Toy World caught up with Michelle Lilley, UK head of marketing, to find out what’s in store and why the brand has remained such a success.

Michelle told Toy World: “Products such as the Cozy Coupe, Cape Cottage Playhouse and Turtle Sandbox have brought enjoyment to generations over the past 50 years, and have encouraged development and learning through play. We’ve also added new categories such as our STEM Jr. range to ensure Little Tikes remains relevant and continues to be a key player in the pre-school sector.

With birthday celebrations and multiple activations across all categories on the horizon, 2019 is set to be a big year for Little Tikes. We have expanded the team and have finalised considerable trade plans to ensure new product launches – including a few surprise new categories alongside the core offering – are successful. It’s a very exciting year for the brand and we’re prepared for whatever the weather throws at us.

The opportunity over the next decade is huge and being at one with our consumers (both child and adult), presents an even bigger space for us to flourish. We believe in thinking like a child and playing big. We have some of the best creators and designers worldwide sitting within the MGA family, and we are constantly looking for the newest way to talk to and engage with our consumers. This year has seen some exciting innovations in the way we get ourselves at the forefront of consumers’ minds. We worked with Yiannimize, car customiser to the stars, to launch our newest ride-on, the Sports Racer, and as a result we accessed a different audience and saw real diversity in our products.”

To read the full article in the January issue of Toy World, click here.