Mattel is changing a lot lately. The company got into movies, digital properties and games. Yet it says toys will always come first for it.
Mattel’s head of digital Andrew Chan spoke to Toy News about the company’s new plans. The company needs to evolve and continue to make profits. Hence, the new businesses.
“We have such a depth of IP, that we thought: ‘we have content, we have the toys, we should have a game’,” explains head of digital, Andrew Chan. “We wanted to create a holistic programme for people to engage with our brands.”
Mattel hopes to be able to make games quicker than usual. “Traditional licensing goes like: you launch the content, you measure the traction, then you go and get your licensing partners. Eventually you build a game,” explains Chan. “That delay really doesn’t help keep the content fresh, and it doesn’t keep Mattel in the spotlight of being a direct to consumer company. Typically, you’re waiting three to four years to tie all of that licensing together.
Chan says there’s plenty of opportunities for apps and games. “We truly believe that apps and games can be a big business with great revenue for us.”
And this also brings new options for Mattel. It won’t focus only on existing characters and stories, but it will also create new ones for the digital content and games. “How that will all play out, we will have to see. There may be some failures, but there will also be some big successes,” Chan concludes.
But in the end, toys will be coming first as always.
