Company Profile - Just Play

Just Play UK a strong start

Just Play announced the creation of its first European subsidiary last year, and on 1st January it officially opened. Six months after Toy World publisher John Baulch and editor Rachael Simpson-Jones paid a visit to David Allmark, executive advisor, and Anna Chapman, VP marketing EMEA, we caught up with the pair alongside other members of the Just Play team to find out how things are unfolding.

David Allmark

Anna Chapman

It’s been a busy few months for Just Play UK, locking down the final operational elements needed to begin trading and bringing its team, which was five strong in the summer, to eight, ready for launch. Katie Gritt, whom many readers will know from her time at The Entertainer, has joined as head of marketing communications UK, while Charlotte Rogers has brought her knowledge of the Just Play business from Flair, taking up the role of licensing manager EMEA. The pair join Ami Dieckman (VP sales EMEA), Amy Saunders (UK sales director), as well as Ryan Coyle (national account manager) and Rachel Thorley (operations and customer service manager), with the team likely to expand further during 2022. Anna and David are resolute in their belief that a company is only as good as its people and are clearly delighted to have onboarded the talent they have, at the levels required, to hit the ground running at the beginning of this month.

The timing of Just Play’s UK launch has been incredibly fortuitous for the company, and retailer reaction during previews has only cemented the team’s belief that its first full year will be a strong one. The Just Play portfolio includes Mickey and Minnie, which both enter 2022 off the back of strong Disney+ subscriber numbers and a raft of new content, while Blue’s Clues and CoComelon also continue to hit the sweet spot with viewers. Disney Doorables also remains a firm favourite, having undergone a facelift for the new year and the collectibles market enjoying something of a comeback after the trials of Covid. David tells me retailers are open to fresh ideas for these brands, regardless of whether they are considered classic or new, and that Just Play’s customers appreciate the smart and innovative approach the team takes to activating the brands at retail and driving sales.

Amy Saunders

Amy Saunders, meanwhile, says the company is particularly excited about the launch of Just Play’s new own- IP, Sensory FX, which is ‘going to revolutionise the Wellbeing and ASMR segment’. She adds: “There is nothing else quite like it on the market and it’s already on sale in the US. The best thing I hear in our sales meetings is that ‘stock hits and evaporates’. I just can’t wait to be able to say the same thing this year for the UK market. In the same space we also have our very own original Slinky, which we consider the original fidget toy. Slinky has a fun suite of digital assets behind it, whilst remaining a classic toy every child should have in their toy box.”

Amy continues: “The support of our retail partners has been overwhelming at times, but when you have the calibre brands and own-IP that Just Play has, you can see why, without hesitation, they have agreed to partner with us. We’ve also started a wonderful journey with our licensing friends. Together we’re planning to execute some incredible collaborations during 2022, during which we’ll not only be creating never-before-seen digital activations but also going back to basics with lots of in-store experiences and high street window displays.”

Elsewhere in the business, Delamode International Logistics (whom many readers will have previously known as Import Services) is on board as logistics partner. This collaboration will no doubt prove reassuring to both Just Play and its customers during the ongoing trials and tribulations of shipping and Brexit red tape. “There were so many unusual goingson last year, what with port closures, Just Play’s portfolio of product will be supported by a comprehensive suite of marketing options that taps into the latest available data to reach consumers wherever they consume advertising content. As Katie Gritt explains, Just Play professes that ‘kids lead change’ and that consumer media consumption has changed dramatically in recent years; factors that have become the driving force behind the company’s marketing communications strategy. “With that in mind, and to reach both kids and parents, we are taking a ‘digital first’ approach as we support our portfolio of brands in 2022,” she tells us. “Our focus will be via digital channels such as YouTube and TikTok as we know that this is where kids now consume most of their content, whilst traditional media, including TV, will remain an important part of our overall marketing plan. Data shows us 58% of children visit YouTube once a day or more and spend an average of 2.5 hours on the platform, and that TikTok has 21.3m monthly average users in the UK - up 3m year-on-year. TikTok is therefore an increasingly important platform when it comes to reaching our target audience. We will focus on delivering strong content and relevant campaigns to cut through the millions of pieces of content that are uploaded to digital platforms daily. We’re also excited to be working with our two newly appointed agencies, Havas Entertainment and Norton PR, to effectively support and implement our digital first strategy.”

Katie Gritt

Like most out there in the UK toy industry, The Just Play team is hugely excited for the return of Toy Fair, with Anna noting that many will have enjoyed Brand Licensing Europe in November 2021. For a company launch, the timing couldn’t be much better, and the return of the London trade event to the halls of Olympia is considered timely for Just Play’s grand entrance to the UK marketplace. The company has a message to get out and plenty of people to meet - and what better way to do that than attending UK Toy Fair. Anna also tells Toy World that the Just Play stand (B60) will host a number of new lines not seen before, which deserve to be appreciated in person.

“We’re leveraging everything we can to ensure we make an impact at Toy Fair,” she adds. “We’ve offered in-person previews since September but many of our customers have opted for online meetings instead, which we fully respect and have been able to offer too. However, there’s no denying that most buyers are product people, and it’s so hard to replicate the hands-on, see and do nature of an in-person preview. From behind a screen, there’s a level of detachment that’s simply too hard to overcome.”

David is of the same opinion. While the chance to reconnect with friends, colleagues, customers and more under one roof is undeniably lovely, he’s also aware that for Just Play, Toy Fair marks a pivotal moment in what will become the UK operation’s history.

“We’re an industry that survives on innovation and prospects, and while many retailers will have had a good 2021, I suspect stock levels will be lower than they would normally be,” he notes. “Retail partners will very much be ready to not only look at product but to place commitment too, and now we’re officially trading, we look forward to becoming a major force within the UK industry. We can’t wait for visitors to our stand to get a taste of what Just Play has to offer, not just this year, but for years to come.