juegorama

SAFETY Days without accident leave in Spain
DIGITAL MARKETING Territorio Creativo (social media agency)
ENVIRONMENT Tree Day
IN A SINGLE CLICK Juegorama
CSR FAMOSA The Global Compact
FAIRS France, HK, Nuremberg and London
SUMMARY
www.famosagroup.com
1/ CEO’s Letter
Letter from the CEO, José de la Gándara
2/ Safety
Number of work days without a lost-time accident in Spain
6/ Quality
“Product Safety” Javier Sánchez
8/ Human Resources
Survey results Denison
Transfers and promotions
12/ The Environment
Arbor Day
13/ CSR
Global Compact
15/ Marketing Spain
At the concert with Nancy
Pinypon Palace... our best-seller this Christmas season
Alma Obregón hosts a fun Nenuco cupcake workshop for children
The Nenuco “always together” contest is a huge hit, and new faces
for the Nenuco graphics branding
BBarriguitas and his 45th birthday bash
Famosa Town, the favorite toy this Christmas
19/ Subsidiaries
Famosa in Mexico “Presenting...” and “Results campaign”
Famosa Angola and Portugal. “Casa Nancy”. “Outdoors Feber
Angola”
Famosa France. “Bus Campaign in Paris”, “Show Windows”
Famosa in China. “Newsletter”
28/ Digital Marketing
Summary from the Creative Landscape
30/ Fairs
Fairs Kid Expo and Deauville
HK Fairs
Nuremberg Fairs
London Fairs
38/ A click away
Bizziebaby Gold Award
Must-have Toys
Juegorama
40/ People
Luigi Testa (Nuevo Country Manager for Italia)
Enrique Alonso (Senior Category Manager)
Marybeth King (VP Sales & Marketing North America)
Rubén Soler (Dir. Department of Quality Production)
CEO´s Letter 1
CEO’s Letter
José de la Gándara
In keeping with the times today, Oh Famosa’s new digital format makes it faster, more versatile and, above
all, more economical. The publication’s team has produced an issue with a whopping 48 pages, packed with
interesting information on developments at Famosa.
It is important to be aware that we are facing a difficult period in which it is necessary to fortify our
management’s profitability criteria. We need to keep in
mind that everything our customers and consumers are
not willing to pay for is simply superfluous and wasteful, and needs to be avoided.
As a result of this necessary focus on profitability, one
of the cornerstones of our work in the coming months
(and years) must be to simplify our processes. The key
word is, then, SIMPLIFICATION, to reduce the complexity of our procedures and processes.
1. We must ask ourselves whether our selection could
feature fewer products while remaining as attractive
as possible for children and not entailing lower sales,
whether the number of new features we launch every
year can be reduced, etc. A priori the answer is “yes,”
so we need to work in this direction.
2. It is also very important for at least 80% of our collections and products to be uniform across the different countries where we are present, as opposed
to the considerable deviations we have today.
3. Thus, the number of new projects that we undertake
that do not ultimately impact the market must be
dramatically reduced.
4. We must also consider whether it is possible to decrease the number of Key Drivers to what is strictly
necessary in each market (without sacrificing volume), with the resultant savings in advertising and improvements in purchases prices due to the concentration of volumes.
5. There are also many initiatives to ponder regarding
our current collections: a greater standardization of
each brand’s different dolls, optimized packaging,
etc.
6. And many other initiatives in this area.
That is, SIMPLIFYING our arrival to the market, rendering it more efficient and profitable. All this will take
time, but our teams are already working based on these
criteria.
Finally, this issue of Oh Famosa contains thorough information on the many changes that are being made in
the organization, specifically to meet these new challenges, which you can find on pages 9 to 11.
2 Safety
Number of work days without a
lost-time accident in Spain
After the positive trend over the last three
years, we unfortunately had a lost-time workplace accident on February 16, 2015 in the
Maintenance department at our work facility
in Alicante. The worker, who was performing
maintenance on a machine, lost his footing as
he was stepping off the machine and sprained
an ankle.
This accident has forced us to reset our counter for days
without a lost-time accident so that we can get back on
track to zero accidents.
At this time, we must insist, more than ever, on everyone’s
constant cooperation and their commitment to safety.
Safety 3
Frequency rates
in Spain
1,2
3
2014-2015 TARGET
1,34 (1ATc=1,34 with
ref. IF1 August ’14)
4,00
3,50
Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Cooperation and a
constant desire to improve will allow Famosa to comply
with our occupational hazard prevention model.
5
4,2
4
4,50
Following the last lost-time accident this past February,
the frequency rate now stands at 4.24. We are currently
below the target for 2014-2015, which is 1.34.
4
3,00
3
2,50
0,0
0,0
F
M
A
M
J
9
2
1,3
8
4
4
6
1,3
1,3
1,3
1,3
2
0,0
0
0,0
00,0
0
0,50
1,3
1,3
1
0
1,00
0
1,50
3
2,00
A key component for preventing workplace accidents is
reporting any incident that takes place on the job. This
allows us to detect significant hazards that can lead to
accidents. It is essential that everyone take part in this
effort. The rate that takes into consideration all of the
incidents is the IF3, and at this point we are not made
aware of every incident.
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
X
A
S
O
N
D
E
# Accidents c/B
0
F
0
IF1(c/B)
FREQUENCY INDEX 1= # Accidents resulting in medical
leave * 1,000,000 / # hours worked
28
31,
07
26
32,
29,
75
32,
27,
51
30,
03
28
35,
95
70
30,
84
90
31,
32,
30,00
82
2
2
2
0
M
A
0
M
J
X
# Accidents c/B
A
1
S
O
1
N
D
1
E
F
IF2(c/B)
FREQUENCY INDEX 1= # Accidents resulting in medical leave
* 1,000,000 / # hours worked
1
3
84,
74
04
6,00
4
3
3
20,00
0,00
10,00
8,00
6
4,00
2,00
10,00
0
94,
93,
8
6
35
12
95,
98,
39
95,
88
90,
09
25
22
89,
45
85,
95
68
84,
20
77,
90,
7
4
40,00
30,00
2
1
6
60,00
12,00
50,00
3
1
F
3
2
27,
20,00
80,00
9
70,00
36,
8
38,
76
4
40,00
00,0
10
90,00
50,00
10,00
100,00
79,
5
60,00
F
M
A
M
J
X
# Incidents
A
S
O
N
0
D
Incidents
FREQUENCY INDEX 3 = # Incidents
*1.000.000 / # hours worked
E
F
0,00
4 Safety
OHSAS 18001:2007
In November of 2014 we renewed our OHSAS 18001
certification.
Thanks to everyone for this achievement, which is
awarded to each of you for your cooperation and
teamwork.
We continue working to excel and improve our
Health and Safety standards and results for our employees here at FAMOSA.
Emergency and
evacuation drill
The drill featured two consecutive phases:
•
The first phase consisted
of an emergency drill in response to a simulated fire in
the server room on the second floor of the offices.
The smoke detector located
in this room was activated,
resulting in the complete
evacuation of every employee after the first responders
failed to bring the fire under
control.
On December 19, 2014 we held a safety and environmental emergency and evacuation drill at our
work facility in Alicante.
•The second phase involved
an environmental emergency
drill in response to a chemical
spilled from a container located in the hallway leading to
the quality laboratory on the
second floor of the warehouse, resulting in the activation
of the environmental awareness protocol.
The evacuation was carried out satisfactorily.
Safety 5
Emergency teams and
first aid training
On December 9 and 10, 2014 three groups of emergency personnel received first aid training. The
course, which was primarily hands-on, was given by
nursing professionals from the Alicante and Valencia
areas.
On December 18, first responders attended their
training course. This training, which continues to be
a priority for Famosa, was given by highly qualified
instructors and professionals, including members of
the Valencia Fire Department.
6 Quality
La seguridad del producto
Javier Sánchez
The toy industry is one of the most regulated in terms of
product safety, with over 2,000 pages of applicable laws
(EU), primarily physical-mechanical and chemical requirements, as one would expect considering the target audience for which we toymakers make our products.
FAMOSA can boast of having a clear policy that assigns the
resources and experience needed to ensure a safe product.
This policy involves several processes with one clear goal
in mind: “To strictly abide by the safety requirements for
any product that FAMOSA places on the market”.
The processes
Design safety review: Ensures that Key Driver products
comply with physical-mechanical regulations. Takes place
at several process milestone events, with a preliminary review at the early concept stage and more detailed reviews
during prototyping and testing. They are conducted at
both Product Quality (Alicante) and in Quality China, with
the feedback allowing R&D to fine-tune the design.
New product certification: Every new component that is
added to our products or to the raw materials used in our
processes must first be certified. This includes verifying the
product safety sheets and carrying out safety tests to ensure regulatory compliance.
Defining safety notices and labels: Legal warnings and notices help consumers avoid risks. These are defined for the
graphic components of every new design by Product Quality through Product Maker, with R&D laying out the texts.
Safety certification: The first step in this process is to define
the applicable regulation and required certificates for each
product (handled through Product Maker). Secondly, there
is a daily process that is used to detect certification requirements for production orders entered into SAP, contrasting
these against the certification status in Product Maker and
determining which tests to carry out. These tests are conducted in Spain or China via BV, SGS or other laboratories.
Certifications are required for new items, for items with
significant changes, and when production shifts to a new
factory, and they are renewed every two years as a matter
of policy. In some cases the testing protocols of customers
have to be observed, normally for FOB deliveries (Carrefour,
Auchan, TRU’s, Costco, etc.). Over 8,500 certifications involving some 800 items are conducted every year.
Safety feature monitoring during construction: When components are received (e.g. checking the carrier’s safety requirements) or assembled (e.g. doing stress testing, small-parts
verification, checking for sharp edges, etc.), Quality Inspectors at the factory or our own QC at vendors in China always
check each lot for the most important safety attributes.
Alert Management Protocol: if, despite the above, a safety incident is detected through the internal controls
or client/consumer feedback, an established protocol is
used to systematically analyze it. It may lead to an internal
Quality 7
alert (handled internally) or it may require notifying the
authorities, and could require a design change, corrective action within the supply chain or, in extreme cases,
a recall.
Figures and results
The trend in sales figures over the last three years has been
very positive (see KPI table), partly due to the greater resources assigned and to the good work done by the Quality, Operations and R&D teams. There is still much work
to do, however, before the number of safety incidents detected internally or reported by consumers drops to zero.
References
For more information, José Antonio López is the manager
in charge of this area: joseantonio@famosa.es.
The “Verifying Quality, Safety and Reliability Requirements”, “Product Certification” and “Alert Management”
procedures are available on Isotools. The Quality Balanced
Scorecard can be checked via WHAT’s, by joining Quality
or Operations.
INDICATOR/METRIC
ACCEPTANCE CERTIFICATION %
TOXICITY TEST REJECTION RATE
No. ARTICLES CERTIFIED
TESTING & CERT. COSTS / Thousands €
No. EXTERNAL ALERTS
(FAMOSA BRAND MARKETS EU/US)
Safety test at Alicante´s laboratory
FY2012
FY2013
FY2014
Q1 Y2015
89%
3,0%
-
93%
1,8%
800
95%
0,1%
750
97%
0,0%
210
823
1
1.158
1
734
1
98
0
Phthalates ILM
Seams on Winnie
the Pooh plush toy
700004784
Babyland
seams
700008232
Chemical test for product´s safety at China´s laboratory
8 Human Resources
The prevailing culture
at Famosa
First, thanks for the high response rate (81% of the staff) on
the Denison Study, which is essential to getting representative and useful results.
responses than the average in the reference population. As
the results on the next page show, this was the case for
most of the areas in the study.
The findings revealed by this study allow us to improve
management and leadership practices at Famosa, as well
as to look for ways to achieve better financial results and
advance in our aim of forging a company that is better for
everyone: customers, shareholders and employees.
These findings, then, illustrate that the organizational culture
at Famosa, evaluated using the Denison Model, yields better
results than at the average organization using this model. We
view this as a good result. In any event, and in keeping with our
findings from previous work satisfaction studies, we have to
improve our focus on the customer and develop team skills.
The results provided by the Denilson Method yield a comparison (in percentiles) of the results obtained using the
same method at over 1,000 organizations worldwide. So,
those areas with a value above 50 received more favorable
Thank you once more for the high response rate in this
study, which will help us all make Famosa an even better
organization.
Resultados globales de Famosa
Human Resources 9
Organizational changes at FAMOSA
We want to inform you all of the organizational changes and the internal promotions that have taken place
since September of 2014
SUSANA
TEO
MIGUEL
Will now occupy the
position of Front Office
Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Organization
& Systems Senior
Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Planning &
CS Director
RIVERA
CASTAÑEDA
SÁNCHEZ
1 P
SE 14
20
1 P
SE 14
20
FRANK
GERMÁN
Will now occupy the
position of Sales
Manager France
Will now occupy
the position of
Applications & New
Technologies Manager
CHAVEULLIER
JUAN
1 P
SE 14
20
1 P
SE 14
20
1 T
OC 14
20
NICOLÁS
LUIGI
JOSÉ M.
Will now occupy the
position of International Sales Senior
Manager
Will now occupy
the position of Italy
Country Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Country
Manager Spain
LÓPEZ
TESTA
TOLEDO
3 V
NO014
2
3 V
NO014
2
3 V
NO014
2
10 Human Resources
Organizational changes at FAMOSA
EMILIA
JOSÉ
Will now occupy the
position of Export
(PBP)
Will now occupy the
position of Export Area
Manager. Will manage
also (GAS market)
Will now occupy
the position of
Cost Engineering &
Specifications Manager
RODRÍGUEZ
ORTIZ
CLIMENT
PATRICIA
24 V
NO014
2
24 V
NO014
2
RUBÉN
JAVIER
Will now occupy the
position of Quality
Production Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Commercial
(Center)
SOLER
MAESTRE
1 B
FE 15
20
1 E
EN 15
20
1 B
FE 15
20
DAVID
JUAN
Will now occupy the
position of Commercial
(North)
Will now occupy
the position of Key
Account Manager
BONILLA
LÓPEZ
1 B
FE 15
20
1 B
FE 15
20
Human Resources 11
ERNESTO
AGUSTÍN
VÍCTOR
Will now occupy
the position of Key
Account Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Spain Sales
Area Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Treasury
TRIPIANA
JIMÉNEZ
RODRÍGUEZ
1 B
FE 15
20
1 B
FE 15
20
DAVID
SALUD
Will now occupy the
position of Sales
Manager UK
Will now occupy the
position of Customer
Support Advisor (ATC)
BOWES
SANCHÍS
17 B
FE 15
20
1 B
FE 15
20
1 R
MA015
2
TERESA
JULIA
Will now occupy the
position of Spain
Marketing Manager
Will now occupy the
position of Junior
Brand Manager
RIVERA
MONTAÑANA
1 R
AP 15
20
1 R
AP 15
20
12 The Environment
Famosa celebrates
its first Arbor Day by
planting 90 trees
In a further show of its environmental commitment, FAMOSA celebrated its first Arbor Day this past November
17th with a series of environmental activities that culminated with the planting of 90 Aleppo pines in Alicante, an
initiative that we hope will contribute to reforesting mountains and to fighting climate change. Taking part in this
initiative were Famosa’s Management Committee, as well
as 90 employee volunteers.
Famosa has long been committed to both volunteering
and environmental sustainability through the efficient use
of natural resources and by minimizing the generation of
waste at its facilities. The toymaker is ISO 14001 certified in
this area by AENOR.
CSR 13
Famosa bolsters its commitment to
the principles of the United Nations
Global Compact
Madrid volunteering
In line with its commitment to CSR, this year Famosa
published its Second Progress Report on the United Nations Global Compact, which was rated as Advanced by
the UN.
This report reflects the Group’s commitment to CSR,
as well as to implementing and furthering the specific measures in its CSR Plan, initiated in 2012, such as
Corporate Volunteering, the responsible management
of suppliers, and the implementation of a code of conduct. Specifically, in the last fiscal year, Famosa focused
on issues related to corporate governance, personnel
management, the environment and CSR, as noted in
the report.
Progress in CSR
In addition to publishing its Progress Report, Famosa has
continued to promote CSR in recent months by preparing
and approving its 2014-2015 CSR Operations Plan, which
seeks to provide a foundation and starting point for the
CSR activities to be carried out in coming months. Another
important aspect was the preparation of the Famosa Code
of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Suppliers, which
contain specific anti-discrimination measures. An objective for coming months is to continue with internal policies
intended to fight discrimination for any reason, while at the
same time remaining attentive to any complaints received
from any of our stakeholders so that they can be resolved.
14 CSR
Famosa is also committed to CSR training for Operations
(Purchasing, Sales, Quality, Production) personnel in Madrid, Alicante and China.
pronged quality, environmental and occupational hazard
prevention management system.
The company is also seeking to engage with both external
and internal stakeholders through its 2014-2015 CSR Communications Plan, and through initiatives like the start of a
partnership with the Spanish Network of the Global Compact to promote Children’s Rights and Corporate Principles.
In the area of environmental sustainability, plans are in
place to continue with the Environmental Improvement
Plan at Famosa facilities, in keeping with the current Environmental Management System (EMS). In 2013 Famosa
published its integrated Quality, Environmental and Occupational Hazard Prevention Policy for implementation at
all its centers.
An important milestone in 2014 was the launch of the Corporate Volunteering Program by creating the first working
groups in Madrid and Alicante, and the implementation of
actions targeted at children and teens, in concert with Cooperación Internacional and the ICEAS Association, such as
school farms and workshops designed to promote a sense
of social responsibility among kids, and of environmental
actions, like the first Arbor Day, in which the Management
Committee was involved.
Work in CSR and Sustainability will continue in coming
months as the company implements a corporate model that
is responsible and committed to the environment. Of note
in this regard was the 2013 celebration of Juegorama under
the motto “It’s Everyone’s Game”, geared toward responsible toys and which gathered opinions and expectations
from the Group’s various stakeholders.
In the area of Equality, a sexual and gender-based harassment prevention protocol was created and introduced
to the Equality Committee, and then distributed to the staff.
Classroom courses were also given on “Equality Awareness”
to the Logistics, Injection and Assembly departments, and to
mid-level managers.
On a related subject, the Project to Improve the Excellence of the Group managed to certify the company’s three-
Campoamor´s School (Alicante)
Marketing Spain 15
At the concert with Nancy
This past Christmas Nancy held a very special concert at
the Lope de Vega Theater in Madrid. It was a magical
performance at which the winner of The Voice,
Kids program, María Parrado, rocked the kids and
parent gathered there, especially when she sang
the “Nancy” song, written especially for our doll,
thrilling the entire audience. The show was a hit,
with 1,000 concert-goers, most of them Nancy
fans who had won contests organized on several
media outlets, like the Nancy website, Facebook, radio
stations and blogs.
We invite you to listen to the Nancy song and watch some
footage from the concert:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=FeNuGT8VQ_Q
Pinypon Palace… our best-seller this
Christmas season
Building on Pinypon’s success in previous years, the Pinypon Palace was the best-selling product this past Christmas season, and the eighth best-selling toy on the market.
Buoyed by a strong marketing campaign on TV, along with
online content and contests on Facebook for the parents
of children, we managed to make the Pinypon Palace a hit
with thousands of girls.
The online content created, which contributed to the
42% increase in the total number of visits to the website this past campaign, included a “Design Your Palace
Room” contest, in which girls used an application housed
on a microsite to design their Super Princess room, with
the winners receiving vinyl posters to use in decorating
their own rooms. Other content included downloadable
materials based on the Super Princesses, such as invitations, the princesses’ ball, and creating your own palace,
which rounded out the playing possibilities offered by the
Palace.
On Facebook the app-contest “HOW MUCH DO YOU
KNOW ABOUT SUPER PRINCESSES?” was answered by
over 1,200 participants, who learned everything about the
Super Princesses by answering the questions in the contest. Also, with the new mobile application ADVENTURE
IN THE PALACE being a Super Princess is now an exciting
challenge for Pinypon girls, with over 20,000 downloads in
under two months.
With the new Palace, girls are having fun just like real Super
Princesses.
16 Marketing Spain
Alma Obregón hosts a fun Nenuco
cupcakes workshop for children
This past Christmas we held a fun cupcake contest on Facebook called “Design Your Own Cupcake”, asking kids to
send in pictures and recipes of their best creations. The
contest generated a lot of interaction, with over 2,500
likes and almost 100 comments.
Since cupcakes are all the rage now, and there’s
even a blogger and chef
Alma Obregón teaches the children in a Nenuco Cupcake’s workshop
known for this dessert, Alma Obregón, the prize was taking
part in a workshop hosted by Alma in Madrid.
The six winners and one of their parents were thrilled to
spend an entire morning learning the best recipes for this
delicious kids’ dessert. We invite you to watch the video of
the workshop on our YouTube channel.
Marketing Spain 17
The Nenuco
”Together Always”
contest is a smash hit
This past November, in concert with The Modern Kids
agency, Nenuco held a contest on Facebook called
“Together Always”, which encouraged moms
and daughters to create an online calendar
personalized with their best photos.
Almost 3,000 calendars were entered in
the contest, of which ten were pre-screened before three were eventually selected
as winners for having the best pictures of
moms and daughters getting along.
The photo shoot after the contest was quite
a hit, and we now have nine girls for the Nenuco campaign!
18 Marketing Spain
Barriguitas and his
45th birthday bash
Barriguitas had a big 45th anniversary bash on November 29th and 30th at the busiest shopping center in all
of Spain: La Vaguada (Madrid). The event featured three
activities areas for kids, families and fans.
In the main area kids were able to enjoy the fun, with typical activities at kids’ parties like animal balloons, face
painting, musical chairs and piñatas.
The crafts project by the Barriguitas Non-Stop Kids was
represented at the event through a workshop in which
children were able to showcase their creativity by designing decorative garlands and painted face masks for the
bash.
Barriguitas fans and nostalgia buffs enjoyed the exhibit
area and the 45 years of history on display there. This
exhibit was made possible thanks to two Barriguitas
fans who let us use their impressive collections for the
event.
Hundreds of kids and their families had a ball at the celebration over the course of the weekend. The event enjoyed considerable media coverage (TV, radio, press and
Internet), thanks to which all of Spain learned of Barriguitas’ 45th anniversary and their great bash.
Famosa Town, the favorite game this Christmas
This past November saw the
launch of one of the most fun
and downloaded games in recent
months: “Famosa Town”.
The goal of the game was to bring
all the fun of Famosa dolls to kids
with a single click. Nancy and her
dressing room, the search for the
charming prince in the Pinypon
Palace, different looks for Barriguitas’ pets, and Nenuco’s cupcake shop are just some of the adventures in this fascinating game.
The game has been downloaded more than 30,000 times
thus far, and was among the
top ten kids’ games for two
weeks in a row in both the
APP STORE and GOOGLE
PLAY.
If you haven’t downloaded
the game yet, we invite you to
experience this super adventure with the Famosa dolls.
You’ll have a blast!
Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in México
“This month...”
We already closed out 2014, without a doubt the most exciting year in the Americas in recent memory.
Of all the changes the organization has seen, of note are the restructuring of the business in the US,
with support from Mexico and Puerto Rico. Not without problems, the job of ATC USA is held full-time
by someone working in Mexico, and the financial oversight is provided from Puerto Rico, where the
team run by Desireé has been expanded.
Just as we were closing out the previous issue we were
visited by perhaps not the biggest VIP we’d ever seen
(every visitor is important!), but certainly the one who
made us the most nervous: it was the first time that
an executive like Tim Stubbs, from SUN CAPITAL, was
in Mexico. Looking back, he was very cordial, all of his
concerns were answered and we think that, overall, he
left with a good impression of the plant.
A lot of work has gone into the areas of safety and prevention. We reached an agreement to have the Industrial Safety Institute give us its support in these areas.
In direct cooperation with Agustín Alvarez (they won’t
let me tell you of the scare he got his last night at the
hotel), we are working together to be OHSAS certified
by autumn of 2015. It would be quite an achievement,
just like being FAMA certified by Disney, with the peace
of mind gained by being able to produce all its licensed
products.
The first visit of a SUN CAPITAL executive to Monterrey
Achievement of a better placement of our products in Puerto Rico
19
20 Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in México
Paco Costilla and the rest of the brigade on their way to practice
We had an unexpected visitor. A free show in the end!!
Manuel gives Daniel his forklift driver´s diploma
To talk about the US, in this issue we interview our dear
Mary Beth. Who better than her?
From Mexico City, Puerto Rico and Monterrey we wish
you all the best and, as always, we’re here for whatever you need.
Also, for the first time we had a two-day get-together
with the entire Sales, Marketing and Management teams
at the company. It was held in San Miguel de Allende, a
town very close to Mexico City.
The most important challenges for 2015? Without
a doubt the change in the factory’s management
model and reaching our market goals in terms of
sales and profitability. Another intense year that we
hope to celebrate with all of you and with whoever
visits us.
Juan S. Bonet
Financial and HR
Director, America
jbonet@famosa.es
Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in México 21
“Presenting...
Ismael Posadas
He’s been in Mexico City for over 35 of his
38 years, but he’s a native of Puebla. A quiet
person, married with two girls, ages 12 and 4.
Never one to raise his voice, he’s easy going,
understanding with everyone, and always willing to sacar la chamba under any circumstance.
He started back in the Stone Age of what is now Famosa Mexico. His first job was as an Administrative Assistant
to the Salgado family, even before it became a distributor
for our toys. He was in charge of monitoring warehouse
shipments, deliveries, etc. With Comercializadora LT, he
was there when the first 700 m2 warehouse was opened
up. He held several positions before being put in charge of
the warehouse under IEESA. He got a huge surprise when
the company decided to move its operations to Monterrey,
since personal reasons made it quite impossible for him to
move from the city. What’s more, his loyalty to Cruz Azul
would make it impossible for him to follow any other soccer team!!!
But luck smiled on him again, and Famosa, which he had
always regarded as his home, opened its doors to him
with the opening of the distribution center in Mexico City.
Now that 360º is so fashionable, that’s what he found.
A radical change in work processes, investments in previously inconceivable equipment (like simple forklifts), a
modern warehouse (with racks!!) and, best of all, seeing
his old friends and colleagues again, which made things
a lot easier.
He noted his surprise at how the new management team
views his job functions. He used to do everything. The
amount of work today is nothing like it was when he left in
2010. It surprises him how much the company has grown
and how well it has performed in only three years. It is
without a doubt a much more professional company.
He doesn’t yearn for the past. They were simply different
times. They always asked for and wanted to see improvement in the processes, which is what he found upon returning in May of 2013. Once seated at his desk, he found
much more than what he was told during the job interview. He felt very encouraged and he’s, no doubt, giving
everything back to the company. In his next letter to the
Three Wise Men, he asks to continue improving, and he
asks me not to include this, but why not a pay raise too?
He’s optimistic about the future and wants to keep
growing personally and professionally. He isn’t lacking in
motivation, but his greatest desire for 2015 is for the company to do much better than last year, since, as the company goes, so does everyone who works in it. Oh, and if it’s
not too much to ask for Cruz Azul to win the league... it’s
been forever since its last title!
Ismael Posadas
22 Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in México
Results of the 2014 campaign
for FAMOSA Mexico
The Three Wise Men are here! And, along with them, the
results from our last campaign, which involved a lot of
hard work by everyone. So, we can now share with you
our results.
a 2.6% drop, undoubtedly a reflection of a difficult year
in which our main competitor (Mattel) lost market share
(down 10% over the year), this being a determining factor
for the rest of the industry.
A bit of background on the Mexican market
There was very good news for Famosa Mexico, however, as
we were able to increase our market share, going from 1.9
in 2014 to 2.1 at the close of 2014, with a cumulative sales
growth of 11.3% over the previous year.
Mexico was not spared from the global slowdown in consumption. We also endured aggressive and intense price
cutbacks from our competition, which resulted in more
choice for our consumers but reduced margins for our
customers.
In macroeconomic terms Mexico’s
GDP rose by 2.5% by the third quarter
of 2014, the expectation being that the
year would close out with a little over 2%
growth. The Mexican currency also suffered at the hands of a booming dollar,
with the peso losing 12.6% compared to
its closing value at the end of 2013. In
short, it was a challenging scenario for
our market.
Market Share 2014 vs 2013 (Feb-Dec)
Mexico, market share at the close of
December 2014
At the close of December 2014 the consulting firm NPD reported 1.8% growth
in the toy industry (Feb-Dec), noting the
negative performance in December with
RANK
1
2
3
4
5
6
CURRENT MONTH
VALUE SAHRE%
SHARE%
YTD (Feb-Dec ,13)
YTD (Feb-Dec ,14)
Grand Total
100.0
100.0
Mattel
Hasbro
Lego Group
Mega Bloks
FAMOSA
Spin Master
32.0
18.5
4.1
2.2
1.9
0.9
28.8
20.6
5.1
2.4
2.1
1.7
GHG (Pts)
-3.2
2.1
1.0
0.2
0.2
0.8
Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in México 23
This good news reflects the growth in market share enjoyed by
all our brands. Of note is the fact that in the outdoor category
we are now market leaders, with a 45.1% share, leaving Step 2
behind at 29.7%.
Market Share by Brand 2014 vs 2013 (Feb-Dec)
MARKET SHARE - COMPARISON ANNUAL
BRAND
2013
2014
Inc %
Nenuco
Pinypon
Nancy
Feber eléctrico
Feber outdoor
Feber (Motofeber)
10.2
8.3
1.9
10.8
34.1
10.9
10.8
8.6
2.1
11.2
45.1
13.0
6.0
3.8
7.7
3.5
32.3
20.1
Finally…
Famosa Mexico is very much a part of these results. The entire team
is always looking to improve the business and to continue offering
our customers good results that allow us to remain in the top tier of
toy manufacturers.
The year 2015 will be full of challenges that we are already
starting to face in order to post the best results possible.
Jose Manuel Hurtado
Trade Marketing
24 Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in Angola and Portugal
Outdoors
Feber Angola
The Feber brand was given a great deal of exposure thanks to advertising billboards strategically placed
throughout the country. Those areas with the most traffic were identified and selected for placing the advertising, thus increasing its impact. In fact, the campaign
was widely accepted and had a direct effect on the sale
of Feber products.
Store window
in Portugal
The Famosa team in Portugal was involved in a very original initiative during the 2014 Christmas season. They organized a store window decorating contest with Famosa
products, with the top three being guaranteed a prize.
An eye-catching initiative for passersby that put our brand
in a very positive light.
The team also published a catalog with the same creativity as the store windows to give the campaign a uniform
and striking look. And, to make it even more effective, the
catalog was distributed at schools and handed out to kids
on the street.
The winners of the best store windows were:
O Baloiço. Chaves
Pequenos e Graúdos
Galerias Golfinho
Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in Angola and Portugal 25
Nancy builds
a house in Porto
This Christmas, the “prettiest” doll stayed at a house in
Porto. As part of an initiative designed to transport the
little ones to a fun and fantastic setting, the Portuguese office recreated a house decorated with many Nancy
products.
This initiative exposed children to the toy line, as they
took part in various games and activities.
26 Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in France
Parisian buses decorated with
Nenuco Baby Clinic
In partnership with the photography company Pixmania,
Famosa was involved in an important marketing campaign for Nenuco Baby Clinic.
From November 28th to December 4th, 2014, Parisians
were greeted by ads promoting Nenuco Baby Clinic on
the sides of 365 city buses.
Nancy:
the star
at Paris’s
largest toy store
The “prettiest” Nancy was the star at the Joueclub Village Paris,
the largest toy store in the French capital.
For an entire month, and coinciding with the Christmas campaign, different Nancy products were on display in a window at
the store, much to the delight of window shoppers and customers alike.
Subsidiaries. FAMOSA in China 27
Shenzhen and
Hong Kong
Annual Outing
The Famosa Shenzhen team held its annual outing in an
effort to improve relations between coworkers. Various
activities were held on November 7 and 8, 2014 in which
57 people took part.
The first day’s agenda included a soccer game and a cooking contest in which every participant went to great
lengths to prepare various dishes worthy of the best restaurants. The day concluded with some karaoke
The second day started off with a big breakfast and a badminton game between departments, with the Quality team
winning the event. After a hearty lunch to regain its strength, the team went to an orphanage
to visit kids and give them toys and
candy.
They enjoyed the famous tofu fa, which they found in a
small store, and they visited the first windmill to be built in
Hong Kong. The morning ended with a delicious lunch at
the Rainbow Restaurant.
In short, it was a great day, with the team enjoying a relaxing time full of exercise, visits to new places, and lots of
camaraderie.
On November 14 the Hong Kong
team held its team-building exercise.
The day started with a ferry trip from
Hong Kong to Lamma. Once there
they took a long hike to the other side
of the island, taking in several spectacular views along the way.
Famosa’s team in Shenzhen
Antonio Quereda and Antonio Fernández
visit the Hong Kong factory
Antonio Quereda, the director of the Alicante factory,
and Antonio Fernández, Famosa’s Human Resources
Director visited the company’s Chinese facilities in November.
For two days they toured the Hong Kong facilities, devoting a third day to the factory in Taishing.
They also met with all the department heads, with whom
they shared ideas and projects for the future.
Antonio Fernández,
Famosa’s Human Resources Director
28 Digital Marketing
Increased community
interaction in all of the
company’s social networks
Contents involving children, contests, events, corporate information, tips and ideas for parents, and proper ATC management are gaining wide acceptance in these communities,
revolving around all of the brand’s various products.
An improved digital look that is more representative of and
specific to Famosa.
Every social network is designed to direct traffic to the Famosa Toy Store.
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/famosatoys 952 followers
LinkedIn:
1,111 seguidores
YouTube:
3,989 suscriptores
Twitter:
@juguetesfamosa 2,338 followers
@famosatoys 1,033 followers
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/famosajuguetes 80,133 fans
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/famosatoys 507 followers
Brand unification
Managing for the four main brands to combine their different country profiles into a single global webpage. This
will make the Facebook page official and combine the
communities for each of the brands, leading to a considerable increase in the total number of fans.
Nenuco: 279,278 fans
Pinypon: 130,305 fans
Pinypon: 82,930 fans
Feber: 79,541 fans
Corporate is developing and overseeing Facebook apps
for all of the international brands in each of the countries in which they are present (Spain, France, Portugal,
Italy, Mexico, USA, UK), as well as coordinating between
them and revising their digital identities and publishing
plans.
Digital Marketing 29
Activities on social networks
Famoadivina: At Christmastime the corporate social networks hosted a Famosa Advent calendar that challenged
fans on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with a riddle. It
had them guess the product associated with the rhyme
or complete a sentence. The traffic generated was directed to YouTube, thus
making our products more visible. The
levels of participation and interaction
were excellent.
PinyponTour and BarriChristmas: A
quarterly contest is held on Instagram targeted at one particular brand. Users post
their own pictures of the product associated with a hashtag. This summer the tag was
#pinyponTour, which became a best practice in the digital world.
During Christmas it was the turn for #BarriChristmas, which had users upload their
Barriguitas pics to Instagram using their hashtag. Turnout
was very high once again.
The Toy Blog
A main source of added-value content, with an average of
11,000 unique visitors per month. The content is in English
and Spanish.
Key features of the blog:
- Publication of product reviews submitted by our fans, the
Toy Testers.
- Blogging moms talking about Famosa products.
- Interviews with toys.
- Events: Juegorama, At the concert with Nancy, TuitInterview José de la Gándara, 3D printing.
- CSR: Nancy Kiddy Mini Model and PLAN.
- Tips for parents.
- Dreamers.
30 Fairs
In recent months FAMOSA has taken part in the most important fairs in the toy
industry: Hong Kong, London and Nuremberg.
You can get the details of our involvement at each below, though the pictures
speak for themselves!
Successful participation at the
Expo and Deauville Fair
The FAMOSA team in France was actively involved in two
fairs in the industry.
One was the Kid Expo, held from October 23 - 27, 2014,
attended by 172,000 people, an 11% increase from 2013
and a benchmark in France’s toy industry. With 300 exhibitors and hundreds of media outlets represented by a total
of 570 reporters, it featured Pinypon for the third year in a
row, while Nancy made her second appearance there.
Kid
The other was the Deauville Game and Toy Fair, held from
November 17 to 21 in the north of France, at which the
2015 Christmas toys were presented. Famosa had a busy
schedule, conducting 50 interviews and meetings with
customers.
Fairs 31
32 Fairs
Famosa shines at the
Hong Kong Fair
The Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair is the industry’s foremost event in Asia. Every January every toy retailer and
distributor in the world converges in Hong Kong in order
to get the latest information on all the goings-on in the toy
industry.
Every rep in Famosa’s worldwide sales force made the trip
to Hong Kong to meet with purchasers from Europe, the
United States, Latin America, Mexico, Africa, Asia and Pacific Rim countries. Let’s not forget that a significant amount
of business takes place over just a few days, and effort and
concentration are the keys to success.
Along with the Nuremberg Fair, the one in Hong Kong is
one of the year’s most exciting. This time around Famosa
showcased its new product lines for this year.
Lastly, we appreciate the effort and dedication shown by
everyone at Famosa who gave their time to help organize
and stage our presence at these fairs.
Fairs 33
Jorge Águila-Collantes and Francisco Alhambra
Jorgue Águila-Collantes, Alberto Fernandez, Yolanda Berzosa, Laura Casado, Cristina Martín, Emilia Ortiz, Fernando del Río, Jesús Gallegos and Francisco Alhambra
34 Fairs
Famosa presents the
new Feber style guide
at the Nuremberg Fair
The international fair at Nuremberg hosted a total of
72,000 visitors in 2014, 58% of whom were from abroad.
This is the most important toy fair with over 67 countries
represented.
Famosa’s stand was visited by all of our main international customers.
We also presented the new Feber style guide, using an
exhibit area that was bigger than in other years to introduce our customers to the changes made in how the
product should be displayed in stores, depending on its
category. The feedback we got was very positive, which
we hope to see reflected in sales.
Feber’s “star” products were: The Dareway Evolving Tricycle, which features prominently in Feber’s lineup, with
POS displays and videos to enhance sales of the product,
and the growth of the RR product line, including a RC
car.
As for Famosa’s products, Pinypon is the company’s
most international line. It continues to grow and occupies top spots in the rankings in most countries where it
is sold. It also has a firm foothold in those markets where we will relaunch the line in 2015. We also presented
the new Barriguitas and Club Hello Kitty collections, and
revealed our licensing agreement with Heydi, which will
return stronger than ever in 2016 with toys and plush
animals for girls ages four to six.
Fairs 35
36 Fairs
Nancy and Feber at the 2015
London Toyfair
The UK office showcased Nenuco, Pinypon, Nancy and
Feber at the 2015 London Toyfair in January at Olympia,
London. Located in the busy Gallery the UK stand enjoyed
lots of unplanned traffic as well as a full appointment diary
every day with all key accounts. Visitor attendance at the
fair was good and the appointments we had with key accounts were very positive across all the ranges presented.
Famosa previewed new products from popular girl’s
brands Pinypon and Nenuco at Toy Fair in January and
based on the success of both brands over 2014 and the
customer response at the fair, the new line extensions are
looking extremely promising.
The Toyfair was used to introduce the new range introductions and to communicate the promotions planned
for Easter and Christmas. Easter will focus on tactical
promotions for Pinypon to encourage multiple purchases
including a BOGOF deal to encourage the doll collectability and price promotions across the mid-priced accessories Campervan and Yacht. A Pinypon branded magazine will be on sale from March 17th which includes a cover
mount Pinypon Doll, Pinypon branded gift and 36 page
magazine packed with activities and information.
For Nenuco, Easter will see further TV campaigns focusing on the Hugging and Bath Time Doll followed up with
a Christmas campaigns for the Cradle Sleep with Me and
Nenuco and Brother at School Set.
With over 900 TVR’s planned for Easter 2015 and the reaction of the trade to the new lines, 2015 looks set to be
another strong year for Nenuco in the UK.
After a successful exclusive launch with TRU for the
Nancy range in Autumn Winter 2014 the range was
opened up to the wider trade at the London show. The
range received an excellent response with a number of
new accounts coming onto the stand to trade with us
specifically on the back of seeing the new Nancy range.
Nikki Jeffery says “We were overwhelmed with the trade response to Nancy, there was a great deal of interest
from trade and consumer press and more importantly
customers, old and new alike. We are very excited about
the future of Nancy in the UK”
Fairs 37
The Feber range looked equally impressive showcasing
the new Range Rover 6v, Evolution Trike as well as the
new colours within the outdoor range. The toyfair provides an excellent opportunity to showcase a range that
ordinarily can only be shown via a catalogue or visuals
due to the nature and size of the items. It’s only in its real
form can the buyer truly appreciate the quality and build
of the products. 2014 saw excellent growth specifically
within the online area. We expect to see increases in that
area further in 2015 and to support of the range the UK
will be building on the digital support via the website, direct dispatch offering and social media plans.
38 A click away
Lightning McQueen’s 6V car by
Feber, recognized for its quality
Feber’s rendition of Lightning McQueen’s popular car
received its second Gold Award from the renowned British
website “BizzieBaby.co.uk”.
The product has received excellent reviews for its quality,
ease of assembly and the features it offers.
In fact, this is how one consumer put it: “The first
impression upon opening it is ‘Wow!’ The packaging is
easy to open, it’s not too heavy to move, and it’s easy to
fold for recycling purposes. The instructions are simple
and easy to follow. I didn’t need my husband’s help at all! I
had it all set up and ready to go in under half an hour. The
quality is very good, the colors nice and bright, really
nice to look at.”
Nikki Jeffery, head of Marketing at our UK
subsidiary, notes: “We’re very excited to
have received this gold award. Some of
the comments received have been truly
overwhelming, so we’re very satisfied.
Pinypon and Nenuco, voted the
must-have toys of 2015
Every year a small number of toys shoots to the top of every
child’s must-have list. Parentdish, the prestigious British website specializing in child rearing and education, has already
issued its list of what it regards as the essential toys of 2015.
After its visit to the annual toy fair, the online site chose two
iconic Famosa toys: Pinypon and Nenuco.
Pinypon, the company’s iconic collection of pocket-sized
dolls and interchangeable play sets, was already one of the
most sought-after collectable toys of 2014, and we expect
to see it atop most-wanted lists once again in 2015. The
launch this year of the new Pinypon product line will be based on four traditional children’s stories, with beloved characters like Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in
Wonderland becoming fashionable again in the unmistakable Pinypon style. This release positions Pinypon at the top
of the 2015 Must-Have list.
A click away 39
Also in the running for the most desired toy of 2015 is Nenuco. The new Nenuco Bubble Bath, set to go on sale this
year, is bound to become a hit toy in the coming months.
This new soft-body doll can be fully submerged in water,
it will make bubbles, and will also include a dolphin float to
liven up bath-time games for the little ones.
How we make toys,
Juegorama 2014
true for kids. De la Gándara explained:
“an idea comes by way of inspiration,
from knowing what kids want, imagination and from studying trends. The
idea turns into a sketch, and then into
a 3D design, and finally into a prototype that has to undergo quality and
safety testing. The next step is design
and production of the casts used to
shape the plastic by way of injection
and blow molding. The plastic is shaped into the desired form, cut and
colored. From there it goes to the
assembly line. We get the first batch
of toys and the logistical task begins.
Distribution sees the culmination to
an 18-month process.”
On November 18 we held Juegorama 2014, Famosa’s
signature event, which has already become a classic.
Under the slogan “How we make toys”, Famosa showed
off for the first time the complete process involved in
making a toy, in this case the Mutant Buster actions figures, which were created, designed and produced entirely
in-house by a team of over 500 people over the course
of 18 months.
José de la Gándara shared with the media and other VIPs
present the process of creating a toy from the nascent
idea stage until it becomes a reality and a dream come
Doll´s Museum representatives of Onil. Juegorama 2014
40 People
Interview with...
Luigi Testa
Country Manager (Italy)
You’ve spent most of your career in the
toy industry. What drew you to this industry?
I’ve been working in this area for a long time and it still
excites me. From the start what I liked most was the
creativity and fantasy that you have to devote to anything you do. I also like our target audience... kids always
get so excited!
When and how did you start working for
Famosa?
I joined Famosa a year ago, since it was one of the companies I wanted to work for and one I’d known for a long
time.
Congratulations on your new job as Country Manager for Italy. What challenges
lie ahead?
I’m absolutely thrilled by this promotion and would like to
take this opportunity to thank all the teams and colleagues
I’ve worked with over these years and who have helped me
grow. It’s a great adventure and I think the biggest challenges facing me are, on the one hand, guiding the company
to a place among Italy’s top 10 in our industry, and also to
achieve our sales goals in the most profitable way.
What are the Italian team’s strong points?
Actually, the first step I took was to replace part of the
previous team to bring new blood into the company, enhance our skills, and incorporate solid resources. I think
the team’s organization is perfect now and we’re ready to
grow together.
What’s your everyday work like?
There are a lot of duties and items on my plate, but you
could say that my priorities are to oversee the transition
with the new and different resources, with NKAM and with
the new sales director, to motivate the team and to align
the new resources toward our new strategy.
What drives you to give the best of yourself on the job?
Well, I would say that my new position and the challenges
it represents are really motivational. There’s also the task of
working hard with the team so together we can reach our
objectives, even the most difficult ones.
Some personal questions... what do you
do in your free time?
I don’t have too much free time, so in what little time I do
have, I try to enjoy being with my family, travel and play
sports like tennis and ski.
If you could have one wish, what would
it be?
To be successful at my new job in the short term, to achieve great results and an excellent market position for the
company.
“
… what I like the most is the
creativity and the imagination
that must be dedicated to
everything that is done. I also
like our our target consumers...
children are always so
enthusiastic!
“
People 41
Enrique Alonso
Category Senior Manager
1Tell us how you started out at Famosa.
When did you start working at the company? What brought you to Famosa?
I started working here on February 1, 2005. So, ten years
ago. Having had such a close and almost daily interaction
with Famosa as a buyer for a Toys R Us allowed me to
gain in-depth knowledge of the company. Thanks to that
the management at Famosa thought I was a good match,
and they asked me to join the company. I’m a person who
likes challenges, so I accepted, and here I am. To this day
I’m still learning and doing what I like, which is important.
How has Famosa changed during your
time here?
Since my job in the Toys R Us Purchasing Department,
where I started in 1995, I transitioned from a more familiar model in which you could order goods every day and
argue over 100 units either way, to my current situation,
where everything is much more controlled. We work under a multinational model, which I’m very familiar with
from my earlier experience at Mattel and Hasbro. That’s
how it is these days at every large company, and that’s
good.
What did you think your first day on the
job at Famosa?
My first two years at the company I was working in Onil.
I remember the day before I joined the company was a
Sunday, and I had to stay at the Don José de Castalla Hotel. It was cold, very late, and I couldn’t find anywhere to
eat. Besides, there was hardly anyone there, and I wondered “What’s a guy like me doing in a place like this?”
What was your job when you started
working here? Since then and in all this
time, what’s your career been like?
I started out with Javier Tortosa in charge of product
distribution, which back then was much bigger than it
is now. I also handled the Quirón brand of stuffed toys.
Then, while still in charge of product distribution, I started
to take over brands like Nancy, Nenuco and the rest of the
Nurturing lines.
Now I’m the visible head of the Category Managers Department, directly responsible for product distribution
and new licenses. I also manage and provide support to
my large team in managing the company’s brands.
You must have faced numerous problems in your ten years at the company.
What was the most difficult one? And
what’s your favorite anecdote?
Without a doubt the most difficult situation was the uncertainty surrounding the company just before the final
acquisition by Vista Capital.
The anecdote I most remember is probably when I saw
the “Go Go Hamsters” line from Cepia, which we launched in 2009. It was in Hong Kong and when I went inside
the room where the suppliers had the exhibit, and when I
42 People
“
I am someone who likes challenges. I accepted, and
here I am. Today I continue to learn and to do what
I like, which is the important thing
saw the set-up he had with the hamster, the instant I saw
it I thought: “eso es un tiro”. My heart sank. I’d never been
in a situation like that before. Fortunately, the line sold
very well that year, but the next year the supplier pulled
the plug on us and gave European distribution to Giochi
Preziosi.
A life in toys. So, which is your favorite
toy and why?
I have lots of favorites, but I have a soft spot for the Madelman I played with as a child. I have 21 in mint condition with their helicopter, Jeep, sled, etc. I also like slot
cars and I have five Scalextric tracks, a bunch of accessories and about 250 cars, some of them quite pricey on
Ebay! Also, as a complete Lord of the Rings fan, I have
a collection of 100 figurines, most of them on display
in my living room. But if I could only pick one, it would
be the Playmobil. I have boxes and boxes of them, so
if someone needs to call on the seventh cavalry, don’t
hesitate to ask!
Do you suffer more as an Atlético de Madrid fan or during stressful periods at
Famosa?
As Diego Simeone would say, “I’m glad you asked me
that... Atlético’s philosophy is the philosophy of life itself,
one of overcoming everything, and where there are more
bad times than good, but when the good times come,
how sweet it is!”
Can you tell us what your hobbies are?
I love movies, especially action films, and I’m a big fan of
sports in general, though I have a soft spot for soccer and
especially rugby, which fascinates me. I’m a fan of Wales
and the All Blacks. Lastly, I really enjoy traveling and meeting people.
“
There’s a rumor that you run a clandestine office pool. Is that true?
(Laughs) Who ratted on me? It’s nothing clandestine really, it’s just a betting pool I’ve organized for the past three
years. Four of us started playing, then it was eight two
years ago and now there are 12 of us. The goal, obviously,
is to guess all 15 games and get a good chunk of change,
but I also came up with a series of rules, promotions and
point system that make the fight for the standings a lot
of fun, with the winner getting a cup and the last one paying more the following year. And all with my inseparable
“Chucky”, without whom it would be impossible.
If you could have one wish, what would
it be?
I think most important of all is to be healthy. Everything
else comes second. Having stability in every aspect of life
is the best thing that can happen to us.
“
Perhaps the anecdote that
I remember most was when I
saw the ‘Go Go Hamsters’ line. It
was in Hong Kong and when I
entered the room where the
the supplier was set up, with the
whole Hamster world,
my reaction, immediately after
seeing it, was “this is great!
“
People 43
Marybeth King
VP Sales & Marketing North America
Mary Beth was one of the first employees of Famosa
NorthAmerica. She joined to the company on 2011,
and she has always been in charge os the commercial operations. Unfortunately the company structure had to change but she continues hundred per cent
involved with Famosa. She has the best knowledge
of the business and nowadays is the unique active
member placed in the US.
Mary Beth, tell us how did you join Famosa. Did you know about us before you
landed into the Famosa office?
I did not know about Famosa. I was working for a company called LeapFrog when a former associate – former
GM Ed Young - approached me about opportunity to help
an established European company enter the United States
market. I was happy at LeapFrog, but it wasn’t very exciting.
I decided to jump at the chance to be part of a brand new
endeavor.
There are wellknown the difficulties to
get into the USA market. Not only the
toys segment. What are the main differences between your market and Europe
or Latam?
Due to its size and potential , the U.S. is a fiercely competitive market. As such, the cost of entry is very high. Margin
requirements are getting steeper year after year as vendors
battle for the same limited space. This is especially true in
“commodity” type products and in categories where space
is shrinking.
Additionally the retailers productivity thresholds are extremely high and as such, there is no tolerance for slowly
building a brand. Collections have to perform out of the
gate. One Top 3 retailer advised me they know if a line will
be continuing within the first 10 days of launch regardless
if it is fully distributed. They have sophisticated software
that projects the lines potential and buyers make decisions on a collections fate within the first 2 weeks it hits
the stores.
That means awareness & demand needs to ramp up
quickly when hitting the selling floor in order to have
a chance at long term success. In order to ensure this,
vendors spend an enormous amount on marketing
without the guarantee their line will last beyond one
season. Locally buying TV is not efficient so vendors
buy nationally.
This gets very expensive. It is common to launch a line with
an expectation to spend $3M in a singular season on TV.
The year we launched PYP, Lego Friends was launching
and Lego spent $9M to launch that collection, They followed up in 2013 with a $15M spend.
LaLaLoopsy spent $12M that year. This is difficult to compete against but not insurmountable. Unique, innovative
products can still capture the attention of the American
consumer as demonstrated by the Dareway launch last
year.
44 People
“
…I think the most important key to success is innovation.
It is the primary way to differentiate our product from
the competition.
There is an aggresive sales Budget for
this fiscal year. We´ve been top of mind
with the Dareway this year. Where do
you think it could be our short edge horizon in terms of sales? And in the middle term?
The potential is enormous but difficult to predict. Certainly, we did well with the Dareway last year. We took the
market by surprise.
This year & in 2016 I expect our competitors will be better prepared. Regardless, with Dareway Revolution and the
new 6V Range Rover, I expect significant growth over the
next 18 months. Beyond that, we are limited only by the
number of innovative product launches we bring to the
market. I look forward to what I will be seeing when I visit
the PD team in April.
You are currently working as home office.
Is it easy? Does it represent a big change?
Do you need to be really organized as it is
said?
Famosa was the first job in my career where I had to go
to an office! I have been working from a home office
my entire career. I enjoyed the 3 years I spent in New
Jersey, but I am accustomed to working from home
and prefer it.
The only downside is when I need an answer but am
unable to successfully reach the person via email and
BigAnt. Normal action would be to have an in person
meeting….clearly not practical when doing so involves
a plane ticket.
I would say the big change is not that I work in a home office, but that I am working alone as the singular employee
fully dedicated to the U.S. It was difficult to lose the sup
“
port team and I struggled thru some of the processes they
formally managed but; with the help of some great team
members, we are progressing.
Desiree & Lorena in Finance, Liros in ATC, Nerea in Pricing,
Ana in Planning, Octavio in sales analysis - just to name a
few – have really helped me as I transitioned the last few
months. I appreciate them more than they know!
I don’t think you need to be any more organized than those
who work in an office. What is essential is that you are disciplined and self directed.
We’ve had successful launches in the U.S.
and we have had unsuccessful launches.
What do you think it takes to succeed in
the U.S. market?
I think the most important key to success is innovation.
It is the primary way to differentiate our product from
the competition. Innovation means we can demand higher prices, promote less, and be more profitable. It builds
credibility with both retailers and provides a significant
advantage in terms of building a consumer base. It is difficult to compete if our products are similar to what is already on the market.
Differentiation the comes in the form of price and that is
not the direction we want to be heading.
Finally…
I joined Famosa because I believed in the potential of its
brands in the U.S. I have not waivered in that belief. There
have been difficult times, no doubt.
The experience I thought I was going to have was not the
experience I ended up with! Nevertheless, I don’t regret a
single moment. I have experienced “highs” and I have ex-
People 45
pereinced some really bad “”lows” but each has taught me
something new. I am better because of it.
I remember the first few weeks working while sitting on the
floor because we didn’t have furniture yet. I was there when
the first person was hired and I was there when the last person left and I handed the NJ office keys to the landlord.
We started with hope and promise and were all terribly disappointed when it didn’t materialize as we had envisioned. But I won’t be defined by that failure. Failures don’t
define us. How we react to them does. The U.S. market has
no less potential then it did 3 years ago.
“
Un minorista me dijo que
eing the first 10 days of
its launch they know if a
product line is going to last,
regardless of whether or not it
is totally distributed
“
Time to get back in the game.
THE MOST PERSONAL…
We were having dinner… I do not remember beer or wine??
I enjoy both! They are one of life’s simple pleasures. Nothing
enhances the taste of a burger like an ice cold beer or the
deliciousness of a filet than a glass of Cabernet. I enjoy them
both frequently!
One thing I do not partake in is liquor.. I make exception
for Maragaritas and Mojitos. Anything else normally has regrettable consequences. You will not see me doing a shot.
Ever. Do not try to convince me. You will fail.
A bouquet of flowers or a pretty
whisper?
Flowers die. Kind words last forever.
A convert Ferrari or a boat in Miami??
Why must I chose?
A placed where you can be meet if
you are lost??
I love to travel. It is my passion. I would go anywhere at anytime. I think the world is meant
to be explored, cultures to be learned, new
foods to be enjoyed, & new friends to be discovered. So, in
essence you could find me anywhere. That said, I am at my
most peaceful with my toes in the sand, the sun warming
my skin and my eyes gazing at the ocean. Any beach will
suffice.
One more thing
Here is a picture I want to share with you. It’s taken in our
new U.S. showroom… my garage!
Look at the expression on her face. She’s proud in what
she’s got to offer.
That is my daughter, Samantha.
That is me.
46 People
Ruben Soler
Director of the Production Quality
Department
Rubén, is quality really that important in
toys? Or is it something that should be a
part of every industrial process?
Quality should be present in every industrial process, but the
case of toys demands special attention, due to the target audience. We should never lose sight of who our end user is. In
the Production Quality Department customer safety is always
very much in our minds.
We inspect the entire production process, from the receipt of
components and the manufacture of semi-finished parts, to
final product assembly, in an effort to ensure that the product
reaches the market in perfect condition.
When you came to Famosa did you think
you would have such a meteoric rise?
I got to Famosa in November 2013 as part of an internship
for the MBA course I was doing. I jumped at the chance to
learn and offer Famosa everything that was within my reach. I
adapted to the company quickly and easily thanks to the support I got from all my colleagues.
I’ve worked hard for this company from day one, and this
chance they’ve given me tells me that the work I’ve done has
been productive, and that I should stay on this path.
What do you like most about your job?
The most satisfying part of my job is knowing that all our products thrill thousands of boys and girls. That’s why at my job
in the Production Quality Department I work to make sure
that quality and safety are part of every toy we make.
If you had to explain to someone what your
job consists of, what would you highlight?
My job at Famosa involves making sure that all the components that go into our toys comply with regulations, and that
they are used safely. We inspect the components we’re going
to use as they come in on the shipping dock and when the
pieces exit the injection or blow molding machines. We also
inspect them to make sure they’re as they should be before
they’re packaged and stored, and, lastly, we ensure that the
final product meets out quality standards by sampling the finished product.
How would you define yourself as a person
and worker?
I consider myself a very steady and demanding person who’s
always striving to do the job right, both personally and professionally. My entrepreneurial spirit and desire to discover
new horizons has taken me around the world and keeps me
learning all the time.
Would you rather work on a team or do you
trust your own initiative more?
To me teamwork is essential, and more so in a company or
organization that wants to lead the way and be more efficient
every day. What’s more, for a corporate culture that strives to
advance and an atmosphere that is as constructive as possible, we should encourage and rely on teamwork.
You’ve seen so much of the world. What’s
your next destination?
There are thousands of places I’d like to visit. The world is
so big and there are so many things left to see that it’s very
hard to pick one in particular, but I’m already planning my
next getaway. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies and has
allowed me to learn and meet a lot of people.
What adventure is on your to-do list?
My adventures are my challenges, which is why my life is full
of them. Every day I try to set challenges for myself that often
require some adventure in order to achieve them. I’m sure
that this adventure that I’m on right now at Famosa will be full
of many positive results.