In addition to releasing information about new product launches and promotional group purchases, toy companies can also invite fans to deeply participate in new product development and launching, so as to continuously enhance fan loyalty and make fans become "voluntary promotion ambassadors" for the brand.

 

Let's take a look at how the major toy companies do it!

 

1. Lego: build its own creative platform to encourage fans to create new stories and new products

 

As fans of toy brands, they pay more attention to new product ideas and development strategies. Toy companies can provide fans with a platform to encourage them to use their imagination and creativity, provide various product development ideas, and absorb the most popular creative projects. In the product development sequence, the product is finally put on the market.

 

The LEGO Group cooperated with Tongal to launch the LEGO World Builder (LEGO World Builder) creative development platform. Fans can publish new LEGO stories on this platform. The platform also encourages collaboration among fans. Once someone publishes a concept about Lego World, other fans can help expand the concept by contributing artwork, characters, storylines, etc. Fans can provide feedback on other people's ideas by clicking like or commenting.

 

The LEGO creative team can find inspiration from the stories created by these fans, and use new stories and concepts for the development of new products by paying for the creators' copyright.

 

"Lego World Architect" is more about the construction of the world view and the creativity of the storyline. In addition, the LEGO Group also encourages fans to provide ideas for product development. As early as ten years ago, the LEGO Ideas platform (LEGO Ideas) was launched. Fans turn their whimsical ideas into Lego design drawings and text, publish them on this website, and vote by others. As long as the number of votes obtained within a certain period of time exceeds 10,000, they can enter the official Lego review stage. Opportunity to become a Lego idea series product and put it on sale.

 

At present, the Lego ideas series has launched more than 20 building block sets, including Lego pianos, Winnie the Pooh, etc. Lego creative director Johnny Castrup described the platform as "an experiment that has proven its worth over time."

 

2. TriAction Toys: release new products in the form of crowdfunding to stimulate fans' enthusiasm

 

In recent years, crowdfunding platforms have become more and more popular among young people. For toy companies, by releasing new products on the crowdfunding platform, compared to directly posting new product listing information on the official website and official WeChat account, it can be more intuitive through the amount of money raised. Feel the acceptance of the new products by fans, and understand the views and opinions of fans on the new products through comments and interactions, so as to make corresponding adjustments in time to provide a strong guarantee for the best-selling after the official launch of the new products.

 

Toy company TriAction Toys relaunched Boglins, a toy brand originally released by Mattel in the 1980s through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. These manually controlled monster dolls have rubber-like bodies and movable eyes that glow in the dark.

 

The project eventually raised US$247,424 (far exceeding the original goal of US$25,000), and more than 1,700 supporters paid.

 

Cofoni, founder and CEO of TriAction Toys, said that in addition to providing funding, the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign really activated Boglins' fan base. In the current situation where the operation of advertising is different from the past, the release of new products aimed at stimulating the fan base has indeed played a very good role on crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter.

 

He also pointed out that the enthusiastic fans who funded this project are also playing an active role in product planning and brand development. They will influence which Boglins characters will be released in the next step and create video content through a dedicated online video platform. Become part of the Boglins brand.

 

3. Hasbro: Regularly broadcast new products and obtain fan feedback online

 

As the buyers and users of toy products, fan groups have a certain say in new product development, product improvement direction, brand development, etc. Brand owners can provide platforms or create opportunities to encourage fans to speak freely and give feedback on products. Brand Based on this, the business iterative update or improvement of the product.

 

Hasbro adheres to the purpose of fan participation and feedback, especially in its Hasbro Pluse product line that focuses on collectors.

 

The Hasbro Pluse team regularly organizes live events called "Fan First Fridays" and "Marvel Mondays" to showcase new products, provide updates, and often encourage viewers to give real-time feedback through comments.

 

The team will continue to read and listen to feedback, which will have a positive impact on the development of Hasbro's product line.

 

4. Cloudberries: hold online interactive activities to allow fans to participate in product design and development

 

In addition to the above several ways of talking with fans, some toy companies even let fans participate in product development and naming. Through the deep participation of fans, fans’ loyalty to the brand has been enhanced. At the same time, fans have participated in product design and development. Therefore, after the product goes on the market, there will be a greater chance of recommending the product to friends, thus ensuring the sales of the product.

 

Cloudberries, a British puzzle maker, specializes in providing puzzle products for adults. Although puzzle games are usually an independent activity, the company hopes to enter an active online puzzle community. The Cloudberries team added an interactive color selection tool to the website, allowing fans to choose a color for a certain part of the puzzle design, but could not see the choices of other fans, and finally completed a puzzle product with multiple colors.

 

In addition, the company also used social media platforms to solicit product names and received hundreds of responses. Fans did not just write a name, but gave feedback to the team about their ideas and AT friends they thought were interested in the idea. .

 

The company's co-founder Steve Vickers said that, regardless of the size of the company, letting consumer groups speak out in the product experience is an important theme for the company's interaction with fans, which is valuable for an open company.

 

Toy companies use social platforms to carry out in-depth interactions with fans, allowing fans to participate in the process of brand development, product creativity, product development, etc., which not only enhances the stickiness of fans, but also provides more inspiration and creativity for the company's new launch. Have you GET these methods?