A Profile of the United States Toy Industry

CHAPTER 5

Creating Desire: Licensing, Advertising & Marketing

Getting the toys on the shelf is only half the battle. Getting them off the shelves and into the hands of consumers is another. Remember, as we mentioned earlier, at the end of the day no one really needs a toy. So, the ultimate challenge of any objective of any marketing program is to create the perception of a need where none exists. What follows is an introduction to the various processes and strategies companies use to try to get their products off the shelves and into the hands of consumers.

Marketing is expensive, and the costs need to be factored in up front. Once again, the toy industry is hard to quantify in this way. In typical consumer package goods businesses, companies ...