PopCo

Most of the other little kids’ brands are TV or film tie-ins or fast-food promotions. The term tie-in implies that the TV show came before the toys, although this isn’t usually the case. Usually, these days, they are created together. It’s quite surreal.

I see Carmen somewhere near the front, and, of course, Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi is a kind of evil genius, and is responsible for PopCo’s main mirror-brand, K. Mirror-branding, when you first come across it, can seem perplexingly anti-brand—like, why have a huge international brand like PopCo unless you stick the logo on everything? Surely the logo is what makes the toys sell? Well, most of the time, except when you’re selling to what has recently been termed the No Logo demographic. The No Logo kids, also referred to in some marketing study as “Edges,” have money, too, and want to spend it on small, independent brands.

I hate having to dumb down (“make accessible,” in their language) my brands to appeal to more mainstream kids when my brands are obviously for the geeky ones.

I’m too tired for this. If I could change one thing at PopCo I’d fire all the Marketing people, for a start (although we now, apparently “are all responsible for marketing”). Or what about actually launching all those products that have been pulled due to some focus group research involving kids who are too young or too old or just too stupid for that particular product?

but I am on expenses. I have a job. It is, to some people, important.

Dan, designed the packaging. I am not sure how I feel about packaging. He isn’t either. He’s into colour theory

Although it is hard, I am also having to take account of all the depressing statistics about children not really being interested in “more traditional” toys any more. Younger and younger children would now rather opt for CDs, gadgets and videogames. Sometimes it feels like those of us stuck in the “more traditional” parts of the toy industry are nowadays required to do little more than create decorative characters for hamburger containers, breakfast cereal, cartoons and films.

There is every chance that even my survival kit won’t go ahead at all. It is fairly common for prototypes to be developed and then to fail in focus groups, or because someone spots something that might undermine the PopCo brand or lead to any sort of litigation.

Routine kills creative thought; everyone knows that

This is another habit from work: you can justify doing the strangest things on the basis that they may “generate ideas.”