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4 minute read
Special Feature - Ravensburger
Playing the right cards
2025 will see a diverse lineup in Ravensburger’s expansive card games portfolio, with new introductions like Level 8, Disney Eye Found It and That’s Not a Hat 3. Richard Collins, Ravensburger’s managing director, tells Toy World all about these latest expansions, what makes them stand out in a very saturated marketplace, how they will be supported at retail and more.
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What’s behind the expansion of Ravensburger’s card games portfolio? What opportunities do you see out there to go after?
Card games are a staple in family life, fitting perfectly with the Ravensburger mission of creating opportunities to make memories and learn new skills. We all remember playing card games on car or plane journeys, and our new lineup will certainly make the time fly. Our card game offering ranges from age 3+ to 100+, so everyone can have fun and be as competitive as they want.
The demand for card games is growing, which is reflected in volume share. The category is really versatile – card games can be gifting, impulse buying or even planned purchases, so we regard this area as an excellent opportunity for growth.
What learnings from your other recent successful introductions are you applying to your new launches to ensure they get off to a strong start?
We have a wealth of learnings from recent marketing campaigns where we have demonstrated the benefit of consumer-generated content. This type of material is effective at communicating the gameplay as well as the fun to be enjoyed, and nothing is quite as powerful as getting product in hands. For this reason, events will continue to be a core feature of our games marketing. Once consumers play our games, they want to play again and again.
Clear on-pack communication is key when it comes to family and party games too. Consumers need to grasp the basic gameplay concept quickly, so having this capture their imagination right away from the packaging is vital. With the sheer volume of offer in the games category, stand-out is essential, and this is where impactful packaging with a clear hook comes into play. Our Oh My Pigeons! game is a great inspiration here.
There’s no shortage of card games out there. What makes your new additions stand out in the marketplace?
Many of our card games offer that fantastic level playing field. Age isn’t a barrier to winning; children can be in charge, and they love that. Our Disney Eye Found It card game takes inspiration from the successful formula of the board game of the same name. Young children can play it straight out of the box and very quickly beat the grown-ups.
We are also introducing some more strategic card games for ages eight and above, such as the Level 8 series. In this rummy-style game, there are a few twists that can change a game’s direction, and players can plot their way to victory. Within the Level 8 series, there are also Disney Stitch and Super Mario editions. In the coming year, we’re also building on established brands with the introduction of That’s Not a Hat 3.
How is Ravensburger going to be supporting these games at retail, as well as raising awareness of them among consumers?
We will support our new card games with a diverse range of marketing activations. Events, sampling and comprehensive digital campaigns including YouTube, influencer programmes and social media all form part of those plans. And, importantly, we’ll be working with retail partners to maximise the opportunity in-store for the ranges. It’s important to emphasise that our activity will not just focus on the short-term. We’ve seen success with card games that have gathered pace over time through word-of-mouth, and, for that reason, we devise our campaigns with a long-term vision in mind.
Where and when will the games be launching – and will toy and hobby stores be supported with these launches, as you have for some of your other games?
The Level 8 Series including the Disney Stitch and Super Mario editions will launch spring/summer, as will Disney Eye Found It and Marvel Eye Found It editions. That’s Not a Hat 3 will launch in the autumn. We’ll be supporting our toy and hobby stores with a special promotion on our card games at London Toy Fair.