weren’t selling so well. However, over time, after the first purchase had been made, people were coming back for more and now the sell rate of ethnic dolls is right up there with our other dolls.
Winsor: There is a growing selection of African American dolls and Hispanic dolls found in the larger toy stores. Asian dolls continue to be very difficult to find. The few that exist often don’t look Asian.
Anderson: I think growth trends in population play the biggest part in demand for different multicultural dolls. For example, in the U.S., with the growing number of Asians and Hispanics, there is an increase in demand for toys and dolls that reflect those cultures.
JULY/AUGUST 2014