The Playground Podcast

Listen in as Richard and Chris talk with Zak Ringlestein of Zigazoo about this breakthrough platform that delivers a great social media experience for young kids. Too young for traditional social media? No worries. Zigazoo has kids covered in a safe, interactive environment where kids respond to challenges with videos of their own. Ringlestein has leveraged his experience as a teacher and tech ent...

Richard and Chris talk with certified Emotional Intelligence (EI) trainer Renée Adams about the importance of EI, how it contributes to child development, and what toy makers should know about building this learning into their toys. Adams talks about her newly launched line Hoppy & Poppie Pinkcheeks and how it helps children develop EI from the youngest ages. It's an important topic, particula...

Listen in as Richard and Chris talk to David Morgenstern, VP of Sales for Madame Alexander. Over his 25-year tenure with the company, Morgenstern has overseen the transformation of the company from a collectible business to a broad-based play doll company, which is what Madame herself intended when she started the company in 1923. Morgenstern recounts history of the company and how the new lines,...

Richard and Chris talk with Mia Gaison, founder, president and creative director of eeBoo . Listen in on a conversation that recaps her inspiring story of how a mom who wanted to be present to her kids built a company that has been a mainstay in the specialty market, her journey, creative process, and more. From thoughts on positive parenting to opening up a who new business in adult puzzles durin...

Listen as Richard and Chris talk to Chris Heatherly, one of the leading technology innovators in the toy business about what's ahead in the space. Heatherly was one of the guiding executives behind Club Penguin after the Disney acquisition, and he has continued innovating in kids' tech  developing and exploiting new platforms. He has powerful insight into what made Club Penguin the hit it was...

[Sponsored episode] In this special episode, Richard and Chris talk to Christian Dankl and Holly Gibb of Precise. TV about their data-driven approach to YouTube advertising. They discuss how toymakers can maximize the company's targeting, creative and data collection to drive greater awareness and sales. In a competitive market, Christian and Holly discuss how to make budgets go further and why th...

Richard and Chris talk with Melanie Notkin about her mission with Savvy Auntie , and the economic, cultural and emotional power of PANKs (Professional Aunts, No Kids). This powerful demographic is often overlooked by the toy business, and yet it's one that represents outstanding potential for driving toy sales...if they are acknowledged and addressed. Listen in on this lively conversation, and we...

This short segment first appeared as the Endcap on our conversation with Savvy Auntie, Melanie Notkin. Chris & Richard talk about new numbers on declining birthrates, implications for the toy industry and some ideas of how toymakers might respond to the changing market.

Richard and Chris talk with Drew Vernon of Tonies about the phenomenon of audio and the Tonies audio platform that's quickly becoming an international hit. From developing content, to marketing a high-end, "durable goods" toy, as Richard calls them, to the power of building a community, Drew, whose background includes a stint at LEGO and a passion for developing outstanding play experiences for ki...

Join Richard and and Chris as they talk with Julian Noble, senior vice president of The Noble Collection about the impact and opportunities of fandom in the licensing business. From prop replicas to "toylectibles," Noble's trademarked terms, consumers of all ages are interacting in properties in significant ways to express their love for properties and build communities. Hear how The Noble Collect...

For their 94th episode, Richard and Chris take a quick look back at the podcast and the insights shared by people from all parts of the toy industry. Looking ahead, they draw on an attitudinal survey from Global Toy News to see what may be on the horizon as the industry emerges from the pandemic. The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Experts , The Toy Guy , Precise.tv and ChizComm .

Richard and Chris catch up with Filip Franke, CEO North America and Global Head of Games for Ravensburger. It's an insightful conversation about games, puzzles, the pandemic, management styles and what's ahead for this rapidly growing company.  In the Endcap Chris and Richard have a lighthearted conversation about a serious business...what's up with these large container ships, such as the on...

Richard and Chris talk with Billy Langsworthy, one of the founders of Mojo Nation about the creation of his site, the inventor communities he serves, creativity, and what he sees as trends in the toy business. It's an engaging talk about what it means to be creative in the highly competitive and uncertain toy industry.  In The Endcap, Chris and Richard talk about the impact of TikTok as a com...

Richard and Chris chat with Darran Garnham, founder of the new company Toikido about what it means to be "a new kind of toy company." They talk about Garnham's long experience in licensing, the current state of the business, and his highly anticipated launch of toys based on the social gaming phenomenon Among Us . Garnham's insights, passion, and experience, as well as his clear-eyed, strategic un...

Join Richard and Chris as they talk with John Tong, managing director of King Bee Toys and Jacqueline Vong, co-found and president of Playology International . The lively discussion covers the boom in online retail in China, the growth of streaming, and other trends shaping the dynamic toy industry in China currently. Both John and Jacqueline are deeply knowledgeable about what it takes to succeed...

Richard and Chris chat with Gail Banack of Indigo about the successful chain's integrated, omnichannel strategy that marries online and in-store to create a dramatic and profitable customer experience. Banack talks about her merchandising philosophies, why the company as been so successful and crafting a compelling, consistent brand presence that leads many consumers to call the retailer "their ha...

Join Richard and Chris for an in-depth conversation with David Kleeman of Dubit Limited , a premiere, global market research and development company. Kleeman's broad experience in education and entertainment and his role as SVP Global Trends for Dubit make him uniquely qualified to discuss the state of play during Covid and beyond. The conversation covers the role of connected play, the emotional...

Richard and Chris chat with Zack Pentecost, senior e-commerce manager at Zuru about the company's successful track record of building global brands and their impressive growth. Zack also heads up inventor relations for Zuru and talks about the company's approach to the inventor community and what they're looking for as the company continues to expand. In The Endcap, Chris and Richard discuss the p...

Richard and Chris talk to Joel Silverman, co-founder of the research company KidsKnowBest about his unlikely path to running one of the leading global companies tacking kids in real time. They chat about the process, insights and how the company helps IP owners and toy companies get an edge in our highly competitive market. In The Endcap, Chris and Richard toss around ideas about the potentially u...

Richard and Chris talk with Gregg Stein the CEO of Skoog Media about the company's first kid-facing, creative play platform and the co-development with Sesame Workshop. They talk about the growth of audio in children's media, how the product was developed and strategies for launch in a competitive market. In the Endcap, Chris and Richard talk about Toys "R" Us withdrawal from the market and the op...

Richard and Chris talk with executive producer Brian Volk-Weiss ( The Toys that Made Us ) about his new series, A Toy Store Near You , which takes viewers inside some of the cool collector stores around the world. From an innovative production methodology created by Covid, to the challenges of creating streaming content, Volk-Weiss lifts the curtain on this challenging, but rewarding, process. In...

Richard and Chris chat with Peter Jenkinson of Toyology . In a conversation recorded last December, they talk about the British toy market, Jenkinson's innovative marketing programs and what he sees as the trends shaping 2021 for toys and play. In the Endcap, recorded January 25, Chris and Richard discuss the NPD report that the toy industry grew 16 percent in 2020, what that means and how this pe...

Join Richard and Chris as they speak with Michele Roethling, vice president of Dimian about the 60-year old doll and plush company, the European market and current conditions. Michele is "toy industry royalty," born into the business his parents founded. Listen in to a conversation that covers design, production and the challenges of the current marketplace. In The Endcap, Chris and Richard discus...

Richard and Chris talk with Just Play co-presidents Charlie Emby and Geoffrey Greenberg about the 10-year history of the company, the changing world of licensing and product strategy as well as how they've managed through the pandemic and what's ahead for the company 2021. In The Endcap, Chris and Richard discuss LEGO's move into China with new, brick-and-mortar, experiential stores, as well as ch...

In the first episode of Season 3, Richard and Chris sit down with Cheyn Crangle of Margle Media, to talk about the white-hot topic of digital marketing in the current toy industry. From the evolution of his company to how he has crafted success and powerful ROI, Cheyn discusses the opportunities, strategies and investments that can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of campaigns. O...