THE BIG INTERVIEW REBECCA LAZARUS
‘We strive to be
pioneers’ This month Clare Turner talks to Rebecca Lazarus, senior brand manager of leading electronic toy company VTech What’s your background? I’ve worked in a few different sectors and industries, the most exciting being at ITV. I worked on the [daytime magazine show] This Morning, bringing the brand to life in the consumer goods space. Then I worked for a global video game publisher that released games on all leading console and handheld platforms. I was responsible for marketing a broad selection of games for different target audiences from Zumba on the Nintendo Wii, Cooking Mama on Nintendo 3DS, and Sniper Elite on the PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Tell us a bit about VTech.
What changes have you made in light of the restrictions that Covid has created?
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We have some fantastic new products planned for our licensed portfolio
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Lots of things had to change. For example, our product development team had to preview products from their houses to ensure our customers still got to see the fantastic products. Initially the office team was at home, where we adapted very quickly to ensure that it was business as usual. We used Zoom for regular team catch-ups. Now we have adopted a flexible approach where we do a combination of going to the office and working from home.
As we emerge from the pandemic, what will VTech look like and what
VTech is a world leader in ageappropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. It develops high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children’s development and make learning fun.
Which of your brands are performing well? We are proud of being the number one infant and toddler manufacturer 2021 YTD (January-September 2021 NPD). Our KidiCreative range is performing well, and the Kidizoom Duo camera and Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2 are consistent best sellers.
positive changes will be made? We’ve had to change the way we do some things, but still get the same result. For example, we are designing and developing category-leading products without travelling to Hong Kong - just lots of early hours Zoom meetings instead!
What are your core goals for Q4? Research and development is a huge focus for VTech. We strive to be pioneers in our sector by identifying trends in other sectors such as adult/ teenage consumer electronics, and transferring the technology into children’s toy categories, ensuring that [products] not only have the durability required for this sector but are fun for children to play with. For example, VTech has launched its very own version of the on-trend cameras that give instant images. The Kidizoom Print Cam is a fun
What opportunities has the pandemic created? As a manufacturer of electronic learning products for children, we noticed a huge demand for some of our products such as the Touch and Learn Activity Desk. This is an example of a great product to assist families trying to homeschool children or even trying to keep little ones entertained.
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