7 minute read
The Big Interview - with Phil Cassidy managing director of Casdon
Phil Cassidy, managing director at Casdon, talks to Clare Turner about the company’s new rebrand, new licences, new products and more
What’s your career background?
I started out in the catering trade. I had 10 amazing years of fun and learning in bars, hotels, and restaurants. My first ‘proper job’ was in a hotel on Blackpool promenade working in the bars. I worked my way up to assistant manager in a relatively quick time. I then moved into more general management of a family-run hotel in Fleetwood, joining as assistant general manager. I finished my hospitality career helping a university friend manage an amazing gastro pub just outside Chester.
I have very fond memories of my time in this trade but was equally as delighted when I ‘got the call’ to join the family business. From 24/7 - 365 days a year to 9-5 with weekends off! I’ll have that, I said!
Tell us a bit about Casdon.
We’re a family-run business that has been going for over 75 years. Founded by my grandfather in 1946, the business has been passed down three generations, so we like to think toy-making is in our DNA.
We still operate from the original premises in Blackpool and have grown the business from 18 employees in 2019 to a team of 38 in 2022. We’ve When my grandfather set “ up the business in 1946, he believed that toys should be both fun and developmental for children, and our toys capture this perfectly ”
also recently completed a full rebrand, which we unveiled at London Toy Fair. We needed to modernise our brand to better capture the sense of fun and excitement that our products bring to children. We landed on the tagline ‘live playfully’, which perfectly captures our company ethos to inject fun and play into everything we do.
In 2021, Casdon celebrated 75 years of trading. How did you mark the occasion - and what factors do you attribute to the company’s impressive longevity?
As this important anniversary fell in Covid times, it was difficult to have any traditional celebration. But we did go big in celebrating with our customers and audience, and we launched a series of ‘Birthday Giveaways’ on our social channels. Our customers are so important to us, and we wanted to celebrate with them.
We also embarked on our first-ever schools’ campaign during our anniversary year, which saw 100 education settings across the country benefit from our ‘Helping out in the Home Corner’ packs. It was brilliant to see such active and engaged play in the pictures that teachers kindly shared with us - and we had fantastic feedback across the board. We’ll be running another schools’ campaign this year as a result. 2021 was a year of change and growth for us - both among the team and within our product range. We reviewed our existing product range and are bringing new licences and toys to market in the very near future.
In terms of what has attributed to our success for all these years, I’d say that’s down to the fact that we’re a thirdgeneration, family-run business, which makes everything we do very personal. We care, so our team cares, and we’re passionate about the work we do. This shines through in our products, making them great fun and great quality - and we like to have fun along the way too.
A new licence - housewares brand Joseph Joseph - recently joined the Casdon portfolio. Can you tell us more about this partnership?
Our partnership with Joseph Joseph is a great fit for Casdon. Not only are there great synergies in the fact that two brothers [twins Antony and Richard] own Joseph Joseph, in the same way my brother Peter and I operate at Casdon, but their line of innovative and vibrant products lends so perfectly to ‘toy’. We’re incredibly proud of this collection and to be working alongside such an iconic brand.
You have launched a new corporate logo and tagline. Tell us more about that.
We recognised that we needed something more ‘toyetic’ and playful. After we’d completed our consumer research to better understand perceptions of the brand, we got to work on tackling some disconnects.
Red will always be a core colour for us. However, we’ve adapted the tone to add more warmth and to better co-ordinate with the colour palettes of our fantastic licences too.
We switched from an uppercase font to a lowercase font which is more child-like; while the lozenge behind the ‘casdon’ wording (which has been part of our brand identity since our initial conception), sits at an angle to accentuate our playfulness further.
Our new tagline is a natural evolution from our previous ‘real life fun and play’ line, which highlighted the product. ‘Live playfully’ better reflects the role that our toys play in everyday learning and development and cements all the great work we do as a team, from new product development to sales and marketing.
When marketing to consumers, what are your preferred channels?
Digital has (for a long time) been a very successful channel for reaching our customers, whether it’s through social media, web, advertising, or more experiential online activations.
However, people are often blown away by the quality of our products and the fact they actually work to mimic real-life play. For us, the balance lies somewhere in between in-store environments - which allow customers to really touch and feel the products - supported by meaningful and experiential online content.
Casdon is very well known for its licensed roleplay products. Why is this category so important?
It’s no secret that children love to mirror adults and get involved in everyday activities. Our licensed toys are child-sized versions of real-life household items, which makes them the perfect play companion for both adult and child! When my grandfather set up the business in 1946, he believed that toys should be both fun and developmental for children, and our toys capture this perfectly. At last month’s Toy Fair, Casdon added three Dyson SKUs to its range of vacuum cleaner toys. One addition, which brings together Dyson Hair and roleplay, is the Dyson Supersonic and Corrale Deluxe Styling Set. This duo includes miniature versions of the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer and Dyson Corrale Straighteners - perfect for mini-me styling sessions. Incorporating a range of features to keep little ones occupied for hours, the set comes with two interchangeable nozzles, a barrel brush and a detangling comb. Also introduced were six products from fresh licence Joseph Joseph, including the Joseph Joseph Extend, which takes water play to a whole new level. Designed and officially licensed to look just like the real thing, the Joseph Joseph Extend set comes with a wash bowl and tray to capture small spills, while water can be pumped from the bowl through the dispenser and back again for endless play. The set includes a cleantech brush, extend dish rack, cutlery, plates, and bowls which change colour when added to water, for added play value. Another product that made its debut was the Joseph Joseph Bake. This colourful set features four interlocking measuring cups, a large mixing bowl, twist whisk, egg spatula and ergonomic rolling pin.
What changes have you made in light of the restrictions that Covid-19 has created?
Pre-pandemic we had 19 employees working for Casdon - we are now a total of 38 staff and counting. We have a fantastic team, many of which are home-based. Growing the team in such a short space of time has really allowed us to employ the right people for the right roles - even if this means they live many miles away from our head office.
How much of your workforce has been working from home and what challenges does this present?
As the pandemic evolved, the majority of the team were working from home - with the exception of the warehouse team who have been nothing short of amazing during this difficult time and I cannot thank them enough. I think it’s most challenging for new starters, as you cannot beat the office environment for learning and mentoring. But with regular virtual meetings and good old banter on the Teams chat, the entire Casdon team has been phenomenal. What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
In my current role, the best thing I get to do is recruit uber-talented people. My current mission to hire a market-leading team. The calibre of people we already have, and are continually introducing, is a delight to me. Seeing them all enjoying their roles and thriving is a joy.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in toys?
Have fun and laugh a lot - we are producing and making toys. You’ve got to have fun.
What was your favourite toy?
When I was young, I did love my Big Trak!
