Novelties 2022 (second half)

[tahra]

We should, I suppose, be grateful that the expensive prices are limited to the licensed sets (unlike Lego, where it is across the board)

Really? I do find the prices crazy expensive lately. That combined with the system WHY use is forcing me to serious reductions on the buy list (wallet happier - or should I say less furious?  ).

Way back, in the early days of the development of Novelmore, the goal was to create only ONE full-flagged IP with books, games and a tv-series flanking the toy. And perhaps after a few years and having learned some lessons, attempt a second IP directed at girls.

Taken from (and I am sure it appears in MANY other places): INFOGRAPHIC: How to tell if a toy is for a girl or a boy (news24.com)

It's sad (and insulting) to see playmobil going down that path.


Thank you for the VERY interesting insights, collectobart.. The Novelmore series was a beauty. I suppose we will not get more?   And it had lots and lots of gorgeous "civilians" too

Sometimes I DO wonder if they have ANY idea of what they have, what they do, what they want...

[playmofire]

Way back, in the early days of the development of Novelmore, the goal was to create only ONE full-flagged IP with books, games and a tv-series flanking the toy. And perhaps after a few years and having learned some lessons, attempt a second IP directed at girls. It was a strategy still in line with the moderate and careful evolution of the core brand that existed under Horsts reign.

But between 2018 and the start of the pandemic, the core brand became increasingly under pressure... Due to the licenses taking up more and more development resources, the original Blue Line got neglected more and more. With licenses like Dragons taking up most of the room for new molds, the novelties of once successful Blue Line themes like police , pony farm, construction, etc... were reduced to mostly refurbished re-releases of already existing sets. The result: Blue lines performed poorer and poorer.

And without making the proper analysis - that neglected development leads to boring products and bad sales - the idea grew that the core brand itself was the problem. So, top management doubled down and the core brand was further sacrificed - a nice sign of this is that the playmobil logo got reduced by 66% on the newer box designs - and all the energy went into new "offerings" like Everdreamerz, Dino Rise, Ayuma, DOC and especially Wiltopia, which got brandings that clearly depart from the "blue wall" concept that once gave Playmobil its unified presence in toy stores.

This made it pretty much a self-fullfilling prophecy as far as the future of the Blue Line is concerned, and i am really wondering what the fall novelties of 2023 will bring.

In the UK there is a saying "From clogs to clogs in three generations", this dates from the years following the industrial revolution when a successful business would be started under its founder but the next generation would lose their way with the result that the business stagnated and maybe went into decline.  The next (the third) generation would lose their way still more and the business would collapse.  Maybe Playmobil is entering that third stage.

[Janilew]

Really? I do find the prices crazy expensive lately. That combined with the system WHY use is forcing me to serious reductions on the buy list (wallet happier - or should I say less furious?  ).




Taken from (and I am sure it appears in MANY other places): INFOGRAPHIC: How to tell if a toy is for a girl or a boy (news24.com)

It's sad (and insulting) to see playmobil going down that path.


Thank you for the VERY interesting insights, collectobart.. The Novelmore series was a beauty. I suppose we will not get more?   And it had lots and lots of gorgeous "civilians" too

Sometimes I DO wonder if they have ANY idea of what they have, what they do, what they want...

Would it kill them to post a poll or something? Get a census so they can see just who is buying their stuff? One of their biggest mistakes was ignoring collectors. Y'know, people with a deep love for their products and the willingness to spend lots of money on them? I know they're trying to appeal to adults now by using licensed stuff like Star Trek and the A-Team, but they already had adults on their side from when they were children. They grew up loving Playmobil and passed it on to their kids thus enlarging their customer base and garnering some loyalty.

But noooooooooooo. They just had to close down PCC and go ham on eBay sellers (from what I've heard they were attacking people for reselling parts). They shot themselves in the foot so much it's a wonder they're still standing now. I still love the brand, as do many others. I just wish they made better decisions.

Also, I hate the new system too. I'm sure it's a reply to complaints of the older system with the red and yellow bits, and it probably helps to cut costs down.... BUT I SHOULDN'T BE ON CONSTANT EDGE WHEN BUILDING/DISASSEMBLING. Every time I try to take those new buildings aloose I feel like they're going to break and sometimes they do. Plus there's little to no opportunity to customize like the older systems. I HATE IT. 

[collectobart]

Thank you for the VERY interesting insights, collectobart.. The Novelmore series was a beauty. I suppose we will not get more?   And it had lots and lots of gorgeous "civilians" too

Well, i had lots of fun extending the range of character and locations beyond what landed in the product line to make the Novelmore world as rich and lively as possible. An incredible amount of work went into that. Just designing the Novelmore city itself - which is a huge city with many interesting locations and extra characters that unfortunately will never become a product - was a monumental undertaking.

As to the series... I don't know. We had developed material for up to 6 seasons with loose ideas for more, but i fear the momentum is gone with the demise of Wilfilm and the fact that most of the original team has meanwhile left the company.

As to the Toy... I think it is in safe hands as the original lead toy designer of Novelmore is still on board.

Sometimes I DO wonder if they have ANY idea of what they have, what they do, what they want...

They have ideas, but no overarching vision. the keywords are innovation and transformation but its all decided upon by people who do not necessarily all have a deep intuition for the brand. And since those people change with the frequency of a revolving door there is even less consistency. So you get an Asterix License that makes perfect sense and remains close to the PLAYMOBIL DNA. But you also have other licenses and new product lines that would probably be better left to the Mattel's, Hasbro's or Schleich's of the world.

[collectobart]

The next (the third) generation would lose their way still more and the business would collapse.  Maybe Playmobil is entering that third stage.

As much as i hate to say it, PLAYMOBIL needs it's current CEO Steffen Hoepfner. The company was stuck 10-15 years behind its competitors in terms of processes and approach, and he does what he needs to do.

But he's an outright left brainer, a driven numbers and process person, who unlike Horst and Frau Schauer does not have the patience, wisdom or trust to really listen to and value the compensatory input of the right brainers in the company - the people that are more focused on adding value and meaning which are essential too. Instead, such dialog is totally discouraged.

That way the soul is slowly taken out of the company, and the only hope is that a counterweight is allowed to step in - Someone who can think totally out of the box while still holding on firmly to the values embedded in the brand dna and embody them within and without the company - to provide balance to this one sided direction.

[Oliver]

, the original Blue Line got neglected more and more. With licenses like Dragons taking up most of the room for new molds, the novelties of once successful Blue Line themes like police , pony farm, construction, etc... were reduced to mostly refurbished re-releases of already existing sets. The result: Blue lines performed poorer and poorer.

While I don't doubt the truth of this, I find it very strange.

Playmobil is bought for children. I find it difficult to believe that a re-designed Police Line will prompt many children to buy an additional police car/van/police station. If the children are coming to the stuff new, because of their age, then why should it matter that it's been on sale for years or is a simple re-colour? When I was a kid, most lines stayed the same for years. And I'm sure the sales figures back it up, I just don't understand the driver behind it.

Really? I do find the prices crazy expensive lately. That combined with the system WHY use is forcing me to serious reductions on the buy list (wallet happier - or should I say less furious?  ).

Just to compare to Lego - the new Lego castle is £345, the Modular Hotel is £200 and the Modular Police Station is £180. None of these have a licensed element. To compare, the new Playmobil Medieval Bakery is actually cheaper than it's last incarnation in 2010, and the Victorian Mansion is the same price it was when it last retailed (2004, I think). Even in the standard range, I doubt there is any set that is more expensive than the equivalent would have been in the 1990s.

[collectobart]

While I don't doubt the truth of this, I find it very strange.

Playmobil is bought for children. I find it difficult to believe that a re-designed Police Line will prompt many children to buy an additional police car/van/police station.

It's not even about buying "additional" sets due to lack of novelties, it's often more about buying a first set to begin with. Novelties fade fast these days, not just for kids but also  for the trade buyers.

Adding to that is also that various waves of novelties end up cannibalizing themselves. At one time you could find 4 variations of the police theme in the assortment: Police, SWAT, Top Agents and Galaxy Police.

[Oliver]

It's not even about buying "additional" sets due to lack of novelties, it's often more about buying a first set to begin with. Novelties fade fast these days, not just for kids but also  for the trade buyers.

Adding to that is also that various waves of novelties end up cannibalizing themselves. At one time you could find 4 variations of the police theme in the assortment: Police, SWAT, Top Agents and Galaxy Police.

But - from a child/parents point of view - what does it matter if that first Police Car has been on the market for 5 years? A police car is a police car 

I do think there is a problem with overlapping themes that are not really distinct enough, but maybe that's me looking at things as an adult

[collectobart]

A Police car is a police car allright, just like a coat is a coat, but still we have this thing called fashion that makes a coat hot today while it will look out of date and dull  in just a few seasons. :-)

 

[Macruran]

One of their biggest mistakes was ignoring collectors. Y'know, people with a deep love for their products and the willingness to spend lots of money on them? I know they're trying to appeal to adults now by using licensed stuff like Star Trek and the A-Team, but they already had adults on their side from when they were children. They grew up loving Playmobil and passed it on to their kids thus enlarging their customer base and garnering some loyalty.

But noooooooooooo. They just had to close down PCC and go ham on eBay sellers (from what I've heard they were attacking people for reselling parts). They shot themselves in the foot so much it's a wonder they're still standing now.

This really is astounding when you think about it. They have a large, loyal base RIGHT THERE, waiting for the green light!