LA FALL Toy Previews 2025: Don’t Blame It On The Sunshine, A Subjective Review Of The Show

Do you need help to find the right mid to senior level people? We can help…we have been helping people from across the world of Toys, Games & Licensing to find new roles since 2011. Our client list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ in the industry, think of a Toy company and we have most probably worked with them in some way. Along the way we have met thousands of really talented people who could be your next hire.  Send me a DM for more information if you need help to hire new people, or check out www.ToyRecruitment.com

Just got back from the LA Fall Previews show in El Segundo, Los Angeles. And aside from having far more sunshine induced Vitamin D in my system than I usually have at this time of year, I’m still buzzing from the show.

Here’s my review of the show, as per the title it’s obviously subjective – all shows are experienced differently by different people due to their different objectives, focus and meeting schedule. This is how I experienced it:

LENGTH OF SHOW: 2 WEEKS IS A LOOONG TIME - The fact that the Market Weeks element of this show is 'just' 2 weeks can be seen as progress vs a loosely scheduled 4 weeks which is where we started. Those companies selling direct to US retail may still be hanging out for another 2 weeks to catch the stragglers, but most of the companies I met with, especially those who were in LA to meet international distributors, were heading out at the end of the 2 weeks. 2 weeks may be less painful than 4, but that’s still a lot of time to spend in an expensive place far away from the home offices of most exhibitors. I was fortunate enough to be staying in Manhattan Beach, which is both upmarket and by the time you get to the beach vibrant and bustling. I don't think I would have liked the location of the show very much if I was staying at LAX or further inland from there as some people were. If there’s one recommendation I can make for people who haven’t been to this show but plan to attend in the future, it would be to stay as close to the beach as you can. The other thing to point out is that many showrooms were equally as busy at the weekend as they were during the week. Several people told me that their biggest meetings with key partners/buyers were at the weekend. So 12 days straight of exhibiting without a break is not for the faint hearted. I guess there are two ends of the spectrum here - those who had one or two meetings per day stretched out for the duration through to those who were booked out from start to finish. Either way though, there was certainly enough business to be done to merit the trip according to everyone I spoke to. If a show is turning out to be a complete dud for anyone, they are usually quick to bemoan that fact, and from the 100+ people I spoke to during the show nobody questioned the quality of meetings they were having. Long term Toy people love to moan that a show isn't as busy as it was last year regardless of official visitor stats, but with a show that is new and on the up even the most cynical Toy business hacks can't do that with the LA Previews. 

BIG THANKS TO THE TOY ASSOCIATION

As Covid disrupted the Toy trade show schedule building as much as it disrupted everything else, there was a lot of toing and froing about which shows were still needed, and the main net effect on the big U.S. shows was for the Fall Preview event to have moved from Dallas to L.A. Regardless of the fact that there was some debate/bickering about this, in my mind it has clearly been for the best. Los Angeles is much more accessible vs Dallas and has so much going on.

At this stage I think a big thank you is due to The Toy Association who helped to pull this event into a formal gathering, condensed the schedule and throughout the two weeks I was in L.A. did an exceptional job at arranging networking and social events. The Toy business is still a people business, despite all the technology we have these days. Most formal shows have an array of after-hours dinners, engagements and events, and The Toy Association delivered this in buckets at this show. I met new potential customers, old friends and colleagues and generally had a lot of fun after hours thanks to the efforts of The Toy Association. Without those events it would have been far less effective and certainly a lot less fun!

There are some other guys involved in formalising and centralising this event, I believe a big thanks are due to Jonathan Busher for among other things pulling together this website for the show: https://toypreviews.la/ Alongside The Toy Association’s website I found everything I needed to know between these two websites: https://www.toyassociation.org/toys/events/la-fall-preview.aspx

THE BUILDINGS For those who did not attend this show, let’s take a moment to describe the physical format of the show. Firstly, the Mattel HQ overshadows the area, clearly it was the presence of Mattel, MGA, Jakks Pacific & others on this side of the States which meant that Buyers had to hit town to preview with these key players. Logically then where the Buyers are already going is a good place to go. As a result, several buildings close to Mattel’s HQ now have Toy showrooms, at least during the Previews.

Looking at some of the key buildings:

Let's start with The Toy Association building which can be found at 101 Continental Boulevard, El Segundo.  Some relative newcomers may not get the excitement about a building full of Toy showrooms, but the Toy Building in New York was a legendary place which mostly housed the NY Toy Fair before the industry decamped to Javits. There are still many positive associations for people who experienced that building. The Toy Association did a great job getting this new LA base off the ground, hats off. 

1960 ON GRAND - just along the way from The Toy Building, 1960 felt like it housed the most showrooms. I didn't count and compare, but there were many well-known names here, and hanging around in the sunshine outside this building yielded my best random meetings with people. 

OPEN/SPACES - ok, I'm going to be frank here - this building was like something from a slightly warped Korean TV show. Although it only has 3 floors, and those floors are rectangular in shape, the layout and office numbering on this floor really befuddled me, and also the countless seemingly lost people I repeatedly encountered as we all wandered aimlessly around hoping to stumble upon our planned destinations. But navigation issues aside there was a real buzz in this building. 

THE SHOW VIBE - These gatherings are rarely downbeat. Even if times are tough (which they certainly have been this year due to the 'T' word) people are normally happy to see their friends and commercial partners and to showcase their new products. I definitely felt a positive vibe throughout my meetings. Even the tariff issue was treated almost like a hurdle which has been surmounted now one way or the other. While conditions remain tough, most people I met with were fairly optimistic, or at least were very good at acting that way! 

TECHNOLOGY & TOYS - I can't exactly explain why, but since I entered the Toy & Game biz at the turn of the millennium I have always seemed to be drawn towards or dragged towards the intersection of new tech and Toys. One of my first ever projects was to lead the team which launched MyMonopoly.com - customised Monopoly designed & purchased online, then I lead Hasbro's team adding DVDs into classic board Games. When e-commerce was new, I worked on e-comm projects. When online Virtual Worlds was a thing, I worked on those. When Robotics got really cool for Toys I worked on that.

These new Tech driven waves of opportunity come with so much uncertainty and chaos, I just seem to fit well with for some reason (there are those who have called me ‘Captain Chaos’ in the past).

Now as voice recognition and AI fuse to finally be able to deliver on the long offered promise of 'bringing Toys to life' I find myself working in that space with Fluffbotics.ai, a cutting edge Google funded A.I. company with a ready to go module which can be inserted into a Toy to allow true 2 way conversation between child and Toy for the first time.

Needless to say lots of people were very interested in this, although any new Tech component comes with a price. This Technology is potentially revolutionary for sure, but at least for quite some time to come it will be available at premium prices – no pocket money Toys in this space, but definitely huge play value for the child. 

AWAY FROM THE SHOW – L.A. is one of the most glamorous tourist destinations in the world. Aside from the smog and terrible traffic, it is a city which is well known even to those who have never visited due to its iconic Hollywood sign, beaches made famous by Baywatch, Beverley Hills, Universal studios, Disneyland and so much more. All of which adds up to a unique after show experience/opportunity. While there is not that much going on in El Segundo, it’s a relatively short drive to Santa Monica, the southern beaches and many other glamorous spots. 

My weekend involved watching a Baseball game down in San Diego, as well as ‘enjoying’ my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hobby by getting beaten up by some polite but cold and lethal boys from the L.A. hood as well as various lethal grappling champions down in San Diego. Needless to say Monday morning was very painful. But that’s just my idea of fun, whatever is your idea of fun I suspect you can find it in and around L.A. 

JOURNEY HOME – I think I’ve flown c. 800 times at this stage. Three times out of the 800 I have tried to transit through a chaotic airport which was closed. Once during the monsoon in Mumbai, once during the first torrential rain in decades in Dubai and on my way back from these LA Previews through Dublin airport as IT glitches and a security scare shut the airport. By way of a different airline and Terminal I managed to get home just about, but my luggage did not join me. Bearing in mind the 2 weeks away, my luggage contained nearly every item of clothing I own, and while some might say my clothing all needed to be thrown away and new clothes purchased to at least bring me in line with fashion from 10 years ago instead of 30, it was a relief when my bag, my clothes and the various samples it contained made it’s way back to me belatedly.

OUTLOOK FOR LA PREVIEWS - At this stage I would be greatly surprised if the Fall Previews do not continue to be one of THE major shows on the show calendar. In my last meeting a UK brand owner told me he had gone so far as to cancel his booths in NY and Nuremberg as he had seen all of his international distributors at this show, and this timing worked better for distributors who can instantly start selling his products with finished product samples available. Just before I fall out with my good friends and colleagues who organise the NYC & Spielwarenmesse shows, this gentleman did confirm that many of his distributors would be exhibiting his products at these shows, and he would still attend as a visitor. While we're on the topic of comparing and contrasting shows, there is no doubt that LA has the glitz, the glamour, the beautiful weather, beaches and proximity to LAX. But I always say if a show has been around for more than 70 years as per Spielwarenmesse, and more than 100 years as per New York, there is clearly a reason for that longevity. LA is here to stay, but this young whipper snapper of a show seems to be adding not subtracting from the calendar at this stage, and I expect it to last long into the future.

TOY & GAME BUSINESS CONSULTANCY

In the nearly 15 years I have been Consulting for, we have advised 1200+ Toy & Game companies, set up distribution into most major markets and helped to accelerate our client’s growth across the world. For more information on how we can help, check out our services here: www.KidsBrandInsight.com/services

GREAT PEOPLE ARE YOUR BIGGEST ADVANTAGE

Toy Recruitment Consultancy has become one our most in demand services. We have a social and own media platform (including this newsletter) which allows us to directly access c. 25k people in the world of Toys & Games from across the planet, aside from which after 25 years of grind, we know a lot of Toy & Game people across the world.

We’ve successfully recruited for roles in the UK, USA, Korea, Middle East, HK, China and beyond. Our contact network is truly global… (ok we’d struggle to recruit for you in North Korea, but otherwise we’ve got you covered!).

So if you have key senior roles to fill or if you just can’t find someone qualified for a key role you need to fill, just drop me a DM and I’ll explain how we work/the costs involved or check out our Toy Recruitment website here: www.ToyRecruitment.com

Job Seekers Friday – as part of this work in helping to place good people, I’m going to try (as far as time and workload allows) to promote a new jobseeker every Friday going forward. If you are a job seeker with at least 5 years’ experience in The Toy/Game business and you want me to promote you to my audience of c. 25,000 industry people, please send me a DM & I’ll explain how it works (no cost).

Sign up to our Free Toy Industry Journal e-newsletter for the latest articles, podcasts, trends and insights into what’s going on in the Global Toy & Games business, just click here to sign up: https://forms.aweber.com/form/54/1325077854.htm

This article is copyright 2025 RG Marketing Ltd, all rights reserved. All contributors to this article contributed under a work for hire basis on behalf of RG Marketing Ltd. Please also note, this article was written and published in the United Kingdom.

Lilo & Stitch (2025): What Its Success Says About Toy & Entertainment Evolution Since 2002

Lilo & Stitch (2025): What Its Success Says About Toy & Entertainment Evolution Since 2002

Do you need help to find the right mid to senior level people? We can help…we have been helping people from across the world of Toys, Games & Licensing to find new roles since 2011. Our client list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ in the industry, think of a Toy company and we have worked with them in some way. Along the way we have met thousands of really talented people who could be your next hire.  Send me a DM for more information if you need help to hire new people, or check out www.ToyRecruitment.com 

Lilo & Stitch (2025) has hit over $1billion in global box office takings at the time of writing. This is a big number for the sequel to a movie which originally took $274 million back in 2002. So what’s changed? How has a movie franchise which did ok, but was not a big hit turned to gold in 2025 for The Walt Disney Company? There are a number of reasons for that, and in some ways the 2025 big success vs the 2002 movie doing ok is a symptom of broader changes in the world of family entertainment and Toys.

LILO & STITCH 2002

The hardest job I ever had in Toys was when I randomly found myself the junior member of a two-person team managing Hasbro’s relationship with Disney in Europe back in the early noughties. At that time, the companies had so much business together that our regular update meetings would last all day. In the midst of an eight-hour extended meeting as tiredness came on, we would let something slip and suddenly find ourselves in trouble when we went back to the office. I remember we agreed to giving up Plush rights in Hungary (or somewhere else in Eastern Europe, my memory is hazy on the details) to the original Lilo & Stitch movie and being advised we had just given away $2-3m when we got back to the office.

When Hasbro signed a big new deal with Disney back at the turn of the millennium, and I took on that new role helping to manage the relationship between Hasbro & Disney, there were 4 movies on the immediate horizon where Toy licensing was seen as opportunity: Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Lilo & Stitch, Monsters Inc. & Treasure Planet. Of the four, Monsters Inc had the biggest commercial expectations. And as it turned out rightly so as this movie hit $half a billion globally at the box office. Monsters Inc was a Pixar movie, and at that time, Pixar as a separate entity to Disney was notably and particularly successful with pretty much EVERY movie, so it was to be expected that movie had higher expectations. Atlantis: The Lost Empire had the lowest expectations; I would say that Treasure Planet was expected to be next most successful leaving the quirky but unusual format of Lilo & Stitch expected to be 3^rd out of 4^th in terms of commercial success.

Expectations are so important with the ‘quickly in and out’ business which movies offer. The movie will launch with strong marketing and noise causing an initial surge of merchandise sales, and then historically would come a Video or DVD launch later in the year for a 2^nd spike in Toy sales. The number of individual products developed depends largely on expectations of how a movie will do, but it’s always like placing a bet – some bets come off and some don’t. Think about how the original Toy Story movie Toy launch totally failed to set the bar high enough in terms of number of skus and inventory commitments. The same was clearly true with the original Frozen movie. Parents around the world were going crazy about how they couldn’t get hold of Toys for the movie…back in 2014 I remember being set up for an ambush interview on the radio to argue with angry parents why the Toy industry was trying to fleece them by keeping demand low and prices high (you can listen to that interview here if you want: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022bk27)

To cut to the chase here, Lilo & Stitch back in 2002, originally had fairly modest expectations versus the other Toyetic/family entertainment movies being released. To some degree then, the level of success achieved by the original movie was a self-fulfilling prophecy, in fact $1/4 billion was a very good number at that time for an animated movie.

BETWEEN 2002 AND 2025: A MEDIA REVOLUTION

When we look back at the media landscape as it was in 2002 versus how it is today, it is simply crazy how much it has changed. If those people who lived through the late 1700s and early 1800s experienced the industrial revolution, history will surely reflect on our current generations living through the ‘Internet Revolution’.

Movies were the dominant mass market Toy shifter back then, TV advertising was the primary marketing medium, physical retail prevailed over the nascent upstarts like Amazon, and Toy companies were Toy companies as opposed to being Toy companies with Entertainment company aspirations.

Fast forward to today, and home streaming of entertainment content prevails, TV advertising for Toys is considered a secondary marketing tactic now, online retail is huge, but in all fairness while everything else seems to have changed, movies are still a big thing if not quite as big a Toy sales driver as back in 2002…the bigger change though is the shift from the 2^nd sales bump model we used to have with VHS & DVD releases.

And it’s this latter point where we should begin with when it comes to understanding how Lilo & Stitch 2025 can do so much better than the original instalment. Because whereas historically, you would have to choose to buy the Video/DVD and would need to specifically choose to spend $10 (or whatever it costs) on a quirky lesser known older Disney movie, there are now 150m+ families around the world who could automatically stumble across and watch the original Lilo & Stitch movie without having to directly and specifically purchase that. It’s clear that Disney + has allowed the innately viral properties of the Stitch character to work viral magic.

One further thing that has changed since the original movie is labelling and narrative around gender & Toys. Unlike back in 2002, we no longer (publicly at least) label Toys as ‘Boys’ or ‘Girls’. One thing you have to note with Lilo & Stitch (both movies) is the positioning is fairly unusual – there is a super cutesy, quirky endearing young girl who also has a naughty side and who has all the usual friendship/family relationship issues we would expect in a property targeting Girls. On the other side, we have a miniature wrecking machine which is both capable of being ultra cute, ultra gross and is the embodiment of an action-oriented character which would traditionally be classified as ‘Boys’.

And therein lies an additional explanation of why it’s easier for Lilo & Stitch as a franchise to be successful in the Toy business today versus originally – back in 2002, the thinking of Toy companies was driven by which aisle in physical retail a Toy could be merchandised in. The physical retail reality of Toys R Us had a bigger part to play in the mindset and strategy of U.S. and US HQ’ d global Toy companies, a property could be skipped if it wasn’t clear where it could be merchandised – ‘if it ain’t on the Boys or Girls aisle, it ain’t nowhere’. Think back to Harry Potter’s first foray onto Toy shelves - when the first Mattel Toy lines launched back in the early noughties…despite the virtually unprecedented success of the books, and the first movies being very successful (nearly $2bn box office for the first 2 movie instalments alone), the Toy lines did not perform to expectations originally, largely because retail didn’t know where to merchandise it.

Today things have changed, but not just because of a changed perspective on gender across much of society, it’s also because departmentalisation/categorisation is less important with online retail. If you want Lilo Toys, Amazon will find them from your search, and the same applies for Stitch. Today, Harry Potter Toys & Games are among the most successful classic properties, arguably for the same reason – the gendering of Toy aisles is no longer an insurmountable hurdle.

NOSTALGIA: OLDER GENERATION INTRODUCING THEIR FAVOURITE TO A NEW GENERATION

Another factor to look at is that well known driver of movie franchise (and Licensed Toy) success: the rose-tinted view that comes from nostalgia. 23 years later after the original release, a child who was 7 first time around is now 30, maybe they have their own kids now. Maybe mom/dad and child can watch the 2025 iteration together, and we know how powerful that can be. Think Star Wars, think Jurassic Park/World etc., the list could go on and on. Nostalgia is a huge driver of Toy sales and with the increase in ‘Fandom’ which has been one of the major successes of the Toy business across the last decade or so, it’s obvious how this could be a big part of the greater success of Lilo & Stitch in 2025.

THE IMPACT OF LIVE ACTION

One final point which is a little off topic but needs to be said – live action real human characters can obviously create stronger emotions than animated characters. One very powerful factor in the 2025 iteration of Lilo & Stitch is the raw emotions created by the threat of Lilo being taken from her sister and put into state custody. Seeing real human emotion really triggers a strong bond with the characters in a way which doesn’t always come across when the movie premise is more fantastical (okay the Stitch element is inter-planetary, and you don’t get more fantastical than that, but the relationship between Lilo and her sister is as real as it gets).

TOY & GAME BUSINESS CONSULTANCY

In the nearly 15 years I have been Consulting for, we have advised 1000+ Toy & Game companies, set up distribution into most major markets and helped to accelerate our client’s growth across the world. For more information on how we can help, check out our services here: www.KidsBrandInsight.com/services 

GREAT PEOPLE ARE YOUR BIGGEST ADVANTAGE

Toy Recruitment Consultancy has become one our most in demand services. We have a social and own media platform (including this newsletter) which allows us to directly access c. 25k people in the world of Toys & Games from across the planet, aside from which after 25 years of grind, we know a lot of Toy & Game people across the world.

We’ve successfully recruited for roles in the UK, USA, Korea, HK, China and beyond. Our contact network is truly global… (ok we’d struggle to recruit for you in North Korea, but otherwise we’ve got you covered!).

So if you have key senior roles to fill or if you just can’t find someone qualified for a key role you need to fill, just drop me a DM and I’ll explain how we work/the costs involved or check out our Toy Recruitment website here: www.ToyRecruitment.com

Sign up to our Free Toy Industry Journal e-newsletter for the latest articles, podcasts, trends and insights into what’s going on in the Global Toy & Games business, just click here to sign up: https://forms.aweber.com/form/54/1325077854.htm 

This article is copyright 2025 RG Marketing Ltd, all rights reserved. All contributors to this article contributed under a work for hire basis on behalf of RG Marketing Ltd. Please also note, this article was written and published in the United Kingdom.

8 Characteristics Of Toy Companies That Stand The Test Of Time

8 Characteristics Of Toy Companies That Stand The Test Of Time

This article is the script of a podcast episode from our PLAYING AT BUSINESS podcast. If you would rather listen to the podcast than read the text, then just click here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-112-8-characteristics-of-toy-companies-that-stand/id1389778170?i=1000713244503

If we look at Toy companies that have been around a long time, we can make several observations. Firstly, there are a surprising number of companies in the Toy industry that have been in existence for a whole generation or more. Secondly, there are certain critical factors these companies have in common, and in fact, we can also usually observe that those companies that don't stand the test of time have failed to follow one or more critical principles which their more longstanding counterparts have adhered to.

Here we outline these key factors:

1. Longevity Of Key Management

A ship on a long journey will make more direct and successful progress to its destination if it has the same skipper charting the course. In other words, this is industry works on extended timescales. We sell primarily in 2 windows per year, with a bias towards one of those windows, and it takes multiple cycles to make significant progress. Therefore it takes years to get anywhere in this industry. Consistent management, ethos and approach is a key criterion for success.

Take a look at the 3 biggest Toy companies - Mattel, Hasbro & Lego - all began as family businesses, built up product by product over an extended period of time. for 3-5 year pay back.

2. Clear Positioning In The Market

As human beings we like to put things in boxes/affix easy labels to aid our own understanding. Having a clear positioning allows buyers, suppliers, partners to know what we stand for, what to bring us, what to expect us to bring to them etc. Clear positioning also allows us to assemble expert knowledge, strong carry forward product lines and easier re-listings with buyers who know we will be back to see them this time next year and thus have a vested interest in supporting their business should our product not sell through.

3. Commitment To Brand Building

Again, if we look at the big 3 Toy companies globally, we can see that Mattel report their own brands accounting for a huge c. 75% of total sales. Hasbro's corporate strategy throughout the 'noughties’ was core brand focus, and Lego is in effect both a company and a hugely powerful brand at the same time.

Brands deliver more long-term security than nearly anything else because known performers get re-listed by retail, own brands are higher margin due to not having to pay 3rd party licensor or distributor %ages and because brand extensions are a much easier/less risky way to launch new product lines. And of course brands have huge value within themselves, as intellectual property, and can drive additional revenue via licensing out brands to other companies in different product categories.

4. Retaining Key Staff Members While Being Open To New Ideas

Note there are two parts to this factor - retaining key staff over the long haul, while still maintaining an openness to fresh ideas and ways of doing things. The human capital which is needlessly and sometimes thoughtlessly lost by many Toy companies for petty reasons or for reasons of neglect is a huge asset that disappears down the swannee.

Speaking as someone who has made massive, glaring errors, I'm reminded of the Thomas J. Watson (founder of IBM) quote:

“Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?”

The reality is those staff who have been in situ longest inevitably hold the most knowledge, and in this business, knowledge very often is money saved or money earned  i.e. reliable, cost effective factories, knowing which QA tests to do, how to deliver the shipment on time etc.

Now having said that, under performing staff don't remain in situ for that length of time in the most long-lasting companies.

Experience and tenure are also no excuses for being closed to new approaches/ways of doing things.

So the companies that get the right balance on this factor tend to be the one's with most longevity.

5. Excellent And Enduring Product Pipeline

This is a product and feature driven business, innovation is key - but note it doesn't necessarily need to be your company's innovation, there are hundreds of long established, successful companies bringing proven products to their market from other company's R&D investment.

6. Excellent And Enduring Customer Relationships and Effective Sales Team

Let's be frank, retailers are a hard-nosed bunch on the whole, and rightly so, retail is a cut throat business. The strong and very demanding are more likely to survive in their game.

So in reality strong relationships depend on the performance of the products you ship into them as much as any other factor, but customer service and maintaining maximal supply at key times are also important. Inter personal relationships can play a critical role though, with some buyers more than others of course, but nevertheless it's a given that bad relationships with customers won't deliver success in the short term, never mind the long term!

7. Reliable Supply Chain

We've all nickel and dimed our way to shaving a few cents off our manufacturing spend. And who wouldn't, it would be crazy not to, especially as THE biggest expenditure toy companies have is manufacturing cost. However, a few cents less pails into comparison with the carnage that unreliable supply and / or suppliers can wreak on your business.

The companies with most longevity in this business tend to be those who focus on reliability, in essence, risk reduction, from their supply chain, at the same time as seeking competitive costings.

8. Eggs In Baskets

Why would you ever allow one customer, one supplier, one staff member, one product, one brand one anything for that matter to have the ability to terminally injure your business if you lost it/them? One person departments are all well and good until the one person leaves. Smash hit products are all well and good until the hangover sets in when the hero fades away. Huge numbers via one retailer may be a great bonus, but it should be treated as the icing on the cake - not the basis on which overhead is fixed, or expectations are set.

The reality is in this business, and life in general, people move on, products and brands move in cycles, retail buyers move on. A fundamental factor in companies with longevity in this industry is the ability to survive or even thrive, regardless of the loss of any one 'basket full of eggs.'

I can think of 3 or 4 Toy companies who disappeared during the difficult times we've experienced over the last few years, and they went almost entirely because they relied on one person/entity/thing too much.

We recently launched www.ToyRecruitment.com  – a recruitment agency focused on the world of Toys, Games & Licensing.

We’re different versus standard recruiters due to being industry insiders ourselves. We have most probably sat across from the same retailers as your sales people, dealt with the same management issues as your management team and even sat at the top of the company understanding some of the same pressures you experience on a daily basis. We are able to screen out more unsuitable candidates to stop wasting your time interviewing people who don’t stack up for the role you are recruiting for.

We also have a genuinely strong network Globally. After 25 years working with Toy & Game businesses across the globe, we have good relationships with hundreds (or maybe even 1000+) people of all nationalities and working in all functions. We also have a strong digital reach hitting c. 25,000 people. Our Linked In newsletter alone has 6,300 opt in subscribers. Our specialism is in finding overseas hires for companies in a different country to their Head Office. Needless to say we do charge for deploying the knowledge and contacts built up over 25 years. We work on the same basis as all recruiters – a fixed %age of a full year’s salary. We can discuss that in more detail as and when you are ready to brief in a recruitment project.

Check out www.ToyRecruitment.com for more information.