God and the Art of Toy and Diecast Marketing
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (episode 2)
By Lu Su
We are living in the best of times; We have the internet. We are living in the worst of times; We have the internet.
In my booth at Toy Fair 2023, one of my long-time customers inquired, “When you start writing again?”
I took a multi-year break from putting thoughts down on paper. Or perhaps more accurately stated, I took a multi-year break in putting ones in zeros on a hard drive. The internet, allegedly invented by Al Gore, has caused both American culture and the retail landscape to morph. Though we have access to what seems like an infinite number of documents, books, essays, and poems, as a society we seem to read less (if I use my kids as a barometer). We seem to take information in podcasts, texts, and streaming videos. It seems to me that quick access has also caused many to develop short attention spans. Writing in complete sentences is out and Memes are in. Now if it takes longer than 3 seconds to absorb something, just swipe it away.
I think as the internet bandwidth increased, “You got mail!” was replaced by vanishing pictures and streaming videos. And now, many videos take too long for us to consume, so they’ve come up with really short videos that you can consume in less than 30 but preferably 10 seconds. Growing up, I think we called that a commercial. The internet has changed our culture. How we communicate, socialize, get entertained, obtain information, and market products is different now because of the internet.
Most of the buffalo, newspaper, and magazine workers that once roamed our great grassy plains, cities, and suburbs have been “downsized”. A relatively new and kinder word invented in the late 80’s to express, “We don’t need your kind here anymore.” The newspaper company that once produced my local paper, called the Bergen Record, was located in that famous city Billy Joel derided called Hackensack.
Nestled between downtown Hackensack and the Hackensack River, our consumption habits changed and we encouraged our only newspaper company in Northen NJ to downsize and leave in 2009 (14 years ago). “Is that all you get for your money?” was asked as both the readership and amount of content the newspaper provided got thinner with each passing year.
If you think, “Hackensack” is an odd name, it’s actually an American Indian name that means, “mouth of a river” in the Lenni Lenape language*. Many moons ago, our consumption habits changed, and we encouraged the Achkinheshcky Indian tribe to downsize and leave, but I guess as a token of goodwill and no hard feelings, we kept the name of their formal home.
The big buildings that once employed hundreds of people, housed large printing presses, and huge rolls of newsprint stood like an ugly empty statue by the mouth of the river for over a decade. Only recently were the buildings demolished and these new condos erected on the 20-acre parcel that the Bergen Record once called its home.
Maybe in my attic, I should squirrel away some newspapers. I can store them next to my electric typewriter, a box of unused 35mm film, and this old rotary phone; I’m looking forward to seeing expressions of bewilderment on my future grandkids’ faces when I show them these relics. And talking about relics, maybe I should throw a few books in that old trunk too.
In one of my favorite movies called The Princess Bride, Peter Faulk plays a grandfather who has an interesting conversation with Fred Savage who plays the role of his grandson. The grandfather is tasked with the job of watching his sick grandson and wants to read to him, but it’s not initially well received by the younger generation. The conversation went like this:
The Grandson : A book?
Grandpa : That's right. When I was your age, television was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today I'm gonna read it to you.
The Grandson : Has it got any sports in it?
Grandpa : Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...
The Grandson : Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try to stay awake.
Grandpa : Oh, well, thank you very much, very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.
“Yes, It’s been many years since made time to write, “I had replied.
But his question was a very valid one. After pondering it for quite some time, I eventually did ask myself, why did I stop writing? I turned my customer’s question over in my mind for weeks. But I think I figured out, but only with the help of this old Dutch lady from the Netherlands whose entire family demonstrated uncommon valor. during the last world war. Corrie ten Boom revealed the answer to my question.
“If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.”
The name Corrie ten Boom sounds familiar, but you just can’t place it right? Corrie’s family, harbored hundreds of Jews amid the Nazi Holocaust to protect them from arrest, being gassed, or starved to death during a 20th century Reign of Terror in Europe. It’s believed their efforts saved close to 800 Jews from concentration camps. But eventually, Corrie’s entire family was imprisoned after a neighbor ratted them out. Corrie’s father Casper died in prison shortly after the Gestapo interrogated him and Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany. Only Corrie survived and told her story in an autobiographical 1971 memoir The Hiding Place**.
If you ever get lost and addicted to attractive and alluring offerings the internet delivers (easy to do in our consumption-oriented American culture), remember this command, promise, and words of encouragement. Like Corrie’s house once sheltered, protected, and preserved life, this promise is designed to do the same -for eternity:
“Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” -Zechariah 1: 3
Seems like the God of the universe wants an actual relationship with us. There is probably some dating App that I can load instead right? I wonder if this generous offer already expired; After all it was made 2500+ years ago. But after careful reading of the offer and the fine print, I did not see any expiration dates or any additional requirements we need to meet. Since God is still alive, I say the offer is still valid. As a toy monger, it is my advice to you that you not only memorize this offer, but actually accept the deal. It’s far better than anything I or the internet can offer you..
“Yes, I should make time to write again,” I told my customer who resides in a neighboring state.
Like many major tradeshows, in the US and the world, Toy Fair 2023 was not well attended. I should know, because I have been exhibiting at this venue for the last 22 fairs. Noticeably missing were the smelly buses parked outside the Jacob Javits Center emitting their unpleasant exhaust fumes as you enter or exit the facility. These buses formerly picked up throngs of people from their hotels, train and bus station and brought them to Jacob Javits Center. The buses disappeared like our buffalo, the people who worked for print publishers, and the people who once spoke Lenape. Also notably absent was one of the largest toy companies in the world Mattel.
Mattel would normally occupy a very large footprint on the show’s main floor as well as the entire 3rd floor, which stood vacant this year. I thought it was an interesting marketing strategy for the Toy Fair show management to advertise to its vendors that the show was completely “sold out” and yet an entire floor that had been previously occupied in at least the previous 10+ Toy Fairs stood vacant.
I guess this marketing ploy is to build an artificial sense of specialness and desirableness. If they get to advertise that they are “sold out”, when they actually have inventory, maybe you should utilize the same ploy on your customers? Tell them it’s completely sold out…….but maybe at the right price, you can get them one from this guy you know………. Who goes by the name “Eddie”, who wears sunglasses at night, and lives on the other side of the railroad tracks.
Maybe the movie ‘Barbie’ that debuted earlier this Summer gave the toy titan enough of a marketing boost that some marketing exec at Mattel determined said, “Our work is done here” and there was no need to leave sunny California to do an expensive tradeshow in New York.
From all appearances, Mattel got a big boost in sales from the movie; Barbie toy sales in the US to increased by 25% for July-August^, but it’s my educated guess that the boost in July-August sales didn’t make up for the 23% decline in Barbie sales during the first half of 2023 versus 2022^^. But Mattel has the 4th quarter of 2023, which is typically a very strong quarter for those in the toy industry. My guess from my wife and daughter's enjoyment of the ‘Barbie’ movie, ‘Barbie 2’ will be forthcoming, and Mattel will enjoy and benefit from the on-going marketing exposure.
I’m happy for Mattel, because Barbie is one of two of their core product lines for them. Unfortunately, worldwide Barbie sales have been declining over the past decade. Maybe our culture’s short attention span has caught up with this product line. My former Mattel sales representative told me that Barbie once appealed to girls & teens ages 3 to 18. He told me now the majority of Barbie dolls are purchased for girls between the ages of 3 and 6. Fortunately for Mattel and other companies that hock diecast cars for a living, males don’t seem to outgrow toys that quickly. I think our toys just get more expensive as we age. So, when I fill out the age recommendation on item form for diecast cars, I actually put a recommendation for ages 3 to 103 and check off the unisex box. It’s no big surprise to me that their Hot Wheels product line consistently outperforms Barbie.
The reason why Hot Wheels outperforms Barbie is not just because cars are more unisex in nature and appeals to multiple generations. Hot Wheels outsell Barbie, because they have a much higher collection and replacement rate. Replacement rate? Yes absolutely! This fact is captured in one of my favorite cartoons growing up called ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ by the genius Bill Watterson.
The challenge for growing sales in Mattel’s Barbie product line is that the number of girls ages 3 to 6 is not growing in significant size and long ago they reached that risk/reward stage where financially it doesn’t make sense to invest $X more dollars to get Y% more market share in Barbie. So much of their marketing money for Barbie actually goes into defense. Mattel often either acquires burgeoning companies who are marketing a new doll or they obtain exclusive licensing rights for up-and-coming doll, but then they neither market or make those dolls because those dolls would compete with their main Diva.
Do you ever wonder why the toy industry markets some toys to girls, some to boys, and some to both? When I go to my local pet store and go to the toy aisle to pick out the next toy for my dog to destroy; I don’t see any deliberate marketing attempt to direct people to think this particular toy is for male dogs and these toys appeal to female dogs. From a person that has been involved in the design, manufacture, distribution, and marketing of toys, it’s preferable to market something that appeals to both sexes. Why purposely cut off 50% of the customer base that could purchase/use that thingamajig? So if there is no concerted effort to market dog toys to a particular gender, why do we do this for children’s toys?
Another challenge for toy titan is this particular demographic takes care of their toys far better than their brothers of the same age. The way to grow Barbie’s marketing share is pretty elementary dear Watson. What you need to simply do to expand Barbie’s age range of appeal, make Barbie appeal to males as well as females, and make Barbie break faster so mothers who have Calvins in their household will need to go more. Mattel should hire me. After all, I do have 31 years of experience in marketing toys and collector diecast model cars. Once hired, not only will I lower your taxes, bring peace to the Middle East, I’ll implement a new marketing strategy that will flood their coffers with millions of additional dollars. I’ll also save them millions of dollars too. Make and Save money. A pretty desirable bundle if I do say so myself.
Saving Mattel money is the easy part. But expanding the age range for Barbie and making the product line appeal to males ages 3 to 103 is the more challenging part. As for saving the toy giant money, it’s super simple.
Mattel is in the habit of paying leadership a ton of money to leave their company. For example, Mattel paid one former CEO a severance package that exceeded $40M^*, forgave 7.2-million in loans Mattel had provided this individual so she could buy land and build her house, and $709,000/year for life in retirement benefits. To put that perspective, we only pay our former Presidents of the United States $226,300/year. So the good news for Mattel shareholders, is I won’t require quite that much and will save them millions of dollars each year.
In order to make Barbie appeal to boys, Mattel needs to focus on a particular unique feature that Barbie has. It’s her feet. These feet, if they are marketed correctly, will bring good news to many. Can feet bring good news? Yes!
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
-Isaiah 52:7
Though I would like to take credit for it, but actually God’s prophet 2700+ years ago had marketing insight that ”feet” and not a beautiful face will bring good news, peace, good tidings, and salvation. This is something the world seems short on right now.
So, I bring good news to boys, men, and Mattel shareholders. The marketing secret is in the beautiful feet of Barbie. Stay tuned next week.
* “About”, The City of Hackensack, https://www.hackensack.org/about/
** “Corrie Ten Boom”, Holocaust Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/corrie-ten-boom
^ “Barbie toy sales shoot up 25% after film’s release”, 9/13/2023, by Parija Kavilanz, https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/13/business/barbie-toy-sales-circana/
^^ “Everyone's talking about the 'Barbie' movie – but the doll's sales actually dropped in the run-up to the movie's release”, 7/27/2023, by Grace Dean
https://www.businessinsider.com/barbie-mattel-doll-sales-dropping-despite-greta-gerwig-movie-mania-2023-7
^* Ex-CEO Given $40-Million Exit Deal by Mattel, 4/29/2000, by Abigail Goldman
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-29-fi-24610-story.html
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Thank
you
Lu Su
Toy Wonders, Inc.
www.toywonders.com
201-229-1700
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