Company Profile - Toy Zone

In the zone

ToyZone, an innovative and enthusiastic specialist toy design agency, is enjoying strong success, with design collaborations continuing to rack up and an ever-increasing suite of services on offer. Toy World spoke to Jose Manuel Diaz Ballarin, president of Sales & Marketing Eolo Toys and co-founder of ToyZone, and Alex Prieto, co-founder and director of Fun at Eolo Toys and ToyZone, about the agency, and why toy companies should consider a partnership with it for future product and entertainment launches.

Tell us about ToyZone – when was the agency founded, and what was the intent behind it?

Jose: The beta version of the agency launched four years ago in Spain, and the Covid-19 pandemic then gave us the time and space to both fine-tune it and consolidate our offering. We define ToyZone as a 360° toy hub, and the only agency with toy design ‘superpowers’. The agency was created with the intention to offer toy companies and inventors a one-stop-shop for their toy development, design and entertainment needs. We’re toy professionals ourselves, so we both know how painful it can be to find the right team or partner. This is even more true if your project requires you to hire multiple teams and partners.

ToyZone whas just one purpose - to make this process easy and fun. We call it the ToyZone Experience.

How does ToyZone support the efforts of Eolo Toys? And what services does it offer the wider toy industry?

Alex: Eolo is of course a key customer of ToyZone, and our ToyZoners - the great creative team behind ToyZone - is one of the reasons Eolo is always smiling.

We offer a raft of services that can be accessed by anyone and everyone. Firstly, we offer a 360° approach to toy design, from conception, branding and sourcing right through to manufacturing. Our design services span packaging, websites, NFTs and more, and are conveniently based on either hourly rates or a fixed monthly fee. ToyZone really will be your complete design department.

Looking at entertainment, ToyZone will help give your brand a second, virtual life that encompasses everything from basic motion graphics used to demo projects to full animated series and state-ofthe-art in-app games. All are connected to our data science technology, which provides direct audience reports, instant rewards and much more. For the past four years, ToyZone has also created multiple toy IPs that are now available to license in all major toy categories.

Jose: Our team has been making toys internationally since the 90s, with more than 300 toys launched in total. Our combined experience makes us the perfect companion for any toy company: our existing clients see us as their personal toy advisors.

Which toys currently on the market would you say are good examples of ToyZone success stories?

Jose: Some of the best examples include recent brands like Eolo’s Marvel Battle Cubes, made in association with Boti and fully designed by ToyZone. Jiggly Pets is another. This brand just keeps increasing in popularity, resulting in impressive double-digit growth three years in a row. Many other toys are currently in development, but most are under NDAs. You’ll just have to keep an eye out for them when they hit the market.

What role does consumer feedback and market research play in ToyZone’s design and development process?

Alex: Consumer feedback is king at ToyZone.

We only specialise in toys, so it’s vital for us and the team to stay on top of trends and key market information in this fast-paced industry. Of course, consumer insights are also hugely important. We run our own research groups and family review programmes to gain better knowledge of what kids (and parents) want. Adding an extra layer to this, our app data provides us with valuable intel on a daily basis.

What sets ToyZone-designed toys, games, and other products apart from others in the marketplace?

Alex: Our experience in launching over 300 award-winning toys into international markets, and our relationships with key global retailers, give us a broad view of all the projects we take on, informed by real-world knowledge. This experience and knowledge of the North American and European Toy markets allow us to really guide our customers, helping them outperform their competitors and achieve true excellence.

Remaining focused is key. We are one of the few agencies exclusively specialising in toys and family entertainment, and we cover all core areas, so companies don’t have to spend their precious time shopping around. Our eyes and minds are 100% focused upon toys.

What makes ToyZone a good partner for toy companies?

Jose: It doesn’t matter if you’re a big toy corporation looking for the next big toy hit or entertainment development, an SME looking to expand your brands through innovation and design, or an inventor looking for idea validation, prototypes and sourcing - our ToyZoners will help guide you through the process from start to finish. Just sit back and enjoy the ToyZone experience.

Readers interested in working with ToyZone can find out more and get in touch by visiting the new website - www.toyzone.es - or emailing sales@toyzone.es.